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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 15:39
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1. Using electric
2. Water must be carried into the cabin (non potable)
3. Will get below freezing in winter...maybe 10 below max.
4. Weekend use only.
5. Will have shower and sink.
And go!
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 18:42
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what and were is the water source
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 18:59
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Right...rain barrel 55 gallon
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 19:15
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off grid or on grid
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Just
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 20:01
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frost protected 12 v system
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 20:27
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Do you plan on drinking or cooking with any of this water? If you're bringing bottled water out there with you each trip you might be tempted to use the rain barrel water if you run out of town water. I would probably consider adding a UV light to kill any pathogens at minimum.
Also, few people consider that one on the ways pathogens can get into your body is through the mist they breathe in while showering. You might want to test the water occasionally and treat all of it with UV.
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 20:33
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On grid electric. We'll just be showering and doing some dishes with the rain barrel water. Otherwise we'll be using bottled water to drink. The two major components I'm struggling with are the water heater and pump. I'll be using electric for both but don't know what's best for my situation.
Thanks!
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 3 Oct 2016 20:45 - Edited by: bldginsp
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1- install a first flush diverter and quality gutter filters on the roof collection system to minimize the amount of bacteria and particulates that get collected.
2-get a backhoe out there, dig a hole and bury the largest water tank you can afford. Burying is the only way to prevent freezing in cold climates.
3-carefully design all your piping so that it is easy to drain when you leave. As soon as the cabin cools after you leave, any pipes, water heaters, and shower valves with water in them will freeze and possibly burst.
4-instal a jet pump and pressure tank inside the house where they will be kept warm while you are there. The pipe from the tank to the house must be below frost level until it gets under the house. Use heat tape where the pipe comes out of the ground under the house.
5-Instal an interior on demand propane water heater with a proper flu, make sure you get one that has a drain valve. Electric on demand water heaters are also available, but use a lot of wattage.
6-have a small compressor on hand and attach a fitting to the piping system so you can blow it out after it drains, to be sure.
7-get a berkey type water filter to use in case you run out of bottled water.
Alternatively, set up a system whereby you can put propylene glycol antifreeze into the piping system when you leave. It's edible so it won't harm anything.
Always put PG antifreeze into the toilet, shower, and sink traps before you leave.
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 17:02
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Thanks all!
One other thing I failed to mention is the location. The cabin sits on a shelf of sorts. There isn't any room to dig or even get equipment up the narrow drive. It's a drop off on one side and a very steep upward slope on the other. I'd love to have a cistern but unless it's dug by hand...it's not happening. In the winter, I may not be able to have water 
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 17:25
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Water tank inside a well insulated closet that is heated by heat tape connected to solar?
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sparky30_06
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 17:43
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Seeing that you have electricity you could build a well house that would hold the tank and pump. I'd install 2 electric heaters with the t stats set to different temps, so you have a back up unit. We had several well boxes set up like this on the farm. We actually used 100 watt light bulbs for years to keep them from freezing but have now switched to milk house heaters or wall mount forced air ones
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 18:42
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Anyone use a 110 small hot water tank?
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 20:16
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One thing I never see is a discussion about how to properly insulated the underground supply pipe once it's above ground and underneath the cabin.
I know that electrical tape is available to wrap around the pipe to keep it from freezing but what should be wrapped around that to hold the heat against the pipe rather than dissipate into the cold air? Should you build an insulated box between the underside of the cabin floor to the ground (or below) or perhaps put the supply water pipe and tape inside a larger pipe and spray foam the cavity?
It seems there's not much protection to the pipe between the ground and the cabin.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 4 Oct 2016 21:22 - Edited by: darz5150
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Quoting: Smawgunner Anyone use a 110 small hot water tank?
Yes. Did have a 12 gallon, just replaced it with a titan 10 gallon. I ran the power though a heavy duty light switch. Only turn it on in the morning and sometimes in the early evenings. Saves $ on the electric bill. Also I turned the thermostat up a few degrees to compensate for its small capacity.
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Thelar
Member
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# Posted: 5 Oct 2016 10:37
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I use a 12 gallon hot water tank at my camp. I pull the water up from the lake and use a filter and check valve before it gets to the pump. Works great. It provides enough hot water for quick showers for the four of us.
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SE Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 7 Oct 2016 16:52 - Edited by: SE Ohio
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My approach is a bit different. I hand pump water into a 3 gallon stainless tank, and heat this on the stove to a nice shower temp. I drop in a small electric bilge pump with tubing to a low-flow shower head, in like 1 gpm. I can then take a 3 minute shower, which is plenty if you can switch on/off to lather and rinse.
The bilge pump and pitcher pump are self-draining, so freeze friendly (remove bilge pump from tank). I also use freeze-friendly rubber sink traps. When I leave the cabin in winter, my "winterizing" is turning off the lights, setting the alarm, and locking the doors. No draining pipes, pouring antifreeze, etc.
I do need to upgrade to an underground tank, using rain barrels and treating water with Clorox (we bring drinking water). I think I'll get the wife a shovel for Christmas 
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