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BadgersHollow
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2020 02:14pm
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I've posted here a bit as Badgers Hollow. I have 5 acres with a bunkhouse by Crater Lake, OR. I have mentioned that getting into remote and recreational property has led me into a journey of buying, fixing, and flipping little parcels. I was able to pay cash for 5 acres near Dot Lake, AK last winter. I worked the ground, improved access and the view over the summer, and now have sold it.
This sale has led me to the end game in terms of flipping to a forever cabin in the same area. 16 acres, 720 square foot log cabin with solar. There's no well, so I have to haul water in. But, this seems to be the norm for cabin life below zero. I'll have views of the Alaska range. It's the culmination of labor and effort to achieve a dream.
Cabin
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Cabin
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View of AK range
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2020 03:35pm
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Wow, fantastic, get good fire break and that place will last a lifetime and beyond. Nice work
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BadgersHollow
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2020 04:36pm
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There's a BandB where I can shower 10 miles down the road for 2 bucks. She will let me fill a water tank too for cheap. I'm going to have to research more about what off grid folk do for water in -32 weather.
Wood stove
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Shed
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Strong foundation
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Gary O
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2020 03:37am
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Nicely done, Badge, nicely done
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2020 08:17am - Edited by: silverwaterlady
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I can tell you what my Husband did for water in the wintertime when he was a little boy living in Northern Ontario.
It was his responsibility to get water for a household of five. A hole chopped through the ice, a pail on a rope, two cream cans on a sled. Dad was away during WW2.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2020 08:30am
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Quoting: BadgersHollow I'm going to have to research more about what off grid folk do for water in -32 weather.
Livestock well, DC voltage, run it with solar and no sun, run with transformer off Honda generator. Put an internal leak in plastic pipe below frost level, this will allow water to bleed off to that point when well is off. May have to add a heat tape on pipe above frost line on those real cold days. But this does require a well.
A livesotck well has no pressure tank etc, just turn pump on, water flows out of well cap.
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 11 Jan 2020 09:43am
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In our area here in CO.... where it do get cold (2* F as I write this!) most places have put their water tanks under the home.... they use the same foam forms it appears you did... and they find it never gets below 32*, and usually never below about 45* under there so water doesn't freeze. Like you, we all haul water from a community spring, most haul in 55 - 125 gallon tanks and pump through a pipe coming from the under cabin tank to the outside. Works quite well. They do not insulate under the floors so heat can transfer through to under the cabin. That said one neighbor here claims his under cabin temps even without heat in the cabin do not drop below freezing because of being dug in below frost line... so earth heat.
Our place unfortunately is on piers with just a sheet metal skirting. We put a 50 gallon tank in the loft and pump from 7 gallon totes up to that tank with a Shurflo pump. As I said in a separate post we are going go revise this and use a 55 gallon barrel next year on a sled and pump from outside up to our tanks (adding another 55 gallon tank for toilet and hot water.)
If you didn't put a tank under the cabin.... dang! Missed opportunity!
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2020 12:56pm
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Quoting: BadgersHollow I'm going to have to research more about what off grid folk do for water in -32 weather.
If you have a nearby source of surface water, chainsaw a hole in the ice and get water from that. To minimize future ice cutting, place foam board over the hole.
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2020 12:57pm
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Oh, and pretty nice place. Love the burl posts.
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BadgersHollow
Member
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# Posted: 12 Jan 2020 08:11pm
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The Tanana and Robertson are 1.5 miles away. I have a couple streams that are close but get freeze hard.
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justincasei812
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 11:19am
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Nice place BadgersHollow, that is a dream!
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 14 Jan 2020 11:20am
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Quoting: BadgersHollow I'm going to have to research more about what off grid folk do for water in -32 weather.
They bury a 3000 gallon plastic ribbed cistern, install rain harvesting first flush device, capture rainfall in the warm months and have water year round.
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BadgersHollow
Member
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# Posted: 15 Jan 2020 11:49pm
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I will definitely look into these tips. Some folks were telling me you can't bury a tank deep enough up there. I'm in the interior, west of Tok and southeast of Delta Junction. It gets -50 here routinely in the winter.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2020 05:27am
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Contact these folks..
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2020 08:47am
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Hello Badger, welcome to Alaska. A buried water tank will freeze. For potable water you your going to have to carry it in. Maybe a sand point but lots of rock there. I hope you get some time to spend at your new cabin.
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NorthRick
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# Posted: 16 Jan 2020 01:51pm
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Quoting: BadgersHollow I will definitely look into these tips. Some folks were telling me you can't bury a tank deep enough up there. I'm in the interior, west of Tok and southeast of Delta Junction. It gets -50 here routinely in the winter.
Do you know if you are on permafrost? If so, then burying a water tank won't work. If not, you can probably make it work if you bury it deep and put insulation over top the tank before backfilling.
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Alaskajohn
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# Posted: 22 Jan 2020 08:28am
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I recommend contacting the cooperative extension as recommended above. This is what they do for a living. I still have issues with the cold and water freezing, but it’s manageable.
Your area is famous for agriculture with excellent summer growing seasons, so if you want to grow some produce, you are likely to be productive.
Good luck on everything!
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