HOT WATER FINALLY on our Off-Grid Homestead (and New Trees!)

Hi, we are Harriet and Mauro and in February 2021 we bought an abandoned smallholding in Castellón, Spain. In these videos we share our life as we restore and improve our little stone house, learn to grow and preserve our own food, and bring our 4 acres of farmland back to productivity.
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Music in this video:
Eternal Sunshine - Rymdklang Soundtracks 2
New Roots - Roy Edwin Williams
A Dance in the Sun - Erik Fernholm
Lake Michigan - Staffan Carlen
Second Wind - Northside
From EpidemicSound

[@annneusidl5794]

Good luck with your infertility progress. I was in your shoes many years ago. No one understands how it consumes life. Wishing you both well on that subject. Harriet, you are amazing girlfriend. The plumbing was a huge undertaking. Congratulations on HOT WATER. The projects are coming together. Best with Santi. He’s a tough baby. He keeps fighting the fight. Such a Blessing. Wishing everyone good health and prosperity.🥰

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Thank you ❤

[@suemartine5913]

Harriet I am amazed at your varied abilities. You know so many things. You must be very smart. I’m so glad Santi is better. He’s so adorable. It’s great that Mauro is better also. You are the strong one, never sick, always on the go. I wish you all well.

[@user-dw7ck9gk4k]

Harriet you are amazing you put your hand to everything. So happy Santi is better and Mauro’s checkup. 🙏 for your egg retrieval.

[@Annemarieke58]

Gee are you one strong woman. So much on you plate and still so positive and full of initiative. Chapeau.

[@deranocasper]

Hello great to see you going from strength to strength your diy skills are impressive and your baby family all doing well ❤ all the best from Ireland 💚🇮🇪👪

[@ginacrusco234]

I swear for a few seconds around 3:00 you look like you could be the eternal woman of the earth from any time period: carrying your baby in a sling, wearing loose and colorful clothing, and filling a wicker basket with the fruit of your land. How classic, how beautiful!

[@MauroGestoso]

Yours are always my favourite comments :)

[@joannecalcutt6724]

I love this channel, a good visual of your true day to day. The barter system of exchanging something you have excess of for something you need/want is soooo smart. Great video.

[@IRSA1]

You did it girl, well done ! Plumbing is far from east to get right. Sorry Santi ended up in hospital again, poor little mite. So glad he is being cared for by a competent medical team. Love the new ducks, together with the hens, they make such comforting sounds. The white mulberry trees look really promising and, as for the bum peach tree( that is what my daughter calls them !), I have never eaten a bum peach that was not delicious !

[@emmaanastasi6140]

It’s so cool to see your little household come together. Santi is so big already, I lost track of how long it’s been already since your videos about the delivery experience in Spain. Congrats on everything, especially now the hot water!

[@sadjaxx]

Santi is sooooo cute!

[@user-yq4rv9ox1s]

I’m so sorry Santi got sick 😞 I’m so grateful he’s well now!! May God continue to bless you & keep you safe & healthy!! In Jesus name 🙌🏻🙏🏻 Amen!!

[@geraldinekerr8645]

Well done on sorting out the water ❤

[@tracytanasiychuk8253]

I’m envious of all the trees that you can grow on your property. Blessings from Frozen Canada 🇨🇦

[@AmyTeilz]

I love mulberries

[@davidmiller-br4bu]

Superwoman…. You are both such an inspiration couple. 😊

[@debbiebroughton8325]

Great video so glad you got the hot water sorted, don’t forget to insulate your pipes so you don’t get problems in the cold 🇬🇧❤️

[@miapusa6098]

As a Finn I was properly excited when you said the best garden equipment is Fiskars 😊 I agree, though, too. Impressive plumbing skills and such a sweet family you all are.

[@MauroGestoso]

Great brand. I'm collecting the whole set :)

[@normamurray4450]

Wow, to be able to pick oranges and lemons from a tree on your property, so nice. Here in Canada they are costing one dollar each in the markets. Good luck with your grapefruit tree. I am so happy to hear that cute little Santi has recovered, poor little guy and Mom and Dad as well, from the worry. Good to hear you're doing so much better as well Mauro. You are such a lovely little family.

[@fionaworrell4535]

You need to protect juvenile trees bark from the harsh afternoon sun,also they need super super thick mulch until their roots get away from the heat and get deep. I've killed many many trees ,but finally winning!

[@OvertheRiverandThroughtheWoods]

When we lived in Texas, we had potted citrus trees and we put them on rolling plant dollies to bring them indoors on very cold nights.

[@shelleymacdonald3492]

Well done! You certainly have been busy. Glad to hear Santi is on the mend. He is quite the handsome little man❤️

[@elizabethb8789]

I’m a bit late but hopefully you see this. For your fruit trees and really all trees, when they are young they do not have enough foliage to protect the trunk from the sun. Trees can get sunburned and are particularly vulnerable when they are young and or out in the open like you have them. The easiest solution is to paint the trunk. You can mix equal parts water and white latex paint. You can easily Google for more info. In the US, we have an all natural alternative but not sure what available in Spain. Another alternative is to plant closer to an established tree that will provide some shade ideally in the afternoon but it depends a lot on the tree species. I hope this helped and good luck with the orchard!

[@glenyscallaghan1195]

You do so well , a skilled operator. ❤❤❤

[@sello-lawrence]

Well done 🚰🚿👍🏼 Good luck with the new trees 🌳🌱🌳 It's so important to plant as many trees as one can 🌳🌳🌳

[@doloresperez2139]

Eres muy trabajadora 😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@edie_perty]

citrus needs planting at the end of spring when the soil is warm.

[@elisanavarrohidalgo2032]

Pues fuerza para esos altibajos que trae la vida, seguro que todo se va a estabilizar. Santi está precioso con esos ojazos que lo miran todo❤

[@MauroGestoso]

Gracias :)

[@matimunizf8993]

Qué trabajadora eres y qué lista!

[@izabelasiczek3547]

To me, picking up your own citrus from your garden = happiness

[@natxotxuri]

Harriet, eres una experta colocando calentadores. Mejor que los profesionales. Te felicito

[@kasiamaron6452]

Brawo!👍

[@bellaloba2684]

Yes citrus next to house is best for protection from frost.If you didn't know mulberries are one of the most nutritious and medicinal fruits they actually contain k2 and vitamin D and are great for health including lowering blood pressure, and many other things read up on it. I bought my particular home because of the mulberry tree in the yard. I make wonderful sorbet in the summer with the fruit and eat them every day in season, freeze for adding to smoothies off season.Chickens like them too! You are amazing doing the plumbing yourself you should be proud! I succeeded this week on an intimidating mess a bad carpenter left me I had to remove a stubborn old metal doorframe and shim up and fix to install a new security door and like you, with persistence I prevailed I was so proud of my accomplishment! The Rosies have it!

[@cantocant2346]

So many good things in this video. Hello Family!

[@teresaedwards3659]

Thanks for the video!

[@suzetteawald2263]

Your baby is adorable ♥️

[@Lancaster331]

Inhaling lime dust may lead to irritation of breathing passages, coughing and sneezing. If ingested, lime can cause pain, vomiting, bleeding, diarrhea, a drop in blood pressure, collapse, and in prolonged cases, it can cause a perforation of the esophagus or stomach lining

[@fatimafernandez8957]

❤ Felicidades eres una mujer muy bonita y trabajadora me encanta como vais consiguiendo todo lo que necesitas.

[@thethreeamigos6764]

You are hard working girl, good luck future xx

[@christinafallon1139]

Girl you are amazing!!

[@dorothyallen3614]

So glad you’re hot water project turned out well, great job lady❤. Thankful that Santiago is well and feeling better, baby that’s ill can be quite scary. Be well and safe and much love to all ❤🥰🙏👍

[@arjanvogel6444]

Thanks for your vid 😇💟💟💟 Love and bless you guys, good work guys.

[@Sweet-Aloha]

I really love you beautiful beings 🌿🥰🌿

[@samanthakerns9367]

Teflon tape for pipes- some metals corrode with touching each other over time- this should help with those messed up pipes!

[@anadorsamp3560]

Qué buen trabajo! Todo irá mejorando ❤.

[@lidijafichtner7080]

Thank You for sharing and all the best ❤

[@user-uc2mk6ud2w]

You are amazing!!!

[@catherineclement7798]

Bonjour, Prenez soin de vous et de Santi.

[@shawnfromportland]

You guys rule

[@earthangel8730]

Getting things done! I'm sure glad Mauro's eye surgery recovery is behind him. That was grueling.

[@auroraalonso1125]

gran curranta.💪🏽

[@amycoward7241]

I have ruined my grout using vinegar cleaner on it. So take care with your beautiful tile/grout. Love your channel!

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Oh thanks for the tip. We do need to seal all the grouting, maybe that will help!

[@Beth-kg1lz]

I can’t believe how long you managed without hot water! Glad it’s sorted now

[@MauroGestoso]

We've borrowed hot showers here and there :)

[@alejandraponce7631]

Una genia!!!

[@pandrew3146]

Well done❤😊

[@Me-wk3ix]

Hope you and your lovely family are doing well, you've been through a lot! Your property is looking beautiful! It's really coming along!

[@rudymazar5266]

I make the same lemon /citrus cleaner , it's fantastic !

[@pattykelly6621]

Yay! I love ducks! They probably won't swim but they will muddle (I don't know if that's an official word). They hold the food in their mouth in the water, or sometimes mud, and sort of chatter their beaks and funnel the water through. I don't know. They seem to like it. And poor Oona. Is that a lick granuloma you bandaged on her leg? They can be tough to get rid of. You are really tackling everything Harriet! You guys are powering through your list of finishing jobs.

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Yeah lick granuloma, didn't know the term but yes that's what it it. It's looking loads better though because amazingly she actually leaves the bandage alone so it can heal!

[@pattykelly6621]

@@LittleSpanishFarmstead Excellent!

[@lisabarajas1654]

Glad the family is doing well!

[@juliannapasztory3819]

Hola chicos, gracias por este nuevo video, el cual me dispongo a ver ahora mismo, pero antes quería comentar ( se me olvidó en el comentario del video anterior...),que según mi experiencia en casas con paredes mal aisladas; sería conveniente que la caída del tejado que le hiciste a la caseta del calentador de agua fuera al revés, hacía afuera, para evitar humedades. Como cada domingo, es un gusto veros!

[@MauroGestoso]

No es nuestro caso y si alguna vez tenemos tanta lluvia que se vuelve un problema, pues bendito problema :)

[@elainekaufman2264]

You don't seem to be afraid to tackle any big job. Quite the super mom.

[@susanangelo7737]

You are amazing.

[@annetjievz]

Ooohhh, Treees!!! 😍 Glad you have your hot water situation sorted out.

[@fatimafernandez8957]

Cúbrelo con un redonde de malla para que no le moleste ni el sol ni el viento,

[@fatimafernandez8957]

Perdona me refería a la planta que haz sembrado ❤️

[@user-45xxr57htr]

Вы молодцы! Тяжело, но справляетесь…. Санти растет смышленым малышом.❤😊

[@rumblef1sh]

If you haven't already, are you going to insulate the hot water feed into the house? That's a lot of energy being lost along the length of the pipe I would imagine.

[@asgeirandersen]

I ALMOST FORGOT TOO LIKE

[@user-yq4rv9ox1s]

Everything looks amazing!! It’s so nice that you have a great community of friends to barter or exchange goods!! I just love ❤️ you!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@dorothysutton5162]

Peg boards. Outline each tool's place with a permanent marker. Then you tell at a glance if you've left a tool outside. :)

[@miriamgr88]

❤❤❤

[@LMStevens]

Yeah! You dunk your croissant in coffee/tea like me! That’s the way I did it in France while growing up. Harriet, I’m 75 and I wish I knew how to do all the plumbing things you do. I get super frustrated and mad, but you make it work. I admire that.

[@petricefrost1874]

You are fantastic Harriet with what you have a go at!! I guess you have learnt as you go but love your plumbing abilities - nothing to be nervous about ...... will be very cute once Santi is old enough to be toddling about with you x

[@user-hd2mt9xh2p]

You are a Jack of all trades you just amaze me with what you accomplish 👏

[@sharoncherry]

Glad the baby and Mauro is better. You could make lemon zest or orange preserves. It is also good that you can barter with others in your community.

[@fatimafernandez8957]

El calentador la goma naranja no se pone directo al calentador,😢 hay que poner otra pieza que los fontaneros te lo ponga y haci no hay fuga ,y la goma , aquí en España está dentro de la casa tiene una duración de 5años, tú al tenerla afuera cambiarla antes, té lo recomiendo a mi cada 5años me viene el fontanero que tiene l a enpresa de butano, para darme el informe de que paso la revisión, porque esto va a industria etc, al menos haz lo primero que te he comentado por seguridad,no te quiero molestar ni ser negativa pero es muy impresionante,te deseo lo mejor ❤️‍🩹 pues trabajáis mucho y es un lugar precioso ❤🙏

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Hay una pieza en el medio, no sé si no se ve en el video o qué pero no te preocupes, está instalado correctamente! Pero tienes Razón sobre la longevidad del tubo, debemos cubrirlo que no esté expuesto al sol

[@robynclarke5274]

A job well done Harriett. Good to see Santi is looking himself again. Good luck for tomorrow. We use fishers products as well. Good luck with the grapefruit.

[@catherinecarreiro3955]

I love the type of peach tree you planted. Great taste. Hooray hot water.

[@jeanschucker3802]

You are amazing! Plumbing! And it worked…your two boys are looking good!

[@rosamarialobatogomez7273]

Os deseo mucha fuerza y ánimo a todos incluido Santi.

[@juliemcnair5182]

Hi guys, your little Spanish home stead is coming along very nicely. It's looking wonderful. Also, your little man is growing up so fast. Keep up the great work ❤

[@geoffcapper5025]

Glad to see that Mauro's eye is getting better, and that Santi is back to being well! Great job on the plumbing. I keep a stock of common parts on hand, we always seem to have trouble on Saturday afternoons or Sundays, when all the hardware stores are shut. Do you need to insulate the outside pipes there? We've struggled with citrus due to frosts here. Last year we built a frame around our lemon and covered it with anti-frost fabric, and that seemed to work well. It wasn't super-healthy at the end of winter, but it was alive. Good luck, I hope you have a great season. We had our first frost today, 4 days into Autumn. Thankfully it was only light, but not nice!!

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Yeah we do intend to insulate the pipes, probs a bit late for this year now but we'll try and do it for next winter! That's dedication to your lemon tree, but maybe something I could try for its first winter in the ground!

[@almamartinez-quagliata439]

Harriet ..you are amazing!

[@maryannknox7158]

Harriet you’re so so Amazing !

[@Jo_Lori]

:heart Raised beds are the way to go! They make everything so much easier.

[@jldisme]

I use a bit of dish soap, vinegar, water & lemons in my homemade cleaner. It works great!

[@anastasiyamemetova3849]

omg Harriet is wonder woman!

[@jldrake3424]

❤

[@jpennturner]

I will try that method with my mulberry tree cuttings I have been trying to get cuttings for a long time but never got any rooted yet! Thank you

[@equilibriorural]

Madre mía que trabajazo! Desde luego eso de no tener agua caliente te entiendo, aunque no ha sido durante tanto tiempo (solo una semana), nosotros es lo primero que quisimos instalar, un calentador eléctrico para que no tuviéramos problemas con la falta de bombona u otra cosa. Desde luego entre Santi y Mauro no das para cuidar a ambos! Espero que ambos estén ya totalmente recuperados y puedas descansar un poquito! Un abrazo!

[@tobiw.1]

Little trees need big holes because the roots cant struggle through the compressed clay soil. And you can plant little succulents or something similar on top around the tree to cover the soil, that will support those trees

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

There was a big hole originally for the previous tree so the soil all around was still loose and compost-y 🙂

[@dorothysutton5162]

Amazing work on the pipe!

[@owl3339]

Something doesn't look right the water heater roof should be keeping the rain water away from the home not running down the wall right, 🤔

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

The area is gonna be covered so it doesn't matter, as I say in the video. I prefer the larger side to be facing the front so I have plenty of room for the door without making the cabinet bigger.

[@deltorres2100]

Love all your trees..but when fruit stops it cycle..please trim them down ..it’s great for air and Productive of the tree 🌳 🌱

[@Daytona2]

The colour of those oranges is amazing 🍊🍊 Love that your could plumb spontaneously, Harriet, confident in your ability 😊 I haven't heard of the phrase nap trapped before, it's perfect, tho looks uncomfortable for Mauro, can Santi not be put in a cot ?

[@MauroGestoso]

He usually has shorter naps if you put him in the cot (if he doesn't wake up during the transfer) so for the main nap of the day we prefer to be with him. I enjoy it :)

[@riettekribben3787]

You did a great job with the water, I am a little curious why you hung the heater around the corner and not at the back of the house, closer to the inlet?

[@MauroGestoso]

The back of the house is north facing, where all the cold wind from the mountains comes from. Our thinking is that the heater will be more protected from freezing (which was the problem with the previous one) being closer to the house and down the terrace (it's hard to explain the geography of our land, it's a bit weird).

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Yes and also we wanted all the "utility" stuff together in that little covered area where we will have a washing machine and some other bits in the long run!

[@brianharris7243]

Builder chic..LOL

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

I find the blueberry coffee too strong so mix it 50/50. I have red currants.

[@mariacristinajimenez4877]

Me gustan mucho tus videos pero me gustaría que si hablas inglés los traduzcas al español. Gracias besos a Santy

[@MNHealey]

Can you put the grapefruit in the polytunnel while it strengthens?

[@MauroGestoso]

Yes, but closer to the house is easier to remember to water it :)

[@bluelilly22222]

❤👍👌

[@stacylandis9806]

Can you graft tangerine onto the shorty tree that is alive at the base?

[@LittleSpanishFarmstead]

Yeah I think we could. That's probably what we should do!