Loading ...Over time I built a hydraulic water ram which delivered water from a spring to the loft of my log home I built from logs I cut from my land. I diverted a creek to run through a 10″ pipe over a 40′ bank. The pipe I reduced to a 4″ pipe outflow which ran into a Mitchel Banke turbine which I built, and I connected a 5kw generator to it and ran a power line to my home about 1/4 mile away so we had basic power 24/7 but no regulator so had to turn on one thing and turn off another to keep close to 120V. We had a propane fridge and small propane stove. Also a large McLary’s wood cook stove, and we were pretty comfortable while I built a ranch out of the wilderness. Communication was either my 3 channel CB radio which I moved from the truck to the house as needed, or drive 7 miles to the closest phone booth and paid for all calls with coins.
Then 10 years later, in 1985, BC Hydro came knocking at the door, offered to bring in power on a government grant at no cost to us so I foolishly went for it, not realizing at the time what a treasure I had created for us off the grid.
Age and circumstances end all dreams, but I’ve been there and done that. All the Best from Silverngold.