Sunday, May 31, 2009 - At the Cabin
Sleeping in my own bed last night was like sleeping on a cloud. The memory foam and my own pillow made it seem like I was floating as I slept. I awoke earlier than my usual time, but the lack of noise and comfort of my bed let me continue sleeping for a while longer.
I got up and fixed my coffee, started the generator for power and tried to get the computer online. I had no luck and will have to do a lot more research and checking to find the problem. While still at the RV Park, I had emailed Joe and Michele, letting them know I was back and inviting them to come up today if they wished. Joe’s mother is visiting from Pennsylvania and he wanted to bring her up to see my place, so I expected them at any time.
I am enjoying watching my birds returning as they discover the full feeders, and the chipmunks in the wood pile as they hunt for and find the peanuts I hide. The morning is so warm that I have all of the doors and windows open to let the fresh mountain air in. Although I am sad to see how many of the trees around me have succumbed to the bark beetle, being home and simply enjoying the beauty and peace and quiet of my kingdom is a great reward.
Just past noon, Michele, Joe, and his mother arrived and Zack and I greeted them. Joe’s mother isn’t quite like the picture he painted and I had in my mind. She is petite and attractive, and easy to be comfortable with. We all sat in the sunroom and visited, catching up on things that have happened. Joe had purchased a 1989 Honda Prelude with four-wheel steer, which is a year newer than the one I had. He loves the car and how it handles, but it is too difficult to get in and out of with his added weight, so he gave it to his mother to drive home. She had a bad experience flying out here, as she has a problem with her mastoid process, making her feel dizzy and sick, so she doesn’t want to fly home. Joe’s younger brother is flying out next week to drive her home in the Honda.
We sat out on the deck, soaking up the sun and just enjoying a warm lazy afternoon. I felt bad that I had nothing more than Dr. Pepper soda to offer them, as all of my chips and dips are still in the motor home. After playing with Zack and visiting, they headed for home at about 4:30, and I went back to trying to get online.
I had replaced the thermal coupler in the water heater and tried to light it with the same result as before, the pilot light would not stay lit when I released the button. More investigations indicated that it could be a dirty tube that supplies the propane to the pilot, so I removed and cleaned it. It didn’t help and according to all my books, it means the actual control is bad and needs to be replaced.
I had decided long ago that if and when the water heater had to be replaced, I would install a tankless water heater that doesn’t require a pilot to burn 24/7, so I’ll investigate that rather than fool with this 7+ year old water heater. I spent the next several hours deconstructing the battery box, removing and cleaning the batteries and all of the cables. To my dismay, I found that two of the batteries had froze and blown out their casings. The other six looked okay so I thought that I could reconnect those six, charge them and get by until a later date. I cleaned all six batteries, putting each of the 130 lb. batteries back in the battery box and reconnected them.
It was almost completely dark now, but I managed to finish and start the generator to begin charging them. I guess Fred was right when he emailed me that I might have more surprises in store, as I got things back to status quo. When dealing with multiple batteries, you cannot simply replace the bad batteries, but you must replace all of the batteries at the same time. This means an additional unexpected expense, on top of the water pump housing and water heater. If I remember correctly, those L-16 batteries cost me about $180.00 each, so with the cost of materials rising over the past five years, I know it is going to be costly to replace them.
I watched the inverter control panel as the generator was running and no matter what I did, it didn’t show the now six batteries were charging; in fact it indicated that they were discharging. My system is set up for 24 volts and the batteries should have a top charge of 29 volts and then need recharging when the volts drop below 22 volts. The meter was indicating that the voltage was 18.4 when I started the generator, then dropped to 18.2, and stayed there.
I gave up for the time being and heated water on the stove for a shower and then had some dinner and watched television until bedtime.