how we charge batteries

mrs.puff

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
295
Reaction score
0
Points
89
Location
Southern Iowa
We do not have any power in our home except for lights that are run on car batteries. We have dome lights and such from cars, and a DC lamp that has a bulb specifically for DC power. So we have rigged an extra place in our truck to hold a spare battery under the hood. The spare battery is hooked to the regular battery with a short set of jumper cables, so when ever we drive, we're charging up that battery. Old car batteries will power a light for a long time after they won't start a car anymore. You just have to charge them up occasionally.

Kinda a pain to haul the batteries around, but it works for us!
 

mrs.puff

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
295
Reaction score
0
Points
89
Location
Southern Iowa
We used to charge batteries with a charger in a neighbor's barn, but they got a new renter and we lost our priviledges. So we had to figure out something new!
 

FarmerChick

Super Self-Sufficient
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
11,417
Reaction score
14
Points
248
hi mrs.puff
I like the username! definitely self sufficient. can I ask? is there a reason you choose to power like this? are you doing more type homesteading living?
 

miss_thenorth

Frugal Homesteader
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
4,668
Reaction score
8
Points
220
Location
SW Ontario, CANADA
mrs.puff said:
We used to charge batteries with a charger in a neighbor's barn, but they got a new renter and we lost our priviledges. So we had to figure out something new!
Ok, I just noticed your sig line, and all I can say is wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we lived up north, we had a camp that we used to go to every other weekend (when dh was off) and for summer and winter and March break holidays. So we lived like that during those times. but we always went home--to town, where we froze more water for ice, went and did our laundry, etc etc. The longest i lived that way was two months at a stretch in the summer. We also had a propane stove and lights, and hubby hooked up a pump so I could have running (cold) water in the kitchen. We also brought our batteries home to charge. And we trucked in water in huge drums. So we were still dpendent on our house in town so that we could live like that for our vacations.

How long have you been living like that, and more info please??????
 

mrs.puff

Lovin' The Homestead
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
295
Reaction score
0
Points
89
Location
Southern Iowa
Here's some info:
Heat/cooking in winter is all on a wood cookstove and a large pot-belly. In summer we have to buy propane, and cook on an outdoor range
Water is bought in town, or "borrowed" from a spigot in the county park. Bath water comes from a spring. We have rain barrels for the garden and chickens. We do laundry in town.
We have a generator for running power tools when absolutely necessary.
We grow much of our own food, and can vegs and meat. We collect mushrooms, nuts, fruit & berries. We have laying hens, and Joe hunts and I help fish also.
I'm a substitute teacher, and Joe used to be a carpenter and is a poet. There's a spot about him and our home on Youtube. I'm not sure where it's located, but his name is Joe Plum. Check it out if you want.
I've lived with him for almost 7 years now.
Anything else?
OH yeah, we do this because we can't afford much else. We have a phone. That is our only utility bill.
 

Quail_Antwerp

Cold is on the Right, Hot is on The Left
Joined
Sep 12, 2008
Messages
6,905
Reaction score
6
Points
262
Location
Ohio
Ok, this is where I need the bowing smilie. I am in awe!

We haul our water from FIL's well 500 feet up the road in gallon jugs. I heat water on our stove.

We do have electric, but I want to be prepared for a time incase we ever don't have it. I would looooove a woodburning cookstove with a hot water resevoir.

We heat with a woodburner.

We do have a fresh water spring on the back of our property, but it is underground.

We catch rain water for the chickens and garden, too.

Only reason we don't have water isn't because we didn't want it, it's because we didn't have the finances to get the well done. Now we are so used to it (been 7 years) that we don't think anything of it.

Since we do have electric, we manually fill our washer for both washing and rinsing. Takes 30 gallons of water for a medium load. I try to wash enough for everyone for the week. Once a month I go to my mom's and wash everything in one day, bring it home to dry it.
 

Latest posts

Top