Advice Needed From All You Country Dwellers

ron schenker

Well we're finally taking the big plunge into country life! We've been born and raised city folk and now have purchased 98 acres in the sticks. Close to a main highway but far enough to be private. The home is 13 years old, 2400 sq.ft. open concept, well and septic, oil furnace and boiler for one radiator, baseboard electric heaters, and a beat up wood stove. We want to install a new efficient (Enviro) wood stove, and lose the oil. Electric furnace for heating and air conditioning and eventually some solar panels. We'd like to go green as much as possible and will be looking into government grants that may be available. What advice would you country dwellers have for us as we take the leap of faith?

__________________
Don't worry, the baseboard will hide it!

cleveman

I don't know what an Enviro stove is. I had good luck with a Jotul stove, the Fireside or Firelight model. You should be able to heat your entire home with it. The model I had was loadable from the top and had a catalytic burner to comply with (then) US law. The law has changed since then and the catalysator has been dropped and they are no longer loadable from the top. See if you can find one which is loadable from the top, with a foot pedal to open it.

You will have some cold spots in your home, which will hopefully be bedrooms. This seems to be so natural. If you are cool, move towards the stove. If you have pets, watch them. They will love the stove. Of course you can move the air with ceiling fans and even turn on the fan on your forced air furnace. But these all use energy.

You must have some trees on your 90plus acres. You'll need a tractor probably for mowing, moving snow, etc. Put a little trailer on it to haul wood with, or haul the logs separately. I've seen winches which operate off of PTO's in order to pull logs out of ravines, etc. Then you'll need a splitter or an armstrong splitter in addition to your chainsaw. Try to get about 7 cords ready to go for your winter.

Are these the sort of answers you were looking for?

KentWhitten

get a generator!

oh and cut your wood a year or two early

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

ron schenker

These are exactly the sort of answers I was looking for. What about a generator that comes on automatically when the power goes off? How do I use it to power the furnace, fridge, lights, etc. BTW, most of the 98 acres is either wetland or environment controlled land, but there's alot of hardwood trees.

__________________
Don't worry, the baseboard will hide it!

woodmagman

Burning wood can be very unfriendly for the enviroment, if you are truly looking to go green. Look into geothermal, it can remove you heating and hot water costs.

slickshift

Lol...
Yes the Enviro, and other modern wood stoves, are much less harmful to the environment that that 1978 classic wood stove
But they are by no means anything close to "green"
Just better than they were

Unlikely you'll need a generator that comes on automatically, unless you are in an area that really loses it often
Have an electrician hook up the proper fixens for you, you you just really throw a switch or two when the time comes

Electricity is hugely expensive where I am
I wouldn't dump the oil
That obviously could be totally different in your area

I'd look into solar panels for water pre-heat, and wind generators for reducing demand (and costs) on the power grid
If you produce more electricity than you use, they have to pay you for it
(unlikely it'll happen, but still cool)

__________________
Signature Quote

Quote:

Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

ron schenker

What do you do if you go away for a few days and the power goes out? You're not home to put wood in the stove or start up the generator. I'm thinking I should make friends with the neighbors and give them a key

__________________
Don't worry, the baseboard will hide it!

KentWhitten

We have a GenTran attached to our circuit box. It has I think 6 circuits on it. What this does is prevents back feed electrical to the grid system so your friendly electrical line worker doesn't get electrocuted from your generator.

Ours is simple. It's a big switch. Kachunk, generator power.

We have a 20 HP generator that needs manually hooking up when the lights go out. If you are looking into one that starts automatically, then it's usually big bucks to have this system. Ours is a simple "portable" generator, not bolted down next to the house.

I would suggest thinking about one that runs off propane and gas because an extended amount of time without power and you are going to the store to get gas...which may also be without power.

Oh and if you like going for walks in the woods, you might be in the same neighborhood as we are and have to check for ticks when you come in. Nothing like finding a blood sucking tick all fattened up on your tasty blood! Except for half dozen ticks slurping it down!

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

KentWhitten

that works. and make sure your alarm system (if you have one) has a shutoff after a few hours. most places it's illegal for someone to break into your home to turn it off, so they let 'er run and they will be some PO'ed at you when you get back. So much for friendly neighbors!

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

mdshunk

When you look at the price difference between a remote electric start generator with an automatic transfer switch, and a regular generator that you plug up yourself with a manual transfer switch, the budget will decide. I assure you of that.

Unless you have something real critical going on, like a milk tank on a dairy farm, or a real wet basement where the pumps must run, having an automatic starting/transfer arrangement in a home is a luxury.

ron schenker

Framerman brought up a good point about bugs. Any tips on how to not to get eaten alive during our walks outside?

__________________
Don't worry, the baseboard will hide it!

KentWhitten

mosquito nets and long sleeve shirts. You probably have similar to what we have here. Black Flies, mosquitos, deer flies, horse flies, and an occasional moose fly. You'll need a bat for that last one! Deer flies are attracted to movement. Mosquitos carbon ?oxide - mosquito trap will trap a few. Stay in the sun, not the woods. They usually don't bother you until close to nightfall, then just don't go outside.

Wetlands....oh boy are you in for a real treat! You might as well pour gasoline in there now to kill them all off! Spring time, clean out any standing water in anything at all. That's where the eggs are laid.

Blue Seal Feeds will have some answers for you to keep the ticks down off your lawn. Certain type of chickens will clean out the ticks.

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

slickshift

You save some money on electricity

__________________
Signature Quote

Quote:

Originally Posted by ModernStyle I have never used this crap before and I pray to the paint gods that I never have to use it again, I would rather use Behr

Home Serve

Ron, When my wife and I moved to the country 30 years ago: the home is 85 years old, no running water, electricity in some rooms, heat-wood stove, hot water-you get the tub and put it on top of the woodstove then bucket water from the hand pump well to heat up. Bath in tub on kitchen floor, spring/summer/fall shower was cold water from hand pump. Had root cellar and good garden, beautiful, quiet spot. Great memories.
Have fun,
Dave C

__________________
Missouri Remodeling Company with services for Replacement Windows Vinyl Siding and Entry Doors

Chris G

I lived on 10 Acres near Uxbridge many years back. Security is a big issue. We had a car stolen, and the neighbours were all broken into at one point or another. A dog is good. Motion lights help.

Get the strongest mailbox and post you can find. When the summer hits, and the kids start playing mailbox baseball, you'll be happy you did. Also people will throw beer bottles at it too.

Don't be surprised if your neighbours don't seem friendly. Why do you think they moved all the way out there?

Find a local farmer who will plow you driveway. They need work in the winter.

Even though a tree has been standing dead for a few years, it is by no means dry and burnable. It has to be cut and split.

On another fire note, might get away with burning stuff in your yard!

Build a horseshoe pit.

Two dogs may be happier out there than one.

You will hear coyotes howling a lot.

Leave Christmas lights up all year round. Who the hell will notice?

Putty Truck

Get a post office box and forget about the mailbox. I haven't owned one in 10 years more.

A pack of dogs....like as many as you can afford. I've owned 6 at one time.

Cats indoor and outdoor.

Don't get too attached to the dogs and cats because they are in a high risk occupation...protecting you and yours. They will get killed.

If there is cable t.v./internet, get it asap even if you have to run the cable yourself across the property. If no way possible (no such thing in country living), get a good dial-up connection. Satellite internet sucks.

Be friendlly (even if it hurts) to your local service providers (vets, etc).

Know that mankind has been rural waaay longer than citified, so you will survive...maybe.

dougchips

Plan a garden with a tall fence to keep the deer out. A rifle or shotgun is nice to fend off wild animals that try to eat your domestic animals. If your area has skunks find a mobile service that will de-skunk your dogs.

__________________
To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.

Home Serve

By the way, don't bother even checking cost of rural trash pick up. It's way to high, just figure on burning it in the driveway to help discourage unwanted guests, insects, and critters. The wife will like it too. Round here if you drive out in the country there is always the lingering odor of burning garbage because rates have gone up so much.
Have fun,
Dave C

__________________
Missouri Remodeling Company with services for Replacement Windows Vinyl Siding and Entry Doors

oldfrt

Don't feed the Bears!!

Check local bear sightings and follow precautions so as not attract them.No bird feeders,no trash outside.

Have a camera ready at all times.
A good video camera will help catch more.

Friends of mine have video's of their Great Dane in a field playing with a couple deer,funniest thing I saw.

There's got to be some big moose up there.Probably don't want to approach them.

__________________
https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-...94183374011504

KentWhitten

Yes, putty, I forgot. Get a few cats. They'll keep the snakes and mice population down. If dogs get sprayed, tomato juice works decent. You'll only (hopefully) have to do it once if at all. If the dog gets it twice, time to get another dog, cuz he's stoopid!

__________________
If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry