On a frosty Alaska morning, a family's small water tank shed measured 50 degrees inside while the outdoor temperature hovered around 28 degrees. The insulated enclosure was part of a larger effort to bring running water into their off-grid cabin before winter.
Here's what to know
Anna and Gordon documented their family's project in a YouTube video on the Home to Alaska (@HomeToAlaska) channel, showing how they built an insulated enclosure for a 275-gallon tank.
The project was born out of necessity, as Anna explained.
"The problem with this tank is one hard freeze and the water turns into ice," she said. "And we will be hauling buckets for a family of six."
Once the insulation was installed, the couple's work was far from done. After all, Anna noted that they would have to be able to transport the water up their driveway to refill it. With that in mind, they showed viewers the process.
To help retain heat, the family left just enough room in the enclosure for the tank, pump, and plumbing. They wondered whether a pipe coming from six feet underground was providing warmth and noted that a heater was available for especially cold weather.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
More background
When money allows, the family plans to build a larger shed with space for a generator and mechanical room. They used leftover supplies salvaged from a demolished house.
Refilling the tank depended on hauling water uphill, but the driveway had become too soft for the family to make the climb.
Before winter froze the ground, the family needed to widen and level the driveway and ease its slope. The entrance lacked gravel, and the route had been cut quickly with an excavator to allow cabin construction to begin.
Additionally, a leaking kitchen faucet needed to be replaced before the sink would work properly. The washer and dryer also had to be moved from behind the camper into the cabin to protect them from freezing.
What can be done?
The family can refill the tank through an opening and remove the enclosure's top and front panels when work is needed inside. To winterize the camper's water system, the family added winterizing fluid after draining the lines.
The family eventually tested a load of laundry while the generator ran. When the machines first came indoors, they still needed an electrical connection and a dryer vent.
They used a dozer to slope the yard away from the cabin and improve access along the driveway, widening the route, easing the hill, and covering clay with gravel.
The household still had to install siding and a hot water heater and prepare firewood. In true Alaska fashion, they had to protect the apple trees from moose. They also planned underlayment and more gravel when they could afford them.
After replacing the leaking kitchen faucet, the family had water running at the kitchen sink. With the driveway fixed, they could keep hauling water to refill the tank through winter.
One YouTube commenter praised both the construction and the preparation needed to keep a six-person household going.
"I'm always amazed by the volume of work accomplished," they wrote. "I know it takes planning and having supplies on hand when needed."
Where can I learn more?
Other off-grid households and cold-climate homeowners face similar challenges keeping water flowing through winter.
• In Alaska, rain collapsed trenches as a couple worked to bury a 1,500-gallon water tank.
• An off-grid household in zone 6 received advice to bury barrels against freezing.
• In the Northeast, homeowners worried about pipes freezing in unheated rooms, including their kitchen and bathroom.
• A Maine homeowner asking about insulating a water heater received a blunt warning about space heaters.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
Cool Picks
