Author Topic: Something else to consider-becoming the crazy prepper (Read 16144 times)

Ben Framed · « **Reply #20 on:** August 31, 2021, 01:08:01 pm »

Quote from: The15thMember on August 31, 2021, 12:59:55 pm

Does everything HAVE TO become so partisan with you guys?? Prepping has little to do with being Republican or Democrat. Natural disasters and pandemics affect all alike, as does economic depression or governmental collapse. In my opinion this thread is about smart strategies to have in place in case things like this occur, not who has the best policy to prevent them.

Exactly! Thanks Member. This is a good topic subject, Let's not let the talk of politics ruin it. There are post here which distract from the subject. I will give allowance, allowing each time to voluntary modify, or voluntarily take them down themselves/ourselves.

Phillip

Kathyp · « **Reply #21 on:** August 31, 2021, 01:12:07 pm »

Quote

Does everything HAVE TO become so partisan with you guys??

Some people see everything through that lens.

Water was my big concern. You can figure out how to do without almost anything except water.

To that end, I have the usual storage containers, but I also had a hand pump put on our failing old well when we had a new one drilled. It would get us by with the amount we could pump from it.

I am looking at those freeze dryers too. I wish I knew someone who had used one of them because they are spendy!

Ben Framed · « **Reply #22 on:** August 31, 2021, 01:24:14 pm »

Quote from: Kathyp on August 31, 2021, 01:12:07 pm

Quote
Does everything HAVE TO become so partisan with you guys??

Some people see everything through that lens.

Water was my big concern. You can figure out how to do without almost anything except water.

To that end, I have the usual storage containers, but I also had a hand pump put on our failing old well when we had a new one drilled. It would get us by with the amount we could pump from it.

I am looking at those freeze dryers too. I wish I knew someone who had used one of them because they are spendy!

I agree, water is number one. We are on a water well, and if no electricity, then no running water. The hurricane that just passed New Orleans has also passed here. Thankfully not much here. But again New Orleans is without power last I heard.

If solar panels were in place, and the sun was shining which is a good point made by gww; Wonder what kind of set up would be needed to run water, even if a short period each sunshiny day? Would batteries be needed? The Well is 220.
Anyone here know?

Ben Framed · « **Reply #23 on:** August 31, 2021, 01:37:50 pm »

Quote from: BeeMaster2 on August 31, 2021, 07:53:50 am

Phillip,
I put a 8K solar system on my barn roof. Part of the job was to connect the barn to the house and eliminate a $35 a month meter charge. That helps to make it pay for it. Bee careful buying solar systems that connect to the power grid. Most are designed so that they don?t work if you are running on a generator. They have to have power to turn on. Generators have high harmonics and they are designed not to turn on with a generator. I paid extra for my system to run with a generator. This allows the generator to run at idle with a load that is less than the solar systems output.
Jim Altmiller

Thanks Jim. There is a local company which sells 100 watt panels. Do any of you have any idea how many it would take to run a 220 water well, without battery backup, for short periods of time, long enough to flush toilets etc. Maybe then turning the well off and keeping the freezer cold? Or is this out of reach even if enough panels were incorporated? As I told gww, I don't know enough about this subject to amount to much help in my concerns..

Kathyp · « **Reply #24 on:** August 31, 2021, 02:26:11 pm »

ben you can put a hand pump on an exiting well. I know someone who is getting this done. It's not cheap, but less cost than the solar set up.

To keep the animals watered would mean bringing them all down to the house and fencing, but I have the stuff to do it. Just not sure I have the will

In the end, they might all end up on the dinner table anyway.

salvo · « **Reply #25 on:** August 31, 2021, 02:29:52 pm »

Hi Folks, Kathy,

Just a smile here. I'm very visual,... and literal.

You mention water,... then Freeze drier.

Freeze dried water! Simply add water.

btw; I too have a hand pump on a shallow well.

I'm also kinda in the sticks. No marauding bands of ne*er-do-wells on foot. I'd hate to be in a city.

OH! and I've got a good supply of lead,.... for shooting chipmunks and squirrelly things.

Sal

gww · « **Reply #26 on:** August 31, 2021, 02:40:15 pm »

Kathy
What it takes with your pump is five gal buckets and that will you were discussing.

Ben
running your existing well even short time means big battery and big inverter due to how much it takes at one time. Might have been (?) sunny boy inverters that had the ability to invert strait from panel to inverter but was kinda new when I got out of keeping up with stuff and I could be wrong on name. If you did not need to use your current well system, they do make water pumping only that may have smaller cost. You may have no power even from solar with the right storm as it can be destroyed just like every thing else. Doesn't pay to be to comfortable with our ideals but more just be flexible and fix problems as things happen.

I go with hand pump being safest route but nothing will cover every thing.
Cheers
gww

Ben Framed · « **Reply #27 on:** August 31, 2021, 03:03:45 pm »

Hand pump is the safest bet, but also unpractical for me as my Deep Well situation for power loss of a few days. My Deep Water Well is equipped with all necessary inner parts, including the deep well pump attached to the feed line which runs all the way from the pump deep in the ground, inside the main well shaft, then incorporated to the house feed line. For a short period of time I would not want to temporarily pull the pump and lines plus electrical lines which is in the well shaft. This is why I am asking about alternative solar panels.

As you say, an act of nature can destroy a solar panel system. I hope we never have such a catastrophe. The last time of major outage here was the big ice storm on 94. Our power was out for a week.

Perhaps the mentioned generator may be the best and easiest alternative for short term outages? Still I am curious about solar panels.. Having an adequate supply of electricity may mean both generator on cloudy days and possibly solar on sunny days in an emergency? Especially if fuel such as gasoline is depleted?

I am not attempting to take away from you preppers point of view of long time needs. Carry on friends. lol

The15thMember · « **Reply #28 on:** August 31, 2021, 03:05:16 pm »

We have also discussed a hand pump for our well, but it's not something we've looked into deeply yet. Our wellhouse is actually situated inside our main animal pasture, so it would be easy to water the animals from it by hand if need be.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #29 on:** August 31, 2021, 03:08:01 pm »

Yes or as Sal stated have a separate shallow Well with a hand pump for emergencies?

gww · « **Reply #30 on:** August 31, 2021, 05:00:59 pm »

One thing a prepper should have a lot of is vinegar and plenty of containers to help with garden produce.
Cheers
gww

ifixoldhouses · « **Reply #31 on:** August 31, 2021, 05:10:38 pm »

I use 55 gallon rain barrels and a large life straw filter for my water plan.

Acebird · « **Reply #32 on:** August 31, 2021, 05:27:33 pm »

Quote from: The15thMember on August 31, 2021, 12:59:55 pm

Prepping has little to do with being Republican or Democrat. Natural disasters and pandemics affect all alike, as does economic depression or governmental collapse. In my opinion this thread is about smart strategies to have in place in case things like this occur, not who has the best policy to prevent them.

Prepping has nothing to do with natural disasters. We are a society that is totally dependent on electricity. Mechanical generators are the simple answer for short term outages. Living off grid is a very expensive endeavor not meant for someone with limited means.
A hand pump can only be put on a shallow well. A shallow well gets contaminated in a flood. A deep well will too if the casing is not higher then the flood water.

Acebird · « **Reply #33 on:** August 31, 2021, 05:31:00 pm »

Quote from: The15thMember on August 31, 2021, 03:05:16 pm

Our wellhouse is actually situated inside our main animal pasture, so it would be easy to water the animals from it by hand if need be.

Watch out of e coli. Not a really good idea.

Kathyp · « **Reply #34 on:** August 31, 2021, 06:07:10 pm »

I grabbed this just as an example and research start point.

https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/best-hand-pump-for-existing-well/

It can be expensive, but so are solar setups so if water is the main concern, the hand pump could end up being cheaper.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #35 on:** August 31, 2021, 06:29:55 pm »

Quote

Prepping has nothing to do with natural disasters.

That is your opinion and you entitled to it. At the same time please do not discourage others, especially those who rarely post here in the coffeehouse, from posting their valuable opinions and input on this interesting subject, with argumentative suggestions stemming from your own personal opinion of which 'unforeseen circumstances' may be relevant or irrelevant to preparing. Others may have a different opinion and outlook than yourself. May I suggest you start a new topic if you wish to argue your reasoning of which circumstances (has or has not to do with being prepared) such as "natural disasters".. Perhaps you may title it: "Prepping has nothing to do with natural disasters." In the meantime, please stay on the subject of this topic..

Thanks

Phillip

salvo · « **Reply #36 on:** August 31, 2021, 06:38:09 pm »

Hi Folks,

Get healthy,.... and get juiced at the same time.

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Sal

Kathyp · « **Reply #37 on:** August 31, 2021, 06:54:21 pm »

Quote

That is your opinion and you entitled to it. At the same time please do not discourage others

It was an inaccurate statement anyway. Prepping does not have to mean going off-grid or building a bunker filled with non-perishables. It should mean at the very least you are prepared to take care of yourself in an emergency. The longer you can be self-sufficient, the better.

I said before that I was always amazed when I went on disaster assignments that so few were prepared for even a short period of time without services. We never know what will happen. Two of my families of relatives were in TX last winter. It was an unexpected storm that caught a lot of people out. We just watched the south get hammered again with a hurricane. Solar flares, fires...SH.

The15thMember · « **Reply #38 on:** August 31, 2021, 08:08:02 pm »

Quote from: Kathyp on August 31, 2021, 06:07:10 pm

I grabbed this just as an example and research start point.

https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/best-hand-pump-for-existing-well/

It can be expensive, but so are solar setups so if water is the main concern, the hand pump could end up being cheaper.

Good article, Kathy.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #39 on:** August 31, 2021, 09:36:10 pm »

Quote

I am looking at those freeze dryers too. I wish I knew someone who had used one of them because they are spendy!

I wish I knew someone who had one that I could study kathy.. I do not think it would be that difficult to build one if we knew the formulas involved... Maybe even stepping up to a 7 cubic foot self made freeze dryer?
Anyone have any input about this?