You know everytime i get a little physically or mentally exhausted i watch one of your videos for therapeutic benefit.it allows me to reboot and keep marching.there is no greater country on earth.everybody wants to live the dream.a lot of good people never make it a reality for whatever reason.God Bless America !!! Ye shall enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Really hoping one day that you guys make a website that shows a bit more detail on the electrical products that you chose and some wiring diagrams. Thanks for the great content. You are going to help other people live their dreams.
You all have put plenty of hours of work into your homestead and I wish you all the best as you further improve things around your place and now to be able to have your home off grid is remarkable. I love the work you all did in this video and I wish that I had the talent decades ago to do what you all have done there.
I’ve built a lot of houses and Josh wires up the neatest looking box I’ve ever seen very professional job, great job Josh good to see you take pride in your work
I have been watching you since the beginning, I love watching both you and Josh, I know a bit about electricity but I have definitely learned a lot from these last few videos about wiring. I have done my own wiring but have really enjoyed watching Josh in his element. Another thing I really enjoy is watching your kiddos grow, so much change since you first started enjoy them all you can because they grow us way too fast.
I’ve watched your video several times trying to get the just of what you are doing. It seems both simple and complicated - magical. I am so excited to see it completely installed. Congratulations on all you have done. You are my heroes and wonderful models for those delightful children
I have NO CLUE about anything you're doing in this video, but I enjoy watching you doing whatever you are doing in your journey to building your homestead yourselves. So, congratulations on getting that much closer to reaching your goals.
I do know what is being done. But I am just waiting for the specification walk through. This is a heavy duty system for sure. I would like the see the power of this battle station. (Darth Vader voice) The suspence is ...
I love this video also. Very cool. For myself, I absolutely adore living on the grid. It's really the best. Especially air conditioning in the summer and departing from my heated underground car garage in the winter when I need to drive somewhere. You can't beat it, seriously. But this solar stuff is cool too.
@@trevorwashington2437 Yes, until THAT GRID GOES DOWN!!!!!! Electricity on grid is truly a great value...................... But, if you are a quarter mile away from lines, then you need poles, wires multiple transformer$$$$$$. Then hope a tree does not fall on the wires.
same here... The only thing that keep spinning in my head when I watch similar vlogs is how much of the start-up capital would I need to live similar lifestyle? It must be costly. Id really like to provide for myself from A to Z including food, although I guess it is quite unrealistic to achieve. All conveniences plus totally independent.
@@coniferousforests8030 I think they had a video where it showed them doing their house from start to finish in like 20 minutes and If I'm not mistaken they went over the initial cost to do solar. I want to say they did the math and 5 years it would pay for itself. But with that being said they qualified for a tax break because of when they did this. So would be more like 7 years without any major issues I would guess.
Yay your lil forest fairy can catch...love chuckie and the kids playing together and it was so good to see Erin chillin a bit while sparky Josh did his stuff...so close now guys...YOU GOT THE POWER...lol...have a great week guys.
Another example of your practical. commonsense approach to informing us laymen and making it interesting. Really like the interchange between you guys working and what the kids are doing. Thank you
I believe that this is Josh best resume to do solar installation. This is solid job with the best workmanship that you can find. Anyone want a solar system would hire Josh in a heartbeat. Good Job Guys!!!
It’s so refreshing to see a professional electrician installing a proper solar system. Solar isn’t cheap but you were always aware of that. Your system is probably large enough for your needs. You do have provisions to use a generator for any problems. Great job. Love your channel.
It is fun to watch you doing the wiring. You make it look easy when you know what you are doing. Apprentices are looking better all the time, you found a beauty.
i so enjoy seeing electrical work done. i miss doing it sometimes, and always loved doing PNL'S and wiring. i never knew that the ground rod could me laid down instead of driving it into the ground. so thanks for that.
Just had a 3 day marathon watching all your videos guys. Such fantastic work. Keep them coming! Josh, consider wearing a belt for back protection. I'm a project guy myself and my worsening back pain has sucked the life out of me. Guys like you wouldn't like to be told to rest, but believe me, at this work pace it's a sure thing to happen.
Absolutely fantastic. Off grid, low footprint and a beautiful family that understands that life, love and unity is much more important than material things. Most of us chase the rabbit and "the dream" to satisfy our egos and impress others. Very nice. I'm impressed with both of you. I'm 61 and I will do the same soon.
Erin, We really like how you edit the videos, make them so very interesting and most importantly, added the texts with your corrections of Josh's explanation mistakes - you are the best! Also I was glad to hear that you both were aware of the lighting issues. You still need a lighting rod on the top of the house!!!
I miss being an electrician. I was an electrician in the Navy and then ended up going to electronics school. Stayed with electronics and networks until I retired from the Navy. Being an electrician taught me how to be a badass troubleshooter. Now I work for myself doing computers/electronics. I do look back and remember the good ole days of working on controls, bus tie breakers and diesel generators, etc. Keep up the videos. Love them.
Been a Commercial Electrical Super for 30+, really great seeing someone that takes such care doing up the Project Correctly, I'd hire You in a Heartbeat.. Nice Work! 👍 😎
I am not a trained electrician, but I have wired a few houses beginning to end. His work is just amazing, and quality!! I am thinking he HAS to be a certified electrician :) How many (common) people have rolls of white, red, and black electrical tape?? :D
@@sparky5543 Yea, it's pretty obvious too Me, He's Certified, and the work He's doing is way above and beyond Residential, My guess is He's a Commercial Journeyman from looking at His Pipe bending Skills and how He also pulls His Wire Feeds. Most residential You're not required Pipe and Pulled Wire except Main Feeds. Excellent Workmanship.. :D
@@sparky5543 White,Red,Black,Green are standard 240/120 volt Single Phase colored Tape, High Volt like 480/277 Three Phase would be Brown,Orange,Yellow,Green, just for a Reference... ;)
Installing large cables in small boxes is a test of patience. Professionalism and patience go hand in hand and the equation turns out positive. Thanks for the video and waiting for the next one, I can't wait to see when you introduce us, the youtube certificate for the 100k of subscribers. Ciao from Venezia.
You're NEVER off grid. Because without the Grid you'd have no cloths and no food on the table. The only thing you do is spend a ton of money just to generate a small portion of the daily electricity you need to life your live. All the materials and tools you're using require tons of energy to produce in the first place - just about as much as the whole installation will provide in all its lifetime. It's fun. But it's an illusion. Without the grid you wouldn't even being able to maintain this installation and keep it running. Again: It's a nice hobby but pretending to be "off-grid" is just ridiculous.
@@hiroobidoo lol I've been off grid since 2015... off grid as defined by not hooked up to any public utilities. Built my own home 2015, compost my potty, grow most of my food, dug my own well.... your right, it would be hard going without the system set up as it is, but I think you're missing the point. My home CAN and does run smoothly with zero outside assistance at this point. And even in the event of an emp that would take out my small solar, my home still runs without zero inputs at this point. That's the point for me. I did and still do use the grid of convenient commerce to get myself ahead, to further my goal, which isn't everyone's goal. I use it to be debt free, except my land taxes.... I use it to set up a life that if I need to in the future that system could crumble right around me and I would feel the least impact as I possibly can imagine. So, you're right.... I guess we're all just pretending.... But damn it feels good to know I've used this system to my very best ability to give myself the best chance at a thriving independence should something happen. Yup, it's fun to bust your ass and use your skills..... And to learn new ones. It's fun to know my kids won't get rocked to the core because a food or supply chain has collapsed.... it's a giggle fest every day that my solar is in float and the storms come at night and my small town is knocked out of power and my family is still showering and watching movies and life is normal while they struggle to figure out how to get water to flush a turd down the toilet.... good times.... good times. It's just damn good fun to be as in control of yourself as u can be.... but, your right, you caught us off gridders..... were just playing around. Question? Why are u on an off grid channel trolling the comments anyhow? Ppl usually don't watch stuff they aren't interested in... so either ur interested in off grid life as it is, or just interested in being an armchair analysts 🤔 those that can do, those that can't......... talk about those that are.
@@HousewifeInTheWoods TH-cam suggested that video and I find the "Off-Grid" claim a bit pretentious. Everything except some of the electrical power comes from industrial production (=the grid). And then to pretend that you are living "Off-Grid" I find pretty weird. I like the approach of being able to do all of this yourself. I myself like to learn new stuff and do things by myself. But we shall never forget that the reason why humans are the most efficient mammal on the planet is the fact, that division of labor was "invented". I understand that the "off-grid" claim says, that everything is better when there's no such thing as labor division. Also I recon that there's difference on where you live. Here in Switzerland doing something like this is simply impossible. We don't have the land/space for everybody to do that. Also it's illegal. If you set up solar the state will come for inspection and if it's not done by a certified electrician they will forbid you using it. Same goes with many different things like building a house, planting a tree etc. - everything is regulated here. You cannot live "off-grid" in that sense in Switzerland. If you do, police will come and force you not to. I think it's a highly inefficient way of living and it seems to me as if you people live in constant fear of things breaking down. Wouldn't it be better to do labor division the most efficient way, build up larger power plants and power your local community reliably than with unreliable expensive photovoltaik? The reason why there is a grid in the first place is because it's much cheaper and more efficient to generate power in large quantities in one place than to decentralize everything and everybody does his own little experiment. If it's about ressources your way of living requires much more ressources and land space. The food you grow manually with a lot of manual labor and time invested could be grown automatically in greenhouses in large quantities - 100x more energy efficient. I just don't see the point in all of this despite being a cool and nice hobby. If your local community has the problem that it has power outages then it would be much better, if you invested your abilities into making it all better for everyone than to isolate yourself from everybody else. To me this appears to be a bit of an asocial behaviour. That's not what brought us human all the wealth in the first place. That's - from my point of view - a backward oriented egoistic way of living. Probably the solar is even subsidized (=paid by others). If so I think that's quite shabby. Again, I think it's great if you people know all of this. I admire that and maybe I'm also a bit envious. But the underlying ideology I have a bit of a problem with. I come to see this "off-grid" the first time. I think I was guided to this video because I watched some documentations about photovoltaik systems. I knew that there were preppers but this is actually the first time I hear about "off-gridders". Preppers I fully understand. I think that makes absolute sense. Prepare for the worst. But "off-gridders".... mmmeeeeh.... looks a bit weird to me to be honest ;)
@@hiroobidoo firstly, my condolences on the state of your country, freedom to live the way in which one chooses is a fundamental human right imo. There are many places here in the USA that are being over legislated and restrictive, non conducive to freedom of choice. I think part of the point your missing my simply be cultural. The independent mentality/spiilrit may be looked at differently in our cultures. I am of Lakota and Swedish descent.... But I am American. And that spirit of "shall not be infringed" is in my blood as thick as my ancestral DNA. To me, and many offgrid/preppers, it is about not being so reliant on a system. A system that doesn't value individual rights. I would live to see things change in the world, but I also have zero faith that the larger powers that be want that. I also know for a fact that most ppl do not in fact want to do the hard work required of themselves to change. Humans by in large are lazy. To live like we choose takes tremendous effort and fortitude. I am not interested in hauling dead weight. My husband and I work really hard, I want ppl around me who work that hard. Furthermore tbh, I am not interested in saving ppl who aren't interested in working as hard investing literal blood sweat tears and every dime like I am. Sorry. Not happening. Like the little red hen, I did the work myself, I'm gonna eat the bread myself. Socialism doesn't work It's a fine idea to think ppl will on their own work equally hard to better the things for themselves and others without enforcement (government) but time has proven, it never works. What does work for me is, no mortgage ... no bills.... hard work.... saving my money.... living in a not so desirable part of the country so I can afford my land and live the way I want. No one pays for a single thing out here for me. Zero outside hands have given me a thing. We take our weekly pay check and invest it in our freedom. My solar was bought and paid for by me. installed by me. Land bought by me. Every nail and every board in this house mortgage free.... We lived in tents for 5 months to afford the shell of this place. Concrete poured by us.... walls up on our own strength... gardens dug and planted with my own hands, food prepped and preserved by me. I lived the other way. Nice house, big mortgage, huge electric bill, Mustang and a Suburban in the drive way.... all on payments. In debt. A slave. Not free...... at all. Then I sold and got rid of it all.... And we decided to fight for our freedom. We do what we want, build what we choose... And yeah it looks like a huge outlay of resources in the first 10 years while u are building infrastructure but it's at your pace, and the cost lessens, and the input goes to nothing or next to it.... And then it's a near perfect closed loop of living.... Freedom. I think you are missing the why ppl do this.... And make no mistake, not one single person off grid thinks they aren't part of a system as much as we would like to claw our way out. We are using that system to our best advantage because unlike other countries in the world we have the precious freedom to do so. Freedom to make our own way. That's an awesome and beautiful thing. A gift. And I'm thankful every day we still have it.
I need more videos, your channel is borderline addictive. Thank you so much for sharing your family with us, the kids are beautiful and I hope that God Blesses you all. Keep the videos coming!!!
I Love your true Pioneering Spirit. Erin is awesome, home schooling 3 kids, taking care of the farm and she uses those power tools better than I can.. She is a True independent women, smart, capable, and strong. Josh is the man, in the truest sense of the word. Keep up the good work. I am learning a lot from ya'll. Stay Committed to the life and to each other.
THanks, I learn a lot of tips and conduit tricks from you! As a Ham Radio operator, my station is going to get an upgrade on Solar power and back up system!
Really really close to charging those batteries and being powered up now, and what a game changer that is, also means water(from the well) w/out having to start a generator, and will make everything after go so much faster. Loved the kids playing with Chucky too, who loves the shade from all the projects ;)
Great job, it’s coming together so fast. When you get it all done the kids and you will have a record of all your hard work. Wonderful life you all have xx
I've said this on another video already, but want to restate it for other people who read comments: I'm a PE at a utility and this is by far the best off grid channel solar system installer that I have ever seen. Excellent work. There are so many other channels teaching bad techniques and incorrect information. Keep it up.
Your work is so professional! I know that is your profession, but you are always so neat and tidy with your work. You two rock!!! So looking forward to seeing lights come on! lol
This is exciting stuff and well done both video-editing and content. The idea that you can be totally off grid and with such a professionally built system is fantastic. All the TH-cam homesteader channels sure would benefit from understanding this work.
I understand about wanting to protect everything from lightening, but the other stuff well I didn't understand a word and it made my head start to spin, but glad that this is done so y'all can have power to get to the finish line with the inside of your house.
I’ve done lots of electrical for years but never any solar. It’s a completely different world. But I certainly enjoyed watching and learning. I’m glad for you that everything is coming together. Thanks for the video. 👍👍👍❤️
Seeing as your a Commercial Electrician you really should do a Complete Video on "just" your Off Grid Solar System. Solar is a hot topic now days. I know you busy Josh but even if you where to go threw all your videos and pull bits and pieces out to make one, you know start to completion sort of thing. Point is it might really help people. I wish there was a forum of payment for said video but that's up to you's. As a side note, l'm sure you 2 don't get along all the time but the rest of the time and what you video we wish as people to all have that type of LOVE! Your kids have amazing role models an l Thank you for bringing in a little bit of sunshine into our days!!!
Love your videos .. As a recently retired Architect and residential home builder I'm totally impressed with your formidable desire, tenacity and willingness to take on this project without hesitation .. I'd love to hear your backstory without you revealing anything personal (where you guys are from, your training, previous jobs, etc. .. ) so that I can understand how you developed this uncompromisingly positive atitude .. NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY! .. FYI: Josh, please (if you would) speak slowly because I can't understand some of your dialogue! Erin, your voice is fine and I understand everything you're saying .. Best
Very nice, clean install, It'll be interesting to see how the Tesla batteries perform.....my bet is far and above even the Lithiums used for solar....2 suggestions, the white nylon ties turn to dust in about 2 years, the black ties are UV rated for outdoors which will last for many years. 2nd, believe it or not, for a really great, dry to the touch corrosion protection film, use WD40 "Dry Lube", spray it on everything metal, i.e your disconnect innards, etc....my wife discovered this when lubing a hose reel used in a damp area and that reel has been corrosion free for over a year, even in use.....also works great for saw blades and such.....amazing stuff.
Can TOTALLY tell you've done wiring before when you WIGGLE them as you tighten them down. A+ work guy and gal :) Very clean job, everything labeled; love it!
And here I thought this was going to be a boring day and to my surprise a notice pops up and makes my day. Waiting in anticipation when the switch is thrown.
I imagine this is second nature to you, but you make it look so easy. Wished I had your knowledge. Could save me a lot of money and time. Thanks for sharing your resources even though I have no idea what you are doing.
Don't understand what you done but I sure enjoyed it. I hope y'all never stop building I really enjoy y'all's videos. Really good family built with Love..god speed.
I follow a couple great channels where others are doing what you guys are doing. They do not do it nearly as well and the video production is just fantastic!
wow less than 7 k and you will be up at 100k thats amazing i can proudly say i have been with y'all from the beginning and this house might be done by winter hugssssssss from Ontario Canada
Interesting for me to watch this as electrician from Europe. Some things are similar but others are quite different, like two phase system you use in US. We use one phase 230 V system or three phases 400 V system. Neutral wire is blue here, ground wire is yellow/green. Ground rod Josh put in the ground would not pass the inspection in my country, because the resistance would be too high. Different countries, different regulations I guess.
Tone Sirk a lot of our equipment grounds are green with a yellow stripe in Ontario, we use a steel plate about 8”x12” (20x30cm?) buried in the ground for services on our houses, what do you use over there?
"survival skills" would be: Hunt animals and knowing about agriculture. This has nothing to do with "survival". This is a hobby which is fun, as long as you have a society which provide you with all the required goods. Without a grid this system would not work because all the ressources required to build it would simply not exist.
Again, You folks are Doing a SUPER GREAT JOB with your videos and I can hardly wait to see your next episode, Thank you for the great complete experience.
I am always waiting for the next video. I built my own house back in the day, so I can relate. Great TH-cam production as well. I wish your family continued success.
Good looking installation, can’t wait to see the lights turned on in the house. Let there be light. Always enjoy your videos and seeing the progress your making on your homestead. Keep them coming. Stay safe
The power house and solar setup is professional in every respect, likewise the camera work and production. Best off grid homestead on the web, you should hit your 100k very soon.
You sure can tell that this is not your first rodeo. The two of you together make one heck of a team and I always like your extras (camera shots ) that you throw .
Congratulations! We are just now starting to go solar. My first project is the water pump. At present it's a deep well 220v submersible pump. I was thinking of installing a 12v above ground pump but couldn't find one with enough volume so I'm going to install a 110v pump, probably a Drummond from Harbor Freight, in conjunction with their amorphous 100W panel kit for $149. BTW, your wife is absolutely precious. .
Поздрави от България.Възхищавам ви се ка работите цялото семейство заедно,от това по-хубаво няма,много сте сладки.Пожелавам ви да постигните много успехи и все така да ни радвате филмчетата си.
Hi from Tasmania, just found your channel , watched a few videoes and love the content so subscribed. Watching you is like watching my life, I have lived off grid for over 30 years, only difference is I have a micro hydro system so I can generate power 24 hours a day therefore can have a much smaller battery system than solar.
I've seen several off grid guys use golf cart batteries, I don't think they will get their houses up to par. I was glad to see you put in the top of the line batteries, never seen them before but they have got to be the best or you won't be using them.
Josh I’m curious as to what you do for a living, your very knowledgeable and make such a good job of everything you do. Another great video as usual. 👍
That they labeled everything is excellent. Good job. I also liked his early explanation of their generator use. If I understood him correctly, he only uses the genny to charge the batteries when they get low. That's what I do. So many around here use the generator AFTER their batteries are dead, so use it to charge the batteries and run the house. There are two problems with that method. Batteries will have a shorter life if allowed to deeply discharge regularly, and it takes a large generator to run both the house and charger. It's why I don't charge using the $2000 inverter (but with independent dedicated chargers).... Plus, if the well pump kicks on while other heavy loads are running, like the refrigerator and/or washing machine, it trips the circuit breaker on the generator. Our main generator is an 8,200 watt heavy thing, and it still only has a 30a breaker as the largest capacity (and two 20a circuits). Just pay attention to battery status, and charge batteries accordingly when necessary, letting them feed the inverter for house power. Going that route, I'm able to use the smaller generator/less fuel to only charge the battery bank. We've been off grid ten years, and what these people are doing is absolutely possible. I just wish I had started when I was as young as they are. Good luck.
Josh makes it look easy... '; ) these videos will be good to come back to again, and it looks like you're investing in good quality components... to do the job right the first time...
99% of people watching this have no idea why you put grease on your connections to the panels. I do because im an electrician but its to stop corrosion for one and there is a couple other reasons. Love this channel.
Every video you make is a master class. The electrical segment is Ph.D. material. Love it.
You know everytime i get a little physically or mentally exhausted i watch one of your videos for therapeutic benefit.it allows me to reboot and keep marching.there is no greater country on earth.everybody wants to live the dream.a lot of good people never make it a reality for whatever reason.God Bless America !!! Ye shall enjoy the fruits of your labor.
I cannot believe how FAST you folks are moving on this! Pretty darn incredible and awesome to watch!
Really hoping one day that you guys make a website that shows a bit more detail on the electrical products that you chose and some wiring diagrams. Thanks for the great content. You are going to help other people live their dreams.
You all have put plenty of hours of work into your homestead and I wish you all the best as you further improve things around your place and now to be able to have your home off grid is remarkable. I love the work you all did in this video and I wish that I had the talent decades ago to do what you all have done there.
I am in awe of Josh. I am handy, but I was totally confused by this installation. When I grow up, I want to be like Josh. You’re the man!!!!
I’ve built a lot of houses and Josh wires up the neatest looking box I’ve ever seen very professional job, great job Josh good to see you take pride in your work
So encouraging to see a hard working young couple do what they do .... it gives me hope.
Ellie is so happy and well behaved. Love her laugh! All the kids are great!
I have been watching you since the beginning, I love watching both you and Josh, I know a bit about electricity but I have definitely learned a lot from these last few videos about wiring. I have done my own wiring but have really enjoyed watching Josh in his element. Another thing I really enjoy is watching your kiddos grow, so much change since you first started enjoy them all you can because they grow us way too fast.
Josh is a MASTER of ALL trades! I envy your workmanship and pride. You ARE a 1 in a 500,000 man. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve watched your video several times trying to get the just of what you are doing. It seems both simple and complicated - magical. I am so excited to see it completely installed. Congratulations on all you have done. You are my heroes and wonderful models for those delightful children
I have NO CLUE about anything you're doing in this video, but I enjoy watching you doing whatever you are doing in your journey to building your homestead yourselves. So, congratulations on getting that much closer to reaching your goals.
I do know what is being done.
But I am just waiting for the specification walk through.
This is a heavy duty system for sure. I would like the see the power of this battle station. (Darth Vader voice) The suspence is ...
I love this video also. Very cool. For myself, I absolutely adore living on the grid. It's really the best. Especially air conditioning in the summer and departing from my heated underground car garage in the winter when I need to drive somewhere. You can't beat it, seriously. But this solar stuff is cool too.
@@trevorwashington2437 Yes, until THAT GRID GOES DOWN!!!!!! Electricity on grid is truly a great value...................... But, if you are a quarter mile away from lines, then you need poles, wires multiple transformer$$$$$$. Then hope a tree does not fall on the wires.
same here... The only thing that keep spinning in my head when I watch similar vlogs is how much of the start-up capital would I need to live similar lifestyle? It must be costly. Id really like to provide for myself from A to Z including food, although I guess it is quite unrealistic to achieve. All conveniences plus totally independent.
@@coniferousforests8030 I think they had a video where it showed them doing their house from start to finish in like 20 minutes and If I'm not mistaken they went over the initial cost to do solar. I want to say they did the math and 5 years it would pay for itself. But with that being said they qualified for a tax break because of when they did this. So would be more like 7 years without any major issues I would guess.
Yay your lil forest fairy can catch...love chuckie and the kids playing together and it was so good to see Erin chillin a bit while sparky Josh did his stuff...so close now guys...YOU GOT THE POWER...lol...have a great week guys.
Another example of your practical. commonsense approach to informing us laymen and making it interesting. Really like the interchange between you guys working and what the kids are doing. Thank you
I believe that this is Josh best resume to do solar installation. This is solid job with the best workmanship that you can find. Anyone want a solar system would hire Josh in a heartbeat. Good Job Guys!!!
It’s so refreshing to see a professional electrician installing a proper solar system. Solar isn’t cheap but you were always aware of that. Your system is probably large enough for your needs. You do have provisions to use a generator for any problems. Great job. Love your channel.
It is fun to watch you doing the wiring. You make it look easy when you know what you are doing. Apprentices are looking better all the time, you found a beauty.
as an electrician I feel so warm in my soul looking at this, this is so well done
i so enjoy seeing electrical work done. i miss doing it sometimes, and always loved doing PNL'S and wiring. i never knew that the ground rod could me laid down instead of driving it into the ground. so thanks for that.
Just had a 3 day marathon watching all your videos guys. Such fantastic work. Keep them coming! Josh, consider wearing a belt for back protection. I'm a project guy myself and my worsening back pain has sucked the life out of me. Guys like you wouldn't like to be told to rest, but believe me, at this work pace it's a sure thing to happen.
Absolutely fantastic. Off grid, low footprint and a beautiful family that understands that life, love and unity is much more important than material things. Most of us chase the rabbit and "the dream" to satisfy our egos and impress others. Very nice. I'm impressed with both of you. I'm 61 and I will do the same soon.
There is a lot of satisfaction that
comes from a job well done. And your work is very well done !
Erin, We really like how you edit the videos, make them so very interesting and most importantly, added the texts with your corrections of Josh's explanation mistakes - you are the best! Also I was glad to hear that you both were aware of the lighting issues. You still need a lighting rod on the top of the house!!!
I miss being an electrician. I was an electrician in the Navy and then ended up going to electronics school. Stayed with electronics and networks until I retired from the Navy. Being an electrician taught me how to be a badass troubleshooter. Now I work for myself doing computers/electronics. I do look back and remember the good ole days of working on controls, bus tie breakers and diesel generators, etc. Keep up the videos. Love them.
Been a Commercial Electrical Super for 30+, really great seeing someone that takes such care doing up the Project Correctly, I'd hire You in a Heartbeat.. Nice Work! 👍 😎
I am not a trained electrician, but I have wired a few houses beginning to end. His work is just amazing, and quality!! I am thinking he HAS to be a certified electrician :) How many (common) people have rolls of white, red, and black electrical tape?? :D
@@sparky5543 Yea, it's pretty obvious too Me, He's Certified, and the work He's doing is way above and beyond Residential, My guess is He's a Commercial Journeyman from looking at His Pipe bending Skills and how He also pulls His Wire Feeds. Most residential You're not required Pipe and Pulled Wire except Main Feeds. Excellent Workmanship.. :D
@@sparky5543 White,Red,Black,Green are standard 240/120 volt Single Phase colored Tape, High Volt like 480/277 Three Phase would be Brown,Orange,Yellow,Green, just for a Reference... ;)
Installing large cables in small boxes is a test of patience. Professionalism and patience go hand in hand and the equation turns out positive. Thanks for the video and waiting for the next one, I can't wait to see when you introduce us, the youtube certificate for the 100k of subscribers. Ciao from Venezia.
You guys are my off grid heros.... we've been off grid since 2015... and watching you 2 is such a joy ♡
💚💚 thanks Housewife In The Woods!
You're NEVER off grid. Because without the Grid you'd have no cloths and no food on the table. The only thing you do is spend a ton of money just to generate a small portion of the daily electricity you need to life your live. All the materials and tools you're using require tons of energy to produce in the first place - just about as much as the whole installation will provide in all its lifetime. It's fun. But it's an illusion. Without the grid you wouldn't even being able to maintain this installation and keep it running. Again: It's a nice hobby but pretending to be "off-grid" is just ridiculous.
@@hiroobidoo lol I've been off grid since 2015... off grid as defined by not hooked up to any public utilities. Built my own home 2015, compost my potty, grow most of my food, dug my own well.... your right, it would be hard going without the system set up as it is, but I think you're missing the point. My home CAN and does run smoothly with zero outside assistance at this point. And even in the event of an emp that would take out my small solar, my home still runs without zero inputs at this point. That's the point for me. I did and still do use the grid of convenient commerce to get myself ahead, to further my goal, which isn't everyone's goal. I use it to be debt free, except my land taxes.... I use it to set up a life that if I need to in the future that system could crumble right around me and I would feel the least impact as I possibly can imagine. So, you're right.... I guess we're all just pretending.... But damn it feels good to know I've used this system to my very best ability to give myself the best chance at a thriving independence should something happen. Yup, it's fun to bust your ass and use your skills..... And to learn new ones. It's fun to know my kids won't get rocked to the core because a food or supply chain has collapsed.... it's a giggle fest every day that my solar is in float and the storms come at night and my small town is knocked out of power and my family is still showering and watching movies and life is normal while they struggle to figure out how to get water to flush a turd down the toilet.... good times.... good times. It's just damn good fun to be as in control of yourself as u can be.... but, your right, you caught us off gridders..... were just playing around. Question? Why are u on an off grid channel trolling the comments anyhow? Ppl usually don't watch stuff they aren't interested in... so either ur interested in off grid life as it is, or just interested in being an armchair analysts 🤔 those that can do, those that can't......... talk about those that are.
@@HousewifeInTheWoods TH-cam suggested that video and I find the "Off-Grid" claim a bit pretentious. Everything except some of the electrical power comes from industrial production (=the grid). And then to pretend that you are living "Off-Grid" I find pretty weird.
I like the approach of being able to do all of this yourself. I myself like to learn new stuff and do things by myself. But we shall never forget that the reason why humans are the most efficient mammal on the planet is the fact, that division of labor was "invented". I understand that the "off-grid" claim says, that everything is better when there's no such thing as labor division.
Also I recon that there's difference on where you live. Here in Switzerland doing something like this is simply impossible. We don't have the land/space for everybody to do that. Also it's illegal. If you set up solar the state will come for inspection and if it's not done by a certified electrician they will forbid you using it. Same goes with many different things like building a house, planting a tree etc. - everything is regulated here. You cannot live "off-grid" in that sense in Switzerland. If you do, police will come and force you not to.
I think it's a highly inefficient way of living and it seems to me as if you people live in constant fear of things breaking down. Wouldn't it be better to do labor division the most efficient way, build up larger power plants and power your local community reliably than with unreliable expensive photovoltaik? The reason why there is a grid in the first place is because it's much cheaper and more efficient to generate power in large quantities in one place than to decentralize everything and everybody does his own little experiment. If it's about ressources your way of living requires much more ressources and land space. The food you grow manually with a lot of manual labor and time invested could be grown automatically in greenhouses in large quantities - 100x more energy efficient. I just don't see the point in all of this despite being a cool and nice hobby.
If your local community has the problem that it has power outages then it would be much better, if you invested your abilities into making it all better for everyone than to isolate yourself from everybody else. To me this appears to be a bit of an asocial behaviour. That's not what brought us human all the wealth in the first place. That's - from my point of view - a backward oriented egoistic way of living. Probably the solar is even subsidized (=paid by others). If so I think that's quite shabby.
Again, I think it's great if you people know all of this. I admire that and maybe I'm also a bit envious. But the underlying ideology I have a bit of a problem with.
I come to see this "off-grid" the first time. I think I was guided to this video because I watched some documentations about photovoltaik systems. I knew that there were preppers but this is actually the first time I hear about "off-gridders". Preppers I fully understand. I think that makes absolute sense. Prepare for the worst. But "off-gridders".... mmmeeeeh.... looks a bit weird to me to be honest ;)
@@hiroobidoo firstly, my condolences on the state of your country, freedom to live the way in which one chooses is a fundamental human right imo. There are many places here in the USA that are being over legislated and restrictive, non conducive to freedom of choice.
I think part of the point your missing my simply be cultural. The independent mentality/spiilrit may be looked at differently in our cultures. I am of Lakota and Swedish descent.... But I am American. And that spirit of "shall not be infringed" is in my blood as thick as my ancestral DNA.
To me, and many offgrid/preppers, it is about not being so reliant on a system. A system that doesn't value individual rights. I would live to see things change in the world, but I also have zero faith that the larger powers that be want that. I also know for a fact that most ppl do not in fact want to do the hard work required of themselves to change. Humans by in large are lazy. To live like we choose takes tremendous effort and fortitude. I am not interested in hauling dead weight. My husband and I work really hard, I want ppl around me who work that hard. Furthermore tbh, I am not interested in saving ppl who aren't interested in working as hard investing literal blood sweat tears and every dime like I am. Sorry. Not happening. Like the little red hen, I did the work myself, I'm gonna eat the bread myself.
Socialism doesn't work
It's a fine idea to think ppl will on their own work equally hard to better the things for themselves and others without enforcement (government) but time has proven, it never works.
What does work for me is, no mortgage
... no bills.... hard work.... saving my money.... living in a not so desirable part of the country so I can afford my land and live the way I want. No one pays for a single thing out here for me. Zero outside hands have given me a thing. We take our weekly pay check and invest it in our freedom. My solar was bought and paid for by me. installed by me. Land bought by me. Every nail and every board in this house mortgage free.... We lived in tents for 5 months to afford the shell of this place. Concrete poured by us.... walls up on our own strength... gardens dug and planted with my own hands, food prepped and preserved by me.
I lived the other way. Nice house, big mortgage, huge electric bill, Mustang and a Suburban in the drive way.... all on payments. In debt. A slave. Not free...... at all.
Then I sold and got rid of it all.... And we decided to fight for our freedom. We do what we want, build what we choose... And yeah it looks like a huge outlay of resources in the first 10 years while u are building infrastructure but it's at your pace, and the cost lessens, and the input goes to nothing or next to it.... And then it's a near perfect closed loop of living.... Freedom.
I think you are missing the why ppl do this.... And make no mistake, not one single person off grid thinks they aren't part of a system as much as we would like to claw our way out. We are using that system to our best advantage because unlike other countries in the world we have the precious freedom to do so. Freedom to make our own way. That's an awesome and beautiful thing. A gift. And I'm thankful every day we still have it.
Can I just say I so admire what you guys have been able to do.
I need more videos, your channel is borderline addictive. Thank you so much for sharing your family with us, the kids are beautiful and I hope that God Blesses you all. Keep the videos coming!!!
I have found that the days I start off by watching one of your videos make for a better day. Thank you.
I Love your true Pioneering Spirit. Erin is awesome, home schooling 3 kids, taking care of the farm and she uses those power tools better than I can.. She is a True independent women, smart, capable, and strong. Josh is the man, in the truest sense of the word. Keep up the good work. I am learning a lot from ya'll. Stay Committed to the life and to each other.
THanks, I learn a lot of tips and conduit tricks from you! As a Ham Radio operator, my station is going to get an upgrade on Solar power and back up system!
Really really close to charging those batteries and being powered up now, and what a game changer that is, also means water(from the well) w/out having to start a generator, and will make everything after go so much faster. Loved the kids playing with Chucky too, who loves the shade from all the projects ;)
Great job, it’s coming together so fast. When you get it all done the kids and you will have a record of all your hard work. Wonderful life you all have xx
Josh - Something else to watch a fast skilled tradesman work. Aaron, the camera work is A-1. Rock on folks.
Josh, you are one of the hardest worker I have ever seen. Good job, much luck!
it's great watching someone on youtube who actually knows what they are doing.
You look like a magic man.....all that wires and you know where they go.....I got dizzy watching it.....I cant wait the finish job.....Bravo
Excellent video on your off-grid electrical system. Glad you had a supervisor standing by, when you were doing the back fill of the trenches.
I've said this on another video already, but want to restate it for other people who read comments: I'm a PE at a utility and this is by far the best off grid channel solar system installer that I have ever seen. Excellent work. There are so many other channels teaching bad techniques and incorrect information. Keep it up.
Excited to watch this great young family. A wonderful way of life.
You're getting incrementally closer. Each video leaves me wanting more. Nicely done! Keep on keepin' on.
Your work is so professional! I know that is your profession, but you are always so neat and tidy with your work. You two rock!!! So looking forward to seeing lights come on! lol
This is exciting stuff and well done both video-editing and content. The idea that you can be totally off grid and with such a professionally built system is fantastic. All the TH-cam homesteader channels sure would benefit from understanding this work.
I understand about wanting to protect everything from lightening, but the other stuff well I didn't understand a word and it made my head start to spin, but glad that this is done so y'all can have power to get to the finish line with the inside of your house.
Nice work , can't wait to see how much power is generated . Your knowledge is saving you a lot . Great team work .
I’ve done lots of electrical for years but never any solar. It’s a completely different world. But I certainly enjoyed watching and learning. I’m glad for you that everything is coming together. Thanks for the video. 👍👍👍❤️
You guys are amazing at what you've achieved and the fact that you both do everything together. Keep up the good work and the amazing videos.
Seeing as your a Commercial Electrician you really should do a Complete Video on "just" your Off Grid Solar System. Solar is a hot topic now days. I know you busy Josh but even if you where to go threw all your videos and pull bits and pieces out to make one, you know start to completion sort of thing.
Point is it might really help people. I wish there was a forum of payment for said video but that's up to you's.
As a side note, l'm sure you 2 don't get along all the time but the rest of the time and what you video we wish as people to all have that type of LOVE! Your kids have amazing role models an l Thank you for bringing in a little bit of sunshine into our days!!!
Love your videos .. As a recently retired Architect and residential home builder I'm totally impressed with your formidable desire, tenacity and willingness to take on this project without hesitation .. I'd love to hear your backstory without you revealing anything personal (where you guys are from, your training, previous jobs, etc. .. ) so that I can understand how you developed this uncompromisingly positive atitude .. NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY! .. FYI: Josh, please (if you would) speak slowly because I can't understand some of your dialogue! Erin, your voice is fine and I understand everything you're saying .. Best
every video you guys do absolutely blows me away at how much you know about this stuff. so impressed:)
Ian, it's his full time job, he's an electrician by trade.
Very nice, clean install, It'll be interesting to see how the Tesla batteries perform.....my bet is far and above even the Lithiums used for solar....2 suggestions, the white nylon ties turn to dust in about 2 years, the black ties are UV rated for outdoors which will last for many years. 2nd, believe it or not, for a really great, dry to the touch corrosion protection film, use WD40 "Dry Lube", spray it on everything metal, i.e your disconnect innards, etc....my wife discovered this when lubing a hose reel used in a damp area and that reel has been corrosion free for over a year, even in use.....also works great for saw blades and such.....amazing stuff.
Can TOTALLY tell you've done wiring before when you WIGGLE them as you tighten them down. A+ work guy and gal :) Very clean job, everything labeled; love it!
And here I thought this was going to be a boring day and to my surprise a notice pops up and makes my day. Waiting in anticipation when the switch is thrown.
You guys make my day. Off grid the right way, with no drama just joy with the family ❤
I don't know why it is so satisfying to fill in a trench, but it is. Good job, you two.
Got some mad electrician skills. Great to watch.
Y’all are awesome , inspiration to us old folks who want to live like you, keep rockin that wonderful life, showing a little support ♥️
I imagine this is second nature to you, but you make it look so easy. Wished I had your knowledge. Could save me a lot of money and time. Thanks for sharing your resources even though I have no idea what you are doing.
Don't understand what you done but I sure enjoyed it. I hope y'all never stop building I really enjoy y'all's videos. Really good family built with Love..god speed.
Hello Josh and Erin. Love watching your videos. You two are the best. Can't wait for part 3 of your installation Josh. Enjoy the day. Ray L
I follow a couple great channels where others are doing what you guys are doing. They do not do it nearly as well and the video production is just fantastic!
wow less than 7 k and you will be up at 100k thats amazing i can proudly say i have been with y'all from the beginning and this house might be done by winter hugssssssss from Ontario Canada
Everyone should have friends like Erin and Josh. Good people.
Being an electrician looks like good job for the future for any young person who desires to have survival skills
Interesting for me to watch this as electrician from Europe. Some things are similar but others are quite different, like two phase system you use in US. We use one phase 230 V system or three phases 400 V system. Neutral wire is blue here, ground wire is yellow/green. Ground rod Josh put in the ground would not pass the inspection in my country, because the resistance would be too high.
Different countries, different regulations I guess.
Tone Sirk a lot of our equipment grounds are green with a yellow stripe in Ontario, we use a steel plate about 8”x12” (20x30cm?) buried in the ground for services on our houses, what do you use over there?
@@Iamthathillbilly Steel strip 25x4 mm, 10-15 m long, buried 60 cm deep
When he held the red wire,he said it was DC. Wrong.
"survival skills" would be: Hunt animals and knowing about agriculture. This has nothing to do with "survival". This is a hobby which is fun, as long as you have a society which provide you with all the required goods. Without a grid this system would not work because all the ressources required to build it would simply not exist.
Again, You folks are Doing a SUPER GREAT JOB with your videos and I can hardly wait to see your next episode, Thank you for the great complete experience.
I am always waiting for the next video. I built my own house back in the day, so I can relate. Great TH-cam production as well. I wish your family continued success.
I call you the super couple you're one of the best channels around I love you guys God bless
Like watching your hard work and the fun you have. In a hard worker also. 🇨🇦 good job on the place. A-Frame buildings are a favourite design of mine.
Good looking installation, can’t wait to see the lights turned on in the house. Let there be light.
Always enjoy your videos and seeing the progress your making on your homestead. Keep them
coming. Stay safe
The power house and solar setup is professional in every respect, likewise the camera work and production. Best off grid homestead on the web, you should hit your 100k very soon.
You sure can tell that this is not your first rodeo. The two of you together make one heck of a team and I always like your extras (camera shots ) that you throw .
Congratulations! We are just now starting to go solar. My first project is the water pump. At present it's a deep well 220v submersible pump. I was thinking of installing a 12v above ground pump but couldn't find one with enough volume so I'm going to install a 110v pump, probably a Drummond from Harbor Freight, in conjunction with their amorphous 100W panel kit for $149. BTW, your wife is absolutely precious. .
I’m super excited for you - very soon you’ll be powered up! Love watching your progress. Another great video.
no doubt you are excited too almost be done with this part. we are excited for you also. another nice job.
Поздрави от България.Възхищавам ви се ка работите цялото семейство заедно,от това по-хубаво няма,много сте сладки.Пожелавам ви да постигните много успехи и все така да ни радвате филмчетата си.
Hi from Tasmania, just found your channel , watched a few videoes and love the content so subscribed. Watching you is like watching my life, I have lived off grid for over 30 years, only difference is I have a micro hydro system so I can generate power 24 hours a day therefore can have a much smaller battery system than solar.
Another great video! Anyone find it odd that a electrician wears a wedding ring? At least a metal one? Keep the great videos coming!
Living vicariously through my favorite TH-cam family.
Love watching this. Since you know what you are doing its night and day with a few unamed bodgers who have done other solar systems.
Ohhhh !! Getting near now , will be so good to have your power xx
You got the good life man.... self built home,beautiful family. What else you need.
I've seen several off grid guys use golf cart batteries, I don't think they will get their houses up to par.
I was glad to see you put in the top of the line batteries, never seen them before but they have got to be the best or you won't be using them.
Josh I’m curious as to what you do for a living, your very knowledgeable and make such a good job of everything you do. Another great video as usual. 👍
He's an electrician.
It shows that he is a sparky
Top team on the tube , without a shadow of a doubt . . Keep up the excellent work .
Love that song after the 8 minutes & love what y'all do, from Orange,Texas .
Farm Out! I really enjoyed the video. I can't wait to see the house all fired up. See you fine folk later.
Great job. I’m impressed with what you are doing. Good luck as you continue your dream.
That they labeled everything is excellent. Good job. I also liked his early explanation of their generator use. If I understood him correctly, he only uses the genny to charge the batteries when they get low. That's what I do. So many around here use the generator AFTER their batteries are dead, so use it to charge the batteries and run the house. There are two problems with that method. Batteries will have a shorter life if allowed to deeply discharge regularly, and it takes a large generator to run both the house and charger. It's why I don't charge using the $2000 inverter (but with independent dedicated chargers).... Plus, if the well pump kicks on while other heavy loads are running, like the refrigerator and/or washing machine, it trips the circuit breaker on the generator. Our main generator is an 8,200 watt heavy thing, and it still only has a 30a breaker as the largest capacity (and two 20a circuits). Just pay attention to battery status, and charge batteries accordingly when necessary, letting them feed the inverter for house power. Going that route, I'm able to use the smaller generator/less fuel to only charge the battery bank. We've been off grid ten years, and what these people are doing is absolutely possible. I just wish I had started when I was as young as they are. Good luck.
been dying for this video, can't wait to see it all work. Josh is an artist.
WTG !! Great video !! Erin pulling wires and hooking them up !! You're almost there !!
what nice,neat wiring. you guys are great! and your children are adorable.
Josh makes it look easy... '; ) these videos will be good to come back to again, and it looks like you're investing in good quality components... to do the job right the first time...
99% of people watching this have no idea why you put grease on your connections to the panels. I do because im an electrician but its to stop corrosion for one and there is a couple other reasons. Love this channel.
Electrician in the house! Nice professional job.
You guys do such great work and I love the Tractor
at last a realistic look of what it takes to install solar power - not a job for the faint of heart - thanks for your insight and skills
Very clean work! 👍 And I was already so happy when I was able to fit a Ctek-connector to our camper van's foldable solar panel without trouble... 😄
I don’t know that I’ve ever been more excited about watching a solar install lol