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gcrank1
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2023 17:37 - Edited by: gcrank1
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Logs (ours milled) arent easy to change up wiring so I need to get this order right before build; ie, all wiring has to pretty much run though pre-drilled or routed holes in the logs.
Btw, all off grid, no elec inspection required, will be 120vac from my bat/1kw inv or 2kw gen, 2x 15a circuits via breaker/discon box. We have modest needs for this 12.5x28 open space.
Pretty sure I know most of what I need, some of what I think I want, but would like some input from those of you who have btdt about:
What have you done that you wish you had done differently or not at all?
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Brettny
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2023 18:04
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What I did/am doing is a 15a circuit and a single outlet in each bed room in a place where a window AC can be plugged in. The kitchen gets a 20a circuit for above the counter. The fridge/ microwave get another 15a circuit. The living room gets another 15a circuit. Then the bathroom gets a 20a circuit that also powers a outlet on the porch. All lighting is 12v but I may end up doing 120v living room lights. I believe I have a 12/24 circuit main pannel.
I have a 1500sqft house and a nearly full 40 space main pannel. I rewired this whole house..I never use extension cords or wish I had less circuits. Aka you can never put to many in. However in our cabin the needs are alot less and we have studded walls and will have a dedicated circuit in each to pull from if needed.
Even though prices are up I bet you could wire that building to code(nys) for under $500. Romex isnt a huge expense and plastic boxes and outlets are dirt cheap. I wouldnt use another metal box if sold in plastic. No ground pig tail needed.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2023 18:06
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I know you are Power Frugal and your needs are not high but things change. We've all had teh infamous "Should'a, Could'a, Would'a" moments and of course the olds "I wish I'd have thought of that when I was doing it, damn it" (insert assorted self-abusive terms).
My suggestion is to make sure you have enough wall plugs in every space, used or covered or whatever. Run a separate light circuit so if plugs go out, you have light, if light goes out, you have lamp...
You can have 5x15A circuits if you want BUT you are limited to what you can provide. So if all you can provide is 120V/20A that's all you can use, regardless of where it is on the circuit panel.
Right now, I am pulling 12.2A off battery @ 25.9V and using 120V/2.45A in my house.
That includes:
On-Demand Radiant Heater & Pump,
1 LED light, Coffee Maker / Microwave LED displays, Wall Wart 12V for Sparette Toilet,
1 Sat Modem, 1 Router, Mini-PC (HP EliteDesk), 47" LED Screen,
last but not least my phone charger.
Frugal is relative...
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travellerw
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# Posted: 19 Dec 2023 18:50
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Even though I didn't get inspected I followed code %100. Code isn't just about safety, it includes lessons learned over the last 100 years. Things like how many outlets on a wall, light switch locations, extra power in kitchens... ect. ect. Some of it makes good sense (just don't get me started on arc fault breakers though).
That would be my advice (buy once, cry once).
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paulz
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# Posted: 20 Dec 2023 09:11 - Edited by: paulz
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Quoting: gcrank1 What have you done that you wish you had done differently or not at all?
My place is a bit of a hodge/podge of a decade of electrical adds and changes. A few mentions:
Solar/generator power enter cabin in front corner. Battery bank/charge controller/inverter/DC switch panel/fuses etc. on other side of that wall same corner. Wiring to bed/kitchen/bathroom/wall heater/wood stove fans run down back wall, no wiring above front or side doors.
Box with AC/DC outlets located outside in same spot. Power outside lights, vehicle chargers, cameras, tools as needed.
Water pump located under bathroom floor where plumbing enters the cabin. Only under floor wires. Switch located on bathroom wall.
Wires to ceiling fan with lights only wires in ceiling.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 11:49 - Edited by: gcrank1
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Had a thought last night so I went 'shopping online' for rechargeable led lighting. Wow, lots out there now I wasnt aware of.
Among many I found some usb recharge/self contained sconce lights c/w remote, dif levels of 'warmth' and intensity so 'tunable' for use and length of run time. Plus they use magnet mount to attach, just pop off to recharge.
NO hard wiring! And I have usb charging in my bat-bank set up. Im thinking this concept could solve a lot of my 'how to wire logs walls for light' issues.
There are also some 'emergency E-26 (std) base bulbs' that fit std 120vac sockets, '15w', that work like a regular led bulb, but when power goes out they run off the kept charged internal battery! They can also be moved about independently and hung anywhere with the inc screw-on hook base. I can see possibilities! And I dont mind a little 'rotating to charge' maintenance for the ease of placement.
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909
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 11:55
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I use something like that for my shower light. USB. Rechargeable.
I do regret not putting a 3 way light switch next to the bed, tied to the one at the front door , that controls all the lights.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 13:05
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I assume because you could control the lighting from there; could be useful in the middle of the night?
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darz5150
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 13:38
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Here's a couple that we use. The little bulb ones run or recharge off USB. Really handy to move around if needed. We hang them on the sunbrella at nite.
Under cab and E26 base
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Little USB bulb
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paulz
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 19:34
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We have motion detection leds, usb powered, one in the kitchen area and another in the bathroom. Nice, no fumbling around for switches in the dark.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 19:45
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Paulz, can you post where you got them?
The only ones we have with a motion detector are outside solar ones. It would be handy to have one in the bathroom.
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paulz
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 20:18
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Yea, they are outside, solar powered originally. I cut the power connectors off and rewired to usb, works great and keeps 3.7v battery charged in case its needed. Been that way a long time.
Probly from Harbor Freight, years ago but sure they still have them. Bunker Hill.
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darz5150
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# Posted: 23 Dec 2023 20:47 - Edited by: darz5150
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Thanks. I've got a couple older ones that the batteries are getting a little weak. Maybe I will pop them apart, and see what I can do. 
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Brettny
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 06:56
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Are you wireing a cabin that's alreaty built?
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 07:47
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We did a house sit that had these rechargeables going down the stairs. Red light was nice at night and gave enough light to see the stairs well.
I don’t need them at my cottage but might get a couple for when we have guests going to the bathroom
https://www.amazon.com/Bestendony-Rechargeable-Wireless-Lighting-Bathroom/dp/B0B758K7 7P
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paulz
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 09:18
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Best feature of the motion detection lights is they turn off automatically. Nothing worse than crawling back into bed and realizing you forgot to turn the bathroom light off!
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Nobadays
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 09:55
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We use THESE nightlight at the city house and the cabin. No need to replace batteries.
Gcrank1... my two cents, sense it's a new build wire it to code with an abundance of outlets and as someone else mentioned, receptacles and lights on different circuits. Nothing worse than blowing a breaker and the lights are out too.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 11:11
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Over the past couple of years I have designed my off grid system set up to be easily be transferable to the new cabin via a 30amp RV power inlet I will re-install into the new wall.
That inputs the gen power to the internal auto-transfer switch; normally the cabin runs on the inverted bat-bank but whenever the gen is plugged in it auto switches as pass-through power for everything on two circuits. That can also run an AC bat charger whenever the gen runs (all charge amps is good amps).
Pretty close to plug & play to the inside wiring 
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 18:30
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Brett, it is a new build to order, milled log, 12.5'x28' cabin. They have to drill the logs in the build for the wire runs so I have to have them defined. Im aware of the code 6/12 rule.
There is a routed wire chase around the inside perimeter logs to be covered with the base trim; drilled up from there for each outlet.
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909
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# Posted: 24 Dec 2023 22:49
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Quoting: gcrank1 ... could be useful in the middle of the night?
Exactly 100% .
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2023 08:20
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Quoting: gcrank1 Logs (ours milled) arent easy to change up wiring so I need to get this order right before build; ie, all wiring has to pretty much run though pre-drilled or routed holes in the logs.
I would figure lighting and lighting switches and high outlets for kitchen counter.
But for all the low floor outlets, you could come up from the crawlspace up into a box protected by conduit. Keep them very low.
Wiring can be installed in the valleys between logs and be hidden under chinking. A router to carve out a box hole then drill from log valley into box well. Have power panel in a specific spot with easy access to below floor and above ceiling etc.
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Brettny
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2023 08:41
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Quoting: gcrank1 Brett, it is a new build to order, milled log, 12.5'x28' cabin. They have to drill the logs in the build for the wire runs so I have to have them defined. Im aware of the code 6/12 rule. There is a routed wire chase around the inside perimeter logs to be covered with the base trim; drilled up from there for each outlet.
There must be a way to drill up/down into that base chase.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 26 Dec 2023 11:53 - Edited by: gcrank1
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Yes, straight down from the next one/two/three above as you build the wall is the accepted method. Then purge the chips as you go so they dont plug up below. Labor intensive and fraught with potential error, or so Ive been reading online. Some electricians avoid any more after the first one, others bid 3-4x normal to avoid losing their shirt.
Our logs are milled, the inside has no 'valley' and is the finished wall surface, the top and bottom gasketed t&g; outside is chinked (hd syn product), tidy and tight.
No real crawl space,,def no basement, to work from below.
im thinking of asking for another routed chase on the top wall log (the whole perimeter) with a couple vert drilled chases from the bottom perimeter chase. With that I can get lighting wiring to the rafter cross tie beams and a couple switches.
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snobdds
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2023 00:06
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I wired it just like a house. Complete with a 100 Amp panel, and 3 breakers being used. Lol...
Why? Insurance.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2023 07:47
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Do you feed the service panel with the Bluetti?
If so, just how?
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travellerw
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2023 11:51
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Quoting: snobdds I wired it just like a house. Complete with a 100 Amp panel, and 3 breakers being used. Lol... Why? Insurance.
Mine is very similar. Originally I fed the panel with a 30A RV cord out to a generator. Everything is buried now with an auto switcher between the solar powered inverter and generator.
If I was going to feed from a power station, I would just use a 30A or 50A RV cord feeding the panel. That way the station still remains mobile and is easily unplugged. Make sure you run a grounding wire down to a properly set grounding rod.
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snobdds
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# Posted: 28 Dec 2023 12:06
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Quoting: gcrank1 Do you feed the service panel with the Bluetti? If so, just how?
I did use the standard 100amp wire to connect the panel. Then that runs to an outside box where it converts to a 110 plug. I can either plug in a generator or a cord to the bluetti.
If at some point I need more than my 3 breakers, I will put a larger plug for the generator or bluetti.
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