The Prepper Thread
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Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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now that you mention it, i always "browse" the chinese aisle at kroger (i don't buy now that i have a real asian grocer, but i still quick a quick browse) and the wheat/ramen stuff was gone, otherwise theres no shortage in the kroger store. and this isn't the cheap top ramen for 10c (thats in the dry goods where spagetti is at), it's the real ramen for 1$ a pack.
Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
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It's been happening on a limited basis for the last couple months.
It's just a matter of time before panic sets in and people start clearing out the shelves completely.
Aldarion
Egg Nazi
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I realized yesterday I've been thinking about water supply all wrong.
I've got a generator set up at the pump house. And will be setting up a switch so we can switch over to generator when the power goes out, so we have water. But obviously only as long as the fuel supply holds out. And even with dual fuel generator that is inevitably a short time frame.
Wiring up solar for electric fences I started thinking, if it can work for this application it should be able to work for water too. Of course the problem is producing enough power, well pumps draw a lot (what, 10-20 A of 220V? something like that), and the sun only shines for part of the day, and both arrays and batteries are limited.
But heres the idea, why not store the energy differently. What if we set up an elevated water tank, a cistern. Trickle the well water into that using solar. Then rely on gravity from the water tank to generate water pressure when we turn the tap.
Challenges that will make or break this idea (the devils always in the details)
1. Can we generate enough from solar to produce even a trickle of water
2. How high and how big does the water tank have to be to produce enough pressure
3. Setting this up in a switchable way would require additional plumbing, a valve to switch from one supply (the standard pressure tank) to another (the cistern).
But whats really got me stuck is I don't see how I can have a single well pump that draws power from the main line when we have power, but can also switch over to solar for long term SHTF situations.
It looks like I'd need a different well pump, and switch them out when the SHTF. That sounds like a fuck ton of work. So still thinking.
I've got a generator set up at the pump house. And will be setting up a switch so we can switch over to generator when the power goes out, so we have water. But obviously only as long as the fuel supply holds out. And even with dual fuel generator that is inevitably a short time frame.
Wiring up solar for electric fences I started thinking, if it can work for this application it should be able to work for water too. Of course the problem is producing enough power, well pumps draw a lot (what, 10-20 A of 220V? something like that), and the sun only shines for part of the day, and both arrays and batteries are limited.
But heres the idea, why not store the energy differently. What if we set up an elevated water tank, a cistern. Trickle the well water into that using solar. Then rely on gravity from the water tank to generate water pressure when we turn the tap.
Challenges that will make or break this idea (the devils always in the details)
1. Can we generate enough from solar to produce even a trickle of water
2. How high and how big does the water tank have to be to produce enough pressure
3. Setting this up in a switchable way would require additional plumbing, a valve to switch from one supply (the standard pressure tank) to another (the cistern).
But whats really got me stuck is I don't see how I can have a single well pump that draws power from the main line when we have power, but can also switch over to solar for long term SHTF situations.
It looks like I'd need a different well pump, and switch them out when the SHTF. That sounds like a fuck ton of work. So still thinking.
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Aldarion
Egg Nazi
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Yeah, exactly what I have in mind, its a question of whether its feasible to fill one by solar power and achieve the pressure I want without having to build an actual municipal-size water tower. A small scale, single family, solar powered water tower. In principle it seems like it would provide unlimited water at least until electronic components wore out. I just dont know if the numbers work out.
Furry
🌭🍔🇺🇦✌️SLAVA UKRAINI!✌️🇺🇦🍔🌭
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I mean all of the concept of this is fine and how lots of people have their system set up... except the trickle well water in. Pumps don't like trickle, pumps like an intensive short-term work out. Especially if your water is 100+ or 200+ feet below the ground, and you recognize this when talking about the power they draw...
I think your concerns are looking in the wrong direction to fix your problem. You probably want a house battery system. Something long-term and reliable like LiPO batteries that can soak up all the juice your solar makes and can handle the draw that your current pump makes. Trying to look for a "trickle" pump will probably just be an exercise in wasted time. That's the sort of setup that someone who expected to be stranded in nowhere for a long time would use. EG, lots of self-sufficient boats run a solar-battery system and use a high pressure desalination system to produce lots of fresh water from sea water fast. It's not necessarily the "best" system, but people tend to like that it has extremely little reliance of the outside world.
Borzak
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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Use a windmill. They're all over west, TX. Not a gigantic one. You can always set the brake if you get tired of listening to it. That's what they all over for. Pumping water all the time till you don't need it and then you set the brake or have an overflow container.
B_Mizzle
Avatar of War Slayer
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So its just a mechanical pump hooked up to the windmill to make it go? No electricity needed? Thats pretty much how we did 500 years ago right?
Borzak
Bronze Baron of the Realm
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Yup, all over west, TX because it's much cheaper to put up a windmill in the middle of nowhere than run power out to it. Pumps water all the time unless you set the brake and it doesn't turn. Sometimes they set the brake when whatever fills up.Also they get annoying as shit if you live close by, so having the option to lock them down is nice. Also nice on the larger ones that have a place to sit up top that you use as a hunting stand. They come from ones that are like 10 feet tall to some that are much larger/taller.
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B_Mizzle
Avatar of War Slayer
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Yup, all over west, TX because it's much cheaper to put up a windmill in the middle of nowhere than run power out to it. Pumps water all the time unless you set the brake and it doesn't turn. Sometimes they set the brake when whatever fills up.Also they get annoying as shit if you live close by, so having the option to lock them down is nice. Also nice on the larger ones that have a place to sit up top that you use as a hunting stand. They come from ones that are like 10 feet tall to some that are much larger/taller.
The older I get the more I realize that our forebearers were much more intelligent and adaptable than we are...
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Lanx
<Prior Amod>
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are you able to get water 15ft at the water table?
i plan to do this in my backyard, i think it's cool nostalgic factor
of course i wouldn't drink this water, you'd want to filter it with a family grade gravity sawyer water filter or berky unit, if you want info on home water filtration, i got that going on.
Kiroy
Marine Biologist
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its amazing what people can get up to when the alternative is the death of you and your family
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BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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People do exactly what you're talking about all the time. You can get submersible pumps that will run on either solar or AC power. You will probably have shitty pressure gravity flowing out of the cistern but you can put a pump and pressure tank in the house and have good pressure whenever the power is on and just live with weak showers when the power's out. You won't need batteries for just a house. You can easily pump way more water than you would need during the daylight hours.
I have 4 windmills and 3 solar setups and solar doesn't look as cool but it's way cheaper and about 100x more reliable than the windmills. I think the windmills are cool but I am counting the days until I don't have to rely on them anymore.
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Kiroy
Marine Biologist
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I've mentioned it before in this thread, but I think that if we're in a situation where there is no power grid / fuel, then the only thing that matters at that point is a large enough community able to defend itself from other large organized groups with more hostile intentions (or rather, less resources).
In my area, the smallest plots are 20 acres, going up to 200. I know most people who live within a couple miles of me just from stopping and chatting while driving by, and I'm close with my immediate neighbors. We're all pretty like minded and I still think in a complete collapse, our area is near indefensible against what I'm guessing will be locus like swarms of shitbags that we're savvy enough to survive the chaos of the cities/suberbs and are now roaming out in search of resources. Hopefully i'm wrong.
In my area, the smallest plots are 20 acres, going up to 200. I know most people who live within a couple miles of me just from stopping and chatting while driving by, and I'm close with my immediate neighbors. We're all pretty like minded and I still think in a complete collapse, our area is near indefensible against what I'm guessing will be locus like swarms of shitbags that we're savvy enough to survive the chaos of the cities/suberbs and are now roaming out in search of resources. Hopefully i'm wrong.
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From everything I've ever seen of crime and criminals, which is what we are talking about, it won't take as much as you think to make them move on. Plugging a few in Minecraft will be enough.
Kiroy
Marine Biologist
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crime and criminals don't exist after societal collapse
it’s just people executing different strategies to gather and keep resources. Many of those strategies will involve violence.
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Fair enough but then your main worry won't be people from the cities coming to the country, it'll be people in the country organizing and going house to house. The cities will take a long time to finish eating themselves. By the time it's done going to the country won't even be on the radar.