Had a guy come out from one of the solar panel places. Roof just totally unsuitable for the really quite large panels that are used.

Damn!

Well, next project, a heat pump.

VERY disenchanted with the wood burning heater. Only heats one room, really, and the area in front of the heater always dirty with bits of bark coming off the firewood and always some ash flies up no matter how carefully I scoop up the ashes.

I would like the fire to burn slow overnight, keeping some warmth going and needing just a new log put on to come to life again next morning. Never managed that yet. I may have a new heater installed, one that comes out of the chimney at least partway—get more heat from it that way with conduction/convection adding more heat.

Present woodburning heater fits entirely in the fireplace in the chimney.


Damn, would have been nice with the panels powering the heat pump at least some of the time! Would have tried to get a couple of windpowered generators too.

Well, I had asked about solar hot water system, didn’t think it was economic for one person (Socks uses very little hot water, none actually  ) but thought maybe if all installed at the one time might help—Nah.

Plenty of homes here have solar panels. Long days in summer after all, not sure about solar HWS.

Batteries are still very expensive, fine for off grid. LiFePo batteries do not go up in flames like Li batteries do.

It is cooling down, Booby, just like Melbourne is. Winter and all that jazz.

There are 5 rooms in the house, wood heater heats only the lounge. Can use an oil filled radiator to heat a bedroom in the morning before rising—is that economic use of electrickery?

The house needs a bit of work.

Need any more info, fake christian?

Jovial Monk wrote on Apr 13^th, 2023 at 12:36am:


If you plan out things right, you should have a toasty warm house by May this year. I hear, from you as a source, that the weather is cold already. I have to wait another month before the cold occurs. I am still having cold showers during the day.

When I get my heater out, I will use it for the cool months. But the really cold nights will have me using the airconditioner heater as well as the little heater in another room to really keep the house war. I might even get the oven going at 80°C to keep the kitchen warm. But, I know that I will have the toilet room with tea light citronella lamps burning to ward off the cold from the only room that has non-closable windows -- save for the door. I figure the mobile heater can be down the end of the hall way. The loungeroom airconditioner can be going for a few hours. The oven can burn for a few hours. Toilet room can have candles. And I can get wrapped up in coat, gloves, beany and long pants for those nights of 5°C or less. Otherwise, I will be warm with the windows covered with blankets and cardboard.

Talking and thinking about this—I need to get underfloor insulation put in.

Probably next years project—need some underfloor work any way. Something else to research.

Have sent of an enquiry to one firm.

See if just one room or lounge/study/2BR can be covered.

Meantime I have hung two doona covers in the place where the wall between lounge and kitchen was removed, plus a sheet, doubled over the doorway to the front passage. Eventually folding doors will go in these spaces but I want the bigger, more important items done first! Fripperies can come later.

Doona covers are good because they are a double layer of fabric, good insulation.

I am in two minds re the windows. During the day the sun does pour in a nice bit of warmth but that leaves PDQ in the later part of the afternoon. Will do these properly with vertical blinds.

Kitchen window has a sheet across it—the sun poured in that window from sunrise to like 1.00pm then the sun got reflected off the walls/roof of the house next to mine: I was doing dishes wearing sunglasses.

In a month or so I will take the sheet down so I can paint the window frame with a nice yellow color. I have painted the architrave around the window with that yellow—really removed the beige from the kitchen! Might paint the sill and the frame along where the sliding window opens—gets some weather on it.

LOL