This Mistake Cost Us | Lesson Learned Installing Electric In Our Home Off-Grid
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- When building our own house off the grid we're bound to make mistakes, especially when building unconventionally with earthbags. I made an error that ended up stretching our budget more than anticipated.
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We are Jim and Jessica, a husband and wife team who made the leap from city life to an off-grid homestead in Southern Arizona. We've started this lifestyle equipped only with two Permaculture Design Certificates and a whole lot of determination.
We’d like to share our journey of starting a sustainable homestead from scratch with all its ups, downs, and lessons learned. Watch us take on the challenge of modern homesteading, off-grid life, and turning this barren piece of land into a desert oasis.
#greendreamproject #offgrid #earthbag
Nothing ventured nothing gained is a saying for a reason. Don’t be SO hard on yourself. Now you know going forward, now you HAVE the knowledge from experience. That’s priceless. At least you are willing to try!!!!
Your conversation about marriage pushing and pulling, made me cry lost my sweetheart and remembering how we were about the same pushing and pulling and little arguing. No need for feeling sorry for my lost he is in a better place. I will be with him one day.
❤️
Oh man, my heart sank watching this, knowing it was already too late to warn you. Looks like you guys made it through well enough though. I have some recommendation for the future.
-Your wire fill shouldn't exceed 40% of the piping. If the pipe is too full it can build up too much heat in the pipes and cause damage over time.
-Installing LBs at both ends before going into the buildings, like you did on the dome end.
-Try to prevent having more that 360 degrees of bends between junctions. Personally I try not to go over 270 degrees.
-Feeding 2 or 3 pull strings while your building your conduit run, instead of using a fish tape afterwards.
I really enjoy your videos and I'm jealous of your incredible ability to stay positive. You two are amazing. Keep up the great work.
YES,TO ALL
Yes, I was thinking exactly the same, especially when it came to the pull. So, I'll just add my 2 cents worth to your advice.
NEVER remove wire from the side of a spool. Put the spools onto a pipe and unroll the wire straight off the spools, while inserting the bundle directly into the conduit, without crossing the strands.
Every time you pull off one diameter's length from the side of a spool, you are twisting the wire by 360 degrees, creating coils. With individual strands of solid core, that soon becomes a tangled mess. The wires will cross over each other and increase the diameter of the bundle.
EDIT: Glad to see they figured it out (close enough, anyway)
BR😎
I think you should have added a run of magnet/metal detector tape on top of you conduct, so the conduct can be found.
@@bcase5328 In AZ, the government provides a free "Blue Stake" service to locate underground electrical cables and mark their locations, prior to digging.
Most typical metal detectors can do the same. No special detection tape required.
The live cables are already surrounded by an electromagnetic field.
While watching them try both times i was saying to my partner how they should only pass a couple of cables at a time with a spare pull string each time so there's always a string to pull. They learn the hard way.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you learn. So glad you got it done before the rain came.
I was grunting and straining with you Jim, even though I was just sitting and watching... hope it helped!😄
It did!😀
I love your channel! I have a suggestion for when you run the wire to the next dome. Consider avoiding 90 degree turns. Use the more gradual turns as well as 2 inch conduit. I saw that solution on one of the Tube Tube channels I follow. I’ll try to figure out which one and let you know. What a struggle! I’m eager to see the power on!!!
I like the little bit of shouting that makes it healthy. You've done wonders you two thank you for all your videos .
I loved it when she giggled and smiled a little bit at the end of the video it was pretty cool, she’s usually so humble and quiet.
♥️🌹😂 Jim and Jess are becoming, “The Little House on The Prairie”, you two are so awesome together! What a lovely team!♥️❤️🌹🌹
Jess is so intuitive, and so attractive, I love her creative sensibility, and Jim forever up to mischief while he works and plays! I could watch Jess’s emotional expressions all day, lol, when she smiles it’s like the sun coming out! Hee, hee, Jim always trying to get that Sun to come out!😂
Hang in there Jim, don’t beat yourself up! You’ve accomplished so much already. There are better days ahead!
Two hard working people getting it done , good job .
You have a beautiful smile Jessica, keep smiling. The world needs more smilings.
Never seen anybody pull a main line with a tape. Always with an appropriate sized rope. Rope in, pull through with the tape, rope connected to wires, rope pulled. Happy wires ✌️ or string connected to shopping bag, shopping bag sucked through pipe with Shop-Vac, string attached to rope, string pulls rope through, rope pull's wire through. happy wire ✌️ keep on keeping on 🏠
Glad you got and your wife is such a wonderful person and a great helper
Great commitment to getting that wire through. The saying is that you live and you learn, and we all do. But the trick is that we never give up. But the best bit is that you always keep smiling. X
I pull the wire through each section as I glue each section
I do the same.
Do not do that. You will get the wired glued to the pipe won't be able to replace it or add wire too it.
@@zolowzurkon2533 hmm I have been doing it that way for 40+ years without issues
@@timerickson7056 That is funny 40years? So in 40 years you never decided to use pull string and a vacuum or use CO2? So your telling me 40 years of never learning how to do things you just stayed an amateur?
@@timerickson7056 what I said is 100% fact I will bet you anything you want we can get it notarized what ever you want to do I guarantee you I am right.
Menard’s has EVERYTHING! 👍🏻
I’m so glad you beat the rain.
You two kick a$$.
Send these hard working studious folks some supports to handle the bump on this worthy and frugal project.!..enjoy the content! its not too much to ask if those who can, make a difference
I love your honesty, there isn't enough of that in the world today. God be with you
Watching this vid, I was ready to chime in with my advice. No need. Others have already said what I was going to say. You two are doing a great job building your own home and showing us how to do it at the same time. Much respect for your hard work. Really enjoy watching, and thank you for sharing!
it would truly only be a mistake if you dint learn any thing . i think you done just fine . we all make mistakes in life its how we come back from them that defines who we are as people . work safe with that electricity buddy .
You could of put another pipe in next to the other so you had two smaller ones. Also you could of even left the first pipe in the ground to run other cable later on. like internet or sound or TV cable. Next time don't do a long run at one time Cut the pipe in the middle and pull half at a time it is a lot easer.
Thought: Put some kind of marking to show where the underground wires are, in case some future needs depends upon where those wires are at. (Planning for the future).
(Buried Cables).
For a non-tradesman, you did great! Just remember - only one ground wire per conduit run - always. Just size the ground wire properly. 👍
So good to see both of you conquer the obstacles in front of you.
Future reference they also sell wire lube to help the friction of the wires or rub the wires with dish soap while you start into the conduit.
We use that in this video
@@ourselfreliantlife ok must os skipped that part😁😁
I've seen wire pulls make enemies of friends - for a little while. And a lot of electricians get wire fill charts wrong, too. It happens! But you nailed it perfectly when talking about the unseen bias/pressure that trying to save money puts on our thinking process.
I've been there, as well.
One tip for the future: when using pvc pipe, pull away from the highest concentrations of elbows, not towards them. This avoids a few catastrophes that could possibly happen. Also, where you hit the dirt outside of the structures, using 45's would have saved your back and hands.
But you got it done! It's another check in the WIN column.
Truly think you guys are a BEAUTIFUL couple! 💕
I will almost grunting with you two watching you pulling the wire. Good to see you getting it done.
I keep looking at it.. I honestly can't see any other options. When someone works really hard it feels wrong to be critical.. so good job..
Soft sweep connects where you make turns 90s are hard to pull through
Good evening to my favorite dirtbag couple. All you can do is try and if it doesn't work the first time figure out why and correct and keep moving forward. And alway remember this is getting you one step closer to moving into your amazing home.
Wow, so proud of u!!! We all learn thru mistakes!!! U guys have taught so many people to never give up!! Your will and dedication is so inspiring!!!! Amazing!!!
I'm proud of you guy's!🙃😏 take care ~batton down the hatches as needed have a great evening ❤👍🤗
Yeah, it's best to not beat yourself up. With the amount of work you have to do on this homestead and build, you're bound to make many mistakes along the way. Even the pros make mistakes. Keep it up like you have been! God bless!
Omg you filmed the blue scale quail!!!! I knew that’s what I had been hearing in your videos 😊
Yep it's very easy to make that mistake of too small conduit Jim . Your not the first one,
Don't be so hard on yourself. Where some people give up, you got it done. Love you guys. Keep up the great work.
Hello! As to Menards, I was a life long resident of Illinois and shopping at Menards was a given. I am now living in New England and there is no Menards or other Menard-like store and it was quite an adjustment. After 10 plus years, I still occasionally pull up their website just to look. Otherwise, once again, I watch all of your videos and have learned a lot from you and have also yelled at you because I do some things differently--maybe not right, but differently and easier (maybe not). You are doing fantastic and should be very proud of what you have accomplished. May God bless you and give you the knowledge and strength to complete your work.
I love you two…so glad to see you two laughing together!
First you find the woman, then you build the house, then you get the power. I see where this is going Jim. Keep up the awesome work you two. 👏
Much easier to have laid the wire out to see the size pipe you needed then push the wire through each section at a time instead of trying to pull it through all of it at once. Either way you got it done. Stay safe and good luck.
Thanks CB!
Yes push the pipe over the wire as you lay it. Could have used the 1 in then.
That method is not as required in NEC.
Funny story...a couple days after you guys were here, I texted my friend Veda (who told me about your channel a few years ago) and she said you picked up wire at their house, too! And you're welcome. 😊
That's wild! I didn't know you knew each other. Too funny.
At least you didn’t have to pay for more wire!!! Great job guys looking good !
This was a nice video folks. The music selection in particular was really lovely.
The used conduit can be used for other projects, so don’t feel to disappointed.
I was going to say the same but decide to look through the comments first. 👍 Ya beat me to it. Lol
i sang the next part for you 😂 You both are pretty amazing. what you accomplish boggles my mind. you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You are allowed to miscalculate every once and awhile. Once the house is finished and the building is a distant memory this will be one of those remember how we stories, and it will be a fond one that makes the end result even sweeter. I think the overcoming is actually the important part of life. It's not the wins that define, it's the overcoming the obstacles. much love to you both.
The strength of a good man... take life's knocks on the chin, dust yourself off and do it better. Great stuff you two. I am proud of you🥰💕🙏
I love your positivity and can-do attitude.
Jim it's not a total loss you can cut and reuse 1" conduit some we here else 😁🤞
Suggestion….when digging a trench like you did, keep the spoils close to the trench edge. Much easier to backfill.
Thanks you both for you honesty. You've saved some of us from making future mistakes.
I've got a lot of fond memories about Menards, built a 5280 squ foot house from them
I love your happy endings. Save the pipe, it will be handy later.
Ditto the heat. We hit 100 in Atlanta this week. Everything is looking great!!!!
Another major step completed. Excellent!!! Looking great guys. Keep it up.
Why are you using the fish wire when you could feed the wires through the pipes when assembling the lines?
The glue could possibly degrade the wires.
You should add another conduit in the trench even with nothing in it. On account of the fact digging the trench is the most labor
LOL when you said how's the rest of that song go? I was singing, "I get knocked down and I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down.... Pissing the night away.... Pissing the night away... " 🤣😂
In the end it always get right. We use here special cable that can be used in the ground. It is screened with steel, and flexible plastic. Much more easy. But sometimes i think at your place they have other regulations. Nice job! And done it all by your selves. Be proud!
I promised the Hughes's over at Anchor Brand Ranch that I would summon the rain for them this year. I hope you don't get flooded out.
A little late, but my brother and I did that from his house to his shop, and we laid out the wire on the grass beside the trench and pulled it through the conduit one section at a time and glued them together afterward. Glad y'all got it before the rains! 👍🏻👍🏻
Can you use the pipes you took out for other things? A water thingy for the chickens? Window rods.
I’m glad it all worked out for you.
Ready to see the plaster start on the house! 👍👍
Thanks for being real in these videos! Homesteading is not all candy and roses for sure! Way to keep going!
I'm not gonna join the chorus wondering why you didn't feed the wire before you did the joins (wire one section at a time) cause it must be a huge relief to have it done, BUT it might work reusing that small PVC when you hook up the other dome, or if you're gonna wire out to outbuildings. Yay being done!
Wow Jim, you'll need a new belt soon so you don't trip over that one around your waist. "Good Job Jim" and "Good Job Jess" your new titles, as you earned it. You are troopers. That should be your last name Jim and Jess Trooper. Ha Ha And let there be light, then lots of rain.
Fish tape is great and rigid and reliable, and yet my father taught us girls at a young age on one of his jobs ( being an architect contractor ) where you use a string and a shop vac to suck the guide string through to feed your wires…future food for thought…
That's how I do it. I'd also go with a size or two bigger on the pipe... Just makes the whole job so much easier.
A friend of mine gave me this advice many years ago. When running wire, adding a heavy duty "pull string" to the bundle will pay future dividends. With the string, if another wire is needed in the future, you can connect the wire to the string to pull it through. I have extra "pull strings" throughout my house. :)
Love how you energetically you get so happy to see the rain. I wanted to ask you about that tree, if I remember correctly it was Grandma or your father Jessica not sure as life goes on…🤷♀️🙏🏻💯🙏🏻💯🇦🇺
Geez you had me concern with costly well when I saw the house still standing, I said to myself it could not have been the house it is still there. So, your mistake was a flaw you jumped right on it and still shoveled the dirt in Jim. Living the LIFE of FREEDOM and Learning to the live the life should always be positive even to yourself. So happy for you both and Crew and your very simple lifestyle you both are creating. Jess, I have been meaning to say your hair has grown fast in this last year April to April. I too wear long hair, but I have the grandmother type hair now, it has not grown as fast as your hair did, still got it that is all that matters for me. Stay Strong you both you got this even with the bumps along the way. You both have great personalities; I truly look forward to your videos. thank you
Good job in overcoming the project. There is always easier ways but making things work takes imagination. As long as the job gets done.👍🙂
THUMBS up to this video!!!! I can't wait to see the light shining through the windows of the earth dome house at night. 🌙 👍👍👍👍👍🎆 Stay positive and POSITIVE!!!
Don't beat yourself up to much, we don't know everything from day one, we learn from making mistakes and studying from books or learning from those who have experience in the task we're trying to accomplish. Live & Learn. Never give up Never Surrender...
I hate being one of those 'Monday morning Quarterbacks' but, I'm just wondering why you ran so many ground wires? You only need 1 that's properly sized.
Hint: In the code book, the neutral wire = the grounDED conductor and the actual ground wire = the grounDING conductor.
You still did a great job though and worked your tails off, I love it.
Maybe they would have fit, if not for the superfluous green wires. Reading the regulations first, helps in the end.
So proud of you too you keep on rocking a stress is part of life enjoy it overcome it and deal with it you two got this
Maybe you will have need for the 1" later so it won't be a loss. Never know. Not always when we expect a blessing it will come. You took it in great strides and got it done before the rains. Love the smiles from you both. Makes a great end of day to have a job well done.
Awwwww. I'm so happy this worked out. My heart ached for you. Now...sweet, sweet smell of success! :)
I was gutted for you about the conduit and then happy that you both fixed it. I've pulled a lot of cable through conduit and could have offered my humble advice.
Hoi Jess and Jim, Terry Miles...('Keep your Face to the Sunshine ' 'And the shadows will all fall behind you' )i just do Hoi 👍😉🌞🤝😂
Fun video! We're excited for you. Great job making that work.
Congratulations on getting that job done!!! Whoot Whoot
We live and learn, don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s done now! ❤️🇬🇧
We can relate to making mistakes. IT all works out in the end. I hope! 🙏😃❤️ I have not heard of Menards. You’re closer to power! They can’t keep us down. Lol. 👍👍👍👍
That's right, no keeping us down. 😁
Menard's is a Midwest thing. Texans just wouldn't understand. 🤣👍
Oh man but then you felt better after you got it done. You two are awesome!! ❤
That Desert Willow is looking great! We sympathize with you on the cost vs effectiveness struggle. In trying to preserve our capital we also have gone cheaper on stuff that has bitten us, mostly equipment. But great job and good on ya' for keeping it real. You will know more than many professionals by the time your're done.
Another great job, good luck you both. Be safe.
Jess, when are you going to put the fancy black chickens in with the original chicken family? 🐔
I really look forward to your videos. You are always up to some crazy unique job. I love the interaction between you and how both of you react to your environment whether it’s dancing in the rain or ‘mulching’ trees with rocks.
We´ve run conduits, you should pass the wire through each part before conecting them together, much easier, shorter laps! We used 25 mm wire for our house, 2" pipe and we passed 2 by 2, that is 2 wires in one pipe, 2 in the other! (here we use 4 ways, 3 110V and one Neutral, the ground comes from nearer our building). Put an opening midway, that is a cement box, where you can push and pull also! In the next dome, pass a pipe beneath the first layer of bags, so you don't have electric coming up on the outside, only on the inside. You may put a second cement box near the entrance to the dome, so you have a much neater environment later. No ugly pipes appearing on the outside. I wish you luck on the building. I like to watch your videos. Learned a lot, and the views around are so different from our place, which is green and lush, with rains whole year round in Southern Brasil.
2 inch pipe would take all four, but not allow pulling any distance. One 3 inch would have worked easier.
Ha ha OlCrew said hey mom did you bring my snacks too!!!! Well on a good note at least you’re not a one hit wonder🤪
14:56 on 6/19/23. Jim, Marshall Dressel here. When I viewed you episode on pulling wire through conduit, it was already too late to share a hack I learned many years ago…if the is long (>10’) and the number of wires at max, pull them through one section of conduit at a time! This is time consuming but EASY! Once pulled, the new section is easily glued. You may need to use a Q-tip for the inner application. After the unpleasant episode with the failed long pull, you will, thankfully, never face such a bummer incident again. I’m the handyman for everything at our B&B, Sundara West. With A/C units, heated pool, lpg gas log fireplaces, etc, problems must solved usually same day or we have to cancel reservations. Waiting a month for any particular professional would put us out of business!
Feel free to call me for electrical, plumbing, construction, etc (medical included…yes, I’m a retired doctor and former Corps of Engineers officer, Medical Corps).
Best regards,
Marshall Dressel
406-890-9383
PS: I can’t always guarantee an immediate response…sometimes I actually come up with answers in my sleep. I on the spectrum. Like Temple Grandin, I think and dream in pictures. Like others on the Autism Spectrum, I quite often come up with solutions that get the response: “I never would have thought of that!”
A quick explanation: my mind works like a Mac while “normal” people are pc’s!
Pulling wire sucks for a living too lol. It may have been the hook, it's really an aquired skill to wrap it in such a way to stagger all the wires to not add too much bulk.
Don't be so hard on yourself , that how you learn. "Learn by your mistakes. Y'all are doing great
Jim with a shovel....déjà vu
The main thing is that you got it done. You can save that smaller conduit for use elsewhere, where you only need to run a few wires or smaller ones.
You did it!! I would not have even attempted it so...come on you took the time to research it and do it. So Pat yourself and Jessica on the back.
I took pictures of all the wiring before covering it up. It was helpful when hanging stuff later
I used to install telephone cables and we would use a fish tape too. We would attach rope to the end and pull it through. Then we would attach our cable to the rope and pull it through. Often we would also pull a string through with the cable in case we had to go back sometime in the future to add another cable or replace the existing one.
We left small nylon rope, tied to the boxes.
Very good work 👌 May God continue blessing you..💝💝💝💝🐮💝💝
How is it’s always been a pleasure for us to watch it
If this is your worst mistake no sweat!! Stay cool and spend that money ensuring safety always!!