Prep Genrl Weekly prep thread: October 19-25, 2025

[Wildwood]

I finally finished my wash board project in the big bathroom...well 95%. I'm so happy with it...I can enjoy all the rub boards, etc. I'm glad I didn't know how complicated it would all be or I might have never tackled it. My fourteen year old grandson was a huge help handing me stuff and telling me to be careful lol. I was standing on a foot tall wooden stool setting inside my claw foot tub to be able to reach high enough to hang some of the stuff. i had all the stuff in there with me, lined up and leaning against the inside of the tub so I just had to either reach down and get it or have DGS hand it to me.

DH would have had a fit if he could have seen me lol.

Got the hallway painted. More work than living room. 3 doors and window. Still have to do the ceiling. Next will be the living room.
Waiting on the kitchen because that will take a couple days.
Lots of errands and piddling. Cleaning.

The last flag came in for his memorial. I'm using nail staples on the posts.

Weather has been cold and raining every day. First frost Friday night they said.

I admire you for all you are accomplishing. I hope, in the same situation, I would be just as capable. Prayers are ongoing...you deserve all the good things.

I'm trying to talk him into buying a small Jackery to put beside the recliner. We can keep it plugged in and charged, so when the power goes out, I can still operate the recliner, at least. I would have been in a mess if he could not have got me out of it. I'm not there, yet, but who knows what might happen later with my back issues. They sure aren't getting any better. Buying a small Jackery would be better than going out to his shop, getting the big generator, bringing it to the house, running an extension cord to the recliner, and getting me out of it if need be.

You will never regret buying it. We have the ecoflow and I can't tell you how often it comes in handy. DH takes it to work with him when they are working on a house with no electric to power his saws, etc. To think, I had to talk him into getting it.

I'm glad you weren't hurt.

 

[feralferret]

I got all the glass swept up and the floor mopped. I'm glad that mess is over with. I'm leaving all of my area rugs outside on the deck rail to air out. Luckly, no wine made it on them.

Cary is outside blowing the leaves off the front porch and deck. When he finishes with that, he'll get started on the new wood pile, until the floors dry.

I'm trying to talk him into buying a small Jackery to put beside the recliner. We can keep it plugged in and charged, so when the power goes out, I can still operate the recliner, at least. I would have been in a mess if he could not have got me out of it. I'm not there, yet, but who knows what might happen later with my back issues. They sure aren't getting any better. Buying a small Jackery would be better than going out to his shop, getting the big generator, bringing it to the house, running an extension cord to the recliner, and getting me out of it if need be.

So far, no more power issues.

If all you are going to power is the chair and maybe a low power LED lamp, a Jackery is probably overkill. a UPS that has sufficient current capacity for the chair might be less expensive.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

If all you are going to power is the chair and maybe a low power LED lamp, a Jackery is probably overkill. a UPS that has sufficient current capacity for the chair might be less expensive.

Yeah. Cary's hold out on buying a Jackery is that we already have 2 large generators, plus the expense of buying another one. We also have a small portable solar system for small things. I don't know if that is big enough to power the recliner, though. It not being charged when I need it would not help much even if it were big enough.

 

[hd5574]

We had a sudden power outage on Sunday..several fuses on poles blew..in very strong winds...the coop guy was here in about an hour..fixing everything..
DH..cut the main..and plugged in the Ecoflow..it took a couple of minutes and we were back..to normal....watching the football games..
And so nice not to hear that genny running..
After the power was back on he cut the Ecoflow off ...turned the power main back on..and then plugged the Ecoflow back in and our normal power recharged it...it is great...so glad we bought it..

 

[WanderLore]

Climbed up into the boat in the rain and wind and baled all the water out. Then pulled the tarp loose and redid it. It will just have to do.
The two farmers showed up. Got the hay mower and I gave them most of the draft stuff. Want in the best shape and we won't use it. Amish won't take it. It helped to clean the barn more. I promised Scot is make sure someone got it that was going to use it.

 

[ginnie6]

Made a big grocery run today and have a few more things to pick up tomorrow morning. My canned goods pantry now looks "up to snuff." I'm hoping to find turkeys on sale next week. If I can I won't have to go out to the store for several weeks. If I do go it will be early morning. I have several loads of laundry to do tomorrow and sometimes this weekend I may just make dh a pound cake to take with him next week. Haven't made one in a while so hope I remember how lol!
I'm getting about 7 eggs a day so just enough to barely keep us in eggs, if ds eats them they're gone but I'm trying not to buy any. We're probably getting another load of free firewood tomorrow too, I think there's more to split out there already than we'll ever accomplish though. Not complaining just wish I could crank the splitter and do some of it myself.
I also want to make a trip to the mountains in the next week or so to get my stash of apples. There is nothing better than fresh mountain apples. Probably take Rufus with me and make a day of it. He'll enjoy the ride lol and apparently people think he's scary...

 

[feralferret]

There is nothing better than fresh mountain apples.

True with just about any fresh fully ripe fruit. The stuff in the store is picked so green in order to hold up to shipping. Most of it is tasteless.

 

[nomifyle]

I have a small jackery 240 on a table next to my chair to operate my chair when the power goes out. I also have small battery operated lanterns all over the house, no need to look for flashlights, although I do have those at arms length in several places. I also have usb light bulbs that I can turn on before I even try to get out of my chair, just have to remember to keep the power banks charged, lol. I’m not that crazy about being in the dark

 

[Meemur]

That's for sure, FF! Not to mention some of it has an apeel coating so it looks okay, but it's rotting on the inside. Ugh!

It's busy day here. I've been able to sit down and read but I haven't been able to focus enough to comment -- lots of texts and emails coming in today. Our neighborhood watch will be activated if the shut down continues and SNAP benefits are paused. I still think that isn't going to happen, but I guess mine is a minority opinion.

Glad to see you posting, Judy! Prayers are ongoing for you.

 

[Wildwood]

We had a sudden power outage on Sunday..several fuses on poles blew..in very strong winds...the coop guy was here in about an hour..fixing everything..
DH..cut the main..and plugged in the Ecoflow..it took a couple of minutes and we were back..to normal....watching the football games..
And so nice not to hear that genny running..
After the power was back on he cut the Ecoflow off ...turned the power main back on..and then plugged the Ecoflow back in and our normal power recharged it...it is great...so glad we bought it..

Mostly, when the power is out for an extended time, we only use the generator to charge the ecoflow. It saves a lot of gas and hours on the generator. DH leaves with a little system to keep it all going while he's at work...our small generator to recharge the ecoflow, some backup gas just in case even though he leaves the generator full and written instructions lol. I run a minimum of things and it has no trouble keeping our pellet stove, the fridge and freezers, etc. going. I have hot coffee, the internet, lights and the microwave if I need it to reheat a cup of coffee and I'm plenty warm.

 

[moldy]

Another long day. Spent 2.5 hours this morning in the MRI scanner. The tech had to reboot it because it would not start, then the oncology protocol is just long. And he had the earphones set to rap. I finally asked him if I looked like I was a fan of rap (although it wasn't all hard core stuff, I dozed through some). He laughed and changed it to country. Honestly, that wasn't much better. Although if he'd put it on oldies, I would have had a hard time holding still.

Had to go to a community meeting for work (sigh. Lots of people that want to fix everything (not a bad idea) with my tax money (not a good idea). Their hearts are in the right place, but I do wonder about their brains. Did manage to get some cleaning and menu planning done this evening. and now, I'm headed to bed shortly. So so so glad tomorrow is Friday!!

 

[Wildwood]

That's for sure, FF! Not to mention some of it has an apeel coating so it looks okay, but it's rotting on the inside. Ugh!

It's busy day here. I've been able to sit down and read but I haven't been able to focus enough to comment -- lots of texts and emails coming in today. Our neighborhood watch will be activated if the shut down continues and SNAP benefits are paused. I still think that isn't going to happen, but I guess mine is a minority opinion.

Glad to see you posting, Judy! Prayers are ongoing for you.

I'm with you on not thinking it will happen...I pray we are right. I'll not see anyone around here go hungry as long as I know they have need and my preps hold out.

There are so many really poor people in my area, some older and they are worried. DS ran into some today when he and DIL were out hunting. They were trying to get a deer too. I could tell DS and DDIL were hurting for them when they came by to pick the kids up. They told them that one of the preschool programs their grandkids went to has closed down already because of the shut down.

These are salt of the earth poor country people. He's a Godly man who has ministered his whole life but worked through the week to make a meager living as long as he could. Those are my kind of people. That's what I came from but my parents broke loose from the cycle and made a different life for my sisters and I. It breaks my heart that those poor old people are so scared that they are out trying to get a deer. I pray they don't break a hip in the process. They weren't complaining though...just doing what poor but good people do. The best they could.

 

[anna43]

I was surprised to hear that your recliner does not have a built in back up battery. My dh's did and the old clunky one I was given does. Well, the one I have has batteries you have to put into it, but dh's had a built-in battery that charged while power is on and then powered the chair when electricity was off. His chair laid completely flat which was good because he spent his last year sleeping in it. My old one only reclines.

When dh passed, I could not bear for that chair to come back into the house and dd wanted it, so I let her have it. She has back issues so uses it quite a bit.

The old one I have was actually loaned for dh when his wasn't working but was too small for him. The man that loaned it moved away and then passed away so I guess it became mine by default! The upholstery is worn out and I'm thinking of replacing it. It's also not particularly comfortable for me although my sister sleeps in it when she visits and says it's okay.

My washer was repaired this morning. The repairman said they'd contacted the company, so it was done on warranty even though my warranty expired a couple months ago. I suspect this is a problem that exists in many of that model of washer. He recommended replacing the hoses and that's all I had to pay. Unfortunately, the faucets are a mess. He got them to stop leaking but recommended I call a plumber and have them replaced before I have a disaster. Plumber is coming next Wednesday and I'm sure that will be over $200. Do plumbers even come to the house for less?? The company also does HVAC and I said I needed the furnace checked too. I anticipated two separate calls with two bills but when she called back with appointment time, she said he would be able to do both.

I did three loads of wash after repairman left so that is caught up. I had a lot of towels and dishcloths as well as a load of rags after cleaning up the Pepsi explosion yesterday. I ended up scrubbing the floor three times and the soles of my shoes twice to get rid of all the sticky.

I cleaned another section of the garage and did some cleaning in the basement. I went down to get a loaf of bread from the freezer and found it was covered with water from the leaking hoses/faucet during the work on the machine -- it's right under the piping to the laundry room. So, I cleaned that up, decided to sweep the floor and then went upstairs without the bread. All in all, I think I had five trips up and down the stairs this afternoon.

 

[Meemur]

This is my larger power station. They make smaller ones, too.
No, it's not a Jackery, but I use it for camping, power outages, or even out in the garage sometimes.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Westinghouse-Westinghouse-iGen300s/5001372455

 

[Wildwood]

I forgot to mention we finally started digging the sweet potatoes today. The grands and I were later getting out there than I planned but we have several days of rain starting tomorrow. DH got home and as I like to say, "put some muscle into the project". It made a huge difference and I'd say we got at least 3/4ths of them dug before it got late and we went in to get supper ready.

It was a much better haul than I anticipated. I 'm estimating about 100 pounds with a few more to come. DH covered the bed with plastic to make digging them a little easier after the rain. If the rains holds off a few hours, we may finish them in the morning.

I fretted because our irrigation system wasn't working through the last part of summer but MIL told DH they like dry weather and I do believe she is right. Those poor potatoes went through hell. They got too hot right after I planted them in the rare hot day we had this past spring. About a month later the neighbors dog dug about half of them up so I went back out and fished my plants out of the mounds of dirt in that raised bed and stuck them back in the ground. The starts weren't that great to begin with but that's another story. I'd started rooting some but mine were running too late so I went with store bought. I did use a few of mine to fill in the holes the dog left.

I didn't give them much hope so I am pleasantly surprised.

 

[hd5574]

Mostly, when the power is out for an extended time, we only use the generator to charge the ecoflow. It saves a lot of gas and hours on the generator. DH leaves with a little system to keep it all going while he's at work...our small generator to recharge the ecoflow, some backup gas just in case even though he leaves the generator full and written instructions lol. I run a minimum of things and it has no trouble keeping our pellet stove, the fridge and freezers, etc. going. I have hot coffee, the internet, lights and the microwave if I need it to reheat a cup of coffee and I'm plenty warm.

We were not drawing much power..on Sunday..it wasn't cold enough for the woodstove so just the tv..and a couple of lights and the freezers and the fridge..and the water heater and we were only off line for about hours.

We have a number of ways to charge the Ecoflow...we have our large genny in the same shed as the ecoflow at this time...the genny is large enough to run the house in the winter...and get water from the well

We do heat with wood and have a gas stove and we can also use the genny to charge the ecoflow system..we have the inverter and 4 of 6,000 watt batteries .for a total of 24,000 watts...we can plug the inverter into a regular grounded house plug...we have one in the shed..and also a light...if the main is off and are not using the coop power...basically off grid...the inverter will feed power back to the house...from the batteries..we also have a different plug and receptacle for the genny..so it can feed power to the house..

.if we have the main connected to the company power and are using the grid..if the inverter is plugged in same plug... the power from the coop..will go back to the inverter and charge the batteries...and the correct plug set up to plug the genny into the house if we are using that..we have plenty of room in our shed for the gas cans and our 40 lb propane tanks

We also have 2.. 400 watt solar panels..that we can use to charge the batteries..

This is not a portable system...and it can pull water from our well..and run the hot water heater...we can also use the genny to power the house..the same way we did several years ago when we had the ice storm and no power..for 2 weeks

We decided that we didn't want to be totally dependent on just a genny..in a long power outage..because if can be difficult to obtain gas...we had to go a bit to get gas because the closest station was without power for several days of the outage..and we actually have a good number of gas cans..but it takes a lot gas for a long outage...and the lines were long..because there were lots of people getting gas in cans full for their genny.....we did fine...but was a lot of work..and took a lot of time..

It was really a learning experience...we always had space heaters for areas with water...for the few times totally abnormally cold spells..but they draw a lot of power...so we got buddy heaters for those areas..because if we are on off grid power..they really draw a lot of wattage..and all of the 20 lb and 1 lb propane tanks, hoses and filters to go with those ..we also have a number of 40 lb propane tanks for cooking ....
We have a large block well house and we keep all the buddy heater stuff in there..they were wonderful last winter..we had one of those brutal cold spells..and they worked wonderfully..we added the very small Buddy for the upstairs bathroom..because it is extremely small..

After that 2 week power outage..it was about 4 yrs ago in January...boy was that a learning experience..we decided that we would save up and investigate a battery system because we keep hearing about the grid and blackouts .if a blackout was in the winter and worse. than that storm.if it was worse ...propane and gasoline might be extremely difficult to find if not impossible .or even find a working gas station..we were lucky and were able to get the ecoflow system on a high sale.. and are really glad we did
Saw an article that BlackRock is buying up power companies..that was truly chilling..as I am sure they increase rates..

 

[SouthernBreeze]

No, my recliner doesn't have a backup battery. I didn't know they made those. Ours is old, though. It still looks and works like new. He's not going to go out and buy something new just to power 1 recliner. Our 2 main generators are large enough to run anything we want if need be. I wouldn't try running the ac on them, though, but our floor fan will work. Really, all we really need for the generators to run are my two chest freezers, until I can empty them out. Cary keeps around 50 gallons of gas for them, plus what he stores for the chainsaw, log splitter, and lawn tractor. In a long term grid down situation like SHTF, we aren't going to try to continue to live our lives as normal. We are set up to live off-grid permanently if we have to. Life will be hard, but doable. Think 1800's living. I've mentioned many times in these prep threads how we are set up for that lifestyle. The recliner can be used as a chair, and nothing more.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

We've got power this morning, but no water. We have plenty of potable water stored. Plus, our water catchment system. All the rain barrels and large water tank are full. Cary just called our water dept. The guy told him that a water line had been cut.

We live so far out in the very rural parts that anything can happen on any given day, and it takes forever to get things fixed.

 

[Meemur]

Still, it's hard having monkey wrenches tossed into morning routines!

I had a generator when I lived in Columbus and sold it when I moved. It was too noisy and rarely used. On the other hand, the large batteries are quiet and get used several times a year when I need power on the go. I know those wouldn't be great in a prolonged outage, but the point was to have something easy-to-use that I could safely start anytime of the day or night to power electronics long enough to get out messages, download current files, or charge my phone. Safety is important because I'm not too sharp if I've been awakened at 3 am.

My reasoning: stuff at work and other sites are on backup batteries, and if I moved fast during an outage or emergency, I could probably get a few things done before the system totally shut down. So far, that has proved to be the case. I can then work on my laptop for around two hours, if the battery is charged, and if not, I have a smaller power station and varies pocket-sized power banks.

And if there's a power outage on a regional level, I'll hang out at home and enjoy the time off.

 

[Wildwood]

We were not drawing much power..on Sunday..it wasn't cold enough for the woodstove so just the tv..and a couple of lights and the freezers and the fridge..and the water heater and we were only off line for about hours.

We have a number of ways to charge the Ecoflow...we have our large genny in the same shed as the ecoflow at this time...the genny is large enough to run the house in the winter...and get water from the well

We do heat with wood and have a gas stove and we can also use the genny to charge the ecoflow system..we have the inverter and 4 of 6,000 watt batteries .for a total of 24,000 watts...we can plug the inverter into a regular grounded house plug...we have one in the shed..and also a light...if the main is off and are not using the coop power...basically off grid...the inverter will feed power back to the house...from the batteries..we also have a different plug and receptacle for the genny..so it can feed power to the house..

.if we have the main connected to the company power and are using the grid..if the inverter is plugged in same plug... the power from the coop..will go back to the inverter and charge the batteries...and the correct plug set up to plug the genny into the house if we are using that..we have plenty of room in our shed for the gas cans and our 40 lb propane tanks

We also have 2.. 400 watt solar panels..that we can use to charge the batteries..

This is not a portable system...and it can pull water from our well..and run the hot water heater...we can also use the genny to power the house..the same way we did several years ago when we had the ice storm and no power..for 2 weeks

We decided that we didn't want to be totally dependent on just a genny..in a long power outage..because if can be difficult to obtain gas...we had to go a bit to get gas because the closest station was without power for several days of the outage..and we actually have a good number of gas cans..but it takes a lot gas for a long outage...and the lines were long..because there were lots of people getting gas in cans full for their genny.....we did fine...but was a lot of work..and took a lot of time..

It was really a learning experience...we always had space heaters for areas with water...for the few times totally abnormally cold spells..but they draw a lot of power...so we got buddy heaters for those areas..because if we are on off grid power..they really draw a lot of wattage..and all of the 20 lb and 1 lb propane tanks, hoses and filters to go with those ..we also have a number of 40 lb propane tanks for cooking ....
We have a large block well house and we keep all the buddy heater stuff in there..they were wonderful last winter..we had one of those brutal cold spells..and they worked wonderfully..we added the very small Buddy for the upstairs bathroom..because it is extremely small..

After that 2 week power outage..it was about 4 yrs ago in January...boy was that a learning experience..we decided that we would save up and investigate a battery system because we keep hearing about the grid and blackouts .if a blackout was in the winter and worse. than that storm.if it was worse ...propane and gasoline might be extremely difficult to find if not impossible .or even find a working gas station..we were lucky and were able to get the ecoflow system on a high sale.. and are really glad we did
Saw an article that BlackRock is buying up power companies..that was truly chilling..as I am sure they increase rates..

It sounds like y'all are really well set for a power outage. With trying to rebuild DH's work area, replace all the tools and add the wood curing system, we just don't have the extra funds to replace all the generators, etc. we lost in the fire. Thankfully, so far, we've managed pretty well with what we have on hand but I'd love to have your set up.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Our water is back on, but we're under a "boil water" notice for 24 hrs. Use caution with doing laundry for the next 24 hrs., also. Don't want any orange laundry.

I'll be changing out our clothing for winter this afternoon. It's only going to be in the upper 50's and low 60's all next week. I don't see it getting any warmer from there. We might get a frost advisory one of those nights. I saw in our forecast 35 degrees one night. Storms coming in tomorrow night and Sunday. We could get up to 2 inches of rain. That would be great!

 

[hd5574]

It sounds like y'all are really well set for a power outage. With trying to rebuild DH's work area, replace all the tools and add the wood curing system, we just don't have the extra funds to replace all the generators, etc. we lost in the fire. Thankfully, so far, we've managed pretty well with what we have on hand but I'd love to have your set up.

The best thing we found about the system we purchased is that you can start with the basic system..the inverter and one 6,000 watt battery..the batteries will stack 5 high and each battery adds 6,000 watts..and you can purchase additional batteries as you can afford to....after you have 5 batteries in your stack... you can then purchase another inverter and build another stack of five high..each stack is 30,000 watts..after you have more than one stack you need to purchase a wall box from them to connect the stacks as one unit..to power your house..

They have huge sales..we were able to get ours about 60% off the list price...and we got one free solar panel with the package..the regular price for a 400 watt panel is $1200..but because of the sale and the free solar panel were able to have two 400 watt panels for $500..that is a massive savings off the list price..of $2400

They really have lots of bonuses..after we put the first section of the system in the cart at the sale price..we recieved a code for an additional 5% off..which nearly paid all of our state sales tax...they also have these sales on Amazon during Prime Days
In addition the systems are eligible for a 30% credit on federal income tax...so that is more savings..
We get their emails and they have special sales that only last for a couple of days...but the savings are huge..

Because we had saved up for the initial system..and saved again to add to additional batteries ..we didn't need to finance our system but I noticed they have a number of different credit plans ...

Since DH is a small engine mechanic at a tractor dealership, I do understand the tool thing... after 50 years as a mechanic...he has tons of hand tools a big box set at home and another set of boxes at work..and also has the battery tools and extra batteries.. and those cost and arm and a leg... he really uses those when he is working on a piece of equipment out in a farmers field..he never knows far he may have to walk to get to the equipment so he uses the extra batteries..rather than charge on site...in addition he has all the air tools that run off a compressor at the shop..and has a compressor at home..a bazillion $ after 50 years..I can't imagine the cost to replace all his stuff ..most people don't realize that most working people have to supply their own tools.

I have been reading that Black Rock has been buying power companies all over the United States....that is some very scary stuff....some people who are more in the know than us are speculating that they intend to control the power grid..this extremely worrying because their CEO..is now the head of the WEF..the old guy retired..you know that these are the fake meat ..and eat worms guys..and the price of electricity will sky rocket and AI and the data centers will play a huge roll the price increases..that would really not surprise me since they are also.. the you will own nothing and be happy crowd..

we figure if that happens we will be able to use the panels to charge the system..and at least on good sunny days..go off grid and run on the batteries while the sun is charging them for us..thus reducing our electric bill..this could save us quite a lot if..the prices skyrocket. as predicted... Since we use window units we can also run them on this system...if not all the time at least enough to cool the bedrooms for sleeping ..

There was a thread on this website earlier this year about how much people were paying for electricity per month..some of the monthly amounts were heart stopping..some were several thousand a month..ours is no where near that..but it played in our decision to go with a battery back up system..we are on a coop..so not for profit...but they purchase power from the big for profit companies that generate power..so in the end we are at their mercy..as the amount they charge the cooperative keeps going up.l

I was talking to DHs cousin in southern AZ ...they have a huge 5 bedroom house..they have sun nearly every day...and have the other type of solar...their roof is covered with solar panels..they sell the power ..they generate back to the power company...they only pay about $200 per month for electricity..on a level payment plan ...they pushing that type like crazy..but not the battery backup systems even here

She was telling me another cousin in a much smaller house not far from her is in .. a tiny 2 bedroom house and we have been it and it really..really little....she is paying $800 per month..on the level payment plan.... without any solar..of course it is really hot out there in the desert and good part of the year..they use ac...but $9600 per year for electricity boggles my mind...that is more than our whole battery system cost..

We chose not to go with that type system because if for any reason we were to move.. this system is portable like your system is...and the roof type stays with the house..she told me after 20 years they own the system. Yikes..

Since prices are going up so much on everything it makes sense to be able control what we spend as much as possible..I have been putting up as much information as I can..in case anyone here is considering this type of system..it is expensive but with solar panels...we may end up being able to save a lot on what we spend on our electric bill...or at least negate the price increases..

 

[nomifyle]

I use my small Jackery for things other than powerring my chair, if the power is out it keeps small things charged up. And I did not buy it for the chair but use it for that. I've learned how to get out of the chair when the power goes out but I sit in the chair all the time.

Jackery's are not the only good power bank out there, it was just one of the first good one to come out.

 

[Wildwood]

The best thing we found about the system we purchased is that you can start with the basic system..the inverter and one 6,000 watt battery..the batteries will stack 5 high and each battery adds 6,000 watts..and you can purchase additional batteries as you can afford to....after you have 5 batteries in your stack... you can then purchase another inverter and build another stack of five high..each stack is 30,000 watts..after you have more than one stack you need to purchase a wall box from them to connect the stacks as one unit..to power your house..

They have huge sales..we were able to get ours about 60% off the list price...and we got one free solar panel with the package..the regular price for a 400 watt panel is $1200..but because of the sale and the free solar panel were able to have two 400 watt panels for $500..that is a massive savings off the list price..of $2400

They really have lots of bonuses..after we put the first section of the system in the cart at the sale price..we recieved a code for an additional 5% off..which nearly paid all of our state sales tax...they also have these sales on Amazon during Prime Days
In addition the systems are eligible for a 30% credit on federal income tax...so that is more savings..
We get their emails and they have special sales that only last for a couple of days...but the savings are huge..

Because we had saved up for the initial system..and saved again to add to additional batteries ..we didn't need to finance our system but I noticed they have a number of different credit plans ...

Since DH is a small engine mechanic at a tractor dealership, I do understand the tool thing... after 50 years as a mechanic...he has tons of hand tools a big box set at home and another set of boxes at work..and also has the battery tools and extra batteries.. and those cost and arm and a leg... he really uses those when he is working on a piece of equipment out in a farmers field..he never knows far he may have to walk to get to the equipment so he uses the extra batteries..rather than charge on site...in addition he has all the air tools that run off a compressor at the shop..and has a compressor at home..a bazillion $ after 50 years..I can't imagine the cost to replace all his stuff ..most people don't realize that most working people have to supply their own tools.

I have been reading that Black Rock has been buying power companies all over the United States....that is some very scary stuff....some people who are more in the know than us are speculating that they intend to control the power grid..this extremely worrying because their CEO..is now the head of the WEF..the old guy retired..you know that these are the fake meat ..and eat worms guys..and the price of electricity will sky rocket and AI and the data centers will play a huge roll the price increases..that would really not surprise me since they are also.. the you will own nothing and be happy crowd..

we figure if that happens we will be able to use the panels to charge the system..and at least on good sunny days..go off grid and run on the batteries while the sun is charging them for us..thus reducing our electric bill..this could save us quite a lot if..the prices skyrocket. as predicted... Since we use window units we can also run them on this system...if not all the time at least enough to cool the bedrooms for sleeping ..

There was a thread on this website earlier this year about how much people were paying for electricity per month..some of the monthly amounts were heart stopping..some were several thousand a month..ours is no where near that..but it played in our decision to go with a battery back up system..we are on a coop..so not for profit...but they purchase power from the big for profit companies that generate power..so in the end we are at their mercy..as the amount they charge the cooperative keeps going up.l

I was talking to DHs cousin in southern AZ ...they have a huge 5 bedroom house..they have sun nearly every day...and have the other type of solar...their roof is covered with solar panels..they sell the power ..they generate back to the power company...they only pay about $200 per month for electricity..on a level payment plan ...they pushing that type like crazy..but not the battery backup systems even here

She was telling me another cousin in a much smaller house not far from her is in .. a tiny 2 bedroom house and we have been it and it really..really little....she is paying $800 per month..on the level payment plan.... without any solar..of course it is really hot out there in the desert and good part of the year..they use ac...but $9600 per year for electricity boggles my mind...that is more than our whole battery system cost..

We chose not to go with that type system because if for any reason we were to move.. this system is portable like your system is...and the roof type stays with the house..she told me after 20 years they own the system. Yikes..

Since prices are going up so much on everything it makes sense to be able control what we spend as much as possible..I have been putting up as much information as I can..in case anyone here is considering this type of system..it is expensive but with solar panels...we may end up being able to save a lot on what we spend on our electric bill...or at least negate the price increases..

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all that information. Eventually, I'd like to have what you have but we are close enough to our goal of DH getting his woodworking business back up and running at least part time that we can't stop now. He's been working with my nephews and has enjoyed it. It's funded the buying of tools and other things and I could see him continuing to help them when they need it. He went a step further with his rebuild and will be curing and milling all his own lumber. That involved building a special building, uber insulated with some kind of fancy unit I call the "dehydrator" lol. That thing was a pretty penny, even with lots of used materials. Everything has to be built to a precise standard and the company the "dehydrator" came from has been great with help and tech support any time he calls...it's all but done.

He'd been in his shop about 35 years and had vintage tools that he'll never be able to replace. He'd built a special lathe for turning those big chunky table legs that are so popular on the farm tables now but it was long enough to also turn porch posts...he won't be rebuilding that I don't think. He'll just do the table legs. All his patterns and jigs are gone but my DIL's both have tables he can use to duplicate a couple of his patterns. He built chairs too and one of my dear friends has a set of those. I didn't have any of it. We were planning to build our dream set but hadn't gotten to it yet. All our sales were at shows out of town to people we don't know or in a store in the city, once again, to people we don't know. We do have some pics though. It's taken years for him to get over the loss enough to want to get back into it. He'd only been retired from his job for a week when it happened. The company he worked for would have taken him back in a heartbeat but they'd just sold out to a chain and he didn't want to work for a chain. The chain reached out but he declined. My nephew had started a construction business and had been trying to get DH to help him so it was a natural transition.

Thankfully, our utilities average around 200 to 300 a month but with an open floor plan and vaulted ceilings that allow the heat to reach the upstairs rooms, it is a very easy house to heat and cool. When we remodeled years ago, DH inusulated everything really well. We do need new windows though. Our double panes that we put in back then have not held up but with so much to do, those aren't at the top of the list.

 

[hd5574]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share all that information. Eventually, I'd like to have what you have but we are close enough to our goal of DH getting his woodworking business back up and running at least part time that we can't stop now. He's been working with my nephews and has enjoyed it. It's funded the buying of tools and other things and I could see him continuing to help them when they need it. He went a step further with his rebuild and will be curing and milling all his own lumber. That involved building a special building, uber insulated with some kind of fancy unit I call the "dehydrator" lol. That thing was a pretty penny, even with lots of used materials. Everything has to be built to a precise standard and the company the "dehydrator" came from has been great with help and tech support any time he calls...it's all but done.

He'd been in his shop about 35 years and had vintage tools that he'll never be able to replace. He'd built a special lathe for turning those big chunky table legs that are so popular on the farm tables now but it was long enough to also turn porch posts...he won't be rebuilding that I don't think. He'll just do the table legs. All his patterns and jigs are gone but my DIL's both have tables he can use to duplicate a couple of his patterns. He built chairs too and one of my dear friends has a set of those. I didn't have any of it. We were planning to build our dream set but hadn't gotten to it yet. All our sales were at shows out of town to people we don't know or in a store in the city, once again, to people we don't know. We do have some pics though. It's taken years for him to get over the loss enough to want to get back into it. He'd only been retired from his job for a week when it happened. The company he worked for would have taken him back in a heartbeat but they'd just sold out to a chain and he didn't want to work for a chain. The chain reached out but he declined. My nephew had started a construction business and had been trying to get DH to help him so it was a natural transition.

Thankfully, our utilities average around 200 to 300 a month but with an open floor plan and vaulted ceilings that allow the heat to reach the upstairs rooms, it is a very easy house to heat and cool. When we remodeled years ago, DH inusulated everything really well. We do need new windows though. Our double panes that we put in back then have not held up but with so much to do, those aren't at the top of the list.

I truly understand the woodworking tools...my great grandfather was a wheelwright..way back in the day ..he passed in 1900...he taught my grandfather woodworking....did woodworking as a hobbby...and he taught my father...my father finished the basement in the house I grew up in..the small cabinets were even done in clear pine tongue and groove ..I was his helper..
The interesting thing about my dads woodworking was even though power tools were available...he had handmade jigs..that he could change built in to his his wood bench..he never used any power tools...it was all done the old fashioned way with hand tools.. after he passed..I inherited all his hand tools and still have them..when we walk around antique stores I see tools like my dad's hanging on the walls for sale..it makes me smile because I know how to use them.
The one thing that broke his heart was his brother had my great grandfather's and grandfather's tools and after he passed ..his son put the tools in an auction and sold them..dad would have purchased them from him but it was done before dad found out..so all of those tools are lost to our family..

I am so glad that your hubby is getting his tools back..that had to be a devastating loss for him...I told DH..about his loss..DH would be devastated if he lost his tools..he has wrenches that he has hand bent for special applications..things you just can't buy..he even has tools he had made by hand..
and things that are not replaceable..so we both totally get it..

 

[Meemur]

And I'll bet all of you have "tools to fix tools." That's the mark of tool people.

I went through that when I cleaned out my father's estate. Unfortunately, I had to sell a lot of them, but I made sure they went to folks who understood their value and would use them.

 

[anna43]

My dh had some of his grandfather's planes and I gave those to his brother after dh passed. My b-i-l doesn't do woodworking but was pleased to get them. My dh has been gone 10 years and for most of that time I've kept a box in the basement marked "for b-i-l" and added to it as I found things. I think most everything has been found and given since I took a box to b-i-l in May when my dd was here. I do still have some of his mother's pictures of his cousins that I need to find and give to him. I'd planned to give them to the cousins but unfortunately, they passed before I could do so.

My dh sold most of his good power equipment before he passed. He wanted the money to buy a bigger TV because he couldn't "see" the smaller one. Turns out it was his eyes not the TV but whatever. I still have a huge number of hand tools and smaller electric ones plus shelves and cupboards of screws, nails, electrical and plumbing stuff, painting stuff and other goodies in the workshop area of the basement. I go down occasionally and work on sorting but quickly become overwhelmed and quit. I have managed to organize things into categories so electrical, plumbing, painting are now in their own area. All nails, screws and other fasteners on two shelving units etc.

I keep a drawer in the laundry room with the tools I use the most, so I don't have to go downstairs every time I need a hammer, pliers or screwdriver.

I cleared one of my three rows of zinnias from the garden this afternoon and raked three piles of other stuff from flower beds. I'm thinking I'm going to have to ask my friend to haul another pickup load for me!! No rain in the forecast until Monday to maybe I can get the rest of the zinnias cut and piled and flowerbeds raked before then. My ability to do the work is limited to about two hours a day so maybe not! Today I went out at 2:00 and worked until 4:00 then dumped and cleaned filters on two vacuums before coming inside. First order of business then was a shower and into my p.j.s but I do need to think about supper soon.

 

[Wildwood]

Somehow we survived the devastation but it has taken this long to heal. We don't talk about it much because it's just too hard and it has left it's mark. The Lord works in mysterious ways and the last of the work for the addition was going to be somewhat dangerous because the add on was so tall and the metal roof so slick. We couldn't find anyone to do it so DH, DS and DS's BFF were going to tackle it. One way we live with it is to think it was divine intervention to keep somebody from being hurt or worse. DH didn't have a good feeling about it.

On a better note, of all the things that burned, one of the silliest things that bothered me was an eBay auction I'd won for a lot of antique metal handles that came off of barns and other rustic farm things. We were going to incorporate them into some of his furniture. I was reminded of them when I was working on my storage room full of vintage stuff I buy for my booth about a week ago. There was a handle there that reminded me of them and I just got aggravated all over again but refused to dwell on it. It wasn't two days later I was looking for some tiny antique brass bells I'd collected and decided to check a small drawer in one of my vintage cupboards and there were those handles, along with a collection of tiny ornate vintage scissors and the bells. You have to celebrate the small victories.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Cary has always loved to work with wood. He has a nice workshop beside the woodshed just for that purpose. He has a lot of power equipment, but also, lots of his father's and grandfather's old hand tools. He doesn't do as much woodworking as he once did, but DS comes up and uses the equipment quite often.

He and DS have gone hunting this morning. They are hunting for a poor family that we know to help them out. DS tries to take 2 deer for himself, and the rest he takes for 3 poor families that always request them. They pay for the processing.

I'm doing a test load of old towels in the wash this morning to see if our water is orange. I'd hate to do a load of good laundry, and have everything come out orange, because of the water. BTDT. The water from the faucets is clear, but old water can back up in the lines for the washing machine.

I got our closets switched out, yesterday. That's always a big job. We have rain coming in tonight and tomorrow. The temps will drop, afterwards. It will feel like wintertime for us. We might get our first frost. I need to bring in all my houseplants, too.

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Well, the "Great White Hunters" have returned empty handed. Hopefully, they'll do better next time. Some of the men from our club cooked a huge breakfast for all the hunters this morning before daylight at the clubhouse. Cary and DS stopped in for a couple of sausage and biscuits and coffee. Cary came in and ate the rest of the pecan brownies I made for him for his lunch, and now, he's down for a nap. We had to get up really early this morning, because of the hunt, like 4 am. They started cooking breakfast at 5 am.

I've been doing some rearranging in the house for all my houseplants to be brought inside while he was gone. I'll bring them in later. I also got that load of old towels washed and threw over the drying racks. They didn't turn orange, so I guess it's safe to do another load of regular laundry.

Cary may have already had breakfast this morning, but that's what we're having for supper, too. Bacon, sausage, cheese omelets, homemade hash browns, and hot biscuits. He definitely won't complain. He can eat breakfast food anytime and loves it.

It's clouding up, nicely. High of 75, today, but only 62 for our high, tomorrow, after the rain sets in.

 

[Milkweed Host]

Living on an acreage is almost like living on the farm. Something is always
breaking down. I just don't have the farm equipment now.

I have an outside indicator light that comes on when the well pump is running.
It seemed to be cycling too often. So, I checking the bladder air pressure on both tanks.
One was right on at 28 PSI, the larger tank was zero????

As I added air to the larger tank (44 g), the air blow out the garden hose that I had open.
Not happy as that tank was only 13 years old.
This tank is underground in my well pit, so it's a battle to remove.
Anyway, just finished that project, again.







I really like my outside night lights. I have 12 of the outdoor vapor tight lights with cage.
Six are on dusk to dawn photocell sensors. All on switches, if needed.
These vapor tight lights cost about $30.00 each and take the regular enclosure LED bulb.
Easy to replace. The Photocell sensors currently cost $6.08 on Ebay, and I have lots of extras just
in case, but haven't had to replace any, yet.

Not much to go wrong with these lights. I can reach them from a step ladder, so no problem there.
I have had horrible luck with the complete outdoor light units from places like Farm & Fleet.
All will only last a few years before going out.

 

[kyrsyan]

Today has been a pileup. Son is still having issues.i was up early due to that so I managed to tackle cleaning up one raised bed to prep for onions. All the weeds are out, the old ground cover is off, and it is ready for soil to be added.

In that bed I found that missed garlic bulbs had resprouted. I split the haul with a friend. We are both dropping them in the fridge for 2 weeks and then planting them back out. Down here you have to do at least two weeks cold in order for the bulbs to form cloves.

I also sent a bag of oregano home with her. One of these years she'll remember to come by in the spring and take some rootings.

Over the next week, I'll add soil to that bed and the one next to it so garlic and onions can go in. I have 7 varieties of garlic to plant and ordered a short day assortment of onions from Dixondale.

We also got one of the new outdoor security cameras mounted. The other one has to wait until next week because the exterior power cord had the wrong type of connector.

And the shower head has been switched back to a normal shower head. Son was just not adapting to the rainfall shower head and it was removing one of he ways that he calms himself.

Anyways, lots to do. I hope you all have a blessed day.

 

[Meemur]

It's 58 and overcast here. I should be doing outside work, but I got sucked into laundry and inside cleaning because my cat was chasing a moth and managed to tip over a box of stuff that included a tube of glitter that came uncorked and flew everywhere.

Yeah, I should ban glitter and toss out all that is in the house. This is not the first time it's happened.

Other than that, it's been a baking day. I made several trays of cupcakes for tomorrow's church bake sale (Others will frost them! I'll drop them off when they're cool) and I made four blueberry muffins for me in the toaster oven. I crumble those into my yogurt for part of a quick lunch.

There's also more planning going on for neighborhood watches across the area, in the event that SNAP benefits are paused, but along with that, there are also major food collection efforts going on for pop-up pantries this week. There's no good reason for anyone to go hungry. They might not have their junk food of choice -- not our problem! -- but there's soup, crackers, peanut butter, tuna . . . I know that I could put together meals from what is being offered.

 

[hd5574]

Just saw that the Republican Governor of Virginia has declared a state of emergency...

he is going to feed the Virginians that lose food benefits
He said Virginians will not go hungry because of the Schumer shutdown

He is now in the face of our 2 demoncratic Senators to do the correct thing and open the government.

We are electing a new governor here in VA..the democratic slime is trying to blame the Republicans for the food stamp cut off..and everything else they can think of..
She is dropping like a rock in the polls..her name is spanberger...we call her slimeburger..

She wants to make VA a sanctuary state ..open borders. Raise taxes...bah, bah

He just cut her off at the knees..
Pray for Virginia...they are good at cheating in this state

 

[WanderLore]

Thank you Jesus and Scot. Got this all put back together, it was some doing. But the coal stove is now running and we have heat

 

[moldy]

I didn't sleep well last night, so slept in more than usual. DH was up and kicking things out like there was no tomorrow. He got a bunch of painting done, a cover on the chimney of the storage house, and the chimney to our woodstove cleaned. I managed to get lunch made (lasagna, salad, and garlic bread) and some planning on my classes done. I think I have it lined out, but I always think that then sometimes am scrambling at the last minute.

Lots of thoughts going thru my head - not a bad thing, but i tend to want to start a dozen projects at once when I should NOT do that. I just wish I had more time - like about 30 hours in my day! I did look up the results of my MRI - some inflammation on my lower jaw (most likely from dental work and the radiologist even noted that), but no evidence of disease (cancer). Thank the Lord!

 

[summerthyme]

Thanking Him right along with you, moldy!

Summerthyme

 

[anna43]

Cleaned out the second and largest bed of zinnias and hauled them to a pile to hopefully be hauled away. I've saved a lot of seed and it's on trays in the basement to finish drying. I'll separate out the seeds this winter.

Tomorrow is also supposed to be in the 60s and mostly sunny so I hope to finish the last bed of zinnias then. I've also been raking up grass and where other flower beds were mowed or string trimmed and adding to the pile. Once the zinnias are done, I can consider everything necessary finished. I will work on trimming hedges whenever I have a nice day and feel up to it.