With my insistence that I do everything myself (and not employ expensive people who have few qualifications and who left school at 16 years of age) a lot of time is spent on the web researching how to do this and that.
I took back the 90 degree flue elbow for the stove pipe because it wouldn't permit the stove to be fitted to the chimney flue. I now have two 45 degree elbows and intend putting a straight piece of flue pipe between them so that there is enough reach from the chimney to where I want the stove to go. At least until this morning I did.
It dawned on me that there was no access to the chimney flue for inspection and cleaning. An hour's research on American websites of people who actually use stoves (and not European based websites that just want to sell me the things and never want to see me again after taking my money) tells me that I need a 135 degree tee. This will then permit one of my 45 degree elbows to direct the flue to the chimney whilst the bottom of the tee can be covered with a cap and opened to allow ash out and, inspection and cleaning.
I think another visit to the hardware store is required.
The new stove - part 1
Delivered yesterday, a Waterford Erin. Went to get some fittings from the hardware store today. I think I need some different ones though as the 90 degree bend stove pipe is not long enough. Maybe two 45 degree bends with some pipe inserted between will do the trick.
It's a big stove with a rating of 55,000 BTU. That should keep the downstairs warm in the winter. I spend two hours everyday collecting or processing wood for the shed. It maybe the summer but I would rather be collecting wood now than in the winter.
It's a big stove with a rating of 55,000 BTU. That should keep the downstairs warm in the winter. I spend two hours everyday collecting or processing wood for the shed. It maybe the summer but I would rather be collecting wood now than in the winter.
Good trade
A friend brought their old van round to trade. The trade was worth 40 euros so now I have a van with a diesel engine. It also has a tow hook so I can use the van to take the boat down to the pier. I can use it as a generator too. I'm also thinking of breaking it up and selling it off as spares on eBay. The engine stays put.
Busy day
Rowed the skiff into the bay. Not a mackerel to be had. The seals were languishing on the rocks so they knew better than to waste energy in the blazing sunshine. Rowed back along the shoreline and saw some drift wood so I beached and loaded up. A pair of old tyres to be had too. I can use them to prop boats off the ground otherwise the wood lice and other assorted wood chompers regard wooden boats as an n-course meal.
Later, I took the chainsaw down to the roadside where someone had given up on a tree and left it for me to scavenge over. Plenty of firewood still to be had. I like lazy people.
I've been inside the roof of the house also, insulating it for the winter to come. The upstairs had to be abandoned last winter. I was exhaling ice cubes in November and moved downstairs. Once the insulation is done and the wood burning stove is delivered for the downstairs then much of the heating will have been achieved cheaply and effectively.
Later, I took the chainsaw down to the roadside where someone had given up on a tree and left it for me to scavenge over. Plenty of firewood still to be had. I like lazy people.
I've been inside the roof of the house also, insulating it for the winter to come. The upstairs had to be abandoned last winter. I was exhaling ice cubes in November and moved downstairs. Once the insulation is done and the wood burning stove is delivered for the downstairs then much of the heating will have been achieved cheaply and effectively.
Experiment
I'm going to put a black water container into the polytunnel. With summer here, I would like to know how hot the water can get. Maybe use it as a pre-heater for the hot water system in the house. This will tide me over until I can get round to making proper solar water heating panels for the house roof. My only worries are, bacterial problems with still water and any effects this experiment will have on the temperature in the tunnel. I won't bathe in the water and will just monitor its temperature. Maybe just wash my hands with it after a day's work.
Result - Lukewarm. I can see why thermo-syphons and evacuated tubes are used. Much more efficient at transferring heat to water.
Result - Lukewarm. I can see why thermo-syphons and evacuated tubes are used. Much more efficient at transferring heat to water.
Plans for world's largest wind farm submitted
The UK government hopes to have 10% of its energy produced by renewables. The other 90% will have to be produced the old fashioned way. I am still a supporter of nuclear as all the other old fashioned methods produce carbon. Hopefully, advances in fusion and pebble bed fission reactors will help quell the illogical arguments of the anti-nuclear establishment.
Interesting search term
"growing potatoes in 55 gallon drum" - Always interesting looking at the web logs and seeing what brought people to my website. I assume this is the blue plastic drums that I find in abundance off the coast here. My advice would be to do as I did and cut the drum in two. Then drill some holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill over the holes by putting stones and small rocks in the tub to a depth of 3 inches or so and then fill the tub with whatever you usually grow your potatoes in. Only the one seed potato goes into the tub, six or so inches below the surface. Earth it up as you would when growing potatoes outside. If grown under glass or in a plastic tunnel then it only takes three months to yield a good crop.
I'll take a photo of my tubs with carrots growing in them, tomorrow. And here it is...
The blue tubs are halves of a 55-gallon plastic drum. My potatoes are growing to the left and right in the beds. I rummaged around and pulled a few potatoes out today for a stew.
I had a link to a chap who grew everything inside plastic containers but I've lost the link. Will get it back.
I'll take a photo of my tubs with carrots growing in them, tomorrow. And here it is...
The blue tubs are halves of a 55-gallon plastic drum. My potatoes are growing to the left and right in the beds. I rummaged around and pulled a few potatoes out today for a stew.I had a link to a chap who grew everything inside plastic containers but I've lost the link. Will get it back.
Bio-diesel link
Just found this excellent website for all things bio-diesel at http://www.biodieselwarehouse.com/
I particularly like the bio-diesel lawn engine. Nice for an upgrade when the petrol one gives up. I wonder what other uses it might have. A generator perhaps? I bought an alternator on eBay for £1. It's been sitting on the shelf for six months.
The wasteland
A BBC article showing satellite photos of the destruction of our planet. Sometimes I think it is just better if we allow the destruction to happen and then Mother Nature will clear up after us when we are gone.
Mind you, in a discussion elsewhere on the BBC's site there are a few sceptical views which I do agree with. Namely, that nature is very dynamic and that a hundred or so years of meteorological statistics is a drop in the ocean compared with the millions of years that have seen ice ages, droughts and many other phenomena.
Still, it's no excuse to disrespect nature by dumping your waste all over the place. Regardless of whether man is destroying the land upon which he lives, he is robbing everything from under it, and when it is gone that will require us to live either more frugally or in a radically new way.
Mind you, in a discussion elsewhere on the BBC's site there are a few sceptical views which I do agree with. Namely, that nature is very dynamic and that a hundred or so years of meteorological statistics is a drop in the ocean compared with the millions of years that have seen ice ages, droughts and many other phenomena.
Still, it's no excuse to disrespect nature by dumping your waste all over the place. Regardless of whether man is destroying the land upon which he lives, he is robbing everything from under it, and when it is gone that will require us to live either more frugally or in a radically new way.
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