Garrison Smith

Let's see if I can explain this. I bought property that already has a well in place. The existing well is actually the second well that the previous land owner had drilled. The reason he had to drill another well is because the first one hit a coal seam (at least I was told) and produced crummy water. So at the original well site (~500' uphill from the newer, existing well) the drilling company built a well house with the expectation it would be next to the well itself. Since the well was moved, it is basically out in the middle of nowhere but uphill of the rest of the land. Being uphill of everything could be very beneficial for a gravity feed system. The well house is nothing more than a 8' diameter corrugated steel colvert dropped into the ground about 8 feet. So basically, it's a big water tank should one fill it with water. The previous owner went ahead and used the underground well house by running a 500' of pex (in addition to 500' of electrical line for the pressure switch) to a pressure tank in the well house. I built a home last year and it doesn't use the existing well house, pex line or electrical line. I ran a separate line to a pressure tank in my house.

So here's what I'm thinking, using the old pex line from the well to the well house, I could transport water from the well to the old well house (I'll call it a tank from here on out because that's what it'll be). The water will slowly accumulate via a slow solar pump (or windmill or hamsters in a wheel or something) until the tank is full. Because the tank is above the apple orchard and everything else, I can then use the water for a small gravity feed system when things get dry.

My issue is that the ground where I live is very, very sandy and rocky. So much so, dirt had to be brought in for my leech field. If I fill the tank as is, I know it will percolate through the dirt ground within a day. Is there a way to gley or seal the bottom of the well house such that I can use it for a retainer? This is an off-the-beaten-path type project, so any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

I'd like to second what was mentioned above about black poly pipe. PEX is great, but will be more expensive then black poly (also called hdpe).

I doubt you will have any problems with the turning radius of a subcompact tractor; so, an articulated tractor will not be at all necessary. I've owned a BX23 and currently have a B3200HSD. You will be very surprised at how agile and sharp-turning a small tractor is. They're intentionally made that way for the very jobs you listed. The BX will do a lot more than you expect given its size. If you're patient and go at a slower pace, you can accomplish the same jobs that a much larger tractor does (within reason, it won't pull a combine or huge tiller). If you get the one with the backhoe, you'll always have access to a trenching machine for future projects (run electricity to the shop, new waterline, etc, etc). You and I probably have the same reasons for owning a tractor: snow removal, road maintenance, material handling, digging, mowing. That being said, the BX is a great tractor that will last you forever. I've also heard good things about Yanmar and Kioti if you'd like to spend less.

On several sites, I've read posts by people asking for/suggestion for standardized DC wiring in a building. Currently, people who want a DC-only residence (or even a separate DC bus in addition to AC) must manage every wire in a system, connecting them with solder or wire connectors. This is not a sustainable (pun a bit intended) option for increasing alternative energy use or advancing alternative energy technology. Most people do not want to design and wire a complex electrical system and manufacturers are limited to the customer group that is at lease comfortable with electrical.

Technology and progress aside, using a standardized connector in a home is more aesthetically pleasing. Likewise, it affords the ability to plug in appliances in different parts of the house. Which is nice.

So, has anyone researched power over ethernet (PoE)? It's just what it sounds like, adding power to an ethernet cable such that devices on the end of it can be run from said power. It has been standardized (IEEE 802.3af) and there is a wide availability of devices capable of "injecting" power into the wires.
The IEEE 802.3af standard specifies injectors must be able to provide 0–12.95 watts (per cable) and there are multitudes of DC appliances that operate within this range.

Here's an example of a switch that can power devices via

PoE:http://planetechusa.com/poe-1200g-12-port-802-3af-gigabit-power-over-ethernet-injector-hub-full-power-200w.html?gclid=CJuykvmr47wCFctcMgodTE4ADQ

This guy costs a bit over $300. You can buy cat-5 ethernet cable and connectors for super cheap and crimping the connectors on is easy.

Another part of the IEEE standard mandates that power settings are configurable. So, you can turn off power to ports not in use, limit it to ports with high demands, etc etc.

Which brings me to this:
http://www.cepro.com/article/nuleds_launches_poe_lighting_solution_for_leds/

A company that sells crazy configurable LED lights that are powered by PoE and have an integrated system on them that makes them part of the network. They teamed with with Cisco (who now makes a PoE injector capable of injecting up to 60watts) and made this presentation:



So yeah, how does it sound to you guys. I'm a few months away from starting to build my new house and this is a serious contender on how I light it (house will be on solar power).