Introduction from County Mayo, Ireland

Hi all,

I’m James and have been a reader of permies for many years but this is my first post.

I have been sort of living as sustainable as I can for several years but I am not making changes to go further.
My first step to that is just ordering a 7.4kw solar array with 20kw battery backup.

I have a rental cottage and rent camp sites on a few of the islands on the lake here.

I also keep busy with a few sheep, garden and greenhouse.

Hello James, welcome to Permies!

Welcome, James!

Hello James and welcome (as the others have said) waving from across the other side of the Irish sea...
It took me a long time to register here too, and then I never looked back! It sound like you have a lot going on there. I hope you have a good visitor season this year. Do they mainly come for the fishing there?
I can't help much on solar - we're still working more on minimising our use and having alternatives should the power go out. This year I hope to do more food growing too.

Thanks for the welcomes!

Nancy,
Many come for fishing but most for general tourism.
And the season has already kicked off, which is surprising as the weather has been very damp and rainy this spring.

Hi James, welcome to Permies!
I'm planning on upgrading our solar system this summer as well!
As damp and rainy as your spring is, perhaps you need to consider building an RMH to help chase off the chill!
Pop on over to the RMH forum and learn all about how to do so!

Hi Thomas,

I’ve considered a RMH as there are a couple of great spots to construct one in the house. There are three chimneys in the house and two have been sealed up over the years. I’d like to rework one of those into the plan, if possible.
I haven’t moved forward with it just as yet. There is so much information on RMHs that I need to sort the best possible design. And being a novice to RMHs, I’m tending to be very hesitant on where to begin

James Ó Gréacháin wrote:the season has already kicked off, which is surprising as the weather has been very damp and rainy this spring.

Yes here too, but Easter is early this year. That is normally the start of the season for us. It'll get quieter for a bit in a week or so, then kick off at Whitsun.

There are three chimneys in the house and two have been sealed up over the years. I’d like to rework one of those into the plan, if possible.

That sounds sensible, I'm thinking the same here, tending towards a j tube for simplicity (and because we like playing). I'll probably build something outsidish first as a trial.

Perfect plan, Nancy.
Playing with bricks and building your first J-Tube outdoors is the recommended way to approach RMHs.
Some folks get carried away (Like Paul) and build a roof and bench for happy outdoor meetings.
But a simple J-Tube with no barrel will let you experience the roar of a Dragon and how simple they really are to build.
Once you hear the roar and watch the flames burning horizontally, you will be hooked.
And when you build indoors, remember you can start with a J-Tube and a year later upgrade to a Batchbox for a longer, hotter burn.
I highly recommend not building a bench, as they are very hard and take up a lot of space. A brick bell will heat your home equally, or even better, and a comfy chair, be it a recliner or a rocker, is much more comfy and movable than an 8' long bench.