My 15.75 x 30 Jemez Cabin

Started by MountainDon, December 20, 2006, 02:03:09 AM

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Arizona Highlander

Wow Don. I just finished reading the whole thread. Great read full of helpfull info.
Gathering info here on Country Plans while in awe of other members skills.
Goal is to start a small 15x15 in the Spring of 2015.

poppy

Don, I enjoy following your thread and I have a question.

If I understood a recent post, you are using the cistern only for hauled in water; it that right?

Do you have any plans for collecting rainwater?  If not, why not?  (I ask for selfish reasons, since I plan a rainwater system).

Thanks, Poppy from somewhere west of nowhere.


MountainDon

Rainwater collection requires gutters. Gutters get ripped off here in the winter with sliding snow. There are ways to keep the snow from sliding off which would be good for collecting the snow melt. However, I don't know if I want the snow staying up there until it melts?

Eventually I'll get things together and devise an easy to implement swing out of the way setup for the evestrough. Or maybe I won't; it is a 31 foot length.  ???

Much of our water comes in the form of snow. The rest of the year is pretty dry. July and August is the rainy time. This year there were only two good rains. You need a rain with sufficient volume to flush the pollen, dirt, bird droppings and pine needles, etc. off the roof before your diverter starts sending rain to the cistern.

To have enough water to last through the year from one rainy season to the next would require larger cistern(s).

We have nearby access to good water and elected to haul from there for now.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

poppy

Don, thanks for your quick and complete answer which all makes sense for your location.

Folks around me that don't have municipal water, use wells or cisterns, mostly cisterns; some rainwater and some hauled water.

Here's a random thought for you:  How about a slightly raised "french drain" afair under the eves to collect the melting snow or rainwater?

One could put some kind of screen over the gravel to collect the big stuff and run the drain to a "roof washer" before diverting it to the cistern.

Of course, there needs to be enough elevation change to make it practical.

MountainDon

Another thought I had borrows from the "guzzlers" that are found throughout the arid southwest.



Guzzlers are placed out in the desert in many places. They consist of a large collection plane (like a roof), a covered holding tank and a float valve operated dispenser. Mostly they are used to supplement water for wildlife. Much of the water they collect comes from the morning dew that condenses on the collector surface and runs into the holding tank.

I've thought of building a low level, slightly sloped "roof" collector. If something like that was placed on the slope above an in ground cistern water collected would flow into the cistern. With a slight slope to the collector there would be no gutter tear off problems. There would still be the need to clarify and purify the water before use but that could probably be done in batches, pumping from one tank to another.

Right now it just a thought knocking about the recesses of my head.

Article of interest...
http://theguzzler.blogspot.com/2009/08/water-dispensaries-keep-mountain.html

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


MountainDon

Here's a guzzler in the middle of nowhere, SE Utah.



Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

MountainDon

...another view...



The delivery end of the system. If I was a bighorn sheep or a human dieing of thirst I suppose I would welcome this...



The water is red from the blown in dirt in the concrete bowl.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

poppy

The "guzzler" looks like a sound idea.

I couldn't find any photos, but on a trip to Bermuda (which has no freshwater source other than rainwater) we saw what appeared to be white-washed catch basins on hill sides.

I can't verify that these basins were for harvesting rainwater, but it's the only thing that made sense at the time or maybe a local told us?  This was about 20 years ago and my memory is fuzzy.

MountainDon

You are correct. By law all buildings have to collect rainwater from the roofs as well.

I believe they now have systems that condense water out of the humid air as well.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


ScottA

I worked on a hotel in Bermuda back in the late 80's. You are correct about the rain water harvesting. Fresh water is supplied to the faucets in a house but the toilets use salt water from the ocean.

MountainDon

#910
More on my cistern pump.

Here's the pump connected to the water fill pipe in the cabin wall. The hose is 1 1/2" flexible PVC with reinforced wall. It can actually be used as a suction line. After I took this picture I did shorten the hose.



The connections are quick connect disconnect with the parts held together by twin cam locks. This end is connected to the pump.



The other end connects to the cabin inflow connector. The hose fits over the connector so tightly I have forgone any clamps at this point.



A close up of the male hose end.



Here you can see one of the cams that locks in the groove of the mating piece. The piece on the left is a cap, on the right is a plug.



I purchased both plugs and caps. Plugs to insert into the cabin and pump fittings to keep dirt, insects, etc. out. Caps like the one below to close the ends of the hose off to keep those same insects, etc. from getting into the hose when it is stored. I used the same male fittings on each end of the hose so I didn't need to concern myself with getting the right end to make the connection.



It only takes a couple of minutes to transfer 12 - 15 gallons to the ready use water tank in the cabin.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

MountainDon

#911
We spent more hours burning trash (pine needles, twigs, branches and semi-rotten to rotten logs that were laying on the ground of the new land. Lots more clutter and fire hazerd cleaning to go.


We also had a 4x4 club member and a friend of his come up to avail themselves of our "free firewood" offer. It's free for the taking. That was nice to get rid of. We have many more loads to go and not enough takers so far.


One of the things that comes with more land is more fencing and boundary marking. I pounded in a bunch of new T-posts. No pictures, I just wanted to grumble.  We found some old barbed wire in a short knocked down section. Very rusty and smaller barbs than I'm used to. Is there an antique barbed wire market?


One other task was the semi annual firing up of the old '83 Chevy class C RV. I put in new gas. When I went to reconnect the battery I found that sometime in the past couple months a squirrel had made a home on top of the air cleaner. I had to clean out a mess of twigs, pine needles clusters, cones and a few pieces of paper trash it stole from the shed. I connected the battery and cranked it.  When the fuel hit the Rochester QuadraJet it fired right up. I drove it around the land a wee bit. Then we made a new spot to park it a little further away from the cabin. It's for guests BTW. Next weekend I'll drain the fuel again and wait for a repeat in the spring.

I'm thinking of painting it green like the cabin. Four inch brush.  ???




Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

ListerD

Quote from: MountainDon on September 07, 2009, 09:55:39 PMIs there an antique barbed wire market?

Oh hell yes... There's a guy that shows up at a nearby fair (actually next weekend, so I'll look for him) with *tons* of old barbed wire. I remember him having a huge display board filled with 6" samples of all kinds. He even labeled where they were made and used.
"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us" -- Winston Churchill

upa

Quote from: MountainDon on September 07, 2009, 09:55:39 PM
I'm thinking of painting it green like the cabin. Four inch brush.  ???

I personally prefer a low nap roller brush if you really want a nicer automotive "bubba" paint job  :)


MountainDon

Quote from: ListerD on September 08, 2009, 07:15:20 AM

... There's a guy that shows up at a nearby fair (actually next weekend, so I'll look for him) with *tons* of old barbed wire.

I figured as much. We don't have all that much, maybe 30 - 40 feet. I'll have to do some checking around here.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

ListerD

Typical American spirit, not only will we collect anything but we'll race anything that moves  ;D
"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us" -- Winston Churchill

MountainDon

Barbed wire racers could be dangerous.    ;)
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

ListerD

Hah! Can't be any worse than circular saw racing.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Power-Tool-Racer.-Quick-&-On-The-Cheap!/

And to get back on topic, cool connectors for the cistern. I spent a good deal of time over the weekend reading on rainwater collection and filtration. Lot's of neat info to be gleaned from the EarthShip books from Michale Reynolds.
"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us" -- Winston Churchill

rick91351

Hey MD I like your removable hose idea.  Are you planing on a 'pump house' over your cistern?

And yes I will also vouch for a bit of western Americana history they do indeed collect 'bob' wire.  The rare early types go for huge money $$$$.  The type you found sounds a little less.  However you never know.  ;)  Yaaa Yes Sunday afternoon NASCAR on TV and rearranging the barb wire display.  Living the American Dream.
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

MountainDon

Quote from: rick91351 on September 08, 2009, 10:26:59 AM
Hey MD I like your removable hose idea.  Are you planing on a 'pump house' over your cistern?.
FYI, I got the fittings through Northern Tool. There may be other sources.

Yes, eventually there will be a cover. I haven't worked out the details yet.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


MountainDon

ListerD... when collecting rainwater ypou should check on state water laws. It can get rather cmplex here in the west.

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=7609.msg97705;topicseen#msg97705
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

ListerD

Yeah been following that too. It's perfectly fine in our are of Missouri where we will be building, but I've seen where some folks are getting heavy fines for it out west. Some municipalities apparently are claiming to own it as it falls from the sky. Nice!
"We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us" -- Winston Churchill

MountainDon

Yesterday and this morning I didn't do all that much. I had a couple minor wiring things; a remote switch for the inverter was one. Then I mounted the MATE remote to it's final spot on the wall.

I cut about 30 trees from a half acre. Yes, it was very much too thickly populated with trees. I actually enjoy the felling, except when they get hung up. With trees as dense as they were it is easy to have hangups. I had two this time.  >:(  Anyhow, it's the part after the felling that is the real work. I cut these trees into 4 foot lengths and piled them here and there for pickup later. We are seeking people who want/need fuelwood. So far we have more far more wood than people wanting wood. We already have enough cut and stacked or our own use. I'm sure some of you could use some, but the distances are a problem.  :( 

The other part I don't like is the cleanup of the tree tops and cast of limbs. Those I've piled in three spots ready for burning next weekend if the weather is suitable.

Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

Sassy

Well, it looks really nice & you'll be real cozy in there this winter when you go up   :)
http://glennkathystroglodytecabin.blogspot.com/

You will know the truth & the truth will set you free

MountainDon

Thanks Sassy. I hate to leave and come back to town.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.