Off grid since '83

[timmy]

neat little story in our local paper, some pv, couple lights, a homemade fan, propane fridge, salvaged wood to build his house.  

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10111535

[chadking]

Nice little article.  Our AC was broke until the middle of June or so.  And it was one of the most pleasant spring/early summers I can remember.  It gave you a reason to open the windows, your body was in much more of a rhythm with the day, and it was peaceful outside without that big compressor kicking on.

When it gets real hot, I'm still a sucker for AC, but I see how you could get used to going without it.  I like these guys' take on things.

[Bruce S]

timmy;

  Way off topic: If you're up in Omaha can you tell me if the 3 Cheers pub is still over by the medical center?

I used to service the ICU equipment at the Uni Med ctr and behind them was this small pub that had some of the best hot wings in ALL of Omaha and this includes Biffel's and Smuggler's Inn.

Or are you much further out say 114th?

The read is a good one too..:-)

Cheers

Bruce S

[wooferhound]

Me and the wife don't use air conditioning Unless the temperature goes above 95 degrees, and then we have the thermostat set to 85 degrees. The 2 story house is mainly cooled by a Forced ventilation system that pulls in the air through a filter on the 1st floor and vents the air through the windows on the 2nd floor.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2005/4/6/2056/94039

I think that if you don't have air conditioning then you get used to it and 95 degrees isn't so hot. This year the temps have been running over 100 degrees for the last 2 weeks and as high as 105 degrees for 5 days, not to mention that here in No. Alabama we are 20+ inches below normal on rainfall for the year.

The guys in the article don't have electricity for the most part, and that is what builds up the heat in modern houses. The heat producers are the TV, dishwasher, Lights refrigerator, Air conditioner blower fan, computer, etc. So it's easier to keep cool without Electricity.

[timmy]

Bruce,

We are actually across the Missouri on the Iowa side, but I have been to 3 Cheers in Omaha many years ago.  I think it has since closed, but not real sure as I don't get in that area too much.

I would imagine most of the equipment in ICU has battery backup and replaced on a very timely basis?

[snowcrow]

Great article!! There are a lot of people here in Vermont living the "Green Life". Summers are nice up here but the winters can be brutal!!

Blessings, Snow Crow

[Bruce S]

Ahh;

 You're on the Council Bluffs region. Beautiful drive!! Once I had to drive from Kankakee,Il to Omaha to work on a PICU monitor, the drive through Council Bluffs and the highway was really pretty.

The units I serviced had their own internal batts, this made it so they could go from a Helio to whereever without ever losing patient data. Pretty cool.

The BMS guys were some of the brightess I'd ever talked to, and they were also smart enough to tag ALL the batteries for themselves :-D

I do not know if they are still that way since Creighton and the Uni merged some 10+ years ago, but you could ceratinly ask.

They're a bit quirky since they have to deal withall the different types of equipment and they will most certainly ask you questions to see if you know what you're doing.

However they are kind too, so I sure would not hurt to go ask.

I have several frined at Barnes here in St.Louis and they keep an eye out too, but so many of them do the same I'm not even close to being on page giga to receive any.

Best of luck!!

Bruce S

 

[Phil Timmons]

I am so not showing this story to Mrs. Phil.  She will think I am hinting for how I want us to be living.  When we met, she was the more hippy of us.  Thanks to her bad influence I have now passed her in that direction from a starting point of former Army O-type.  I am ready to move us and the kids off to a Hudderite community (nearly Amish), but she is the one now saying we need to stay in "civilized" areas.  

[Chagrin]

You'd think they'd have the common sense to plant a shade tree (or 2, or 10...) near the house.

[Bruce S]

Chagrin;

   I would tend to belive that they probably thought about this, but may have decided not because of up-keep and bugs, like carpenter Ants and such. If they're knowledgable enough to do all the other stuff they do, planting a few trees wouldn't be too far behind if they decided it would help.

Down home, this is what most of my family did when building their homes, but some did not due to the bugs around. I can't count the number of night's sleep lost to cekadas searching for a mate :-(

Cheers :-)

Bruce S