COLD DARK ROOM

Yvonne G

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Have you had the panels cleaned? That alone can steal some of your output. You need to find the Watts each item draws and add them up. At first glance you draw more than you produce. Each solar panel has a max rate ( generally in the 200-300 watt) when perfectly aligned with the sun. Even a few degrees steals watts and I guess you don’t have an auto tracking system ($$$$$). Add some dust and the 200-300 watts is practically half that. I understand how dusty it is out there my mom is in Sun City and 10 miles east from is all dust bowl! Wish you the best!
That IS a problem. My tortoise partner cleans them for me when he visits, but that isn't often enough. It costs $40 to have it done and I haven't felt I could afford that. Once I cancel cable I'll have a few extra bucks a month. I used to do it myself, but I don't feel safe anymore on the roof.
 

Momof4

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San Diego
@Yvonne G Do you have the Nextdoor app on your phone? It’s a great way to find handyman, lost pets, tax help, solar companies, restaurants, dentist, doctors , painters with recommendations from your immediate neighbors. You give the app your zip code. You can find somebody to give you hand around your property. You just have to learn to trust.
 

JoesMum

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Look at this guy, he was very aggressive. I tried to put him in a cup so I could take him outside but I was met with him going in to is defence pose, front legs on the air. We very rarely get aggressive spiders in the UK, very odd....

It looks like a House Spider. Not harmful. Probably trying to tell you to leave it alone.
 

Ray--Opo

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Bite your tongue, woman! Give away firewood? Never gonna' happen!! I use any burnable wood to heat my house.

I called a solar repair company to schedule a well-baby check on the solar system. They haven't returned my call yet. There' aren't too many companies who work on solar companies that were installed by a different company, and as luck would have it, my company has gone out of business.

My tortoise partner took a look at money saving/electricity saving ways, and that's where we came up with making night boxes and switching from pig blankets to RHP. But, as he's only here every three months, this falls mainly on me to build.
I am looking at solar panels. The killer is if you want a bank of batteries to store electricity. That's when it gets real pricey.
 

Ray--Opo

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Speaking of cutting ties with Networks... we already get FREE over the air (OTA) TV programming via antenna, but picked up a ROKU device $30 today @WalMart for tons of additional access to free TV programming via the Internet. Yes..BBC, EURO News, Russia Today, Al Jazeera, France 24, Turkish TV (TRT) & more. Still setting it up.
I have the firestick and paid a guy to jailbreak it. But after watching him I can do it myself now. All channels even British channels. All sports packages and also PPV. The only problem is sometimes something might quit on broadcasting and you need to find another server.
 

JoesMum

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I feel your pain Yvonne.

My electricity has doubled this last 12 months, as has my water bill.

I was paying around £100-120 a month for electricity , it’s now £230.

My water bill is £120 when it should be about £50

My heating is oil, there is no gas where I live so I have to fill the tank up. During the winter I was filling up on £300 of oil every 6/7 weeks!

I’ve never had such expensive bills and our lifestyle hasn’t changed, I just think the cost of living is going up and up

Ouch! Our dual-fuel (gas and electric combined) bill has been £158 a month but they have just notified is it’s dropping to £128 as we are in credit. I’d shop around for a new electricity deal using one of the price comparison sites.

We did do a lot of work improving the loft insulation ourselves (didn’t pay anyone to do it) and I have switched all the light bulbs to LED.
 

JoesMum

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Good evenooning everyone.

We got to our final destination, Uzès (pronounced Ooz-Ezz), about 11am. We meandered round the town and the market, had lunch and then went to the supermarket before being let into our property. It’s 34C/94F and we were grateful for the pool once we had unloaded the car.

This is the Duché (pronounced Dooshay) ... the official residence of the Duke of Uzès until they cut his head off in the French Revolution in the late 1700s
IMG_0747.jpg

And a couple of views from the pool... we are currently lounging in the shade with cold drinks under the canopy you can just see on the right
IMG_0755.jpg
IMG_0756.jpg
 

Ben02

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Oct 21, 2018
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Location (City and/or State)
Brighton, Southcoast, UK
Good evenooning everyone.

We got to our final destination, Uzès (pronounced Ooz-Ezz), about 11am. We meandered round the town and the market, had lunch and then went to the supermarket before being let into our property. It’s 34C/94F and we were grateful for the pool once we had unloaded the car.

This is the Duché (pronounced Dooshay) ... the official residence of the Duke of Uzès until they cut his head off in the French Revolution in the late 1700s
View attachment 278221

And a couple of views from the pool... we are currently lounging in the shade with cold drinks under the canopy you can just see on the right
View attachment 278222
View attachment 278223
Pool!!!!!!!!!

I would be straight in there:D
 

Yvonne G

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Clovis, CA
xx
I am looking at solar panels. The killer is if you want a bank of batteries to store electricity. That's when it gets real pricey.
I wish I had gotten the backup battery unit when I bought my system. It could have easily been added onto the loan. It's paid off now and at my age I won't be taking out any more loans.
 
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