| Living in a cabin that is off the grid offers its own | | | | Putting gutters on your cabin can help you keep |
| set of unique and difficult problems. They can | | | | your cistern full by directing rainfall and snow-melt |
| range from power to water, and can really force | | | | into your cistern, instead of onto your lot. Given |
| you to change your day to day life. Here is a | | | | the relatively low costs of gutters they are an |
| short list of anticipated challenges and ways you | | | | easy way to augment your cistern system. They |
| can overcome them to streamline your green | | | | can even be used to fill landscaping water barrels |
| lifestyle. | | | | so you have water you can use only for |
| Water | | | | landscaping if you so choose. |
| Drilling a well can be extremely expensive and is | | | | Electricity |
| not always realistic depending on many factors | | | | Connecting to the grid can be very costly and is |
| like the depth of the water table in your area. If | | | | not always feasible for many cabin builders or |
| the water table is more than a few hundred feet | | | | owners. The easiest way to connect your cabin |
| down, you may not be able to afford one at all. | | | | with a reliable power source is to use a generator |
| Add in the permitting fees and other maintenance | | | | to charge a deep cycle battery bank. Using the |
| and set up costs and you are looking at an | | | | DC outlet on the generator and connecting |
| expense that most people simply have to finance. | | | | directly to the batteries is the least preferred |
| The solution to the water well option is to | | | | method, but plugging in a trickle charger to the |
| consider putting in a cistern for domestic water. | | | | generator, and using that to recharge your |
| This is a popular option in the many rural settings | | | | battery bank is the best way. |
| and cabins are prime candidates for them. A | | | | Between the battery bank and the house wiring |
| cistern is nothing more than a large tank which | | | | an inverter should be inserted to prevent sensitive |
| holds water for use in your water system. They | | | | electronics from being damaged by the harsh sine |
| range from plastic to concrete in construction and | | | | waves of some electricity. Once this is done you |
| can even be placed up hill from your cabin to | | | | can run any computer, DVD player or television |
| avoid using a pump for pressurization. | | | | you want to off of your power system. |