Lots of activity

Today the geothermal drillers completed their work, the excavators finished the septic tank and
Gayle completed the sound system. In addition to that I got the kitchen sink completely plumbed, cleaned up the place and wired in some circuit to the panel.

When I get back from Arkansas the well driller for the potable water will put that well in. At that point I should have running water.

Life is good!

Geothermal wells

Today Midwest Geothermal Drilling was to be here at 10 AM to start the drilling but due to breakdowns on the Way the didn't arrive until 5PM. Four men working like a Swiss watch began to assemble all the equipment to begin the process. By 7 they had the first well (180 ft.) done and rig in place to Begin in the morning at 6:30They began by marking the locations of the wells with flags.

Then they marked a line parallel to the three well sites. The back hoe then dug a six foot deep ditch along the line of the wells. A Next they began pumping 2000 gallons of water into the ditch. A pumping line attached to a float was put into the ditch full of water. Then water was recirculated from the ditch into the well drill back out the top of the bored hole and into the ditch.

Ten foot sections of the drilling pipe are added as they bore. Men take turn carrying them over and putting them in place on top of the last section. They used eighteen sections. When the drilling is done they remove the drilling pipes and insert the plastic lines down the bored hole along with a hose that will force grout iinto the hole to complete the well.

When the three wells are done they will dig a trench to the crawl space and bring three pair of pipes into the house they will be manifolded together on to two hedders with three pipes each; a supply and return hedder.


The water will then be recrculated in the pipes taking heat out of the ground in the winter and putting heat back into the ground in the summer.

Sounds simple doesn't it?

It's Been Awhile

Wow, look at all that granite. Mary and I got to the house this afternoon in time to see them put on about half of the granite. Each piece weighs about 25 pounds per square foot. That makes the island piece weigh in at nearly 400 pounds!

The garage approach has been put in since the last post and you can see Nalo out playing on it.

This morning I finished grouting the last of the floor tile. I tiled three baths, hallway, and kitchen. I hope I never see another piece of floor tile as my pour old arthritic body is screaming.

Monday the geothermal drillers are coming. They will drill three wells each about 160 feet deep. The house will then be heated and cooled from heat transfer from the earth. The electric company estimate that the annual cost to heat and cool the house will be about $260. Yes this is not a typo.

June 8

I am in Ames for the week end but here is a picture Garnette took several weeks ago.

Week without internet

Last Friday Qwest decided to cancel my phone and internet. I set up telephone, internet, cell phone, and Direct TV on Thursday for the hobby farm and told them not to discontinue the service at the house in town. Well, they disconnected me anyway. Fortunately, the Holiday Inn has wireless internet.

Last Wednesday my brother Jim flew in from NY to spend a few days. We had a good time. The farm sale went very well (the main reason he came) and we had lots of fun. I did put him sto work finishing base and casing for the house. He did this while I worked on the ceramic tile floors.

The granit people came and measured for the countertops so hopefully they will be installed in a week or so.

I'm still having fun but will be glad when it is all done. Still do not have water hooked up. This is the main worry now. They did come out to talk to me abojut the project. They have to bore under highway and plow in about 1/3 miles of pipe ( a three day project). Not bad for $350.

Week without internet