The Preparedness and Survival Site

EggHeadChickenRanch writes:

“The ‘Correct’ Way to Live Off the Grid?Once again as I face the prospect of writing another “Off the Grid” article I’m faced with the feeling that I am not qualified to write such an article. After all, what do I know about living off the grid? I’ve only been doing it for 4 and 1/2 years. And I’m probably not even doing it “right.” Then it struck me, if I am doing it, and it’s working for me then I must be doing it “right.” After all, it’s my life and it’s working so how could it be “wrong?”I’ve met, in the last year, two other families in my area who are living off the grid. The way they are doing is much different from my method and each other’s method. That’s when I realized that there are as many ways to live off the grid as there are people doing it.

For instance, one family has only 110v lights, computer, TV and they run their 1500 watt generator about 5 hours a day when they get home from work so they have lights and what not. This is not the method I would choose, nor do I consider it ecologically friendly, but it works for them.

The other family I met by chance at the gas station while we were both getting gas for our generators have propane everything. Propane lights, fridge, stove, water heater, heater. They use their generator to do laundry. That works for them and I think it may be better for the environment in the long run but I’m not sure.

My life is completely different from those two families. I have a 12 volt house with three banks of batteries that run different circuits in my house. My biggest bank (6 deep cycle batteries) runs my computer, DVD player and LCD TV off of an inverter. It also powers my very low wattage LED rope lights that we have in the kitchen and living room.

Obviously the electronics are my biggest electrical draw so they get the biggest bank. The second bank (four deep cycle batteries that came to me used 4 years ago from GP in Bellingham when it closed down) run the rest of the house. That means lights mostly. All of the lights in the house are 12 volt fluorescents that I am going to change over to 12 volt LED back up lights (for cars and trucks) that can be bought at any auto parts store. The third bank (four used 6 volt trojans that were given to me used and recharged with acid) run the lights in the battery and generator shed. They are hooked up in series and parallel to give me 12 volts.

The rest of the house is propane for the most part. We have a propane kitchen stove, a propane water heater, a propane dryer. We had a propane refrigerator, but it developed a gas leak so now it is a fancy ice box. We buy ice for it during the warmer months and during winter we pack snow and ice in from outside. Primitive? Maybe, but it works for us. Our only source of heat is wood.

Ideally solar, wind and water generated sources of electricity would be the way to go. That would be complete self sufficient and environmentally friendly to boot. But right now it isn’t an option for us. So we charge our batteries by generator, but to minimize the gas needed and damage to the environment, we make sure we do other things at the same time. Like laundry, charging rechargeable household batteries, cell phones, that kind of thing. We will often use the time to watch a movie while doing laundry, or type an article about living off the grid.

For my household, it’s about coming home, flipping a switch and having the lights come on. Propane lights are wonderful, but the produce heat. Fine in winter, not so fine in summer. So we go with the 12 volt. with lanterns (both Aladdin and regular oil lamps as back up for those rare times when we throw the switch and the lights DON’T come on). It works for us. And that’s what makes it right for us.

I fell into this house. Living off the grid was a life long dream for me but I had no experience what so ever with it. So I learn as I go. I think a lot of people start out this way, by accident maybe. The house is cheap, or land is cheap but there is no electricity to it and folks build any way. That makes every off the grid experience unique to every household doing it.

It would be nice to have all of the solar panels, wind generators, hydroelectric plants; to me that would be the ultimate! But we are a low income household, as I think the majority of folks living like this are, so we do this off the grid thing in a way that we can afford and in a way that works for us. I no longer think there is a “right” way to do it. I think the way that makes a comfortable life with minimal damage and maximum self sufficiency possible for your household IS the right way. At least it’s a start.

When the power goes out for our neighbors, it has absolutely no effect on us. We never lose power, we are always warm, we almost always have hot water. The lights are on AND somebody’s home! So if you have the opportunity to take the plunge but you are not sure you can do it the right way, there is no right way. There is only what works for you. Good luck! It’s a great way to live.”

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