Log Home Build Episode #29 - Mechanical Room with Generator Inlet

[@nickmastroianni5557]

In my opinion, choosing this style home over a log cabin style was an excellent decision. You folks chose wisely.

[@batpherlangkharkrang7976]

Hi..... Country View Acres, thank you for sharing your video homestead 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋🎥👍👍👍

[@dennisfahlstrom2515]

Evan, at some point you may decide it’s easier for you and Rebecca to go with a larger ‘whole house’ generator. I live about 180 miles west of you in the Ozark’s on a small 20 acre hobby farm. We have a well and we did have a heat pump when we first moved in so I needed a 20Kw Generac connected to a 500 gallon propane tank. The generator can supply all my electric needs with no problems for 7-10 days depending on how cold it gets. After I lived here for 8 years my heat pump died so it was replaced with a much more efficient ground source geo thermal unit. It doesn’t draw a quarter of what the old 10 SEER heat pump drew so the electric costs went down and the propane use went from 2 tanks per year to one refill lasting 2-3 years. I only use propane now for the emergency gen, my ventless fireplace which I’ve only used once for emergency heat and my BBQ. Costs were very reasonable for the added security. We lose power due to ice storms several time each winter. The generator and automatic transfer bus was $5k installed. The geo thermal was 13k installed - $8K after a federal rebate. You can get by with a smaller and lower cost generator since you don’t have a well. I have had my geo thermal for 10 years and it’s paid for itself 3 years ago just in propane savings. We just added a 10 KW solar system. It cost $19K after federal rebate and will be paid for in 7 years in electricity savings. My monthly winter bill went from $230 a month to $30 for a connection fee to the grid. If electric rates go up, we don’t get a hike ..and they will go up. In 18 years they have gone up twice and we hear they plan another hike. These hikes make our effective payoff time shorter. I hope you think these options over. I really enjoy your videos. They are interesting and well done. Keep them coming. Consider using some of your KZbin income to reduce your utility bills. I’ve never regretted my decisions to cut ours down. The decisions could make an earlier retirement for you and Rebecca a possibility.

[@shaniaa9287]

Very well thought out Evan. You're amazing. Food for thought 👍❣️

[@yasminghani2073]

You have done a amazing job

[@AndyB718]

Sounds like you do HVAC work for a living. I'm pretty knowledgeable,and i was in awe of the layout and set up.

[@adambaldwin8692]

My wife and have friends that live there! We both love your channel!

[@EC4400]

Another great video. You're really prepared. Great layout..

[@sh839c]

Good video. You have done really well designing that home and property.One of the best builds out there.

[@mick3805]

You have a great setup there

[@conservativeprodigy2604]

This is a superb application to the home. Expensive I would imagine as well but worth it

[@josephhall1641]

i have enjoyed your videos.what kind of jobs do you both have.i am impressed with your knowledge and talent.god bless you and enjoy your home in the country.

[@CountryViewAcres]

I have worked industrial maintenance fixing equipment and Rebekah is a registered Nurse at a hospital.

[@johnzink3309]

Thx

[@ML-lg4ky]

Nice job!

[@adambaldwin8692]

Awesome!

[@ralphstrucking]

When I built my house 2016 we put in a 2 stage heat pump and since wife wanted gas stove I upgraded to gas water heater. Wanted tankless but was too much to upgrade. Will do later. But I checked into gas set up on heat pump was extra 2k. So I didn’t go it but our power bill is usually under 130 in summer and 90 in winter. 2309 sq 2 story home. I’m in Statesville Nc but we don’t get basement house on slab of concrete.

[@joelwaugh987]

I’m jealous.

[@JDKvideos]

Watching all of your Log Home Build videos and will probably save the whole playlist for future references. The wife and me are looking into moving and having a log home built and I know its really none of my business but wondering when all was said and done how much $ did the cabin costs you two? btw, I really like the new name! Our land and home is going to be called The Shangri la

[@elund408]

Put bags of water softener pellet in your car trunk in the fall for traction, in the spring dump them in the softener that way you don't have to store them all summer next snow season but more.

[@4711Express]

Huh?

[@dailylife6432]

we are from southern Il., also. we are much more south.

[@pieterallenmasterblue1402]

Why did you not go solar or even wind power? and make a carbon-free power zone totally off the grid if needed? Just asking Solar has improved in leaps and bounds the last couple of years. I do love your dream (for me) home. Truly a place I would love myself, as would many others. I wish happiness and lots of brotherly love to you and your family. I only have one thing to say, Bloody awesome.

[@CountryViewAcres]

There was already electricity on the property and the electric company extended it back to our build site for free. So there was really no cost to be on-grid. But the house is so efficient that I can run the whole house on my portable generator, if there is a problem.

[@dennisfahlstrom2515]

@@CountryViewAcres Evan, you can’t hook up your small generator if you and Rebecca are away from home on a trip. Then you’ll see all that frozen food you have invested so much expense and effort into go to waste. An bigger emergency generator and an automatic transfer bus would sure be nice to have even if you never leave home on a vacation. It could support your AC needs as well. They aren’t that costly either.

[@4711Express]

Very different from the Ingalls family farm home :-)

[@wandaarganbright4056]

Be careful with your propane. One bad batch and you will have black soot all over the inside of your house. I have lived with propane for most of my life. Did anyone tell you about wrapping your propane regulator in winter to keep it from freezing? I don't know where you live, but we have to even here in the Texas panhandle. Love your home and your emergency set up.

[@Beecozz7]

You seem to be ready for the Zombie apocalypse! LOL nice setup, you obviously have fuel storage too. The ammo must be in a secret room ;-)

[@ShortCrypticTales]

no solar or wind?

[@shannonhenn610]

Regarding the house, what would you say is the pros/cons? Would you do anything differently? Did you spend more building a hybrid than you would have if you went with a log package? Thanks

[@CountryViewAcres]

I could write an entire paper on pros and cons. It would just be easier for me to tell why I choose hybrid. No settling of logs. I went to a log home show, and there is an entire section on log settling systems to help control settling on a log home. This worried me. Conventional build, easy for me or contractor to work on. Ability to insulate and make air tight. And so far I am very happy on how cheap it has been to heat and cool my house. The only "Con" I see is that it doesn't have any round logs to give a true log home look. But the timber style gives it's own type of appeal.

[@Vermino]

Have you thought about micro hydro-power to have no electrical bill?

[@CountryViewAcres]

No, I don't have enough water flow. My electric bill isn't that bad. If I did anything it would be solar.

[@ssx2channel977]

How did you finish the basement floor?

[@CountryViewAcres]

Concrete acid stain, then sealed and waxed the floor.

[@adambaldwin8692]

Are you close to newton?

[@CountryViewAcres]

If I was to guess, I am probably 1 hour drive from newton.

[@margiemistretta8885]

Why not solar panels...

[@CountryViewAcres]

Power company ran power to the house for free.

[@dailylife6432]

what part of southern ill are you located

[@CountryViewAcres]

I don't want to be to specific, but I live near the Wabash river, so near the indiana border.

[@4711Express]

So where is the generator located? And secondly what will you do when you are not at home and the power fails? How will you get back in time to save the content of your fridge for example? Does your wife know how to operate the power supply in case of an emergency? Circuits that run outside lighting or power: whenever a light may have a defect (earth leakage circuit breaker is activated) the whole power circuit might be off. Whenever a circuit is heavily exposed to the outside weather influences it helps to add switches to this circuit to isolate the failure so at least you can keep the rest of the circuit alive. Reason is when a night time, storm, heavy rain, snowfall is ongoing you won't have time or possibility to easy fix a short cut problem quickly. Besides when a circuit can be partly switched off manually finding the cause of a failure (earth leakage circuit breaker) can be done much quicker. Emptying waterlines: in case gravity cannot help you due to an odd location of the outside water hydrants you can use air pressure. We have 4 frost free outside water hydrants on 2 separate water supply pipes and these can be shut off and emptied from a central access point from inside the house entrance door. The lines are accessible with air pressure by vent valves and the water is drained through (pushed out) the hydrants itself.

[@CountryViewAcres]

The generator is in the pole barn right now. I will move it out to the house in the winter time. My wife does know how to switch the system over to the generator, we had a similar system setup at our last house. The hardest thing is for her to start the generator. I probably should have bought one with electric start.

[@g.t.g1111]

Why not solar energy panels? No well, another bill to pay 💰to pay local government.

[@CountryViewAcres]

There was already electric toward the front of the property. And the electric company I have will run it back to a new home for free. So I only had to clear a few trees.

[@margiemistretta8885]

You shouldn't be advertising what you have down there. I recommend deleted this video...safe then sorry

[@mattlawrence6077]

It’s a really nice house. My only complaint is that it’s not a real log cabin.