Use of the House
- Fire extinguishers are in the living room closet and in the upstairs hallway.
- Water shut off is in the laundry room.
- If there is an electrical storm, unplug all electrical appliances (computers, TV, lights, etc.)
- All smoking outside.
- All dogs outside, usually. Dog poop goes in the wire-surrounded compost pile in the yard south-west of the house. Please dry dog-feet before letting dogs into the house.
- Limit laundry to one cycle per day for better septic function.
- Pack it in, pack it out.
- Please leave the kitchen and common areas clean.
- Always keep the outside gates closed, so that deer/bears do not come in.
Kitchen & Recycling
- Use the stove timer if you are setting a burner on high. The elements get very hot.
- Please remember to leave the tap off in the cold position.
- Clean dishes after use and place in rack to dry. The cast iron pans and wok must be cleaned, and dried, immediately or they rust.
- Compost goes into the green bucket, that lives in the fridge door. Additional compostables can also be left in plastic bags or bowls in the fridge, or put into the composter (outside the side door) labelled “active”.
- Please do not put labels or plastic in the compost, please. Relatively clean plastic bags go into the cloth bag by the stove. Hard plastic, metals, cardboard and glass into the boxes in the foyer.
- Garbage into the bucket hanging in the kitchen or the green garbage cans in the storage room.
- Paper products go into box under the sink, or into the paper storage area beside the woodstove. Flatten all paper.
- Please do not leave water on the floors or counter. Leave sink and counters dry.
Woodstove
- There is a fire extinguisher in the wood closet in the living room and another in upstairs hall.
- Never leave the fire unattended with the door open.
- When there are already a couple of inches of hot coals inside the stove, do not cram it full of wood. If you feel the need. just add one piece of wood or it will get too hot.
- When the woodstove is hot, cook on it to save electricity, and keep the blue kettle and ceramic humidifier filled with water for ready use.
- Hang clothes to dry as much as possible to save electricity (except towels, they are better in the dryer). Hang clothes at least 2 feet away from the woodstove (fire hazard).
- Plug in and turn on the air filter full blast while collecting the ash. Use the iron poker to remove the firestone blocking the hole to the ashbox and also the little brick to the left. Dump ashes into the pyramid pile 30 yards from the front door
Safety
- There are fire extinguishers in the house and in the living room closet and in the upstairs hallway.
- Please pull plugs out of the wall during electrical storms.
- The water shut off is in the laundry room between the
washer/dryer and the hot water tank. - If a breaker goes, the main electrical panel is behind the curtain in the closet beside the wood stove.
- Don’t use much water during a power outage (no flushing) because if the pressure tank gets drained, the pump switch will need to be activated again. It is located in the small pump shed beside the garden. Instructions for activating the switch are in the pump shed. Essentially, remove the grey cover off of the switch. Be careful not to touch the live wires. Lift the switch up until you hear the pump go on. Hold the switch in the up position as the pressure rises (see the gauge). The pump will shut itself off when the tank is sufficiently pressurized. Replace the grey cover.