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JDCanuck
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Quote: Originally posted by RFClark  | | The source is everything except toilets, no rain water as there’s either too little or occasionally way too much. Since food washes down the drain
rather than allow it to collect I added aquarium bacteria balls and course gravel to the 1st stage. Seems to work as there are no bad smells from the
system after years of use. It’s built out of 1/4” ABS sheet. It required a 4’X8’ sheet. Filter pack from eBay. Pumps have been a problem. The
cheap ones don't last! |
Thanks for that detailed info, I will certainly be trying to copy s
something similar. We are using shots of Chlorine bleach at present in our 3,000 liter rainwater collectors here. A post indicating what make of pump
you finally settled on would be helpful as we will be needing one eventually. Our septico discharge has been running trouble free for a couple years
now using an Evans pump, while I have heard our neighbour's pump has failed a couple times in similar use.
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RFClark
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I tried a number of cheap submersible pumps. None proved very satisfactory. I think a good (expensive) pump is probably a good investment.
I haven't decided what I’m going to do on the new house past having a in-ground plastic receiving tank for the gray water. I am thinking about an
above ground pump and sand filter though.
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JDCanuck
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I was looking at this one, the kits supplied by them including the sand filters are pretty expensive.
https://evans.com.mx/albercas/bombas/bomba-para-alberca-1-2-...
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Udo
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Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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My sincerest apologies, JD. I was not paying attention to further posts, until I went to print this post for hard-copy referencing. I needed to print
some extra copies for other friends who are interested in the same thing.
To answer your question, my solar panels are KYOCERA 450 watts. Made in Mexico. Chinese panels will outlast my lifetime as well as half of my
relative's lives.
I should have stopped at Harald's place when I was in La Paz a couple of months ago, but I was traveling with a group of friends. So far, the most
sanitary solar system and A/C I have seen are at a friend's place on K-38 of Mexico 5, as well as Lynn Chenowth's place. I will aspire my next upgrade
to look like their's. However, I also want to look at RF Clark's place, which is just 2 KM. south of me in San Felipe. After a lot of research, I
think I will be using Lithium-Ion batteries for my next add-in solar install. That should be about a 6KW system with 14 more panels.
That battery system will be on work-bench-like storage, so everything will be waist high (like my above-ground vegetable grid in Ensenada. This
compound is currently for sale, and if I can figure out how to post photos on Nomads it will be there with an ad.
| Quote: Originally posted by JDCanuck | Udo: There is a whole lot of practical information out there if you can just get people to share it. I was especially impressed with Harald's place on
my brief stay there and highly recommend to fellow Nomads they try to spend some time there before he sells the place. Nothing beats decades of
practical experience and seeking lo cost solutions to complicated problems.
I myself tend to over complicate issues and go searching for the latest commercially engineered solutions when there's often a very simple way of
dealing with it.
Based on your panels' sizing I assume you are using the newer bi-facial panels from Canadian Solar, am I right? About the same ratings as those i had
installed, but mine are from a different manufacturer.
[Edited on 6-27-2022 by JDCanuck] |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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JDCanuck
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I'm really interested in RFClarks various systems as well, I wonder how much he charges for tours? He seems to have put a lot of thought into living
with minimal impact.
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Udo
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Perhaps what I installed may be of interest to you. My gray water feeds my ocotillos and palms. I used a 20" square cement tank receiver for the
water. From there, I have a gravity feed 2" PVC pipe that is about 200' long. There is a tee from the pipe to each plant. The tee is plugged on the
end, and there are several holes drilled on the tee'd line, just like the septic's leech lines. I think I spent about $90.00 USD on everything. The
end of the drain line is about 24" deeper than the pipe's head. Digging was easy. all on sand.
| Quote: Originally posted by RFClark | I tried a number of cheap submersible pumps. None proved very satisfactory. I think a good (expensive) pump is probably a good investment.
I haven't decided what I’m going to do on the new house past having a in-ground plastic receiving tank for the gray water. I am thinking about an
above ground pump and sand filter though. |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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RFClark
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No charge for tours! We’ll be back in San Felipe 7/26 &’8/3 then in Cerritos August/Sept. We got our building permit. Easy to find located in
Rancho Nuevo. About KM 72 south of Cerritos.
The place we sold had a gravity drain in addition to the pump for the drip system it feeds about 40’ of 4” drain pipe with holes in it. We had
stuff planted on it. That works fine.
Don’t know about the new place yet.
We did get the first 6 540W panels installed last week. They are flat mounted. Output is about 2800W midday. The original 3 - 340W output about 900W
midday.
We used a crane to set the 2X - 3 panel racks in place
[Edited on 7-24-2022 by RFClark]
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JDCanuck
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RFClark: If you are in San Felipe between the 29th and 31, we will definitely try to catch you on our way by. Thanks for the invite.
Planning on more solar yet at Cerritos or is that going to be sufficient for your needs? Wondering too how many battery units, what make and what
size you are installing.
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RFClark
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We’ll be in the US on those dates. Then back to Cerritos.
Solar is still cheap. We’re planning on another 6 - 540W panels and a 2nd 6KW inverter. We have 48V 100AH of Li ion batteries now and plan on adding
100AH more when we go back down. We’ll add another 200AH when we install the extra panels and 2nd inverter.
Time will tell if we need more batteries. The issue with fixed panels is you get the most power midday so you need to store it for afternoon and night
use. Most of the power is used for AC to dehumidify. Cerritos doesn't get too hot but the breeze dies and the humidity goes up in the afternoon.
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RFClark
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Panel Install
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JDCanuck
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You are building out of containers? That's a pretty intense planning project.
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RFClark
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CAD Container House RN
The one story part is concrete and block. The two story part is 2 - 20’ containers spaced on a 40’ X 20’ square with 2 - 40’ containers across
them and a 4’ gap between to create a 20’ x 40’ second floor. The square on the roof is a deck area. The rectangle is the solar panels. This
software doesn’t do windows and doors on second floors. The front of the 2nd floor is mostly glass.
The concrete single story with a roof deck goes where we are rigging the solar panels.
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Udo
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Nice!
I will try to catch up with you at a later time in September.
| Quote: Originally posted by RFClark | The one story part is concrete and block. The two story part is 2 - 20’ containers spaced on a 40’ X 20’ square with 2 - 40’ containers across
them and a 4’ gap between to create a 20’ x 40’ second floor. The square on the roof is a deck area. The rectangle is the solar panels. This
software doesn’t do windows and doors on second floors. The front of the 2nd floor is mostly glass.
The concrete single story with a roof deck goes where we are rigging the solar panels. |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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JDCanuck
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RFClark: When I looked at that model, my immediate thought was you have a natural chimney effect that should draw strong breezes in through the lower
story front deck. Have you added any window/vents on the rear of the upper story to accomplish this? I saw this design in an older home in La Paz we
rented and it worked very well without air conditioning.
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RFClark
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Yes, that’s the plan. The 20’ containers already have exhaust fans on the east sides.
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