2. You'll need to dig a well, construct a windmill, plumb up the windmill so it pumps water into a 32' tower tank, and then hook your shower to the pressure tank. You'll have to install anti-siphon valves if you choose to remain connected to city water. I've heard you must use electricity for well toilets.-Nope How can I flush my toilet without electricity? Pour a bucket of grey water into the toilet bowl.
Start by looking around the Lehmans web site http://www.lehmans.com/store/Appliances?... to see that non-electric appliances they sell.
>How can I keep food cool? Or is there a way to have a refrigerator without electricity?
Several ways:
1. Root cellars - underground rooms. Not exactly refrigeration but good enough for things like root vegetables.
2. Ice boxes - Before electricity a common way was to have an insulated box and have the "ice man" deliver blocks of ice. You would probably have to build your own box and pick up the ice yourself.
3. "Gas" refrigerators - there are refrigerators that run on natural gas, LP, or kerosene. No electricity needed.
>How can I flush my toilet without electricity?
How much trouble are you willing to go to?
You would need pressurized water. An elevated tank and some of sort of mechanical water pumping windmill come to mind. Or you could look into some sort of pressure tank with a mechanical pump.
This is 19th century tech, so finding someone to sell this to you in the 21st century will not be easy. Are there any Amish around where you are? They know how to live without electricity. Maybe they would know of a supplier.
>I feel it is good to know how to survive without such things
Using a small solar electric system for lighting is a lot safer than using kerosene lamps.
Do you plan to have a telephone? Going to use a cell phone -- you need electricity to recharge it. If you don't have some sort of power, you can't pump water easily. You would have to hand pump it into a raised tank to have water pressure to take a shower. You can flush a toilet with a bucket, but that gets old really fast. Just ask anyone who has lived in an area blacked out by a tornado or hurricane. People used spring houses to keep food cold in the old days, but you would have to have property that had a cold spring.
Instead of going all 1800's, why not go 21st Century and look at going off-the-grid. That means creating your own electricity with solar and wind and geothermal. Search key words like "green living", "off the grid", "solar power for homes", "wind power for homes".
There is self-sufficiency and then there is over the edge. Even the settlers in the 1800's bought cloth and dry goods.
Before electricity was common, kerosene refrigerators were common. The Amish still use and make propane and natural gas refrigerators and the ones in RV's are propane refrigerators. They often have D cells for the refrigerator light. These refrigerators are called absorption refrigerators and are common in remote cabins. If you use parabolic reflectors to collect solar energy at temperatures above 450 degrees, you can run the refrigerators off them. It would take oil and perhaps lithium nitrate to move heat and store heat at those temperatures. The toilet, shower and sinks simply needs water pressure, a water tank on your roof or in a water tower will provide you with water pressure but you will have to pump the water up there first, a windmill does that quite nicely.
1. before electricity, people bought their food every day, just about, not much was stored. In a rural area I don't know if you will have any shops. Try digging a root cellar. It is cooler underground.
2. I do not see how you can get water from your well to the house without a pump of some kind, unless you want to be hauling pails of water all day. You can however flush your toilet quite effectively by throwing a pail of water into the toilet, most of it will go down.
I imagine you will get a fair bit of resistance from your family. How will you run your computer? You can learn "how to" without actually having to do the things.
In this era no one can do without electricity. If you look electrical supplier you can check http://www.globalelectricalsupply.com/ which offeris a complete selection of quality electrical and pool safety supplies at discount prices. We carry brands such as Tork, NSi Industries, Stingl, Drainsafe, MagnaLatch and TruClose. Browse our online store for a wide selection of cable ties, grounding, occupancy sensors, photo controls, pool and spa safety products, switches, tape, time switch, tools and sealants, and wire connectors.
i'll rather die....
I'm not really doing it for the environment, just for myself and family. I feel it is good to know how to survive without such things. I will live in a rural part of Tennessee so I guess that helps. I'm used to not having A/C in summer or heaters in winter so that isn't a big deal. My main things are:
1. Refrigorator-Obviously can't have one without electricity, what are alternatives? The only things to worry about is meat and dairy products(milk, cheese) really. How can I keep food cool? Or is there a way to have a refrigerator without electricity?
2. I'd also like to use well water instead of public. Can I connect the well to my shower and sinks? I've heard you must use electricity for well toilets. How can I flush my toilet without electricity?
