Crazy Insane Yet Environmentally Friendly Idea Sure To Get Code Enforcement On My Case? (Pittsburgh: rent, appliances)

[HarryRSpooner]

Okay, I may have totally just lost my mind and I could use a real good reality check. I will have to check to make sure what I am about to propose does conform to code and is actually lawful. Here is some background:

For some time I have been real interested in a particular abandoned/vacant home in Pittsburgh. It isn't condemned/boarded up and is remarkably structurally sound. At long last I did manage to find the owner and he is willing to nearly give the place away. (Darn increased Allegheny County Recording fees are now $150.00 from under $100.00)

Okay, so I have found out that I would definitely need a complete electric rewire, new water and gas pipes to get basic utilities back on. This could be big bucks in a house not worth a whole lot of money. I'm not even looking to flip this or rent it out to anyone. Instead I'm interested in going green to save green and to save on red tape if possible. This would be a sort of office/crash pad/experiment.

So what I am proposing to do is:

1.) Set up a rainwater harvesting/gathering system to use for water along with a filtration system.

2.) Solar powered appliances and solar panels. There are some solar powered heating systems.

There are even waterless urinals, Eco-friendly toilets and propane powered hot-water systems. Part of me feels this is highly dopey and silly. But part of me thinks it could be incredibly fun. I think the one element I need to figure out is what to do with the sewage. This is where I think the plan could unravel. Does anyone have experience trying this in the City?

[selltheburgh]

This is happening to some extent with the energy side of what you are looking to do:

Renovated East Liberty home creates more energy than it uses

It didn't re-use water, but had a rain garden that didn't send rain water into the sanitary sewage system.

[selltheburgh]

Also, you'll need the sewage to go to ALCOSAN via the sewer lateral lines. You may be able to re-use some water - like taking your sink water and having it be the water that flushes your toilet.

I'm nearly positive that you can't run your toilet water into some sort of human turd composting system in your 30x100 city lot. Maybe if you lived on acreage in Fayettenam you could do this because you'd be the only one catching typhoid fever. Instead of hoarding poop, maybe just buy a low flush toilet and live by the motto, if it is yellow, let it mellow. if it is brown, flush it down.

All faux science aside, the building inspector will not give you an occupancy permit unless your plumbing is up and running to 21st century codes. Disconnecting the rain leaders from the sewer lateral lines and planting some sort of eco rain garden will make more of a difference than collecting crap.

[HarryRSpooner]

I have this wild notion that for a single and extremely frugal young man I could probably end up not using tons of energy or water. I do think that the two main problems are: 1.) the occupancy permit as mentioned before and 2.) the sewage also as mentioned before. There are probably a whole lot of other issues too I'm just not thinking at the moment.

[Moby Hick]

You could have a standard sewage hook up but still crap in a bucket or whatevs.

[ML North]

Last year I spent a weekend in a cabin that was entirely "off the grid", and hot water from the shower was provided by a tankless propane water heater. It was very slick, and the fuel tank was like what you would use for a gas grill. I also believe there was battery powered pump to help step up the water pressure.

I think dealing with poop and pee would be the major obstacle. After all, a waterless or composting toilet in the city is really not much better than throwing it out into the street.

The rest - technically speaking - could be accomplished. A clever rainwater harvesting system could be engineered for all sorts of functions.

[Bong477]

Can't imagine we get enough sun to reliably power a home. My solar powered low energy LED lights path lights often don't even work well (particularly during the winter). You can do things to reduce your energy use for sure, but I can't imagine you will be able to be off the grid in the city from both a legal and practical standpoint.

We rewired (most of) our home when we bought it. Rewiring will run about $3-4/sq ft as a ballpark figure, individual results can vary of course.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Bong477

My solar powered low energy LED lights path lights often don't even work well (particularly during the winter).

I wouldn't compare some cheap LED path lights with real solar panels. I am not sure about using solar in our area though. I know there is a home in Aspinwall that went all out and I am wondering what the result was. Someday, I hope to see the owners outside and ask them about it. My home bakes in the sun. On sunny days or even partly sunny days, my boiler shuts down for most of the day because the sunshine heats my home completely. It is nice, but my rugs don't like the idea.

[Stijl Council]

My closest friend has solar panels in the city. Her house doesn't have a huge footprint, but during the late spring/summer/early fall she makes enough power to sell some back, and she uses about 10% of what she was using previously during the rest of the year. She also has rain barrels which pretty much take care of her gardening needs (she is an avid gardener). She had no problem with permits.

We've looked into solar panels ourselves and may end up going that route, but the upfront cost is pretty considerable. I've read on installers' websites that you make it back in reduced power costs in around two years, but that's not been my friend's experience. I think my friend's break-even point will be five to seven years, give or take. I'd think you'd need more if you were using solar heating, however. Radiant heat, like the type used in that East Liberty property, might be helpful. We've had work done by West Penn Energy Solutions (the company mentioned in that article), FWIW, and liked them a lot. I'll bet if you called them and explained what you wanted you could get a consultation without spending much at all.

I know one of the requirements for Phipps to get their LEED Platinum certification is that all of their water is collected and processed onsite, which means they do have the sewage issue figured out. I don't know that their solution sounds feasible for a single-family home, however.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by Stijl Council

I know one of the requirements for Phipps to get their LEED Platinum certification is that all of their water is collected and processed onsite, which means they do have the sewage issue figured out. I don't know that their solution sounds feasible for a single-family home, however.

The page says "treating and reusing all of water captured on site." I think that just means rain water, not that they treat their patrons' leavings on site. They do have waterless urinals, which don't smell bad, but I think the urinals and toilets still empty into the sewers.