The Home Improvements Thread (3)

[I.am.Sam]

How so? It just means it's done quicker . With 4 people in the house it needs to go quickly
Technically no rand a day, running on sun and batteries

yeah one day il get the sun involved

 

[Lupus]

yeah one day il get the sun involved

It does help, but if I didn't have solar this heat pump would've been the best savings.

 

[acidrain]

One more tickbox done on the much larger upgrade.

Privacy fence finally got installed today. Think I am more happy about not have to lift up the shade net every time I need to pass through

 

[Mosgi]

Anyone with experience on importing large items from China through an agent?

I've realised all the things I need are piling up to be quite a lot now, and I can't stomach local pricing for what I can see are white labelled goods.

Specifically looking at a ~24kw Pool heater, along with honeycomb blinds, but could extend that to a loot of resin bound stone for around the pool, the driveway and patios...

 

[WAslayer]

anyone use geyser heat pumps

i see its around 20k to install a 3.5kw one which will run a 150l geyser 60% saving

Where did you see 20k installed..? That's about half of what I have seen/heard of..

 

[RaptorSA]

Added a 2nd water tank this week due to the f**k up that is Joburg water.
It's nice to have two since I can choose which tank I want to use, that way, in future if I wanted to I can use the 2nd tank for pool/gray/untreated borehole water if things become really rough and I go 2+ weeks without water....

I'm literally having to build a multi tiered "defcon" system for water....



We don't have our complex borehole running to our units, not yet anyway (maybe never, will have to see).
I want a backup plan for my backup plan.

I need a way to be able to cart about 100 liters of water around in case things get really dicey, also, would be nice to have a system to go an fetch borehole water for watering some plants (might as well use it if it's there). I also want to be able to use the portable tank to top up my storage tanks with some water without effort.

That got me thinking, years ago I built this inverter + battery 5kWh system for my mom:



I'm busy using that platform to design a water hand truck/trolley.
Tank instead of battery, lithium tool-battery pump instead of inverter.

Here's some plans and a rough AI render of what I have in mind (the scales are a bit messed up):





Just got the 90liter JoJo delivered this morning (decided to overpay, since it's JoJo, and it's green ), and yesterday I built a custom camlock attachment system for the battery powered Ingco pump. Had some issues during experimentation but think I just need to dial in a few things, like using a backflow preventer etc. Also busy attempting to come up with a 3D printed platform for mounting the pump above the tank. I regret not doing more 3D modelling practice earlier this year.





Just to be clear: This thing is completely and utterly overkill and way too expensive to justify, but I'm basically just having fun assembling and messing around with it. I settled my home loan last month and I've been living like a frugal hobo for 3+ years so this is my way of spoiling myself a bit, I have no idea what I'm doing, that's kind of the point

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Getting around to relining my pool this season. The old fibreglass is cracking and faded and the steps are insanely slippery.

Going to be very nice having a new looking pool, also having them replace the weir and remove the old solar heating system which is really not very effective - not enough solar when we really need it and too much when we don't so having one less thing to leak is better. Might look into a heat pump down the road.

Will post some before and after pics when that work starts.

This finally got done, took a month after booking them and then they also had issues getting the guy back to empty the bladder back into the pool after they finished which took another week, but it looks good now and should last for a good few years again.

 

[I.am.Sam]

This finally got done, took a month after booking them and then they also had issues getting the guy back to empty the bladder back into the pool after they finished which took another week, but it looks good now and should last for a good few years again.

View attachment 1951555

rough costs to do something like this ?

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

rough costs to do something like this ?

A lot

Just redoing the lining was just under R30k, then I had the weir replaced, all the old solar heating removed and it cost to have the water stored in a bladder - all in total was R41k.

Pools are just constant maintenance but are a nice to have.