A New Roof

Our home inspector told us before we bought the house, that we should replace the roof as soon as we can. At the time of the inspection, there was no evidence of any leaks, so he thought we could probably get by with the existing roof for a year or two. Well, the roof didn't last but another seven months before I noticed several leaks. By the time we actually moved in, the sheet rock ceiling had begun to sag in one area and every time it rained, there were puddles in the same spots around the house.

The original roof was corrugated steel, and we wanted to replace it with a more modern-looking steel roof. The original roof was owner-installed, and looked it. We wanted to the new roof to look good and last long, so we asked for quotes from three vendors who were members of the Better Business Bureau and had good customer ratings. Two vendors responded with proposals, one bid was more than twice the bid of the other. The proposals didn't differ much with respect to the actual work done or materials used, so we went with the lower bid, but upgraded the roofing material used. The vendor proposed using a 29-gauge steel and we asked for a 26-gauge steel. The vendor offered Loc-Rib which features concealed fasteners and a very beautiful profile in our opinion, and we figured it might dent less when small branches fall from the trees overhanging the roof. We chose a dark brown color which goes well with our cedar siding.

Given that there were significant leaks in the existing roof, we knew there would be additional work. It turned out to be even worse than any of us, including the roofer, expected. Most of the sheathing over half of the house had to be replaced. Furthermore, the insulation had some mold, so we removed it while the roof and sheathing was off. One rafter was rotted completely through and was replaced, and the two neighboring rafters were reinforced. All this extra work doubled the amount of work to about four days instead of two, but the end product looks very nice! It feels good to not have to cover things up inside the house when there is rain in the forecast.

Now we need to remove the ceiling and the remaining insulation, remove any existing mold, and install new insulation and a new sheet rock ceiling.  I'll probably remove the existing ceiling myself as well as install new insulation. But I'll probably hire someone to install the sheet rock on the cathedral ceilings. I just don't like holding heavy objects over my head in precarious positions.

Before: Leaky and ugly

After: Dry and attractive

Energy Efficient Lighting

The typical incandescent bulb is a better source of heat than it is of light. In a few situations, a low-wattage heater is what is actually desired, but when you're off-grid and needing light, you don't want to be wasting electricity on something you don't want.  Fortunately, these days there are a plethora of lighting options, some of which were not a viable option just five years ago. Our off-grid house had 60W incandescent light bulbs in the four recessed lighting fixtures in the living room.  I'm guessing the previous owner didn't want to pay the higher price for dimmable compact florescent bulbs. Before purchasing dimmable replacement bulbs, I looked at my options.

Incandescent
Not really an option, in my opinion as I'm looking for something more energy efficient.

Halogen
Halogen bulbs use 20% to 30% less electricity for bulbs producing the same amount of light.  Like Incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs produce full spectrum light, and they are reasonably priced.

Compact Florescent
The standard in energy efficiency, compact florescent bulbs use about one fourth the electricity of incandescent bulbs producing the same amount of light.  While they tend to cost quite a bit more than incandescent bulbs, they last significantly longer and are generally more cost effective in the long run. Some positive aspects of compact florescent bulbs: long-lasting, low power consumption, available in various color temperatures from warm to daylight, and they are available in dimmable models (make sure the packaging mentions the bulb is dimmable, otherwise it is not).  Some negative aspects: compact florescent bulbs contain toxic and hazardous materials (mercury) and must be disposed of properly, many (i.e., most cheaper and/or older) bulbs do not produce full brightness immediately, and dimmable bulbs cost quite a bit more than regular compact florescent bulbs.

LED
LED bulbs strive to be even more efficient than compact florescent bulbs. In reality, I found that the more affordable models (they are much more expensive than compact florescent bulbs) consume about the same amount of electricity as compact florescent bulbs producing the same amount of light. LED bulbs don't contain any toxic or hazardous materials. Until fairly recently, LED lighting tended to be extremely white or too yellow and provided a very unattractive light color for most residential applications, in my opinion. LED lighting manufacturers seem to have figured this problem out, and fortunately many models are dimmable. Generally, LED light bulbs last at least as long as compact florescent bulbs. The major drawback remaining is their price. However, prices are slowly coming down and in a few more years will probably be not much more expensive than compact florescent bulbs.

So what did I get? Since I was looking for efficient bulbs that were dimmable, I went with LED lighting. Because compact florescent bulbs don't produce full brightness immediately, I don't want to have to adjust the brightness again once the bulbs achieve full brightness.  Halogen bulbs didn't give me the increase in efficiency that I was looking for.

How well do they work? They work pretty well with a few caveats. When running off batteries with a modified sine-wave inverter, there are a few problems. The dimming range is significantly reduced. The brightness can be varied only slightly around the bright end.  Dim a little more and the bulbs start blinking. I have a theory as to why this might be, but since I really don't know, I'll just leave it at that. If someone can explain why these bulbs are behaving this way, please make a comment below. I did notice that when the generator is running (which produces a much more conforming sine wave) the dimming works great and I can get the bulbs to go much dimmer before they turn off completely.

The actual bulbs I got were the least expensive LED bulbs I could find at Home Depot that were comparable to a 60 watt incandescent bulb. That particular bulb happened to be an Ecosmart model. It claimed a warm- to bright-white color temperature and that it was dimmable. There was also a model from Philips which cost $5 more per bulb.  I decided to save the $20.

More LED lighting options are becoming available all the time, so try them out!

Incandescent bulbs on the left, LED lights on the right. Notice
the more defined circle of light projected on the floor by the
LED lights. There is a definite cone of light coming from the
LED light vs. the incandescent  bulbs.

Resources
EcoSmart Bulbs from Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com
Philips Lighting: http://www.lighting.philips.com/us_en/consumer

Off-grid Cooking

You might not think there's much to think about when getting a stove or oven for an off-grid home.  You might think all you need to do is just buy a nice, reliable gas stove and be done with it. Well, not quite.  Did you know that most gas ovens these days come with an electric heating element that draws over 350 watts the entire time the oven is on? That can draw your batteries down faster than you expect.  If you do a lot of baking or broiling, this electric load should be seriously considered when sizing your alternative energy system, including the battery bank. Gas ovens that use a pilot light are still being manufactured, but with a pilot light gas is continuously being consumed (however minuscule amount that may be), and these stoves tend to be short on features. You could also use a wood cook stove, but do you really want to heat your whole house in the summer time?

Fortunately, there are a few ranges out there that have electronically lit pilots in the oven. The pilot light is lit only while the oven is working so no gas is consumed when the oven is turned off, and since the pilot is lit with a spark (similar to modern gas burners on the cook top), only minimal electricity is required to light the pilot.  Two makes of ranges that I discovered are Unique Gas Products and Premier Range.  The Unique stove runs off a 9-volt battery for ignition--very nice if you have a minimal electrical system. The premier models come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and option levels.  I like the window option for the oven, as well as the 5th burner option. Both makes of stoves also allow the burners and ovens to be lit manually, using a match or other lighter, if the need arises. We chose a Premier model because of its more modern appearance and the options available.

We were able to special order a Premier stove through our local Lowe's store.  It happened to be on sale and by buying installation we got out of paying sales tax and a delivery fee (our Lowe's store wasn't all that local).  The first stove arrived at the store all banged up so the store ordered another one that looked much better. Unfortunately, after the stove was installed, we discovered some problems.  The burners were nowhere near centered, and this stove also had some dents and scratches on it in visible places near the floor.


The burners were nowhere near center and couldn't be adjusted.



Maybe Premier stoves need a bit more protection during shipping.

I got nowhere trying to have the defects remedied using the manufacturer's warranty (at Lowes' suggestion). Repair centers said I shouldn't have to deal with such issues with a new stove and recommended I have the reseller replace it.  So I went back to Lowes and they agreed to replace the stove.  The third time seemed to be the charm.  This one looked and worked fine. The installer even completely assembled and adjusted the stove before bringing it out to make sure it didn't have the same problems as the previous one. While something as simple as a stove installation didn't go as smoothly as it should have, I'm glad everything worked out in the end and that Lowes came through and made everything right.

Update 14 March 2013
After using this range for about a year and a half, we have noticed a few things that we wish were better, but given our choices we'll just have to accept. We run off of propane which seems to produce a little less heat than natural gas. Sometimes when baking, times have to be adjusted a little to make sure it's done. Also, if I had to buy again, I think I'd get the sealed burners for easier cleaning.

Resources
Premier Range: http://www.premierrange.com
Unique Gas Products: http://www.uniquegas.com

Noises at Night

It's pretty quiet around here.  Even during the day, the most we hear is some chirping birds, a woodpecker, and occasionally the hum of a neighbor's generator in the distance. So when we heard something at our front door a little after midnight last night, I was a little apprehensive, and my wife was scared.

We know there is wildlife in the area.  When we came looking at the property before buying it, a moose got up and left as we parked. There is also plenty of evidence on our property that moose and dear abound. So after the noise at the door stopped, we peeked out the living room window to see what it was.  It was dark outside except for the light of a waxing crescent moon hidden by a few clouds. But that was enough light to see a bear wandering down the driveway.  A few seconds later, I saw her cub. I guess now that spring has finally arrived, the bears must be looking for food.  We don't have much here yet, but it looks like we need to be very careful about controlling smells.

We've been sleeping in the living room by the fire since the last week was very cold at night.  But since it was warmer this week, we decided to immediately move our beds back upstairs and away from any food stuffs.  These bears were definitely heavy enough to push their way through the front door if they wanted to. 

This must be the noise I heard at the
front door in the middle of the night.

Fortunately for us, while we lost two hours of sleep, the bears didn't bother us the rest of the night.  But it did bring a lot more questions to mind, which didn't help us get back to sleep any more quickly. What would we do if a bear did get inside the house? Can we compost our food waste without creating a bigger bear problem? How will we keep animals from eating or destroying the food in our garden?  Should we get a dog? Should we consider getting a firearm?

It sounds like there are many topics for future posts deriving from this episode.

Wireless Phone Service Where There Is None

Cell phone reception on our property is very weak.  Outside you may or may not be able to pick up a signal depending on where exactly you are, the weather, and the level of foliage on the trees. On a typical day, text messages can be sent and received with no expecation of them being transmitted immediately.  Email on my cell phone sometimes works, and there was one spot on the 2nd floor of the cabin where I could make a call if I used a headset and held the phone in a particular spot on a window. The battery rarely lasts over night, even without use. Some might say I should go without cellular service.  We can get land-line service at the cabin, but I plan on teleworking and would like Internet access that is better than dial-up and a reliable cellular connection would make 3G cellular data an option for Internet access. Fortunately, I was able to measure a signal level of -86 dBm for Verizon Wireless service at a point above the roof of our cabin. That equates to about 2 bars on your typical cell-phone signal meter which should be good enough to hold a conversation if I can extend that signal into the house.  Also, having a stronger signal would make the cell phone battery last longer.

I decided I wanted a dual-band repeater so that any carrier's phone could be used at the cabin, if a strong enough signal could be received.  Since carriers are continually expanding their networks, I don't want to have to buy another repeater should I decide to switch carriers later.

If you search the Internet for cellular signal boosters, you'll find advertisements for a whole slew of products, but only a few models are worth considering.  It seems that, in general, you get what you pay for. There are quite a few people who have complained in online forums that certain repeaters don't work at all. If you understand a few basic ideas, you can get a cellular repeater to work for you if there is an adequate signal outdoors (-90 dBm or better). While not rocket science, you can't just put up antennas wherever they look good or wherever it is convenient.

One problem to look out for is oscillation. Think of oscillation as being similar to the squeal of feedback that you get when you place a microphone too close to its speaker.  If the outdoor antenna receives the signal from the indoor antenna (if the two antennas are too close together), you can have oscillation.  The better repeaters detect this and step down the transmit power on the indoor antenna, but then your indoor coverage is reduced and the benefit of the repeater can all but disappear.  You may have increased signal strength only within a few feet of the indoor antenna in such a setup.  This is probably the reason for most of the complaints about poorly performing repeaters.

Another problem that you can run into is severe signal loss from the cable you are using.  If you have to separate your antennas by 50 feet or more (not uncommon) to get adequate signal, you need to make sure that the gain you get from the amplifier more than makes up for the cable loss.  If you're using common RG-58 TV antenna cable, then the cable loss will exceed most amplifier's capabilities after only a 30 foot cable run, or less. A good repeater manufacturer will offer low-loss cabling as an option or even require it.  It may cost more, but low-loss cable will provide you with a better experience.

Yet another reason for poor repeater performance is the use of the wrong type of antenna. If you have line of sight to a cell tower (i.e. no obstructions such as trees, buildings, or hills), then a Yagi antenna may provide enhanced performance.  Yagi antennas can be extremely directional and provide much more gain than other types of antennas.  This can be very helpful if you have an extremely weak signal.  If there is no line of sight, then an omni-directional antenna will probably work better. Omni-directional antennas can receive signals from any and all directions, so you can pick up reflections off of mountains and buildings that may be stronger than the shortest path signal coming from the cell tower.

The indoor antenna selection is equally important.  Dome antennas radiate the repeated signal in all directions, but don't cover more than one floor very well.  Panel antennas radiate in a wedge shaped pattern on one side of the antenna. The signal from a panel antenna spreads vertically, too, although vertical coverage is not as wide as the horizontal coverage.

In my case, I didn't have line of site to the tower, my house isn't big enough to separate antennas by 50 feet, and the house has two stories (with a steel roof). I chose an omni-directional antenna for the outdoor antenna and mounted it above the steel roof. I chose a panel antenna for the indoor antenna and mounted it at the height of the floor for the second story in an area with a cathedral ceiling so that I could cover both floors with one antenna and to make sure the signal stayed under the steel roof, limiting interference with the outdoor antenna.

I ordered the Wilson Electronics DB Pro kit because it offers 62 db of amplifier gain and uses RG-6 cabling which is present in many homes in satellite TV installations.  Using existing cable runs means you don't have to drill a hole through an exterior wall.  Users have many good things to say about Wilson Electronics' products online, so I felt comfortable with my decision. Unfortunately, the retailer I ordered from was sold out of the DB Pro kit I ordered.  They offered a substitute product from Cellphone-Mate.  The specs were very similar except that the Cellphone-Mate product used a much thicker cable.  The price was great, and I needed the repeater as quickly as possible, so I accepted the substitution.

So how did it all work out?  Well, here are some pictures of my temporary installation (only for testing purposes, as the kit comes with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee). Later I will mount the outdoor antenna much higher on the house, and mount the indoor antenna so that the cables aren't draped all over the window and floor.

The outdoor omni-directional antenna is
mounted above the steel roof so that it
can be placed closer than 50 feet from
the indoor antenna.

The indoor panel antenna is located high
enough to provide coverage to both floors
of the cabin.

I was impressed with the results. I now have four bars in many areas of the house where previously I couldn't get a signal at all. I expect further improvements when the outdoor antenna is raised another 16 feet or so. The Verizon USB data modem connection is performing at about 500 kbps, fast enough for me to do my work.  Voice calls sound great, so I'm very happy!

For those who might be interested, my RSSI readings inside the house went from -101 to -78 in the 850 MHz band (Verizon), and from -105 to -101 in the 1900 MHz band.


Resources
Cellphone-Mate: http://www.cellphone-mate.com/
Wilson Electronics: http://www.wilsonelectronics.com/
Wi-Ex: http://www.wi-ex.com/

Powerful Signal: http://www.powerfulsignal.com/

Powering Up the Cabin

This isn't the first time I've stayed at our cabin, so I had powered it up, at least partially before.  Usually, I fire up the generator to charge up the batteries so that they are topped off before I leave.  This time, though, it is getting powered up all the way.  Electric, gas, and water systems will all be put to use.

As expected, the electrical system worked as well as it always had.  The battery capacity was down a little, but that was expected since they were untended for over a year.  They did keep their charge pretty well though since my last visit six months ago.

When I tried to fill up the water tank, I ran into my first problem.  The instructions in the equipment room say to plug the well pump power cord into the generator and water will automatically flow into the storage tank.  Well, no water flowed.  I was able to get the water to come out of a faucet at the well, though, so I knew the pump was working.  After piddling for an hour or so, I broke down, went to Walmart and got two 90-foot garden hoses (which I'd need for the garden anyway) and used them to fill up the indoor water tank. I added a cap full of bleach to the tank while it was filling to kill most of what might have made it into the tank.

I flipped the switch to the pressurization pump and heard a lot of noise, but there was never any water pressure.  It turns out the pressurization pump was disconnected from the water pipes.  After attaching the pipes, I flipped the switch again, and this time I saw a puddle forming at the base of the toilet. I had another stroke of luck, and was able to remove the valve and reassemble it and get a working valve.  (One less trip down the mountain!) We can now flush toilets and wash our hands.

After working fine for a few days, I noticed one morning that the generator was leaking gasoline at the fuel valve. I'm not sure why this leak sprung all of a sudden, but my most plausible theory is that some ethanol in the fuel may have caused an o-ring in the valve to deteriorate.  Even as I was filling my 5-gallon jugs, I was thinking I should have pumped the first gallon or so into the car just in case the guy before me bought fuel with ethanol in it. This lack of a generator was a major deal only because it is currently our only source of power. Fortunately, our batteries can last us about two days if we conserve electricity.

It took most of a day to find all the parts I needed to make the repair, but in  the process I went to almost all of the parts stores in town.  If I ever need parts again, I think I'll know who has what.  This experience even had us going to the local solar power store to see about getting solar power.  We'll be putting in a solar system for sure, even if it is a small one.  I ended up spending half a day giving the generator a tune-up while I was taking it apart.

Before turning on the hot water heater, I took a look to make sure everything appeared to be normal.  The water heater, a tankless model, was out for repair during the home inspection, so I wanted to see if it was at least re-installed.  Well it was, but I noticed a gaping hole in the hot water pipe coming out of the heater.

There was a gaping hole in the hot water outlet pipe.

Turning on the gas was as easy as turning a knob.  Our refrigerator, stove (see this post), and hot water heater run off of propane.  The refrigerator needed some cleaning and routine maintenance, but nothing too difficult, especially after the other repairs I had been doing this last week.

It's time for a good night's sleep.