The pond dig has begun!

[CountryEscape]

Well, I messed up building my stream last year. I made it curved on the sides, so the flat flagstone keeps sliding into the bottom. I now know I do not need any stones in the bottom, and forget about making the sides sloped. I'm going to pull back the liner, kept all the extra tucked under on the sides, and make a shelf for the first rocks to sit on, half way in the water. Then fade rocks away to the outer edge and they will stay put. I will go back and get more rocks, there were maybe 3x this many at that site. I put some larger ones up on the edge of the creek so I can get them later, didn't want my friend to have to help me with them. They are the carry one up at a time size, but at least 10 more of them. I'll just do it a little at a time, when it's a nice day, and when my back, shoulders, arms and legs can handle the extra work.
You're right, JW, we would be fighting over the rocks. I will find out about more creeks from other neighbors, but I would need a 4-wheeler to get them out to my truck, and I don't have one, but one neighbor would be happy to loan me his, I'm sure. Will see how many I can get from this site first. Woohoo! Can't ever have too many rocks that's for sure!

 

[sissy]

now we are drooling as you are in rock heaven

 

[MitchM]

I'm starting to realize that rocks are a valuable commodity in the pond world. :lol:

 

[sissy]

yep they are like diamonds and gold .oppps make that platinum .We would kill for rocks so look out rock hoarders :razz: :razz:

 

[sissy]

Hey mitch that guy dan says he sells to Canada .The solar panels and everything and if you have a little now how it is easy to set up .The batteries are over a thousand dollars a piece though and then you need the space to store them . ..

 

[MitchM]

We have one electrician near me here that has gone off grid. I went to see his setup and it was cool seeing the power lines cut coming from the utility company. He built out his walls to R-40 insulation and the ceiling to R-90. VERY thick. He had an area that he kept his batteries, about 30 of them. The process of charging the batteries produced a lot of heat. He didn't need a heater in the room. I think I would need about 50 solar panels, a significant mounting setup, the converters plus at least 40 batteries. By the time you calculate in shipping, duties and taxes it would still amount to a huge bill that wouldn't make that much difference from me staying on grid with my back up generator.
It's too bad. I like the idea of being self sufficient.

 

[sissy]

I wonder if he has a company up there .Even if you were on grid for now it would be a start .I was looking at the savings for the set up he told me about and if it is sunny out it would end up being over a hundred dollars a month ,it would mean his set up at even less would pay for itself in 3 or 4 years .I am still waiting for the other 2 quotes to see what they come out to since they are both right here in VA .The one company is only a couple of miles from my home .I bought more LED bulbs from Tmart.com .Free shipping and under half the cost .Maybe you know they have bulbs that say 220 volts on them would they still work since all my bulbs say 120 volts .The bulbs I got from them are 115 volts and work fine so wondering about the 220 volt ones

 

[MitchM]

I have a couple of solar panels running a security camera on an old hunting cabin on our property. Cloudy days, snow and frost make a big difference and once you're out of power, you're out.
I'm interested in seeing solar panels become more efficient. If your utility company or government will help out some how, then do it. Our utility company isn't interested, so I would have to set up another electric system that only ran off of solar, separate from the on-grid system. So, it's no go for me right now.

 

[sissy]

They have gone down in price and seem to be coming up with new things and still think they need cheaper batteries to make it better .I cannot get the tax break here i cannot itemize because I own my house outright and here you have to itemize to get the tax incentives .I can only get the rebates .I was thinking of just seeing how it works with a couple of panels and then go from there .If I itemized I could get an extra 750 dollars to 1500. dollars back .I will only get 350 dollars .

 

[MitchM]

I have 2 100W panels with a RV converter and a deep cycle RV battery running my security camera. The battery was about $125.00, the converter was about $150.00.
A RV dealer might have a basic setup that you could try on a basic appliance, like a fan or something.

 

[sissy]

I saw the panels on there sight were 230 watts for 197 dollars a piece and they were string and the micro inverter is better than string and string is guaranteed for 15 to 20 years and micro inverter is guaranteed for 25 to 30 years .I would go with the string .i am sure not gonna be here but maybe another 5 or 6 years if not sooner .So may not do it at all my just update the water heater and heat pump .Gonna have the guy come this week to look at the heat pump and see if that is raising my rates .I may try the solar panel for just my pond and see how that works out .I noticed harbor freight carries converters and solar panels

 

[CountryEscape]

Koi pond remained totally open, no ice cover.

The stream is on the left side of the koi pond in the second pic. It's running, snow covering most of it. Snow even drifted OVER the goldfish pond, as it got totally slush covered.
I still have the waterfall line just tied off to a laundry basket in the bottom pool of the waterfall, so it's running well, no worries about freezing, although temps did not get that cold last night, just a bunch of snow. We got around 7" or little more they said. Lots of wind and drifting, not much work to do at the office, so took the day off. Hoping roads will be better by tomorrow. Needed 4WD to get anywhere today, even the highways.

 

[sissy]

you got snow bombed CE .ponds look good though

 

[CountryEscape]

The weather site said 7" or little more. It was a heavy wet snow, nothing is frozen below it, as it had been 53 the day before the snows arrived. Yucky muddy mess, but the roads are a mess. Slushy and heavy, ruts made by vehicles are pulling you into them since it's trying to freeze that way now. I'm not sure why the township has not plowed them again since yesterday evening. They should have plowed them this morning. Or, maybe they just didn't plow my road. The sun has been trying to come out all day, and if the roads were cleared, they would melt off. Wind has been blowing all afternoon, causing drifting. Highways and interstates were a mess to keep cleared last night, lots of accidents last night and especially this morning, closing some local highways. I just figured it was a good day to stay home.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes stay home and be safe, no sense going out if you don't have to, you could just sleep it off and hope when you wake up in the morning it will all be gone. It is spring, anything is possible!