Voorspoedig outargiese jaar - aardskip . com - Prosperous off-grid year - Goto the weblog for more info.

Laas jaar het ontsettend droog en warm geëindig, maar gelukkig het ons nou al redelik reën ontvang. Hier is die reënval so ver gemeet by aardskip, dit word om 6:00 elke ogend gemeet:
12 Jan - 16,0mm
14 Jan - 2,2mm
17 Jan - 2,0mm
19 Jan - 0,8mm
20 Jan 12,5mm
22 Jan – 0,8mm

Die watertenks is so 65% vol. Dit gee ons ongeveer 20kl water wat ons so 4 maande moet hou.

Hier is twee fotos van interessante vrugte wat ons in die toekoms kan verwag. Die eerste foto is van ons pekanneut boom buite wat ons swartwater gebruik. Die ander foto is een van ons druiweranke binne in die huis wat ons grys water gebruik.

-o0o---------------------

Last year ended extremely dry and hot, but fortunately we already received a reasonable amount of rain. Here are the rainfall so far measured at the earthship, it is measured every moring at six o'clock:
12 Jan - 16,0 mm
14 Jan - 2,2mm
17 Jan - 2,0mm
19 Jan - 0,8mm
20 Jan 12,5mm
22 Jan – 0,8mm

The tanks are about 65% full. This gives us more or less 20 kl of water and should last as about four months.

Here are two pictures of interesting fruit we can expect in the future. The first photo is of our pecan tree outside using our black water. The other picture is one of our inside grape vine which uses our gray water.



Pekanneut boom buite wat swartwater gebruik.
Pecan tree outside using our black water.




Druiweranke binne in die huis wat grys water gebruik.
Inside grape vine which uses gray water.

vriendelike groete
Ludwig en Retha Everson
Web: http://www.aardskip.com
Bakkies: http://www.facebook.com/groups/aardskip
GPS: -29.8168,24.4115

Aardskip donations / skenkings
Bank: ABSA
Swift code: ABSAZAJJ
Branch: 632005
Account name: LRHV Everson
Account nr: 9272495193
Reference: Aardskip

Rain rain rain caused rivers 85 mm in less than 24hours - www.aardskip.com - Reën, reën en nogmals reën veroorsaak rivier.

Vandag was dit nag. Na 'n 53mm reën, wat in die nag geval het, het ek 'n bietjie grond verskuiwings gedoen.

Die septiese tenk se mangat loop heellaas vol reënwater (agv. syferwater), wat dan mettertyd in die tenk opeindig. Enige raad?

Ek pomp dit leeg maar die water syfer maar net weer in.

Om alles te kroon kom daar 'n tweede storm met hael en wind en een van my tydelik dakplate (slegs vas gehou met 'n paar klippe en buitebande) op die buitekamer vlieg af. Verder is ons buite plant byna verwoes. Agter en regs om die aardskip het die water gestroom asof dit 'n rivier was, byna knieë
diep op plekke, sien foto.

Met ons gaan dit goed, maar ons bure se dak is afgeruk en op gerol soos 'n mens 'n sardienblikke oop maak. Arme mense se meubels is sopnat en afgeskryf en is dakloos.

-o0o-----------------------------
Today was terrible. After 53 mm rain fell during the night, we had to a little bit of landscaping, to help the water flow.

The septic tank manhole runs full of rain water (seepage), which then eventually end up in the tank, any advice?

I pump it empty but it seeps in again.

To top it all there was a second storm today with hail, 30mm rain and wind. One of my temporary roof sheet (only held with a few stones and tires) of the outside room flew off. Our outside plants are almost destroyed. Behind the earthship and on the eastern side, the water flowed as if it was a
river, in places almost knee deep, see photo.

With us it went very well, however our neighbour's roof was ripped off and rolled up like you will open a sardine can. The poor people's furniture is wet and damaged and they are homelessness.

vriendelike groete
Ludwig en Retha Everson

Web: http://www.aardskip.com
Bakkies: http://www.facebook.com/groups/aardskip
GPS: -29.8168,24.4115

3rd bedroom corridor window and door done - www.aardskip.com - 3e kamer se gangvensters en deur voltooi

Die derde kamer is nou afrond en ek en Retha slaap nou in die kamer. Dit is die eerste slaapkamer met 'n deur, vensters en plafon. Die plafon maak die kamer se temperatuur baie meer gerieflik as die ander vertrekke in die aardskip. Bo op die plafon het ons ook tweedehandse polistireen geplaas vir
ekstra isolasie.

Die foto wys die derde slaapkamer se deur en venster van die gang se kant. Kyk hoe groot is die piesangboom.

Die week het ons begin met die plafon van die tweede slaapkamer.

Ander interessantheidjie is dat die gryswater was nie die week genoeg vir die spoel van die toilet nie. Gelukkig is daar 'n eenrigting klep wat ons kan oop draai om die toilet te spoel met drinkwater (soos in ander huise). Die tekort aan spoel water was waarskynlik omdat daar 'n verstopping was en
van die water weg gevloei het na die septiesetenk. Daar is 'n klep wat die gryswaterpyp verbind aan die swartwaterpyp om oorvloei te voorkom. Hopelik het ons het die verstopping skoon gekry. Dit vetfilter het nogal heelwat vet in gehad, wat waarskynlik in die gryswater pyp vasgesit het.

-o0o---------------------

The third room is finished and Retha and myself moved to this room so that we can start with the second room. This is the first bedroom with a door, windows and a ceiling. The ceiling makes the room much more comfortable than the other rooms in the earthship. Above the ceiling, we also placed second-hand polystyrene for extra insulation.

The photo shows the door and window of the third bedroom from the corridor's side. See how big the banana tree.

This week we start with the ceiling of the second bedroom.

Other interesting point is that grey water was not enough to flush the toilet. Fortunately, there is a valve which can be opened to flush the toilet with drinking water (like in other modern homes). The shortage of flush water was probably because there was a blockage in the grey water pipe, and the waters flowed to the septic tank. There is a valve that connects to the grey water pipe with the black water pipe to prevent overflow inside the house. Hopefully we've got the blockage cleared. We
cleaned the grease filter which had quite a lot of fat, which was probably stuck in the grey water pipe.

vriendelike groete
Ludwig en Retha Everson

Rainwater Harvesting, Use and Re-Use Examples from South Africa and Guatemala by FD Fourie & A Venter featuring www.aardskip.com

Die foto wys waar Francios Fourie sy toespraak hou oor die gebruik van hemelwater en die hergebruik daarvan.

Kliek hier om die volledige presentasie te sien.


-o0o-----------------------------------

The photo shows Francois Fourie giving a talk on Rainwater Harvesting. One of his cases was the earthship in Orania.

Click here to download the presentation. Copyright UFS.

Extract out of the presentation:
Rainwater management
. Bloemfontein has a surface area of approximately 120 km2 and an average annual rainfall of approximately 550 mm.
. Total rainfall per annum: 66 million m3.
. This volume exceeds the current municipal water demand, even after accounting for evaporation losses and groundwater recharge.
. Most of this water is lost through the storm water drains, eventually ending up in the Modder River.



Groete/Greeting
Ludwig, Retha & Arno Everson

Complex water works - Koud -> warm -> grys -> plante -> grys -> swart water

In die foto sien 'n deel van die kompleksiteit van 'n aardskip se waterwerke.

Hierdie week het ons die grys water pype afgehandel.

Verder is ons besig die badkamer vloer te teël.

-o0o------------------
Here you can see part of the complexity of an earthship's water works. We catch the rain water and store it in 30kl tanks. An electrical pump, pump the water through a filter system to the hot water solar geyser and the taps. The hot water pipes are insulated with the white insulation stuff (recycled plastic bottles). The dirty (grey) water from the zinc, bath, washing and basin go to the planter. The excess water filtered by the planter is used to flush the toilet. The dirty (black) water from the toilet go to the digester (septic tank / bio-digester).

+ In the case were the planter do not have enough excess water the backup valve from the (clean) cold water system will be opened to fill the toilet cistern.

+ In the case where the planter overflows the overflow valve will be opened to let the overflow grey water go directly to the digester. The hight of the overflow will make sure that only the minimum grey water will go to the digester. However the valve should be kept close for normal function.

Groete/Greetings
Ludwig, Retha en Arno

Ons kan vaar, ons eerste oes en die toilet werk - All systems go, we can eat and we can ... go

We finished the installation of the septic tank and we managed to install the toilet as well. Gradus, JP and Izak are the main players in installing the septic tank, thank you very much.

Our planter is already producing food, look at the pumpkin and our first bean harvest.

-o0o------------------

Kyk net hoe mooi lyk ons gryswatersel, die plante groei dat die bessies bewe. Hier sien julle ons eerste bone-oes en die grote van ons pampoen.

Die Toilet werk danksy die installasie van die septiesetenk. Dankie Gradus, JP en Izak. Ludwig is besig om die Toilet te toets.

Groete/Greetings
Ludwig, Retha en Arno

Sewage week - Julle sien hier die aardskip se gat (vir die septiektenk)

Die week het ons gewerk aan die riool stelsel. Die eerste 16 meter pyp is reeds gelê. Verder is die septiektenk se gat gegrawe. Agter die huis is ons besig om "landscaping" te doen om seker te maak die water van die heuwel kom so gou as moontlik na die voorkant van die huis en bly nie agter die huis nie. Die werk word gedoen deur die mense wat uiteindelik die biogasverteerder gaan instaleer, Gradus Teseling.

Binneshuis het ons twee panele van die badkamer geplaas. Die waskamer en eetkamer se kalkpleister is klaar. Die 2e-, 3e-, bad- en waskamer se mure is reeds afgewit.

Die plante groei goed, ons sal die week ons eerste bone oes, verder is die pampoen besig om groter te word.

-o0o------------------

We are busy installing the septic tank. The first 16 metres of drain pipe is installed. At the back of the house we are busy with landscaping to make sure the water flow to the front of the house as fast as possible.

Inside we are busy with the bathroom panels, the lime plastering and white washing.

The garden is doing very well. We are now letting the pumpkin climb up the windows and who knows just now we will have hanging pumpkins. Next week we will harvest some of our beans.

Groete/Greetings
Ludwig, Retha en Arno


info.everson@gmail.com
Pos: Posbus 186, Orania 8752, Suid Afrika
Tel: +27 73 134 9671

Donasies - donations
Bank: ABSA
Swift code: ABSAZAJJ
Branch: 632005
Account name: LRHV Everson
Account nr: 9272495193
Reference: Aardskip