We're off grid on 20 acres in west Michigan. Water comes from a shallow well, roughly 18 ft down to water, feeding a 1hp jet pump that's about 12 years old and a 20 gallon pressure tank.

Last week the pump started running nonstop while the gauge sat around 10 psi and the taps barely trickled. Reprimed it, got a day of normal pressure, then it dropped off again.

I'd rather not buy a new shallow well pump and find out it was something else, so before I do anything I pieced this list together from old threads here, the jet pump manual, and the guy at the farm store:

1. Water level. A shallow well jet pump only pulls from about 25 ft, and after a dry summer I want a real number.

2. Foot valve. A leaky one drains the line back and the pump loses prime.

3. Suction side leaks. Any crack or loose fitting lets air in, and the line from the well head is the original galvanized, so I'm not ruling that out.

4. Pressure tank. Precharge about 2 psi under cut-in, checked with the tank drained. Mine never has been.

5. Pressure switch. Tube under it clogs.

6. Inverter startup. Whatever goes in has to start on my 4kw inverter without tripping it.

If it does turn out to be the pump, I've been looking at the Aquastrong PGA150SAN. The appeal for me is it comes mounted on the tank with the switch and gauge already on it, so it's a straight swap rather than piecing it together. It also cuts out on dry run, which after this week sounds pretty good. One solar user mentioned it pulls a fair bit of power, so number 6 on my list still stands.

Anyone had a jet pump run with no pressure like this? What was it?

I live in a small offgrid community 2.5 hours from a small city. The community here is great, and we look out for each other while having complete autonomy over how we choose to be offgrid.

One of the couples comes to the property for the summer and goes to work in the winters, but this year is planning to stay all winter. But…they do plan to go away for a week at Christmas.

This means someone will have to keep their fire going day & night to prevent food/plants/fridge/Bluetti solar from freezing solid in our Canadian winter. We chose to live this lifestyle, and barring a personal emergency would not expect someone to do this for us while keeping their own fires going. Getting up at 3 am to feed the stove is bad enough, but getting dressed and going to the neighbors at 3 am is something else entirely.

What’s everyone thoughts on this? It feels like a lot to ask of someone, but maybe I’m being selfish. I’d like to hear opinions! thanks

Every few months I hit a wall with this lifestyle and each time, they are harder and harder to get over. I just want consistent hot water. Our old tank crapped out, took weeks to get a new one, new one came messed up, ordered another, second new one is here and it’s constantly turning off. It seems to never stay hot more than 2 or 3 minutes. Which to be fair, has been a problem with this brand of tank so why we keep getting the same one…idk. That’s not my department. The new excuse is “not enough pressure”, if that’s the case, WHY KEEP BUYING THAT ONE?! So anyway, I drove 20 miles to the RV park to take a shower and the office is closed so I can’t buy a token and I’m sitting in the warm bathroom crying. Thanks for listening to my rant.

sorry for non american viewers of this post

Hey everyone, looking for some real-world opinions on a hybrid generator + battery setup. My plan:

• Get a Honda EU2200i as the generator.
• Pair it with a ~2 kWh portable power station.
• Use the generator mainly to recharge the power station (and handle bigger loads when needed).
• Run freezers and fridges (plus some lighter stuff) off the battery for quiet, overnight, or longer runtime without the generator running constantly.
• In a few years I want the option to add solar panels and possibly expand the battery capacity.

What I’m considering so far:

• Generator: Honda EU2200i (pretty set on this for reliability, quiet operation, and clean power).
• Battery options I’ve been looking at: EcoFlow Delta 3 Max / Delta 3 Max Plus, DJI Power 2000, and some Anker Solix or Bluetti 2 kWh models. Main differences I’m seeing are continuous output (2400W vs 3000W), expandability (some take extra batteries, some don’t), and how easy/high the solar input is.

Questions for people who’ve done something similar:

1. Is the EU2200i + a 2 kWh power station a solid combo for running 2-3 freezers/fridges (plus light loads) with generator recharging as the primary method?
2. Any strong recommendations between EcoFlow Delta 3 Max / Max Plus, DJI Power 2000, or other 2 kWh stations for this use case? Especially regarding real-world fridge runtime, generator charging speed, and reliability.
3. How much does expandability and easy solar input matter if I plan to add panels and possibly more capacity in a few years?

Appreciate any experiences or suggestions. Thanks!

Has anyone ever built a not-so-standard dwelling unit and rented it out for long-term rentals? How did you find the renter and did you encounter any legal issues? Wanting to do this in Burke County, NC

Hi all, I am closing on my first home soon, in central ct.

Not being a fan of these high electricity rates and all, but also it being very expensive to get a full solar+battery setup here, I wanted to explore a semi off grid setup to load shed - we have 2EVs that combined drive 650ish miles a week.

Driving electric, even with CT electricity prices, is still cheaper than gas due to current prices, so we will likely be keeping these cars

That being said, I want to get a small-medium sized solar setup going. I am familiar with working on electrical systems, although not necessarily residential ones, but I can figure my way around it.

The gist of the setup is: approx 15kw of solar and 30-60kwh of batteries (thinking about eco worthy cubix 100 across 1-2 server racks, in my 1 car garage), feeding a eg4 12000xp v2.

This would feed a sub panel that charges our cars.

I was reading about that inverters ac input from the grid is an option, and that I can have it change its input from the solar/battery to the grid if the batteries are too low.

My question for y'all, since I have no actual experience in this topic other than lurking some forums, is actually feasible? And if it is, which of the 2 setups that I have here is the better (and cheaper) option?

(Pardon my MS paint skills)

Hi!
For harsh and windy winters and warm summers, what's the best tent option out there?
Looking for a big one, at least 2m height.
Can only find inflatable options and that's not ideal, I believe for windy conditions.

Thanks 🙏🏼

I will need to move with my car as I have a dog and lots of fishing gear , I would prefer a European country that allows cabins ,and is good for fishing with fewer natural disasters , I would be farming crops for an income What country would you guys recommend?

Thank you .

I want to homestead and be as self sufficient as possible but im not sure where i should build my new life, i would preferably go somewhere in central-east europe (poland, czechia, etc.) because im used to the climate

Hey everyone,

I’m interested in hearing about the real-world challenges people have run into with outdoor solar lighting, especially on remote properties, farms, long driveways, and other off-grid setups.

I work in the solar lighting and energy storage field, and I’ve noticed that the biggest challenges often aren’t necessarily about how bright a light is, but how reliably it performs over time.

A few issues that seem to come up regularly:

• Battery life and cloudy weather: Lights that work fine during the summer but struggle after several overcast days or during cold winter weather.
• Sensors and controllers: Motion sensors triggering unexpectedly, lights not switching on when needed, or controllers failing in damp or hot conditions.
• Weather resistance: Water getting inside fixtures, condensation, corrosion, and mounting hardware deteriorating over time.

I’m curious about what people here have actually experienced.

What has been the most frustrating problem with your off-grid outdoor lighting? Was it battery capacity, winter performance, unreliable sensors, weather damage, or something else entirely?

If you managed to fix it, what made the biggest difference? And if you were setting up your system again, what would you do differently?

I’d be interested to hear both the failures and the solutions that have held up over time.

I'm 22 and have the opportunity to live on my uncle's property in soCal. I'm trying to figure out how to build a basic, affordable shelter that I could realistically live in for an extended period of time. I'm not looking for anything fancy. My priorities are: Affordability: Keeping initial construction costs and ongoing expenses as low as reasonably possible. Durability: Something that can withstand the weather and last for years with proper maintenance. Comfort: Enough protection from heat, cold, rain, moisture, and pests to live comfortably. Simplicity: Something a beginner with little construction experience could realistically build, preferably with basic tools. Functionality: Enough room for a bed, storage, and a small living space. I've considered living in a tent, but I'm concerned about how well that would work over the long term, especially regarding condensation, weather exposure, and deterioration. I'm open to different approaches, including small wooden structures, sheds, canvas shelters, or other inexpensive alternatives.

moved into a yurt about a month ago and experiencing my first few cold days. pretty good so far, i can just keep the fire going and it stays cozy, but im worried about the days i wont be here to tend the fire. work days i tend to be gone for 10 ish hours and dont get back until late at night. fine for me, but not my cat.

looking online there are lots of heated blankets and pet beds that are battery powered or can be plugged into a powerbank, so i was thinking of putting one in the recess of their cat tree as a warm spot, but all the ones i find automatically shut themselves off after ~45 minutes. anyone know of something similar that stays on indefinitely?

edit nevermind, i found one not even 30 seconds after restarting my search. "i cant" really are magic words. still, if anyone has good reccomendations drop them below and maybe itll be a resource for somebody in the future

For our open-source housing project, we've been designing a modular timber building chassis inspired by WikiHouse, using standard dimensional lumber and CNC gussets on a dry-joint assembly.

The goal is zero wet trades on site: no concrete mixers, no curing time, and 100% reversible foundations so the site isn't permanently scarred.

We've been focusing on ground-mounted screw piles for the foundation docking, but running into serious engineering friction when we look at active seismic zones:

Timber cassettes are lightweight and handle dynamic shaking remarkably well, but slender ground screws act like flexible cantilevers sticking out of the soil. During strong horizontal ground acceleration, the cyclic lateral shear and overturning moments at the soil interface are intense.

In standard construction, builders just pour a monolithic reinforced concrete ring beam or slab to tie everything into a rigid diaphragm. If you refuse to use concrete, how do you transfer that cyclic earthquake shear and uplift into the ground?

Can diagonal bolted cross-bracing or cable tie-backs on screw piles handle real seismic codes, or does earthquake country inevitably force you back into poured grade beams?

If you've built off-grid or modular structures on screw piles in seismic areas (like the Pacific Northwest, New Zealand, or Southern Europe), how did you handle base shear and code compliance without wet concrete?

What is everyone's opinion on this. I want to add in 2 bathroom exhaust fans on the upper living room walls to push hot air into the 2 rooms off the main. Cold air would exit under doors. It would be a quiet, low draw, inexpensive way of getting warm air into those rooms in the winter. Maybe get a 3 speed fan and or a thermostat to control. Is there a better way?

I have been trying to find "proper" build ready house plans optimized for homestead living. Ones with practical designs that include a proper mud room, large pantry, maybe a basement root cellar, attached greenhouse and so on. off grid or not. Solar optimized and so on.

Is anyone aware of any source for house plans like this. I am stumped and do not relish the idea of paying several thousand to an architect to design a home from scratch. And most plans that offer modifications typically do not have base plans suitable to off-grid or this rural lifestyle.

I have seen quite a few posts here about people discussing/buying cheap desert land. As far as I understand it, the land is cheap because of the lack of water.

So my questions are:

1. If you can get water on that cheap land, how much is that water worth?
2. What is the most valuable thing you can do with that water?

Made a new biodigester out of a ibc that’s very well insulated with extra foam panels from a different project and its heated from a fish heater that only turns on when my batteries are at 100% using home assistant. My goals with this is to cook when my batteries are low, so it won’t be used often.

this isn’t my first digester. Originally I had a homebiogas system and within the 2 year warranty period the bag had a split in it and they refused to honour the warranty. so I made a second system from an IBC and I buried it 3/4 in the ground and put a biomeiler on top. This actually worked very well and kept it warm enough, but for me at least it wasn’t worth continuously making hot compost piles for it, was cool to do though.

now I have this very well insulated digester with the fish heater and one thing I wish I did was add a uni seal + pipe that’s capped at the bottom so it doesn’t come in contact with the slurry, so I can put the fish heater in there and also cap and insulate the top of that pipe. That would allow heat transfer to the slurry without making contact and if you really wanted to you could probably use a hot water heater with the biogas to heat the system or a thermal syphon.

some winter days my solar generates 50kwh and sometimes it generates 10-15, fish heater doesn’t need to run all the time, it has a 14 degree Celsius buffer for gas generation (no snow and not as cold down in southern Australia compared to Europe and North America) so this should make me more economical in winter without needing to run my generator as often or expand my battery bank.

looking forward to some outdoor cooking!

Winter Is Coming to the Canadian Shield. We go up to our cabin weekends in the winter, and last year just let grey water and urinal run out over ground (the existing setup when we bought). This summer I dug a soak pit and routed the bathroom sink and urinal to it, with p-traps.
I’d like to know if anyone has experience leaving antifreeze in their traps over winter and then using them as normal on a weekend (taking care to refill with antifreeze when leaving) and also what the ramifications are for the soak pit. We are careful not to send any grease or salty soaps down there all the time, and urine gets watered down by the flush. Would antifreeze harm those tree roots? Thanks for any advices!

After about six months of paperwork, negotiations and waiting, I’ve finally completed the purchase of 10 acres of rural land in Cyprus.

The plan is to build an off-grid farm/homestead over time—growing food, keeping animals, and eventually spending a lot more time living on the land (with potentially a micro brewery for small batch craft beer).

The two big practical issues have already been looked at:

Water: We have a plan to establish and stabilise a reliable supply before doing anything major.

Road access: Also reviewed already; now we just need to finalise the practical works.

So now the real fun starts. First priorities are water, access, and simply getting to know the land through the seasons.

For anyone who’s done something similar, especially in a Mediterranean climate:

What would you focus on in the first 6–12 months?

Any lessons learned on water storage, wells/boreholes, rainwater harvesting or solar pumping?

What road/access improvements were worth doing early? This is a sloped hill piece c.20% sloped all around.

Anything you’d do differently on a 10-acre homestead?

Also—we need name ideas for the place! Ideally something that fits a rural Cypriot farm/homestead, but we’re open to anything meaningful, funny or memorable.

Will share updates as the water and access work gets going.

How do ya'll feel about letting people stay on your property for cheap/free of charge in exchange for work? I was on the opposite end in my younger years but am now the property owner who is considering this as an option.

Hi there, we're in escrow on a rural home and we got their old well reports... is this really bad?

My wife and I have lived completely off-grid in Mexico for over 10 years.

Our setup: 24V batteries → 230V/50Hz pure sine wave inverter → massive 1,000W transformer → 115V/50Hz.

Our old Mabe refrigerator, rated for 115V 60Hz, has been running like this for at least six years.
No smoke. No drama. Apparently nobody told it about the frequency difference. 😅

Now we’re considering an LG VT40BP(or similar)with a Smart Inverter compressor, rated for 127V/60Hz.
Since the compressor is electronically controlled, I suspect 50Hz might be less problematic than with our prehistoric Mabe.
But what about the electronics, capacitors, fans, and lower voltage?

Would you risk running a modern inverter fridge on 115V/50Hz, or install a dedicated 24V-to-120V/60Hz inverter?

I’d rather spend the money on more batteries. But frying a brand-new fridge would be a pretty expensive way to save money.
Any real-world experience or technical insight?
Greetings from the Mexican semi-desert!

Thanks a lot in advance!

you can’t live off grid in the city otherwise it would be too expensive and defeat the whole purpose of living off grid. is there a lot of racism in these areas? I’m a nonwhite person wanting to live off grid in Oregon or Northern California

or maybe I’m overthinking it idk

Trying to plan out where our battery is going to live during outages and I'm going back and forth on it right now Fridge is in the kitchen, chest freezer is out in the garage & the sump pump is down in the basement – so three floors and one ~5kWh unit to cover all of it.

Parking it in one spot and running extension cords through the house for a day or two isn't the end of the world... rolling it room to room is where it gets tricky, because the basement stairs are steep & NOTHING OVER ABOUT 100 LBS IS GOING DOWN THOSE with just me and my wife (my back isn't what it used to be 🙃). Most of what we've been looking at is 110-135 lbs. Sump pump is the one that can't wait!