The Breakroom > The Water Cooler

Ain't depression great

(1/6) > >>

Joules:
With over two years of this crap, and it now dragging on again.   Trying to keep busy, business has gone to hell, though I keep getting small repair jobs.   Installing a new off grid solar system.   We already have an 800W array off grid 12V (lead acid) system, the new one is also going to be 800W, but this time 24V around a LiFePO4 battery system.    The idea it can run most of the house appliances upto 3KW, if I can afford a good inverter.   I have used Victron gear this time round as used in marine environments.   Boy has this stuff come on, Bluetooth links and networks allow it to synchronise chargers and charge controllers.  I can monitor it all on an old Android tablet in comfort from the house, no need to venture out in fowl weather other than to strap the arrays down more.....

We are moving larger appliances to RV\marine type units.   Been a year in the planning and getting the majority of it together.  Just about got the timing perfect with everything going off now.  I have my fingers crossed we have enough capacity to run the workshop machines when work does pick up.   At least we will have some off grid power come what may, both getting much closer to retirement here so hope for a 20yr life span on the hard to reach parts.

Moved back into electronics repair as well, having kitted out my lab with last of meager savings.   Long time since I used those skills, but hope to keep more of my own gear running for longer this way.   Can even do surface mount stuff properly this time.   Most of all this has helped keep depression at bay, but now running low on cash and distractions.    Hope you guys are managing in these weird times.

              Joules

John Rudd:
Just before the bank holiday, I decided to check on our energy bills with current supplier….

Bad mistake…they had recently read the meters and charged us accordingly…Fortunately we are £200 plus in front…
Now here’s the rub…they are increasing our dd to over £170 pm, from £112…. :hammer:

Anyway, we went off in the caravan for a break as planned….We got back yesterday, straight on to BG….managed to get them to back down…..

But, after a quick run round the house turning everything off that’s not needed or in standby mode, I got the clamp on ammeter out….opened the box and started checking…..

The garage has 6 4’ fluey fittings, turned them on, ammeter went up by 2 amps….so that’s about 500 watts straight off….

Anyway upshot now is, anything not in use is switched off….garage is now down to 2 strip lights….can’t bring myself to do any work in there… turning/milling/welding/spraying all big hitters for energy….

So yeah, in all it’s depressing…

awemawson:
We were saying only this afternoon that we have enough wood stacked to heat our snug for four years and may have to withdraw into that one room only occasionally firing up the oil boiler to keep the damp at bay in the rest off the house.

Times are certainly going to be challenging - look out the woolly jumpers for winter  :bugeye:

Joules:
No shortage of wool thanks Andrew.   :thumbup:

Pete49:
Climate change is the biggest con this century so far. Save money by putting in solar and the energy company loses money so up go prices. More pain to come when we rely on candles as we can't harvest whale oil. Farming insects is next on the list of goodies to come so no piggies or methane producing cows and sheep. Stop world I want to get off.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page