What are y’all buying for the next grid failure?

[Dahobbs 17685]

54 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Got the kids this for Christmas, now I realize how valuable it is:

Great to have 2 hands in dark and cold, instead of one holding a flashlight or phone or whatever.

Yup. They are our diaper changing lights among other things. Came in clutch last week. Also, this:

 

Also, this thing was awesome:

Uses the same power pack as all our tools. Ran it all night and it barely drained the battery. 

[Brisketexan 105381]

43 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

Definitely.  I own about 5 of these and keep them in various spots where I might need a flashlight.  One in each car, at the work bench in the garage, in the camping gear box, etc...  I own one small handheld flashlight that I'm required to have for work, other than that one it's been years since I held a flashlight in my hands.  

Headlamps have come a LONG way in just the past 5 years or so.  I remember buying a big, clunky one, which cast weak light, 15 years ago or so (for hunting, getting into the blind and whatnot).  Now, you can get a super bright LED headlamp for under $20.  My boy and I each have one for hunting, fishing, etc....and it sure came in handy when I was crawling around the attic looking for plumbing leaks.  I probably ought to buy another one to keep in the truck.

[GringoSalado 1652]

4 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Have read this thread but still can’t figure out how to address our issue. We need to keep a fridge running because we have very expensive meds that would go bad if the fridge were out more than a few hours. 
 

but we don’t have anywhere to put a gas generator outside without either exposing it to rain, or being on a very small patio where carbon monoxide would be a concern. 

Had a 7.5 kw Yanmar we left outside for about 20 years.

Edit: it might have gotten rained on a time or two.

Edited February 22, 2021 by GringoSalado

[Captainant 27791]

42 minutes ago, Dahobbs said:

Yup. They are our diaper changing lights among other things. Came in clutch last week. Also, this:

 

Also, this thing was awesome:

Uses the same power pack as all our tools. Ran it all night and it barely drained the battery. 

I've got the same lamp, the USB charger puts out 1A which will charge most phones too

[4th and 5 4918]

1 hour ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

I bought a couple of USB rechargeable ones a while back, they are worth every penny and last for hours.  I keep one in my truck that I use on fishing trips.  

summer wadefishing after dark...that would come in handy, order placed

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

12 minutes ago, 4th and 5 said:

summer wadefishing after dark...that would come in handy, order placed

Yeah being able to charge in your vehicle or a power bank is nice.

[CHIEF 5095]

I've got the land to go ahead and build an off-grid cabin, I think I'm gonna go ahead and do it. Gonna drill a well, and build the cabin around it. Spray foam it. Put a 2000 watt wind turbine on it:

https://mwands.com/2000-watt-freedom-kit-20434

probably 1000 sqft. of solar panels, wood burning stove, a whole house inverter, with battery banks. gonna go ahead and do full prepper. Build a greenhouse, and can vegetables. I have enough deer, feral hogs, fish and turtles in the river if SHTF. Maybe an ethanol still. Doing it as a hobby as much as anything. But if we keep printing Fiat money, it's going to become worthless, I have no idea what will happen. Weimar Republic all over again.

CHIEF

 

[luke duke 6414]

Need:couple big jugs 

Agreed. I’ve found that a nice pair of jugs can get me through some hard times.

A generator. Anyone have recommendations? And are they ok to sit with gas inside for years at a time?

I’ve got a Yamaha EF2400iSHC that I highly recommend. It’s basically the biggest inverter generator that can be handled by one guy. Honda and Yamaha also have 2.2kW generators that are great.

OK, this is a stupid question.  Having a generator seems like a good idea in the abstract.
But you can't run it inside, so you have to run extension cords to it on the porch or whatever.  Is there some way I'm not thinking of that avoids having an open window or something?

Cord through a window and stuff a towel in the gap. There are more elaborate solutions as well.

This is what I'm gonna do. I have a 10kw welder/generator. Just gonna have my electrician wire in a 240v receptacle. I have access to generators up to 40kw through an oilfield buddy.
CHIEF

I’m sure that 40kW generator will go over well in Pecan Plantation.

I have a natural gas-burning fireplace. It’s the kind with fake embers and fake logs. It radiates some heat to the space but not much, mostly decorative. Anyway, I’m thinking of replacing the burner with one or those “radiant” burners, assuming that they make such a thing.
I’m also thinking, my furnace is natural gas also but the fan needs electricity. I may buy a small generator (1 kW should suffice), and use it to power only the furnace. That way if I lose power I can still heat the house.

I’d spring the extra money for a 2-2.2kW generator. They aren’t much more money and you can run a bunch of stuff in addition to your furnace.

Serious question...why?  Ambulances and police cars idle all the time, don't they?  This feels like something that may just be a myth.

They’re designed for it. Dual alternators, heavier gauge wiring, high idle RPM...

If you have two male plugs on your generator cord, you can just plug it into a dryer plug.

This is a good way to kill yourself or someone else.

Already ordered a 2000w gas generator.  Was thinking about it for our pop up camper anyways.  But it should be enough to run our gas furnace blower, fridge, router, TV and charge stuff.. maybe not all at the same time.  
Probably will get a 5 gallon gas can and a small hand pump to pull from our cars if needed.

A 2kW generator should be enough to run all of the things that you mentioned. I believe that gas can no longer be easily siphoned from cars. You may need to cut into a fuel line to tap into your car’s fuel supply.

[Okie State 3848]

Nothing too crazy planned although a whole home generator is on the list long-term.

For now I already ordered parts to add an underground shut-off and threaded unions to my backflow preventer so I can just detach and store in the garage for the winter.

Need to clean out and tune up my generator.

Will have spare sections of PVC and copper pipe and couplers/valves/caps of various sizes.

Adding insulation around my water heater pipes in the attic.

Water main shut off tool.

Spare batteries and lanterns.

Adding/fixing weather stripping around doors and windows.

A few water storage containers that can be filled with water we've boiled.

Something to better wrap outdoor spigots and still be easily removable to check them periodically.

[gsoda3 3283]

1 hour ago, luke duke said:

 

I’ve got a Yamaha EF2400iSHC that I highly recommend. It’s basically the biggest inverter generator that can be handled by one guy. Honda and Yamaha also have 2.2kW generators that are great.
 

 

when you say handled by one person do you mean because it's so heavy?  

[4th and 5 4918]

9 minutes ago, Okie State said:

Something to better wrap outdoor spigots and still be easily removable to check them periodically.

I did all mine with this 3M Thinsulate sock, tied it on tight with the cord, then folded them over the hose bib and duct taped them in place. No issues.

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/plumbing/winterization/faucet-covers/4306114

[luke duke 6414]

when you say handled by one person do you mean because it's so heavy?  

Yes. It’s about 75lbs dry. If you go up to 3kW, they are ~140lbs. The bigger ones obviously output more power and hold more fuel. They also come with wheels, so if you’re able to roll it into position from wherever you store it you should be good.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

2 hours ago, CHIEF said:

I've got the land to go ahead and build an off-grid cabin, I think I'm gonna go ahead and do it. Gonna drill a well, and build the cabin around it. Spray foam it. Put a 2000 watt wind turbine on it:

https://mwands.com/2000-watt-freedom-kit-20434

probably 1000 sqft. of solar panels, wood burning stove, a whole house inverter, with battery banks. gonna go ahead and do full prepper. Build a greenhouse, and can vegetables. I have enough deer, feral hogs, fish and turtles in the river if SHTF. Maybe an ethanol still. Doing it as a hobby as much as anything. But if we keep printing Fiat money, it's going to become worthless, I have no idea what will happen. Weimar Republic all over again.

CHIEF

 

Don't build the cabin around the well - you'll never be able to service it.  Design a room off the cabin that is heated or climate controlled, but can be de-constructed so that a new pump can be dropped in or a re-drill if necessary.  I've seen a lot of really nice well houses have to get torn down replace a pump, or when the well goes dry and they have to bore it another 100' or so.

[davidg 4038]

11 minutes ago, luke duke said:

 

Yes. It’s about 75lbs dry. If you go up to 3kW, they are ~140lbs. The bigger ones obviously output more power and hold more fuel. They also come with wheels, so if you’re able to roll it into position from wherever you store it you should be good.

 

I have a 3400W Ryobi inverter that is 85#.  With wheels and a handle it is easy to wheel around and 85# is not too bad lifting into the back of the truck.  Not as quiet as the Honda and Yamaha but only $550 so there's that.

[horn4life 3783]

I was actually in pretty good shape on most stuff.  I had bought two sets last summer that had a rechargeable Headlamp and two flashlights like these that are bright, and recharge fairly quickly via USB for the coast fishing.  They were a godsend.  I actually really like these little flashlights as they have a magnet holder on the end and the head rotates so you can clip on and use sort of like a headlamp.  Highly recommended, from Costco of course.

https://www.costco.com/hybridlight-solar-rechargeable-expandable-lantern-and-300-lumen-flashlight.product.100574774.html

7 year battery charge and 40 hour runtime on lantern, we plan on doing some camping and solar recharge capability would be handy in remote envitronments

 

[Captainant 27791]

1 hour ago, luke duke said:

A 2kW generator should be enough to run all of the things that you mentioned. I believe that gas can no longer be easily siphoned from cars. You may need to cut into a fuel line to tap into your car’s fuel supply.

TBH, if you're gonna be storing a generator for emergency use, you should really keep some stabilized gasoline or keep a rotating supply always on hand. Or get a natural gas/propane burning generator 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

Someone may have mentioned it and I missed it, but one other thing I'm glad I had on hand, and I will continue to keep is a big-ass box of surgical gloves.  I had 2 or 3 boxes accumulated in various places I had bought for processing game.  When you don't have water to spare to wash your hands, use the gloves to handle meat or any other dirty shit.  I used a bunch for cooking last week and with hand sanitizer didn't need hardly any water to keep hands clean.

Plus you can give yourself rectal exams.

Edited February 22, 2021 by Judge Roybeanbag

[MissingInAction 25195]

My primitive camping gear I take to PINS every year was adequate for a couple days. Anything longer and a generator would have been required. 

[utee94 15864]

I have a 3500W inverter generator that I use for my RV, so I prepped it and filled a couple of 5 gallon gas cans.

I also grabbed from my RV, several flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, my two 30-lb propane tanks, my portable propane stove that's converted to run off those tanks, and a few other items.

I probably should have just grabbed the whole RV and parked it alongside the house.  

As it turns out, we never lost power or water, and at various points from Monday-Friday we had as many as 4 additional families staying with us, who had lost both.  So it would have been nice to have the RV as extra living space during that time.  Next time I'll probably just go ahead and do that.

 

[Steel Shank 9432]

41 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Plus you can give yourself rectal exams.

[Steel Shank 9432]

Since propane can store longer than gas, wouldn't it make sense to purchase a LP generator instead of gas?

[utee94 15864]

1 minute ago, Steel Shank said:

Since propane can store longer than gas, wouldn't it make sense to purchase a LP generator instead of gas?

You can set them up to run either one.  That would give you the most flexibility.

 

 

[Captainant 27791]

16 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

Since propane can store longer than gas, wouldn't it make sense to purchase a LP generator instead of gas?

If you're getting a whole-home generator that exists for that specific reason then yeah you're gonna have a hard time beating the storage stability of LP over gasoline or even diesel

[davidg 4038]

16 minutes ago, Steel Shank said:

Since propane can store longer than gas, wouldn't it make sense to purchase a LP generator instead of gas?

Buy non-ethanol gas, add fuel treatment.  Rotate out your storage into vehicles.  I normally have 2 cans at the house and a boat with 60gal a couple miles away.  Gonna add a couple more cans in storage and every 3 months pour oldest into a vehicle and refille.  Maybe so the same with a couple of water cans.

[CHIEF 5095]

1 hour ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Don't build the cabin around the well - you'll never be able to service it.  Design a room off the cabin that is heated or climate controlled, but can be de-constructed so that a new pump can be dropped in or a re-drill if necessary.  I've seen a lot of really nice well houses have to get torn down replace a pump, or when the well goes dry and they have to bore it another 100' or so.

I's funny, I was just over there, and thought about that. I'm going to build a "bump out" for the well, insulate it, and leave it open on the front so a wood burning stove could be used to keep it warm. I'm going to use bolts to bolt it to the slab, and to close the gaps where it will be attached to the cabin.

CHIEF

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

22 minutes ago, CHIEF said:

I's funny, I was just over there, and thought about that. I'm going to build a "bump out" for the well, insulate it, and leave it open on the front so a wood burning stove could be used to keep it warm. I'm going to use bolts to bolt it to the slab, and to close the gaps where it will be attached to the cabin.

CHIEF

Yup - I think you probably have the equipment to lift it off when it's unbolted.  Just make sure there's road/ground access to it for a big ass truck without trees/landscaping getting in the way.  

If you have money to burn, do like my neighbor out in the country did, install a rainwater system on his house and barn and pavilion, with big storage tanks, and then the well as backup to fill them.  It's kind of a pain in the ass to constantly deal with the water lines, but he has never run out of water.  Still had rainwater in his tanks even during the 2010/2011 drought. 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Judge Roybeanbag

[BrazilHorn 6634]

Fuck at this rate maybe a spare outdoor tankless water heater. Just leave it in the box for next time shit hits the fan

[Pods 7586]

6 hours ago, phdhorn said:

Got the kids this for Christmas, now I realize how valuable it is:

Great to have 2 hands in dark and cold, instead of one holding a flashlight or phone or whatever.

 

They also make great portable hanging lanterns. Loop the strap around something like the base of a ceiling fan blade and then loop the lamp back through the strap and hang it down. Add a pack of S-hooks and you can hang them a lot of places. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

10 minutes ago, Pods said:

 

They also make great portable hanging lanterns. Loop the strap around something like the base of a ceiling fan blade and then loop the lamp back through the strap and hang it down. Add a pack of S-hooks and you can hang them a lot of places. 

Are you the poster formerly known as Theropods?  If so, good to see you posting.  Hope you're doing well, man.

[troph 24911]

19 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Yup - I think you probably have the equipment to lift it off when it's unbolted.  Just make sure there's road/ground access to it for a big ass truck without trees/landscaping getting in the way.  

If you have money to burn, do like my neighbor out in the country did, install a rainwater system on his house and barn and pavilion, with big storage tanks, and then the well as backup to fill them.  It's kind of a pain in the ass to constantly deal with the water lines, but he has never run out of water.  Still had rainwater in his tanks even during the 2010/2011 drought. 

we are doing some tricked out stuff but the deeper we've gotten into it the more economical and secure rainwater collection proves to be.  we are now at 75,000 gallons in our cistern and a reasonable likelihood with a wet year we could fill it.  At that point, we would likely never run out and we would have no real restrictions on our personal use. showers as we need, lawn (where septic leech field isn't), pool auto-filler, any need basically.  and the water is really great, run through multiple filters (I think 4-5 counting initial runoff, carbon filters and UV), and we are adding a last one - coconut carbon filter to add a silky smooth taste.  in the end, it's probably better, more reliable and cheaper than city water when amortized over the years.

[CHIEF 5095]

I think I put this on another thread. But I had a neighbor, in Austin, that grew up in Biloxi, MS. When hurricanes came through, you might be without power for up to 30 days (things get rebuilt slowly in MS.), but the natural gas lines stayed intact underground. He said a lot of people had whole home generators that would run off of natural gas. I wouldn't make a big investment, but if I had natural gas, where I live, that is exactly what I would have. Something strong enough to keep the lights on and run the appliances (but not a/c units). Hopefully, those of you that have access to natural gas, already run your furnaces, water heater, and cooktop on it. This would keep you from having to go hunting around for fuel, or propane. He said they were small, and just looked like another a/c unit beside the house.

CHIEF

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

8 minutes ago, troph said:

we are doing some tricked out stuff but the deeper we've gotten into it the more economical and secure rainwater collection proves to be.  we are now at 75,000 gallons in our cistern and a reasonable likelihood with a wet year we could fill it.  At that point, we would likely never run out and we would have no real restrictions on our personal use. showers as we need, lawn (where septic leech field isn't), pool auto-filler, any need basically.  and the water is really great, run through multiple filters (I think 4-5 counting initial runoff, carbon filters and UV), and we are adding a last one - coconut carbon filter to add a silky smooth taste.  in the end, it's probably better, more reliable and cheaper than city water when amortized over the years.

It is a great way to build a water system, but make sure you have a coach (not me) who can teach you how to drain/clean/pressurize the lines because it is not low-maintenance.

[troph 24911]

1 minute ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

It is a great way to build a water system, but make sure you have a coach (not me) who can teach you how to drain/clean/pressurize the lines because it is not low-maintenance.

girlfriend has gone to school on it.  she's super handy, kind of a guy in that regard.  she works on trucks, builds houses, maintains the pool, fixes shit.  she hooked me by sharing pics of her working on a carburetor for her moped and doing some wood working repairing some baseboards and such.  my only concern is she won't finish the fix, she's notorious for stopping in the middle on projects that don't have to be done.  but I doubt she'd stop on our water.  

[CHIEF 5095]

28 minutes ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Yup - I think you probably have the equipment to lift it off when it's unbolted.  Just make sure there's road/ground access to it for a big ass truck without trees/landscaping getting in the way.  

If you have money to burn, do like my neighbor out in the country did, install a rainwater system on his house and barn and pavilion, with big storage tanks, and then the well as backup to fill them.  It's kind of a pain in the ass to constantly deal with the water lines, but he has never run out of water.  Still had rainwater in his tanks even during the 2010/2011 drought. 

We've talked about rainwater harvesting, we have 5200 sqft. of barn roof, but cisterns are outrageous, like a dollar per gallon outrageous. Our neighbor that owns the other 6 acres that is not in our HOA has a really good Second Trinity well. It is right at 400 feet and the water comes up the pipe to 170 feet. I can get a well like that one drilled for under $10k. They make a 48 volt submersible pump system that can pump from depths as deep as 300 feet that I've looked into. We also have the Brazos, we are riverfront on about a 15 foot deep hole. You can get a permit from the BRA to pump out of the river for $35/year, as much as you want. I've looked at purification and RO units as well. We have a pretty good spring on a draw that runs through the property, I'm thinking about damming it up, and running the rainwater into a submerged pipe into that. We shouldn't have any water issues, but power could be a problem.

CHIEF

[Jkwellborn 6747]

I've got the same lamp, the USB charger puts out 1A which will charge most phones too

If you have any battery operated tools, I’d get something that has a usb charger that will go with it. I got something like that with my first milwaukee stuff. Got enough batteries to charge my phone for a year. Lol

[Okie State 3848]

I'll have to see if DeWalt has anything worth a shit since I'm invested in their 20v system.

What should I get to store water? Nothing crazy, just 5 gallon jugs that I can actually use. Just the regular transparent blue bottles for water coolers?

[Jkwellborn 6747]

I've got the same lamp, the USB charger puts out 1A which will charge most phones too

If you have any battery operated tools, I’d get something that has a usb charger that will go with it. I got something like that with my first milwaukee stuff. Got enough batteries to charge my phone for a year. Lol

[Pods 7586]

3 hours ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

Are you the poster formerly known as Theropods?  If so, good to see you posting.  Hope you're doing well, man.

I am. Things are going a bit better, especially considering circumstances. Good to see you too judge, hope you're successfully defrosting. 

[fattyflattie 4638]

9 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

summer wadefishing after dark...that would come in handy, order placed

While light, I find one of the ones that clips on your bill makes a big difference after hours of wear.  Ymmv. 

[Pods 7586]

1 hour ago, Okie State said:

What should I get to store water? Nothing crazy, just 5 gallon jugs that I can actually use. Just the regular transparent blue bottles for water coolers?

We use 5-gallon water cooler jugs with a manual pump. They sell 4 gallon versions at Sam's with recyclable bottles. 

I also like these jugs. They are puncture resistant and stackable. You may have to file the plastic split-line from the two halves of the mold down, but then they can be stacked on their side. 

https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Rhino-Pak-Heavy-Container-Medium/dp/B00336SBUE

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Pods

[fattyflattie 4638]

3 hours ago, troph said:

we are doing some tricked out stuff but the deeper we've gotten into it the more economical and secure rainwater collection proves to be.  we are now at 75,000 gallons in our cistern and a reasonable likelihood with a wet year we could fill it.  At that point, we would likely never run out and we would have no real restrictions on our personal use. showers as we need, lawn (where septic leech field isn't), pool auto-filler, any need basically.  and the water is really great, run through multiple filters (I think 4-5 counting initial runoff, carbon filters and UV), and we are adding a last one - coconut carbon filter to add a silky smooth taste.  in the end, it's probably better, more reliable and cheaper than city water when amortized over the years.

We have a house with a 25k cistern.  It goes quicker than you’d think, even at 75k.   It doesn’t take much to fill with a few good rains. But I went almost 300 days once without any measurable rain.  I ended up with a 325 gallon tank (it’ll fit perfect in 6.5’ bed) and would have to get water from time to time from the local fire dept.    But where we were, that’s all we had.  If you have any access to city water I’d hook up and use the cistern as your main. But as only source, it takes some planning sometimes.  I’m admittedly not the best water conversationalist, though. 

[Dbeasy 15093]

I wish this thread was turned into a giant checklist. 

[BillyBadAss 189]

Some good stuff here. I've seen a couple of mentions, but I think the two most important things aren't getting enough attention. 
1) portable hiking water filter 
2) decent sleeping bags in the 15-30 degree range

Those are cheap, generally useful in other situations, and portable if you have to change locations. With those you'll likely stay alive no matter the situation. 

Then add other stuff for convenience, quality of life, cost/benefit etc. 

[troph 24911]

1 hour ago, fattyflattie said:

We have a house with a 25k cistern.  It goes quicker than you’d think, even at 75k.   It doesn’t take much to fill with a few good rains. But I went almost 300 days once without any measurable rain.  I ended up with a 325 gallon tank (it’ll fit perfect in 6.5’ bed) and would have to get water from time to time from the local fire dept.    But where we were, that’s all we had.  If you have any access to city water I’d hook up and use the cistern as your main. But as only source, it takes some planning sometimes.  I’m admittedly not the best water conversationalist, though. 

Problem is, our water company is a for profit one, not a city or a MUD and their hook up charge is $150 per month before you pull a drop out of their pipes.  We aren’t hooking up to them and it’s how we got started on this lux-zombie-bunker style to begin with. We are prepared to bring in a truck if it’s needed.

Edited February 23, 2021 by troph

[fattyflattie 4638]

5 minutes ago, troph said:

Problem is, our water company is a for profit one, not a city or a MUD and their hook up charge is $150 per month before you pull a drop out of their pipes.  We aren’t hooking up to them and it’s how we got started on this lux-zombie-bunker style to begin with.

Understood.  Just a recommendation, find someone who can deliver water in mass quantities in case we ever do get in that type of drought again.  I know there are companies that haul in pool water and whatnot.   Hauling it in 325g at a time sucked major balls. FWIW, we filled completely with the first real rain that came.  That was with two college students in the house, not a full family or anything.  Low volume shower heads etc.  I'm sure yall have done a ton of thought on it, just my experience with it. 

[Updawg 2286]

How much winterization is involved on those big tanks?
Don’t forget that

[CHIEF 5095]

7 minutes ago, troph said:

Problem is, our water company is a for profit one, not a city or a MUD and their hook up charge is $150 per month before you pull a drop out of their pipes.  We aren’t hooking up to them and it’s how we got started on this lux-zombie-bunker style to begin with. We are prepared to bring in a truck if it’s needed.

Damn right, it's the principle. They think they got you by the balls, jokes on them. Can you pull out of Travis? You are waterfront right?

CHIEF

[troph 24911]

1 minute ago, CHIEF said:

Damn right, it's the principle. They think they got you by the balls, jokes on them. Can you pull out of Travis? You are waterfront right?

CHIEF

Not water front, just up high with the same view. I choked when they told us that, no option to pay the install costs either. They invest $20k retail to hook you up and then that address is $150/mo forever. 

[CHIEF 5095]

That's high enough, you would think there would be "blackmarket" grifting. One person buy a meter, and people paying to tap in. Wow.

CHIEF

[troph 24911]

16 minutes ago, Updawg said:

How much winterization is involved on those big tanks?
Don’t forget that

Partially underground, partially indoors, and completely enclosed by concrete (hatch on top) - hard to explain.  Upside down house walk in upstairs and a sort of basement bottom floor.  Cistern is behind half of this concrete wall form on that half bottom floor. Top floor on top of the cistern and the rest of the bottom floor. Engineered, etc. you can get a feel for the top floor with the neighbor house next to us in the background.  Equipment is in a mechanical room with climate control. I don’t know her all her plans, but winterizing should be minimal I would think. She’s got like 4 guys who (hopefully) know this stuff. 

 

 

 

Edited February 23, 2021 by troph