My Industrial Cabin Build

[WoodChuckDad]

I am still looking for a decent sized propane tank. I dont think I can bring myself to pay 4700 for the 500 or 1500 setup fee for tank rental.
Something will come up or I will feel the pinch and pay out. I already own the propane boiler. That was 2 grand. Not interested in retooling everything. A few years down the road, I could see.
Yes the mini splits will also provide heat.
Because I am builder occupant I can use wood atove as my heat source. They don’t like it but would give me a pass. So worse come to worse I could just throw a big electric water heater in and go wood stove/mini split. And be stubborn and wait. I could buy or rent a 100 gallon propane tank and just use it for cooking. I have options. I just wouldn’t have hot water during power outages until I come up with some other method. Again, I have options.

 

[mike0000]

I am still looking for a decent sized propane tank. I dont think I can bring myself to pay 4700 for the 500 or 1500 setup fee for tank rental.
Something will come up or I will feel the pinch and pay out. I already own the propane boiler. That was 2 grand. Not interested in retooling everything. A few years down the road, I could see.
Yes the mini splits will also provide heat.
Because I am builder occupant I can use wood atove as my heat source. They don’t like it but would give me a pass. So worse come to worse I could just throw a big electric water heater in and go wood stove/mini split. And be stubborn and wait. I could buy or rent a 100 gallon propane tank and just use it for cooking. I have options. I just wouldn’t have hot water during power outages until I come up with some other method. Again, I have options.

Ouch, ($4700) That’s a tough pill to swallow. We built in 1996, I paid $750 for a 500 gallon buried tank, don’t remember what it cost to have it buried,…twice.
It rained the night after the tank was buried, (with no propane in it). The next morning it looked like a Uboat was breaching the yard. I found out the hard way that a empty 500 gallon propane tank has an enormous amount of buoyancy!

Mike

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Looks like you are in good shape to wait then. I don’t have any water during power outages, let alone hot. But I seldom have a long term outage. Don’t think I’ve ever had an outage over 12 hrs.

I’ve put my land hunting on hold.

 

[s219]

If you have the option to wait and get by until you find the right option and price for a tank, that may be the best. Then finish everything up when you can find a tank. Your SIPS house will be so energy efficient I think you'll get good heating performance from the stove, even if that means running fans or putting in a simple air handler system to move the hot air around. Wood stoves are famous for cooking you out of one room and leaving others cold, but if you can move the air around and equalize it really makes a difference. Our house (2x6 walls and spray foam) is not nearly as energy efficient as SIPS but still, for outside temps above 40F we can heat the entire first floor with just wood and keep the thermostat above the trigger point. That covers quite a chunk of heating hours during winter even if it doesn't cover the whole range. But I like knowing the HVAC system doesn't need to run until we get into the 30s outside.

There are certain markets that are over-priced and over-hyped right now, and the sensible thing to do is sit it out if you can. Building materials are one of them. I truly feel bad for folks who have no choice or no options and have to pay up. On the other hand, there was a lot of wealth generated in the last couple years and some people don't care about paying too much. I have a couple neighbors that put in garages and barns while lumber and building materials were sky high. They didn't really even pay attention to the market or know they were overpaying, they just got a quote from a builder and went ahead. But I have other neighbors that that said no-thanks and will wait, or not do it.

I can't stomach it myself. One of my neighbors paid more per square foot for an unfinished garage than was typical for a finished house a couple years ago. That is just nuts. God forbid something important breaks on our home, I will have a heart attack paying to fix it.

 

[GLyford]

Dad had his woodstove in the corner of the kitchen, it would roast us out of there, or if it was comfortable everyone was there getting underfoot because it was too cold everywhere else. The living room next to it was always cold. Dad cut two square openings through the wall, one stud bay wide. One high, one low, and covered them with punched brass sheet in walnut picture frames. Inside the wall he painted black. Made a big difference.

 

[dstig1]

I haven't heard of a mini-split that could heat water for the radiant floor, but it might exist. I am skeptical that it does...

Your only real option for going full electric would be a heat pump, either ground source or air. Being where you are, air could be a viable option as it does not get super cold. Air is much cheaper too, but you could dig for the ground source loops with your Ex easy enough, which is a good chunk of the expense. And a mini-split is really just a type of an air source heat pump.

Instant water heaters can be electric or gas, but electric is awful for this. The only case where it makes sense is as a small point of use heater far from the main heat source, like if you had a laundry far away from the main plumbing. Just too expensive to run and takes some massive wire to feed them for whole house use. We put in a couple at work for a specific need but OMG were they crazy expensive and take massive power to run. In that case, it was the only option that would work and the expense is trivial to a large Fortune 500 company. I think we spent like 40k on the equipment and plumbing for them (union plumbers...) but they are industrial grade, not what you would find in a home. The reality is that gas (natural or propane) is the only reasonable way to do an on-demand water heater.

 

[ovrszd]

For me, a house that requires a fan to prevent one room being too hot and another being too cold is unacceptable. If acceptable then it better have been very cheap to build. If I'm in the $100 p/square foot cost or higher, then no fans required.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

I forgot to put the video link here this morning. Be warned. I am pulling and re-pulling electric wire. I am sick of it. And I am certain that everyone else is sick of it. But I know we are getting closer every day.
We had a visit from our daughter this week so I did not go work on the house after work. It was a surprise visit so I figured she was coming home to be close to family.

 

[WoodChuckDad]

There is a place in Maryland that has used above ground 250 and 320 for reasonable price. They have underground 500 that would require pressure wash and repaint (and nee anode bag) for 1500. Last week it was 1400. That would be 6.5 hours of driving round trip and I am not sure if there are any weird rules for crossing state lines with a used propane tank.

 

[dirttoys]

There is a place in Maryland that has used above ground 250 and 320 for reasonable price. They have underground 500 that would require pressure wash and repaint (and nee anode bag) for 1500. Last week it was 1400. That would be 6.5 hours of driving round trip and I am not sure if there are any weird rules for crossing state lines with a used propane tank.

tarp.