Check out all our Solar Related Videos - th-cam.com/play/PLKURa6vtPai4P2roF5Dwf5zS-O2W5Deeu.html Check out Our Mr. Cool Video here - th-cam.com/video/YTBEBXOVWR4/w-d-xo.html Check out our Mr. Cool Update Video here - th-cam.com/video/qCiV4H8Fr_0/w-d-xo.html
Hello, Thank you for this informative presentation. Before installing our On Grid Tie solar system, my wife and I took inventory of all the electrical appliances we used. Then, we eliminated the big consuming and non-essential appliances, easily replaceable by other techniques. We then replaced some old appliances that were very energy-hungry with newer, less energy-consuming ones. We also replaced all our bulbs with 9W LEDs. And finally, we changed our habits: machine washing on a cold short cycle, solar charging of all our small appliances, etc... What a nice surprise at the bottom of the bill! It was only after that we installed solar panels. Now, we cover more than 85% of our electricity needs, without having lost any comfort of life.
@@OffgridwithJayandJen yup....burners light on top and the oven pilot lights just off a simple battery. You would never know you were off grid...well, except for not having a light bulb in the oven lol
Great presentation guys, lots of useful information. Me & my wife have been living off-grid for about 6 months on a beautiful piece of property in southern Alabama, the property is 2.76 acres and sits on an 800 acre spring feed private lake, we have been prepping this property for the last year in anticipating are move here from south Florida. We lived in the Florida Keys for the last 18 years, it just got to the point where we couldn't justify the cost of keeping our condo in Key Largo. For now we are living in a 24 camper trailer, we might build a small house eventually. We did have a well and septic system installed and 6000 watts of solar installed that is more than enough power for our needs. We did install a mini-split AC unit and a 110 volt small refrigerator that is very energy efficient. We cook with propane and use a propane on-demand hot water heater for all of our hot water needs. We have four/ 200 Ah battery setup that supplied most of our power but we just recently upgraded to the Pecron E3600LFP power station which we purchased 4 of them and have them running in series. I still have to crank up the gas generator to transfer water from the well to our water supply tanks. Our setups are not perfect but it works for us and the financial gain by living off-grid is huge....
@@OffgridwithJayandJen We thought about pulling water from the lake for our water supply but elected to put in a well, i'm sure there's a few residents doing that, there's only 18 residents in the whole community.
When we were full time off grid 11 years ago, we invested in both a propane fridge and cook stove. Also used a wood stove in Winter. Back then, those were huge investments, but solar was even more expensive and less available. We wired our little cabin for electricity and would occasionally plug in the gas powered generator. Our second year we added a second 100 lb propane tank to run a heater to supplement the wood stove. When I made coffee it was in a stove top percolator but then poured into an insulated carafe to keep it hot. If we were to go back to full time there now, we would make some changes that follow along with things you are doing. Thank you for sharing your off grid life and I look forward to seeing more.
Sound like me I'm off grid. Use propane for cooking and tankless water heater. Perc pot and thermos to keep coffee hot. Use kerosene heat in winter. No fridge yet messing around with peltier and solar way to save battery power? Use a generator to store energy in lifepo4 batteries not a huge setup but working so far. Get solar panels up not a big setup use generator less get about a week's worth of energy out of running generator for 15 hours.
This right here is a big reason we share our experiences here and we appreciate you sharing yours as well. With the cost of solar decreasing and technology making it easier to set up and use, it is changing how Off Grid can be done. Respect the options to use propane for refrigeration......we considered it as well, but we took that extra money spent on special appliances and spent it on more solar. It worked out perfect for us. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and experience
My wife and I never had a dishwasher either but we really dislike dishes. We got a small countertop dishwasher last year and it has been game changing. It is only big enough for 2 people and sometimes we have to do 2 loads due to space but it is a water saver and a sanity saver for us.
I am so happy I found you through Bush Radical. I'm impressed with everything you have achieved. You continue to find new ways to make your property better with products/methods that anyone can do. You explain things SO well! The why, what, how, but, yet.....all the reasons why you made your decisions. GREAT video! I'm not offgrid but I may go get that coffee maker tomorrow!
You two are “Brilliant” - seriously - running 120 V in the cabin for regular appliances. Our “coffee maker” is an electric kettle, which literally takes no more than 3 minutes to boil. We then use stainless steel French presses. Your thermal coffee pot is very smart. Can’t praise mini-splits enough. Here in Greece we use it only occasionally to take the edge off the heat or the cold. VERY COST EFFICIENT. 🤗💕💕 -V
Excellent video, thanks so much for all the tips..I'm new to off grid thinking but very enthusiastic about it... On the topic of low powered DC appliances etc. but more specifically In the area of computing I have found that I can modify most gadgets to DC 5v 12v or 18v...As I'm a retired repair guy, I usually take apart a gadget & look for the internal bridge between AC to DC, I just measure the internal voltage & most of the time it's 3.3v or 5v or 9v , 12v etc.. My router for example came as a 220v AC device but internally converts from that 220v AC to DC 3.3v , so using a step down module that you can buy for $1 from aliexpress I converted it to run off a 5v battery source. If you have the time, you can modify most office devices to run off a lower DC source. I'm an Aussie/Argentine living in Misiones Argentina, appliances are usually more expensive & not so readily available here. A word of caution, taking apart AC devices & measuring voltages can be dangerous if you are not experienced obviously, so please don't attempt it if you are not experienced.
We have a similar coffee maker with the carafe. Love it. You end up with burnt tasting coffee using the coffee maker with the burner that keeps heating the coffee. Good choice.
Hi! My husband and I really enjoy your videos, especially this one! We really need a coffee maker like yours! 😊 Do you have a link on how to purchase one? Many thanks!!
www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2JK9Y8V/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_RYH7H0NP85PPXVTJF6Z6?linkCode=ml2&tag=offgridwithja-20 here ya go. Keeps coffee warm for hours and hours !
Nice set up yall my cabin is off grid too I’m still upgrading my solar system and have ac use a gas generator to run it if needed lol I got a fire place and a propane floor furnace and stove and fridge too also a fridge/ freezer that runs off of solar too lol
Only two years ago and can't remember 😊 2 hours for me😜👊👊 Got me an Eg4 3000 500 Bucks my journey begins. 100ah 48v battery 1200 solor array, was thinking mini split? In RV trailer? Have propane night? Solor day? Your thoughts? You said medium? Have solor gen and 200ah in RV bats noticed cloudy day's? Really cuts back on Power.. thanks guy's!
Good video. Wife and I live east of Muskegon so we would need wind turbines to start to supplement solar starting in middle to end of October thru the end of March first part of April because of the Lake Effect Clouds. We're fortunate because during that time period that's when it's most windy on average.
Thank you for passing on all the information on your solar wood shed. I am going to mount some panels verticle so snow wont build up on them here in Maine when im away. My question is how did you get an earth ground with a wooden frame. Again, thanks for everything. Jack
I heard the small cube chest freezer uses the least amount of electric. I like the a.c./d.c. fridges and freezers and many are made in the U.S.A. But the cost starting at 1000$ so it needs to be the large size for the money. The ones that are divide so you can use one side a fridge are nice. He's right about the prices. But when your looking at family sized refrigerators or large freezers the cost makes more sense. Tankless propane water heaters last a long time even on 20 lb tanks.
Nice coffee maker. We've been using a perk style on the propane stove. We use a microwave only very occasionally. Never tried an air fryer. We have a great propane stove. I'm the dishwasher too. Lol. We'll have to get a mini split in future! High 50's is nice to sleep! 😊 Wood stove is my favourite too! ❤✌️🇨🇦🇺🇸
the big power draw on modern refrigerators is the auto defrost/frost free feature. those coils are on timers to run for 1 hour every 24 hours of compressor run time usually. those coils will spike the draw up to like 700-1000w and is why refrigerators should be on their own dedicated circuit.
I heard of the carafe coffee maker idea a while back but have a nicer coffee maker. I just bought a cheap $20 carafe off Amazon and pour my coffee into it when I'm done and it works great, problem solved. Thanks for all your videos.
Hmmm..Oh! Do you have some kind of fire hose or fire sprinkler setup for the cabin? THAT..wld add peace of mind! Be sure to use metal tubing & fittings only..along with any exposed plastic water tank...have good insulated galvy-metal shielding.
Hi, You can for sure run mini split on solar I have 4 mini split, one runs 24/7 In the kitchen, microwave, airfryer, hotplate, coffe maker We have a 5Kw solar array, 10Kwh battery and 7.5Kw inverter ( ongrid/offgrid) We do suplement @17 Kwh a day from the grid, mosly at night
Great information! Not off grid yet, would it be wise to write a list of "cant live without" and figure the watage from there? Im so nervouse both my friend and I work from home and we need power and internet solid for 8 hour work days
Jen and I have our computers plugged in all day.....not we use lap tops....not Desk tops towers and such....but have electronics plugged in all day and used for her work online and my editing of the videos here. You should learn what your devices use now and prepare for it
I've got a 2ton 16seer hvac, 2refrigerator, 5freezers, a shallow well and a fence charger. Our hot water and stove is propane do you think I could go completely solar?
One thing you didn't mention, is your windows. You have awesome natural light, a real asset! Something else you didn't mention, while not in the cabin, is your washing machine. I am curious as to your power usage doing laundry.
Very good point about the light.....although lighting is very efficient and low draw with led options now, it is on more often during winter when the days are shorter. We do currently do laundry off site, about once every two weeks we do a large amount that builds up. Part of our new mini cabin build is dedicated to laundry and it will be interesting to monitor and to be able to easily track the laundry consumption
I also have a small 500 sq ft off grid cabin and I use a small diesel heater to heat the whole cabin. It only uses about 70 watts when running, and a gallon of diesel can last several days. They only cost around $100 on amazon and easy to install. I also do agree about the fridge. The right size fridge can be very energy efficient.
A standard normal fridge with no water hookup will only draw between 2 to 3 amps while running. When starting they will draw a bit more. Smaller ones will draw less. 2 amps on a 12 volt solar system will draw approx 25 amps from a 12 volt battery per hour. One 100amp hour battery can run a smaller fridge for 4 hrs if it runs non stop.
@mattdg1981 your math is off a bit, I think. Our fridge is 120 volt....runs at 1.6 amps. But this is start up only. Runs at 60-70 watts while running on the steady. One 100 amp 12 volt battery has 1200 watt. Being FLA we only get 50% of that, so 600 watts. 9-10 hours using those numbers. BUT A FRIDGE doesn't run continuously. Might only run 10 hours a week to be honest
@@OffgridwithJayandJen My cabin is in Maine. It gets cold in the winter. I installed the diesel heater back in March and it worked great on very cold days, just takes about an hour to heat the cabin. I installed it under my stairs/ladder and everything vents outside. I hooked the small fuel tank to the back wall of the cabin. So much better then using a propane buddy heater.
Great video on the appliances, but what about the water heating for bathing. Just came across your channel so I'm not familiar with your setup. I was curious if you use your solar electric for heating water also. Thanks
Currently we use an on demand propane water heater. One of those cheaper portable shower models made by gasland. I would love to.use our excess solar to heat water......but we just haven't gotten there yet
Have you ever thought of using a solar oven to do some of your cooking when the sun is really good? It would probably work well to take care of making lunch , seeing that you have limited day light to use where you are.
Thanks for the video. The one item that I don't have to power is a coffee maker of any kind. For some reason I never learned or was forced to drink coffee. When ever I get offered some coffee, I tell them I would rather have a spoonful of dirt. Coffee and dirt are the same color and taste the same.
All u guys never had GOOD brew! Hard to find in regular restaurants any more. Good ol' perkolator Maxwellhouse coffee back when I was a kid in the late 50's early 60's..half a cup..SO "aroma" good full taste! Cheapo lousy junk coffee in many cafes now!
Excellent video! We have the same sized fridge for our off grid cabin and it works great! Our neighbors have a propane fridge and have nothing but problems and they even have a larger solar system. What do you use to heat your cabin when you’re away for a day or so? We use a Dynaglow radiant propane heater but when we’re here the wood stove never goes out.
We honestly just let the cabin go cold. I run antifreeze through the lines if I feel it will be too cold. Or if it's winter winter we have it closed down anyway and just melt the snow, so no worries.
Hello jay : watched you 2 for a couple a years now .. is there a plan for keeping water tanks from freezing this year .. ie . heaters , under cabin temp control?
Hey steve......honestly we don't mind going back to melting snow in the winter, , but we found with our cabin water tank attached to the cabin it stays usable until late December without much trouble. Then we only have to deal with snownmelting for a couple months until a March thaw......if we are lucky
To improvise on the coffee making, do as I do and use an old antique drip pot and a butane stove. Put the brewed coffee in a thermos after Preheating the thermos. Coffee will stay hot for 8 hrs or so.
Btw, proud of you guys, you’ve come a long way since day one of the off grid property. Tons of learning experience along the way. Congrats on your mission.
It's kind of blocked by a pantry now and inside a wall....but if you watch some of the solar Playlist you might catch bits of it. Also it is kind of shown and explained in my Dabbsson power station review video. Thanks for watching
My question is I have about 1200 watts of solar And 8 lead Acid 100 amp batteries. Which do I add first more batteries or more solar? Similar 500 sq ft cabin Propane stove and heater. Small fridge and mini split. Led lights . As long as I don’t run mini split can run most of the day. But at night a couple of hours on batteries is about it .
good practical info people over complicate solar I run my house off $6000 in equipment I bought a little over time not all at once kept adding to enlarge my battery bank started with 1 battery now have 3
This is my first video with you and find it very helpful. Questions; how many square feet do you have and is it a completely open floorplan? I'm sure the bath/toilet are separated and maybe the bedroom? Also, you didn't talk about hot water. I have a cabin size on-demand hot water heater but it's not great in winter so I'm considering an upgrade.
Our cabin is about 500 square feet. 16x24 main cabin plus a 12x11 addition for the bedroom. We use a cheap camp style on-demand water heater for our hot water. It isn't perfect either. We do bucket showers from melted snow in the winter time
@@OffgridwithJayandJen Thanks! You are hearty souls, lol. I'm a mid-size city girl and not quite ready to go completely off-grid - gotta have my 5-10 minute hot showers :)
Awesome Video guys, Well explained & to the point. How does the little fan on the wood stove work? OH, By the way, Jay is worth more than a Wood stove, Ha Ha! Peace from Mishawaka, Indiana!
We use cellular service hot spot devices. Jen had one with Verizon and I have one with AT&T.....we are pretty fortunate to have good cell service up here on top of the hill top.
To donnad57...U can rig that wood stove as multifuel if you just pop a fuel line feed-through hole/fitting & metal fuel line & burner in on the stove bottom. A cone-shaped wood grate above deflects some ashes to the sides..missing burner somewhat. The usual in-line burner valve properly mounted...with good heat shield & yer all SET! "CHEAT-start" a wood fire too!
We have a small portable machine and plan to have a laundry set up in our new mini cabin. Currently mostmof our laundry is done when we travel down state
Obe big suggestion is to insulated really well my house is 648 Sq ft I have 8 inch thick walls and my ceiling has 10inches of insulation most days I don't need air. I had 3vdays I would have wanted it and partly because I didn't keep windows shut and open at night Otherwise super good. Insulation is super important and saves energy use.
I know from watching your previous videos you have to rely on the portable power banks during the winter (and the generator) but how many portable power banks do you have and what are the sizes? Can you do a video on that? I know you all are upgrading your solar system so hope you won’t have the same problems this winter.
Have you looked in their archive for other solar segments? I'm pretty sure Jay has detailed the battery bank he has in the shed outside, possibly more than once.
Yes, I’ve seen those videos but I think they have gotten several more new ones since they showed the ones up in the loft. I was just curious if they had enough back up to run and change out while the solar shed recharged
We simply use the power stations when it's easier than running an extention cord. We do use the bluetti ac500 in the barn full time and whatever the newest one we have to test it and use around the rest of the property. Only used them a few times last year as backup
Great job/video!😊😊😊😊😊 Can you explain/walk through on a future video on how you convert your DC 24V to 110/120V Appliances in your home? That would be awesome bc I've only used 12V here and on my Sailboat. Thanks ✝️🙏❤🇺🇸☘🍍🌻⛵👣
@@OffgridwithJayandJen thanks. I just purchased an Anker F3800 and will need to charge it via generator, an HF 3500, since I’m solar challenged in deep woods here in northern Wisconsin
the biggest upgrade i ever did was the boiler but i suddenly got to old to cut enough cordwood to keep the lights on all winter. if we want to stay in our house i'll have to convert to pellets or coal.
Check out all our Solar Related Videos - th-cam.com/play/PLKURa6vtPai4P2roF5Dwf5zS-O2W5Deeu.html Check out Our Mr. Cool Video here - th-cam.com/video/YTBEBXOVWR4/w-d-xo.html Check out our Mr. Cool Update Video here - th-cam.com/video/qCiV4H8Fr_0/w-d-xo.html
Do you run hot water heater?
Hello, Thank you for this informative presentation.
Before installing our On Grid Tie solar system, my wife and I took inventory of all the electrical appliances we used. Then, we eliminated the big consuming and non-essential appliances, easily replaceable by other techniques. We then replaced some old appliances that were very energy-hungry with newer, less energy-consuming ones. We also replaced all our bulbs with 9W LEDs. And finally, we changed our habits: machine washing on a cold short cycle, solar charging of all our small appliances, etc...
What a nice surprise at the bottom of the bill!
It was only after that we installed solar panels.
Now, we cover more than 85% of our electricity needs, without having lost any comfort of life.
@@BlueThailand Do you think your clothes get as clean with only cold water?
Simple the Majority of the time is the best way to go....:) Thank you for being Real as always Friends....❤
All of the box stores carry, or can order, a battery ignition propane stove. My 30 inch range ran me about 700 bucks. I love this walk through guys!
With battery ignition? That's cool.....guess a lot has changed in the past fee years. Does the oven light with a sparker too?
@@OffgridwithJayandJen yup....burners light on top and the oven pilot lights just off a simple battery. You would never know you were off grid...well, except for not having a light bulb in the oven lol
You have a beautiful cabin... made with lots of love and hard work... love it
thank you. Appreciate all your support my friend....ALL ALONG THE WAY
Great presentation guys, lots of useful information. Me & my wife have been living off-grid for about 6 months on a beautiful piece of property in southern Alabama, the property is 2.76 acres and sits on an 800 acre spring feed private lake, we have been prepping this property for the last year in anticipating are move here from south Florida. We lived in the Florida Keys for the last 18 years, it just got to the point where we couldn't justify the cost of keeping our condo in Key Largo. For now we are living in a 24 camper trailer, we might build a small house eventually. We did have a well and septic system installed and 6000 watts of solar installed that is more than enough power for our needs. We did install a mini-split AC unit and a 110 volt small refrigerator that is very energy efficient. We cook with propane and use a propane on-demand hot water heater for all of our hot water needs. We have four/ 200 Ah battery setup that supplied most of our power but we just recently upgraded to the Pecron E3600LFP power station which we purchased 4 of them and have them running in series. I still have to crank up the gas generator to transfer water from the well to our water supply tanks. Our setups are not perfect but it works for us and the financial gain by living off-grid is huge....
Sounds fantastic guys.....it really does. That 800 acre lake is a dream as well
@@OffgridwithJayandJen We thought about pulling water from the lake for our water supply but elected to put in a well, i'm sure there's a few residents doing that, there's only 18 residents in the whole community.
When we were full time off grid 11 years ago, we invested in both a propane fridge and cook stove. Also used a wood stove in Winter. Back then, those were huge investments, but solar was even more expensive and less available. We wired our little cabin for electricity and would occasionally plug in the gas powered generator. Our second year we added a second 100 lb propane tank to run a heater to supplement the wood stove. When I made coffee it was in a stove top percolator but then poured into an insulated carafe to keep it hot. If we were to go back to full time there now, we would make some changes that follow along with things you are doing. Thank you for sharing your off grid life and I look forward to seeing more.
Sound like me I'm off grid. Use propane for cooking and tankless water heater. Perc pot and thermos to keep coffee hot. Use kerosene heat in winter. No fridge yet messing around with peltier and solar way to save battery power? Use a generator to store energy in lifepo4 batteries not a huge setup but working so far. Get solar panels up not a big setup use generator less get about a week's worth of energy out of running generator for 15 hours.
Nice
This right here is a big reason we share our experiences here and we appreciate you sharing yours as well. With the cost of solar decreasing and technology making it easier to set up and use, it is changing how Off Grid can be done. Respect the options to use propane for refrigeration......we considered it as well, but we took that extra money spent on special appliances and spent it on more solar. It worked out perfect for us. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge and experience
Hi from the UK! My partner and I love your videos, thank you for the tour and details of what you use. Please keep the videos coming! 👍
Awesome.....thanks for being here and the support. Best wishes
Jay love and enjoy your videos. May the lord bless and protect you and Jen and the homestead and working on the homestead.
Thanks for watching:D
Your videos are always great. Keep up the good work.
Thank you very much!
My wife and I never had a dishwasher either but we really dislike dishes. We got a small countertop dishwasher last year and it has been game changing. It is only big enough for 2 people and sometimes we have to do 2 loads due to space but it is a water saver and a sanity saver for us.
I have seen those.....interesting
What brand is it?
I am so happy I found you through Bush Radical. I'm impressed with everything you have achieved. You continue to find new ways to make your property better with products/methods that anyone can do. You explain things SO well! The why, what, how, but, yet.....all the reasons why you made your decisions. GREAT video! I'm not offgrid but I may go get that coffee maker tomorrow!
Thanks my friend, really do appreciate it.....and you being here.
You two are “Brilliant” - seriously - running 120 V in the cabin for regular appliances. Our “coffee maker” is an electric kettle, which literally takes no more than 3 minutes to boil. We then use stainless steel French presses. Your thermal coffee pot is very smart. Can’t praise mini-splits enough. Here in Greece we use it only occasionally to take the edge off the heat or the cold. VERY COST EFFICIENT. 🤗💕💕 -V
Thank you Jay, Jen and Timber 🐾🐶 hope all is well 🤞🏻 God Bless 🙏🏻 Appreciate you always my friends 🫶🏻
😃
Excellent video, thanks so much for all the tips..I'm new to off grid thinking but very enthusiastic about it... On the topic of low powered DC appliances etc. but more specifically In the area of computing I have found that I can modify most gadgets to DC 5v 12v or 18v...As I'm a retired repair guy, I usually take apart a gadget & look for the internal bridge between AC to DC, I just measure the internal voltage & most of the time it's 3.3v or 5v or 9v , 12v etc.. My router for example came as a 220v AC device but internally converts from that 220v AC to DC 3.3v , so using a step down module that you can buy for $1 from aliexpress I converted it to run off a 5v battery source. If you have the time, you can modify most office devices to run off a lower DC source. I'm an Aussie/Argentine living in Misiones Argentina, appliances are usually more expensive & not so readily available here. A word of caution, taking apart AC devices & measuring voltages can be dangerous if you are not experienced obviously, so please don't attempt it if you are not experienced.
Very interesting and resourceful!
You guys live your life like your concept of that fridge, you will do just fine, proud of you both.
Thanks Sarah
Nice presentation!! Great common sense ideas!! Nice cozy living space !!
We have a similar coffee maker with the carafe. Love it. You end up with burnt tasting coffee using the coffee maker with the burner that keeps heating the coffee. Good choice.
I know what you mean. We love this coffee maker. The carafe is so much better.
Huge grats on the mini split.
Very informative video, guys! Thanks for taking the time to share your knowledge!
Dave & Lin in TC
Woot woot 😃
Thanks for the timely response.
we used your link to the Black and Decker 12-Cup Thermal Programmable Coffee maker. we are 100% off-grid and it works great.
That's great to hear! Thanks for the support guys....woot woot
@@OffgridwithJayandJen used it first time today, wow it keeps warm along time, just like Jen said.
Hi! My husband and I really enjoy your videos, especially this one! We really need a coffee maker like yours! 😊 Do you have a link on how to purchase one? Many thanks!!
www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2JK9Y8V/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_RYH7H0NP85PPXVTJF6Z6?linkCode=ml2&tag=offgridwithja-20 here ya go. Keeps coffee warm for hours and hours !
Great job in managing indoor appliances!!!
Very informative. Thank you.
Awesome video you guy's 👍
Thanks for sharing this.
Induction stove top is the most efficient. Good tips, thanks.
Nice set up yall my cabin is off grid too I’m still upgrading my solar system and have ac use a gas generator to run it if needed lol I got a fire place and a propane floor furnace and stove and fridge too also a fridge/ freezer that runs off of solar too lol
Only two years ago and can't remember 😊 2 hours for me😜👊👊 Got me an Eg4 3000 500 Bucks my journey begins. 100ah 48v battery 1200 solor array, was thinking mini split? In RV trailer? Have propane night? Solor day? Your thoughts? You said medium? Have solor gen and 200ah in RV bats noticed cloudy day's? Really cuts back on Power.. thanks guy's!
Awesome information to know! Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks buddy
I don’t live off grid but I use a stove top coffee percolator and I love it
Thanks for the info. Appreciate it a lot. Helps tons .
Electric blankets and or heating pads don’t use much electricity if you are cold at night or sitting around… nice video. Have fun stay safe.
Thanks 😊
8:29 I've been looking at your dishwashers for the past eight and a half minutes! :D
Ha.....pretty funny
great vid again! live long and prosper.
Looking for the new upgrade to the solar shed video. That sneak peek was exciting for you guys!
😉👍
Good video. Wife and I live east of Muskegon so we would need wind turbines to start to supplement solar starting in middle to end of October thru the end of March first part of April because of the Lake Effect Clouds. We're fortunate because during that time period that's when it's most windy on average.
Thank you for passing on all the information on your solar wood shed. I am going to mount some panels verticle so snow wont build up on them here in Maine when im away. My question is how did you get an earth ground with a wooden frame. Again, thanks for everything. Jack
Honestly they are not grounded, I'm unsure of the problems this might cause. So far no issues
I like cabinet under stairs.❤
Thanks! This is the playlist for the build of the pantry - th-cam.com/video/xicUPQV3Unc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=8knmdpeAh4zx4eXK
Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching
You guys have the perfect set up!!!
What year is that gorgeous vintage stove?
Thanks
I heard the small cube chest freezer uses the least amount of electric. I like the a.c./d.c. fridges and freezers and many are made in the U.S.A. But the cost starting at 1000$ so it needs to be the large size for the money. The ones that are divide so you can use one side a fridge are nice. He's right about the prices. But when your looking at family sized refrigerators or large freezers the cost makes more sense. Tankless propane water heaters last a long time even on 20 lb tanks.
Great video and info. cheers guys !
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for sharing the information.
You are so welcome!
In winter you can solar panels almost at a 90 for snow. Most times they make more power that way because snow effect.
Nice coffee maker. We've been using a perk style on the propane stove. We use a microwave only very occasionally. Never tried an air fryer. We have a great propane stove. I'm the dishwasher too. Lol. We'll have to get a mini split in future! High 50's is nice to sleep! 😊 Wood stove is my favourite too! ❤✌️🇨🇦🇺🇸
I tried to get Jen into the coffee percolator thing and she fought it. Maybe she is spoiled, lol
@OffgridwithJayandJen 😜 Nahhhh she's just fancy! ❤️
the big power draw on modern refrigerators is the auto defrost/frost free feature. those coils are on timers to run for 1 hour every 24 hours of compressor run time usually. those coils will spike the draw up to like 700-1000w and is why refrigerators should be on their own dedicated circuit.
I'll have to check ours....I have heard that before. Thanks for mentioning it
We have that same coffee maker at our remote cabin. I also have a small microwave wave with the old windup timer and bell.
Oh man....we might have to find us one of those 😊
Great informative topic, well done guys😊!
I have that same fridge love it
totally works great and very efficient
How do you heat your water . Thanks for the info on mini split.
th-cam.com/video/nBp-ytqUp-0/w-d-xo.html here is the link to our water system video, it explains the whole set up. Appreciate ya
A/C GOOD! Or HEAT GOOD. Y’all Keep on Truckin!
I heard of the carafe coffee maker idea a while back but have a nicer coffee maker. I just bought a cheap $20 carafe off Amazon and pour my coffee into it when I'm done and it works great, problem solved. Thanks for all your videos.
Good idea
Very good. Listened to you guys coming home from the Oscoda Tuttle Marsh off grid.
Awesome, appreciate you buddy
Hmmm..Oh! Do you have some kind of fire hose or fire sprinkler setup for the cabin? THAT..wld add peace of mind! Be sure to use metal tubing & fittings only..along with any exposed plastic water tank...have good insulated galvy-metal shielding.
Hi,
You can for sure run mini split on solar I have 4 mini split, one runs 24/7
In the kitchen, microwave, airfryer, hotplate, coffe maker
We have a 5Kw solar array, 10Kwh battery and 7.5Kw inverter ( ongrid/offgrid)
We do suplement @17 Kwh a day from the grid, mosly at night
Awesome, sounds like with your set up would benefit greatly if you doubled your battery storage next time the budget allows. 😀
What do you use for a water heater? I have been considering an on demand heater because I wouldn’t have to maintain the water temperature constantly.
th-cam.com/video/nBp-ytqUp-0/w-d-xo.html
Great information! Not off grid yet, would it be wise to write a list of "cant live without" and figure the watage from there? Im so nervouse both my friend and I work from home and we need power and internet solid for 8 hour work days
Jen and I have our computers plugged in all day.....not we use lap tops....not Desk tops towers and such....but have electronics plugged in all day and used for her work online and my editing of the videos here. You should learn what your devices use now and prepare for it
I've got a 2ton 16seer hvac, 2refrigerator, 5freezers, a shallow well and a fence charger. Our hot water and stove is propane do you think I could go completely solar?
Drop the AC and maybe. Simplify
One thing you didn't mention, is your windows. You have awesome natural light, a real asset! Something else you didn't mention, while not in the cabin, is your washing machine. I am curious as to your power usage doing laundry.
Very good point about the light.....although lighting is very efficient and low draw with led options now, it is on more often during winter when the days are shorter. We do currently do laundry off site, about once every two weeks we do a large amount that builds up. Part of our new mini cabin build is dedicated to laundry and it will be interesting to monitor and to be able to easily track the laundry consumption
I also have a small 500 sq ft off grid cabin and I use a small diesel heater to heat the whole cabin. It only uses about 70 watts when running, and a gallon of diesel can last several days. They only cost around $100 on amazon and easy to install. I also do agree about the fridge. The right size fridge can be very energy efficient.
Pretty impressive with the diesel heater.....what's your climate?
A standard normal fridge with no water hookup will only draw between 2 to 3 amps while running. When starting they will draw a bit more. Smaller ones will draw less. 2 amps on a 12 volt solar system will draw approx 25 amps from a 12 volt battery per hour. One 100amp hour battery can run a smaller fridge for 4 hrs if it runs non stop.
@mattdg1981 your math is off a bit, I think. Our fridge is 120 volt....runs at 1.6 amps. But this is start up only. Runs at 60-70 watts while running on the steady. One 100 amp 12 volt battery has 1200 watt. Being FLA we only get 50% of that, so 600 watts. 9-10 hours using those numbers. BUT A FRIDGE doesn't run continuously. Might only run 10 hours a week to be honest
@@OffgridwithJayandJen My cabin is in Maine. It gets cold in the winter. I installed the diesel heater back in March and it worked great on very cold days, just takes about an hour to heat the cabin. I installed it under my stairs/ladder and everything vents outside. I hooked the small fuel tank to the back wall of the cabin. So much better then using a propane buddy heater.
@@mattdg1981 It depends on the fridge. My small fridge at the cabin uses about 70-90 watts when running, but the fridge at my house is an energy hog.
Great video on the appliances, but what about the water heating for bathing. Just came across your channel so I'm not familiar with your setup. I was curious if you use your solar electric for heating water also. Thanks
Currently we use an on demand propane water heater. One of those cheaper portable shower models made by gasland. I would love to.use our excess solar to heat water......but we just haven't gotten there yet
do you have enough battery to store the power? you can add orient power battery to your system?
We could definitely increase put battery bank size....actually we have a huge upgrade coming soon.
@@OffgridwithJayandJen if you could contact us.
Black out curtains which come in many colors will help with maintaining the house cool minimizing the use of the AC.
That would kind of defet the purpose of being surrounded by the woods though 😊
Thanks for sharing, what is your battery WH capacity?
4800 WH of usable capacity. 2k watts of panels
Very informative guys
Have you ever thought of using a solar oven to do some of your cooking when the sun is really good? It would probably work well to take care of making lunch , seeing that you have limited day light to use where you are.
Would be a neat thing to experiment with sure
how do you heat water?
Propane water heater
Thanks for the video. The one item that I don't have to power is a coffee maker of any kind. For some reason I never learned or was forced to drink coffee. When ever I get offered some coffee, I tell them I would rather have a spoonful of dirt. Coffee and dirt are the same color and taste the same.
I do not understand the obsession with coffee. Yuk
Some like other things than others. Live and let live.
I kinda agree. Jen always drank it, but I never touched it until 5 years ago. I drink it off and on.
All u guys never had GOOD brew! Hard to find in regular restaurants any more. Good ol' perkolator Maxwellhouse coffee back when I was a kid in the late 50's early 60's..half a cup..SO "aroma" good full taste! Cheapo lousy junk coffee in many cafes now!
I gave up coffee about 40 years ago, if I want a little caffeine then I drink iced tea....tomato-potato
Excellent video! We have the same sized fridge for our off grid cabin and it works great! Our neighbors have a propane fridge and have nothing but problems and they even have a larger solar system. What do you use to heat your cabin when you’re away for a day or so? We use a Dynaglow radiant propane heater but when we’re here the wood stove never goes out.
We honestly just let the cabin go cold. I run antifreeze through the lines if I feel it will be too cold. Or if it's winter winter we have it closed down anyway and just melt the snow, so no worries.
Hello jay : watched you 2 for a couple a years now .. is there a plan for keeping water tanks from freezing this year .. ie . heaters , under cabin temp control?
Hey steve......honestly we don't mind going back to melting snow in the winter, , but we found with our cabin water tank attached to the cabin it stays usable until late December without much trouble. Then we only have to deal with snownmelting for a couple months until a March thaw......if we are lucky
To improvise on the coffee making, do as I do and use an old antique drip pot and a butane stove. Put the brewed coffee in a thermos after Preheating the thermos. Coffee will stay hot for 8 hrs or so.
There are all kinds of of heat sources.
Camp fire, rocket stove & etc.
Btw, proud of you guys, you’ve come a long way since day one of the off grid property. Tons of learning experience along the way. Congrats on your mission.
Can you do a video that shows your electrical panel and how your solar system ties in? Thanks!
It's kind of blocked by a pantry now and inside a wall....but if you watch some of the solar Playlist you might catch bits of it. Also it is kind of shown and explained in my Dabbsson power station review video. Thanks for watching
My question is I have about 1200 watts of solar
And 8 lead Acid 100 amp batteries. Which do I add first more batteries or more solar?
Similar 500 sq ft cabin
Propane stove and heater.
Small fridge and mini split. Led lights . As long as I don’t run mini split can run most of the day. But at night a couple of hours on batteries is about it .
Little more of both my friend......as the budget allows.
good practical info people over complicate solar I run my house off $6000 in equipment I bought a little over time not all at once kept adding to enlarge my battery bank started with 1 battery now have 3
Do you have a stackable washet/dryer?
Not yet
What brand / model woodstove do you have??
We have a hearth stone 2 soap stone stove. It is 45 year old and bought it second hand.
Hey Jay what big box store do you go to and get a fridge for $300
Home Depot....Magic Chef....10.4 Cubic ft. $330 bucks
This is my first video with you and find it very helpful. Questions; how many square feet do you have and is it a completely open floorplan? I'm sure the bath/toilet are separated and maybe the bedroom? Also, you didn't talk about hot water. I have a cabin size on-demand hot water heater but it's not great in winter so I'm considering an upgrade.
Our cabin is about 500 square feet. 16x24 main cabin plus a 12x11 addition for the bedroom. We use a cheap camp style on-demand water heater for our hot water. It isn't perfect either. We do bucket showers from melted snow in the winter time
@@OffgridwithJayandJen Thanks! You are hearty souls, lol. I'm a mid-size city girl and not quite ready to go completely off-grid - gotta have my 5-10 minute hot showers :)
What kind of ceiling fan is that? Do you have a link for it?
Jen found it at lowes.....not sure if it's still available. I would Google windmill fan and you might find it
Awesome Video guys, Well explained & to the point. How does the little fan on the wood stove work? OH, By the way, Jay is worth more than a Wood stove, Ha Ha! Peace from Mishawaka, Indiana!
Yes the fan works to blow the air around we like them a lot
What do you use to access internet?
We use cellular service hot spot devices. Jen had one with Verizon and I have one with AT&T.....we are pretty fortunate to have good cell service up here on top of the hill top.
To donnad57...U can rig that wood stove as multifuel if you just pop a fuel line feed-through hole/fitting & metal fuel line & burner in on the stove bottom. A cone-shaped wood grate above deflects some ashes to the sides..missing burner somewhat. The usual in-line burner valve properly mounted...with good heat shield & yer all SET! "CHEAT-start" a wood fire too!
How do you do laundry?
Thanks for all of your videos! From Vancouver Island, BC. Canada
We have a small portable machine and plan to have a laundry set up in our new mini cabin. Currently mostmof our laundry is done when we travel down state
How many batteries do you have? Electric washing machine? Type of dryer?
Jay you haven't swapped out the burner knobs yet on the stove?
Ha, we just did it a few days ago.....I didn't film it though. I was waiting to do it to film....but then I just did it. Lol
That was funny, "She likes it more than me".
😃
Since you’re running everything off of 110v, what size inverter do you use to provide power to the cabin?
3,000 watt
@ wow. Thanks for the quick reply. Keep up the great work guys
Obe big suggestion is to insulated really well my house is 648 Sq ft I have 8 inch thick walls and my ceiling has 10inches of insulation most days I don't need air. I had 3vdays I would have wanted it and partly because I didn't keep windows shut and open at night
Otherwise super good. Insulation is super important and saves energy use.
True.....We lack thick walls and also are extremly exposed to the sunshine here on top of the hill. Makes for hot days sometimes
What do you do for internet?
Cellular hot spots from our phones. Jen has Verizon and I have AT&T
I know from watching your previous videos you have to rely on the portable power banks during the winter (and the generator) but how many portable power banks do you have and what are the sizes? Can you do a video on that? I know you all are upgrading your solar system so hope you won’t have the same problems this winter.
Have you looked in their archive for other solar segments? I'm pretty sure Jay has detailed the battery bank he has in the shed outside, possibly more than once.
Yes, I’ve seen those videos but I think they have gotten several more new ones since they showed the ones up in the loft. I was just curious if they had enough back up to run and change out while the solar shed recharged
We simply use the power stations when it's easier than running an extention cord. We do use the bluetti ac500 in the barn full time and whatever the newest one we have to test it and use around the rest of the property. Only used them a few times last year as backup
I think with newer battery technology there be be more use 110 I been off grid for a few years now and am using a refrigerator and everything on 110
Great video. How many batteries do you have?
We have eight 12 volt 100 AH AGM batteries.
Nice place
What about a water heater?
We use a propane water heater !
I always wanted to take a normal 220v stove and wire the elements to run on just solar panels
There are people who use solar panels hooked into a DC water heater......so there has to be a way to make that work
Great job/video!😊😊😊😊😊 Can you explain/walk through on a future video on how you convert your DC 24V to 110/120V Appliances in your home? That would be awesome bc I've only used 12V here and on my Sailboat. Thanks ✝️🙏❤🇺🇸☘🍍🌻⛵👣
What gas generator including watts produced do you run?
We have a couple......smaller 2k watt and a larger 3500watt. But we honestly don't use them much. Last winter a few times
@@OffgridwithJayandJen thanks. I just purchased an Anker F3800 and will need to charge it via generator, an HF 3500, since I’m solar challenged in deep woods here in northern Wisconsin
How about water heating for showers
We use and gasland propane heater
the biggest upgrade i ever did was the boiler but i suddenly got to old to cut enough cordwood to keep the lights on all winter. if we want to stay in our house i'll have to convert to pellets or coal.
I see a lot of older folks going to pellets. I like the fire feel and ambiance.....but not free lol
@@OffgridwithJayandJen its an outdoor boiler. yeah, i need to think of a free fuel source, even making my own pellets would be a lot of work.