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Dreaming about a new home | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 editorial)
Re: Dreaming about a new home (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by ghurd on Fri Feb 8th, 2008 at 11:21:28 PM MST
(User Info)

Do all 3.  And more.

It won't take many extra "inverter outlets".  Leave plenty of wire to reach the inverter breaker box when it is connected.

Run #10 to a few places for smaller DC loads.  Maybe to the attic for one of CmeBREW's amazing 5W 12V fans?  Maybe to the bedroom ceiling for DC fan?  Maybe to the office for a RE cordless phone?
Many phantom loads can be far more efficiently relaced with straight DC, and a 78XX.

Run cable TV wire to about everywhere.
Run an extra (2nd) cable wire to anywhere that MIGHT get a computer, eventually.
Run plenty of phone wires.

Might run #1/0 AL from the attic to the basement for PVs to the battery?

Nothing like having some yahoo from the phone/cable company show up with a 4" hole saw in a 1/2" drill in one hand, a hammer and giant staples in the other...
Intending to run wires all over the outside of a new home.

Don't underestimate the insulation damage they can do.
Then they tear insulation up where ever they work.
IF they bother to lay it back down, it is still compressed and with gaps.
They flatten it with tools and feet.  Who knows how it is messed up inside the walls.

That doesn't include the damage to drywall, paint and siding.

If the basement is block, have them insulate it with 'vermiculite' (???) when they do the block work.

Might consider running pex in the basement floor for solar heat later.  Very cheap to do if it's done now, but it won't really be an option later.
A few plastic pipes sticking out of the floor in a south corner won't bother anyone.
A small system in that climate should make a big dent in the heat bill, and the entire floor is a pretty decent thermal storage mass.
Maybe plan a route for water pipes from the attic to the basement.
Could consider just using attic heat (no normal/expensive collecters)...
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/7/19/13842/8442

The best thing I ever did was run a LOT of extra wires, of every kind, from the basement to the attic, BEFORE the insulation was blown in.
Ten years ago I never would have guessed 2 phone lines, 6 phone numbers, some rooms with 3 phones, cable for the TVs and another for the computers.  
And now we might have to put up a 1950's type TV antenna to get the semi-local channels when they switch to digital.
Who knows what 10 more years will bring.
G-

[ Parent ]



Re: Dreaming about a new home (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by TomW on Sat Feb 9th, 2008 at 05:40:05 AM MST
(User Info)

g;

All good advice. I would add:

nice, big PVC conduit attic to basement. Fair size flex conduit with gradual curves [if needed] to all family areas. The next step is fiber optics and who knows what specifications will be needed there? At least with conduit in place its just a matter of fishing the stuff thru it when the time comes.

Of course, none of this is "cheap" now but it will be much cheaper than the tech doing it in 10 years.

I installed lots of extra cable in my office when I built it. Phone lines, coax, Cat5, etc and it still was not enough. Next time it will be 2" PVC to all corners in the attic space, or what passes for an attic in addition to all the stuff I know I need at the time.

Cheers.

TomW

"Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned."--Mark Twain
[ Parent ]



Re: Dreaming about a new home (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by Birdmmjb on Sat Feb 9th, 2008 at 08:23:42 AM MST
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Thanks for the thoughts.  At this time I had not given much thoght to the phone jacks ect but if the bank is crazy enough to make the kind of loan that we will need to build this then I will really have to be ready as the builder plans to complete in 90 days.

I had not thought of the pex in the concrete for heat I will need to do some reading on that and see what kind of system I might be able to get installed.

One of the things I want to do as there will be no basement is have a battery box in the atic storage space and vent it through the roof.  I'm thinking of insulating the box to keep the battery temp down in the summer. then the re controls could be placed in the area near the box if it were placed in the south storage area the wire run from the pv panels would be very short and line loss cut down.  I currently have to run 75 feet from the pv panles to the battery. Did I fail to tell you that the new house site is much better for pv and wind as it is clear of obstructions trees barns ect.

The inverter could also be placed nearer the batterys which would be a big plus.

I almost hope the bank says no. I bult my last house when I was 22 after that experence I decided that I would never do that again.  My husband built his last house at the same time and after we married and compared notes on the experience we agreeded to never build again.

25 years must have soffened the memory some as here we are about to try again.

Jan I must have lost my mind Bryant

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Re: Dreaming about a new home (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by mbeland on Mon Feb 18th, 2008 at 01:16:10 PM MST
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I think the main motivation for building yourself from scratch is to make it your special way. You probably know more what you want than at the time. Martin
Eau, soleil, le vent
[ Parent ]


Re: Dreaming about a new home (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by zap (bell47g5a at comcast dot net) on Sun Feb 10th, 2008 at 08:47:20 AM MST
(User Info)

As Tom said, "All good advice"... I'll add this:

Take a serious look at a Ground Source HVAC system.  In Arkansas your heating needs may be modest but I imagine your cooling needs will be greater and with a ground source system you could save quite a bit.

Here's an article with some numbers from my Dad's system.
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/9/1/34455/70334

zap
[ Parent ]



Dreaming about a new home | 8 comments (8 topical, 0 editorial)

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