- Having to think about power all the time
We constantly have to think about power, and how much charge the batteries have. If the batteries get too low, the generator needs started just for the basics,| like lights. We have to make sure the refrigerator and freezer run at least four hours every day to stay cold enough, and depending on if I need to blend something or vacuum, I have to check the power inverter to see if there is enough battery power to run those things.
- Doing without electrical appliances
We don’t own a coffee maker. Or a microwave. Or a toaster oven. Or a waffle maker. Or a mixer. Or a hair dryer, space heater, or instant pot. I have a crock pot, but only use it every few months because it takes too much electricity.
The only electrical appliances we have in the kitchen are a blender, CD player, and the refrigerator. Because we are off grid, we have had to cut back on our power usage, and in turn, do without a lot of convenient appliances.
- The inconvenience of washing laundry or taking a shower
I can’t just throw a load of wash in the washer and turn it on. First I have to either start the big generator, hook up the house cord, and turn on the well pump, or else wait for a sunny day when there is lots of solar power and run the well pump off the batteries. Solar power isn’t as “clean” of electricity as the generator, and my washer won’t work on solar power, so if there’s enough sun to run the well pump, I still have to start the little generator and run an extension cord to the washer.
Taking a shower also gets complicated, and sometimes in the evenings when the children are in bed and I actually have a chance to take a shower, it’s hard to get excited about going out in the dark to start the generator so I have water.
- Maintenance
The generator runs out of gas at the worst times, the pull cord on it snaps and the whole generator has to be disassembled to fix it, the solar panels need turned several times a day to face the sun, and in the winter the snow needs brushed off after every snowfall. Living off grid requires a lot of maintenance.
- Not enough power
We have a pretty small system, and although we’d like to get more batteries to store the power our solar panels and wind turbine generate, we’re not there yet. So when we need to run power tools, or wash laundry, or take a shower, or run the fridge and freezer, if it isn’t a clear sunny day, we need to start up the generator to run any of those things.
I’m not complaining about our lifestyle, because living off grid has its perks as well, but it isn’t always the simple slower life some articles can make it out to be. There is good and bad and a lot of hard work involved, just as in most things on a homestead.
Of all the electric appliances that you mentioned that you have to do without, we only have a mixer and a microwave, but haven’t always had a microwave during all the years of our marriage. The more appliances you have, the more to break down or need maintenance. We’ve used a French press some for coffee or a plastic filter we got at Wenger’s store to remove the grounds after steeping. Yesterday, our water was turned off for 9 hours due to the water company working on the water line on streets near our house. Thankfully, we had been warned ahead of time, so I could get my bathrooms cleaned and towels washed before we lost all water for the day. May God give you patience and grace as you live with the challenges that life presents to you.
This brought back memories of the 3 months we were in the Bahamas after the hurricane. Everything was run by generator and once it was turned off for the night, that was it. I do believe ours must have been bigger since we could run various things off of it. Still, it seemed so luxurious when we got home to not have that hassle to deal with.
Wow! That was good to get perspective! Here’s hoping you can get the tools to make it easier! I admire you and your desire to live simply. But not sure I could do it at this stage in life. I have always said , the simple lifestyle of the Amish is not so simple and you confirmed that! Blessings to you!
You’re a brave woman! Now you could tell us about the 5 best things about living off grid 🙂
That’s a good idea!!
Sounds hard! What a cute little house you have.