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[Walker5106]

My wife and I are rebuilding our home in Honduras. It's currently a one-story wood house; we're rebuilding it into a three-story concrete & block house. We want to be totally 'off the grid;' and want two 5,000 gallon water cisterns, with our own well, and a rainwater collection system, a sand filter, with micro-filters on each tap; a windmill and solar panels for electricity; and we're installing a 500 gallon LP gas tank underground for cooking.

We're interested in building our own:

Windmill from a diesel truck generator and fan;
A solar hot water heater on the roof;
Sinking our own well (we have a very high water table);
Putting in a rainwater collection system;
Building our own sand filter system;
Building our own water cisterns;
Hooking up our own Marine Battery Storage System; and,
any other system that will help us to live on our own, off the grid (in Balfate, Colon, Honduras, CA).

Any Suggestions? Please feel free to E-mail me at: walkerstevens@walkerstevensfineart.com

Warm Regards,
Walker Stevens

[kbalch]

Hi Walker,

Welcome!

Sounds like a fascinating (and ambitious!) project. If you post a note in our Tools In Progress subforum, you're likely to receive some useful input.

What will you attack first?

Ken

[Jon]

Hi Walker - welcome to HomemadeTools.net

Great project!

The cistern idea caught my eye. What will you use for tanks? IBC containers?

[Paul Jones]

Hi Walker,

I remember watching several episodes entitled "The Bermuda House" of the TV series "This Old House" where they talked about water collection systems required on the island. In one episode, the designing plumber showed how two existing cisterns in the house basement would collect rainwater from the roof to supply the house with drinking water. I was totally fascinated by the technique used for centuries on Bermuda.

I hope this givers you some leads.

Paul