Finished installation - free hot water! Need to tie the units down to the rooftop, but they're in near-final position. Solar recirc pump ordered that will run during day keeping the tank at max temp (way overkill, but...cheap). Total system cost about $500 vs. 15-1800 retail installed (w/80 gal tank - way overkill).
It takes all day to drill out another 2" hole and run the PEX in 90 heat. Burnt up the hammer clutch on a a brand new Ryobi hammer drill too. But I've got the PEX run, the 12 gal. tank de-installed, wire brushed & painted, and hauled up to the roof where it will go in to service as a storage tank only.
Today's project is to build a poor person's solar hot water heater (calendator) so I don't have to use electricity. Install Pex water line up to the roof, then 50' of 1/2" black irrigation tubing as a collector, in to the relocated tank for storage, and back down to the hot water line. $300 DIY vs. $1500 for commercial = Profit!
So, about 5+ hours to clean off my rooftop in prep for "development" phase which I envision as something like; a 12x16 hard roofed steel framed pergola for chairs & couch/bed, hammock, topped with solar panels. Wet bar, small hibachi/grill, 500 gallons cistern, 80 gal solar water heater. Vertical gardening racks for veggies and flowers, and perhaps some potted fruit trees...etc.
😎🎋🌻🍅
Good morning CoSo!
#Coffee in hand, surveying yesterday's handiwork. Rainwater capture V 1.0: route the runoff away from the patio. Next to capture in a sedimentation barrel, then pump it to a 500 gal rooftop storage. #caffeineclub #HurricaneSeason
All right! First cup down the hatch. #caffeineclub Eyes starting to focus.
Let's have a go at a great day everyone. Muggy, bright, hot, rainy -- whatever you've got, bring it in and make it fun!
Go splash in some puddles. Feed the all-night rooster chorus your stale chips. They worked hard to keep your dreams company.
It's Wednesday.
Is your week half started, or half done?
I love you all!
Come at the day like this:
Patio update - it only took 1 beer to assemble the new chairs and table this evening. I have a spray hose at her ready for the dozen neighbors cats that use my patio area and roof as a baño, and plastic spiky things on order to keep them off my wall. I like cats but this is ridiculous. And of course there's 20 "wild" chickens in the abandoned shack next door and dozens on the block. I think my neighbors will be upset if I harvest them. They are pets for them. /sigh
Semi-retired Geo/Archaeo/Hydrogeo-logist, boatman, resistor, zen-gineer, made of stardust, lubricated with whiskey and whimsy. Patreon and CoSoPRO