where do I begin?

1 Posts
Jun 28, 2003 11:22 am
where do I begin?

I just bought a house in Vermont.  I want to use as little electricity as possible. I am interested in a gas stove and refrigerator and a non-electrical water heating system.

I am VERY NEW at all this and know absolutely nothing about these appliances. Is there a place in Vermont to help me?  Is there a place I can go to actually see the appliances? I cannot do my own installations.  Can I find someone who can? What do you do if the appliances break down.  Do ordinary appliance service people know how to fix them?  I currently have electrical appliances in the house.  Can I trade them in somewhere?

 
Jul 2, 2003 05:44 pm
Re: where do I begin?

Where to begin. I was fortunate to have grown up with the Mother Earth News as sort of handbook for living off the land. It is still in print but its nothing like it was when John Shuttleworth was in charge. When other guys my age were reading comic books or hotrod magazines or even watching mtv I had my nose in the Mother Earth News learning how to be self sufficient. From about 1980 until present we have lived off grid by choice. I love to remind folks that electricity as we know it today is only about 100 years old and that mankind had lived without that electricity for over 7,000 years prior to Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. I know some elderly folks still alive today that were around before electricity was the status quo. But back to your question. At first we lived without any electricity at all and then eventually with solar electricity. When we decided to start harvesting sunlight for electricity I found a subscription to Homepower very helpful. I dont know of anywhere that will trade but there are places that will buy used appliances I am sure. There is only one way to live without electricity and its just to quit, cold turkey. Like any other substance electricity is, at the very least, habit forming. I know, I kicked the habit for over a decade and still I came back to it when we went solar
 
39 Posts
Jul 11, 2003 09:07 am
Re: where do I begin?

Cathie, gas appliances, stoves, hot water heaters etc., are available just about anywhere. If you have natural gas there should be no problem with installation. If you have lp, liquid propane, you just have to use the conversion kit, different size nozzle, to convert the appliance. Hot water heaters are also available for use with lp, already converted.
As far as a gas fridge, you may want to check with a local motor home dealer or "Real Goods", they have a site on the internet.
 
65 Posts
Jun 24, 2004 10:41 am
Re: where do I begin?

The Alternative Energy Store offers a variety of appliances, including gas powered refrigerators, appropriate for off-grid living. You can review them online by going to http://shop.altenergystore.com/go.asp?Cc=ENGAPPLN

Frequently, there are gas appliance service people located locally - I would start off by opening up your Yellow Pages and looking under "Gas Appliance Servicing".


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