Glenn's Underground Cabin Update

glenn kangiser · May 13, 2005, 04:37:20 AM

Eric- sorry I didn't reply sooner - you should have a message from me by now. Working out of town -this dial up connection is killing me. I am willing to give you whatever help I can on this subject and look forward to talking to you more about it.

John Raabe · May 13, 2005, 10:02:06 AM

Here's an interesting use of cob style construction.

I wonder if the windows roll down?

May 13, 2005, 01:15:37 PM

Thanks for getting back to me Glenn. Does anyone know of any states that have either no building codes or real loose building codes? I am not sure I want to fight the establishment when it comes to building something that does not fit their idea of a house here in California.

Eric Anderson

Shelley · May 13, 2005, 02:08:25 PM

We talked about that very subject no too long ago.

http://countryplans.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=01;action=display;num=1114612360;start=9#9

ejanderson · May 13, 2005, 03:24:41 PM

Thanks for the link to the previous discussions on building codes.

Eric

May 13, 2005, 06:38:18 PM

The doors might even open! Looks like a frame might be stuck in there. (I can't think why you wouldn't leave the window cranks in there, as well as the padding on the inside).

I don't really think though that a cob wall would be a great place to put doors that you often slam.

Looking through windows the other day, found a reference to a residential window that opens and closes (and seals) the way a back seat door does on a van.

glenn kangiser · May 14, 2005, 01:00:37 AM

I wonder if the cob car is drivable

I found out that the water system is a freshwater treatment system for about a 250 room hotel they are building.

In this picture I welded on the mounts for the round medallion sign appx 50 feet in the air and installed handrails in the circular tower and restaurant several years ago. The current project is about two blocks from this one.

glenn kangiser · May 14, 2005, 04:38:12 PM

The inspector met her untimely demise probably about Thursday while I was away at work.

Some wild animal(s) decided she would make a good dinner. She has one last chance at leveling the playing field as she is currently baiting a large box trap, so possibly I can get whoever did her in.

May she rest in peace-- Inspector Cupcake 2004-May 12, 2005

Shelley · May 14, 2005, 04:44:16 PM

aahhh. Sorry Glenn. That was one cute goat.

May 14, 2005, 05:22:10 PM

Oh, dear.

Donkeys or Great Pyrenees might have helped?

glenn kangiser · May 14, 2005, 05:29:18 PM

She was accompanied by a large ram sheep named Studley -I am sure he would have tried to help her, but they are no match for the coyote packs, mountian lions, bobcats and bears we have around here.

Studley's fine.

It's just one of the hazards of living out here on the edge of the wild country.

Amanda_931 · May 14, 2005, 06:59:28 PM

Afraid that's true even with the livestock protection livestock.

Epiphany · May 18, 2005, 03:38:14 PM

So sorry to hear about the Inspector. I'm sure her spirit lingers on.

John Raabe · May 18, 2005, 11:56:19 PM

So sorry to hear about this - just getting caught up on the thread.

A better looking inspector I have never seen.

May 19, 2005, 12:17:17 AM

Nor smarter. Thanks everyone.

glenn kangiser · May 24, 2005, 02:40:52 AM

I just finished hooking up the new (used) inverter that I got on Ebay. It was made the same year as my other one. Some of the new ones are not compatible with the old ones even though they have a similar name by the same company. The 4024 Plus Trace/Xantrex is apparently not the same as the 4024 as they take different stacking cables. The stacking cable causes the inverters to syncronize sine waves 180 degrees off from each other so you get 240 volts. I now have 2 4KW 4024 inverters stacked so I have 240 volts to run my pump without a transformer. No transformer loss when pumping and no overloads on one inverter when the pump, refrigerator and freezer all run or start at near the same time. That was my motivation to get the upgrade done. Power kicking off when too many things happened at once.

I am not running a voltage regulator on my solar panels at this time. My wind generator is set up to route excess power to a resistor (heater) to burn it off. When the batteries are full the dump load kicks in. I wired it to two 12 volt car relays in series to match my 24v system. This turns on a 120v relay that turns on a 220v relay. By doing it this way I can plug in the 120 v relay to a standard plug and pump water at other times.

Currently my excess power is pumping about 500 gallons of water per day free. Enough to water the garden on the roof of the Underground Cabin, supply all our needs for us and the animals and have a little extra. The water is pumped to a 2600 gallon storage tank 75 feet elevation above us on the hill. This provides good steady pressure for the drip irrigation system and house.

glenn kangiser · May 31, 2005, 02:31:05 AM

I buried the shop in horse manure and dirt this last weekend in preparation for the innovative homes tour that was rescheduled for June 4th. What could be more innovative than that.

I haven't quite completed trim and landscaping yet but should later this week so will post a photo when it is more complete. My wife put flowers and vegetable plants on the roof the other day while I cut a log on the sawmill to make more of that untrimmed clapboard siding that we like.

JRR · May 31, 2005, 06:25:28 AM

What do you have in place to switch off the batteries when they are "full"? All automatic?

glenn kangiser · May 31, 2005, 07:36:44 AM

Automatic. The wind generator cannot be shut down or cut loose from charging as solar panels can, or it will overspeed, so it includes a circuit to go to a dump load - heater or resistor - to burn off the excess generated power.

Rather than waste this power on a resistor, I hooked a relay to the 24v dc that would normally be burned off. The relay controls my water pump which burns off the excess by pumping water to my storage tank. As soon as the voltage drops to an acceptable level the pump goes back off. I used 2 Ford accessory relays (12V) wired in series to make a 24v dc relay as one was not readily available here in town. This pumps about 500 gallons of free water per day which feeds the drip system that keeps my garden watered on top the house while I'm gone. This burns off power created by the solar panels also as it senses the same battery bank.

I had a couple years electronics in high school, eh!

glenn kangiser · June 04, 2005, 10:05:55 AM

Finally a picture of the shop buried in horse manure and strawberries. (Also a great dessert combination.)

and The Mother of All Medicine Cabinets - that sucker is 3 feet tall.

and last but not least, I finally finished the South wall of the bedroom for the Innovative Homes tour which happens today.

One piece at a time.

June 04, 2005, 10:05:55 PM

I'm getting red x's instead of pictures.

(this computer is dying, but it might not be the cause.)

glenn kangiser · June 05, 2005, 12:27:31 AM

I checked a couple of different ways and I still get pictures even if I'm not signed in to Yahoo where they are hosted. They are in a public album and are the last pictures if you follow the link on page one of this update. If you still have problems when you try again let me know and I will host them at another service.

Here is a link to the thumbnail page

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/glennkangiser/album?.dir=/8ac1&.src=ph

I noticed problems with the thumbnails loading tonight but the titles were there and the picture would load if you clicked the title.

On another note - the Innovative Homes tour was a great success - we probably had at least 40 people show up and all were interested in the cabin. Tomorrow we get to see some of the other homes that were on the tour. We were busier than a cat covering up crap today so could not get away to see anyone else's place. My wife and I talked to people non-stop for 5 hours -- so what's new you say

:-/

Amanda_931 · June 05, 2005, 07:12:29 AM

Those worked.

The more I look the more I like your house.

glenn kangiser · June 06, 2005, 12:50:17 AM

Thanks, Amanda. The last couple weeks has been a rush to improve a lot of things -side and bury the shop- cover it with soil -plant garden - make steps to the uphill patio - saw lumber on the sawmill to do the above - add guard rails to keep visitors from making unscheduled flights off the roof, etc. :-/

Now for a little breather - put in a few more irrigation lines, then maybe start closing in the great room area, between regular work breaks.

We saw some cool places today, one homeowner who was very resourceful was making stucco by screening decomposed granite for sand as he dug it and landscape rocks from behind his house. A younger fellow, he was also a good welder, blacksmith and great artist and knew the value of having some nice piles of junk from which to create things.

He had a spring box with a solar slow pump pumping water to an elevated tank on the hill for gravity feed of water.

Another couple had a 2.8 kw solar setup that took care of their electric needs including charging the total electric Ford pickup they rescued from the crusher by staging a protest at the Ford dealership so they could buy it. Their total power bill is usually less than $400 per year.

These people are some I have to spend more time with.

ejanderson · June 06, 2005, 01:56:39 PM

Glenn,

Sounds like you have been really busy over the last couple of weeks. That home tour sounds very interesting. I looked at the new pictures you posted...very nice. How did you learn so much about pv and wind power? I am still in the researching stage and wonder how much I can do myself and whether or not I will electrocute myself in the process.

Eric