Category Archives: -Chronological Recent Posts

Solar Pool Heat

Posted on May 25, 2020 by ellen

Everything takes time and money. The solar pool heat project is no different. I have put together a system based on the old copper collector and a new stainless steel heat exchanger. This is the system design. I purchased a … Continue reading →

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Log Trim

Posted on May 30, 2020 by ellen

The house is coming along enough that when I cleaned up the mud room for spring, I started decorating it. I have been collecting logs for trim for a few years. I purchased old log beds and railings to repurpose … Continue reading →

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Solar Pool Set Up

Posted on June 7, 2020 by ellen

The extra parts arrived and all of the piping was finally connected with minimal leaks. Not without several issues however.I had the bypass valve assembly ready to install. Unfortunately the plastic that the reducers were made from did not hold … Continue reading →

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Family Bathroom Door

Posted on June 8, 2020 by ellen

We have been using a curtain in the doorway of the family bathroom since the interior was completed. It provided enough privacy and it was adequate coverage for the building inspection. The plan was to install a rustic door in … Continue reading →

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Master Bedroom Barn Doors

Posted on June 9, 2020 by ellen

The master bedroom also had a curtain instead of a door since we had guests who needed privacy. Due to my brother’s help and because I completed the family bath door, it was time to try to install barn doors … Continue reading →

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Interesting Design Detail

Posted on June 23, 2020 by ellen

I have had to seek some unusual solutions to some unique spaces in our house. The opening in the partial “attic loft” in the family room bathroom was a difficult one to cover. Originally I thought it could use sliding … Continue reading →

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Vinyl Lattice Floor for Inflatable Boat

Posted on June 24, 2020 by ellen

Some time ago I picked up a pile of vinyl lattice edging at the Repurposed Materials auction. I had in mind to use the single edge caps to frame the glass for the trombe wall. I’m still hoping they can … Continue reading →

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Fixing Leaks in Pool Plumbing

Posted on July 2, 2020 by ellen

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the pool plumbing. I’ve had a couple of pipe blow offs including one that moved a lot of water out of the pool. Each one of these threaded pipes blew apart when … Continue reading →

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Buried Pool Power

Posted on July 3, 2020 by ellen

When I applied for a permit for the pool the requirement was to have a separate 20 amp GFCI line for it. The electricians installed that back in 2016. I have been using a long extension cord for the pool … Continue reading →

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Green Roof?

Posted on July 6, 2020 by ellen

I’m waiting for Tesla to install solar roof tiles. The project is at the Xcel power company application stage. The permit from the city was granted. We decided to upgrade the roof to solar tiles the day the president announced … Continue reading →

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From Tesla Solar Panels to Solar Roof

Posted on July 12, 2020 by ellen

When the new glass roof tiles from Tesla were in the media, I was intrigued because we eventually needed a new roof and we live in the Hail Alley of Colorado which means hail is frequent and often damages roofs. … Continue reading →

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Tesla Solar Roof

Posted on July 15, 2020 by ellen

The Tesla solar roof is made from tempered glass. Advertising mentions quartz glass which is a form of tempered glass, the other form is silica although the terms are used interchangeably. The product is called Solarglass and is textured. Last … Continue reading →

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Finally Repairing the Spa

Posted on August 26, 2020 by ellen

The story of the new spa equipment is a sad one. I unfortunately wired the first shipment of a new controller box incorrectly and blew out all the 110 volt connections by sending 220 to them. I sent everything back … Continue reading →

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A New Porch in Spencer

Posted on September 23, 2020 by ellen

We built our first energy efficient house in the early 1980’s on 40 acres in the countryside outside of Spencer, Indiana. We have owned the property for over 40 years. But we recently decided that we should sell. This photo … Continue reading →

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Fixed the Spa

Posted on October 11, 2020 by ellen

We are finally enjoying the spa again. It broke on January first and here we are in fall and it is back online. After installing the new Megatrol equipment, I had to wait for the new controller to get the … Continue reading →

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Packing the Pool

Posted on October 11, 2020 by ellen

I also packed the pool up for the winter. We had fun using it this summer with its jerry-rigged solar heater. But after reading the advice for and against I decided to take it down for the winter. We were … Continue reading →

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Filters and Boiler Maintenance

Posted on October 18, 2020 by ellen

Fall is falling and some quick chores were completed. We have a Campbell filter on the whole house water supply. It takes a double charcoal filter and it relatively easy to change as long as the water turn off is … Continue reading →

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