Welcome back to Base Camp WNC—today, we’re back in the beautiful mountains of Burnsville, North Carolina, on a fourth-generation family homestead. It's been nearly 7 years since I last set foot on this land, and now, my good friend’s son is preparing to move into the family home.

Step One: Restoring the Spring Water Source
The first priority: getting fresh spring water flowing again. Years ago, a spring system was installed, but while water is visibly bubbling out of the mountain, the pipe is bone dry. We’ve started digging into the hillside to trace the issue—and sure enough, water has found a path underneath the dam wall rather than through the pipe.

This setup features a shallow 12-inch-deep Carolina water system. Over time, the water carved its own path beneath the dam, bypassing the intended flow. We'll need to rebuild the dam wall using hydraulic cement, seal it to the rock face, and redirect the flow properly.

As we excavate, we’ve discovered that the original builder used black 6-mil plastic tucked into the hill to keep debris out—and it’s worked remarkably well. The gravel is still clean, but the problem lies in the length of the dam. It doesn’t extend far enough into the hillside, allowing water to escape around the edges.

Rebuilding the Dam Wall: Solid Rock, Solid Solutions
We’re working on setting a new dam wall directly onto solid rock, and I’ve already laid down 20 lbs of leak-stopper cement as the base. The new wall will run from ledge rock to ledge rock, cut precisely to fit the uneven terrain. Tomorrow, I’ll bring up my battery-operated saw and continue sculpting the fit for maximum water retention and efficiency.

The Old Spring Box: Too Far, Too Muddy
The original spring box is over 1,000 feet downhill from the spring and sits full of mud and debris. It’s simply not practical—especially in winter—to hike that far to maintain it. So, we’re relocating the water system closer to the house where it’s easier to access, clean, and maintain.

I’ve already connected test pipes and cleared parts of the line. We've confirmed that water is flowing from the original spring dam, producing a consistent flow of 1.25 gallons per minute—that’s over 1,800 gallons per day!

Creating a Practical Off-Grid Water System
With the new dam wall nearly in place, we’re running temporary piping above ground to get water flowing into the house as quickly as possible. The old tank now sits about 150 feet above the house—delivering solid water pressure at just under 40 PSI.

We’ve also installed a full water purification system, including:

• A spin-down filter
• A cartridge filter
• A UV light system
• An RV-compatible hose bib
• And a bypass yard faucet for gardening needs

This setup gives them clean, drinkable spring water, while also supplying unfiltered water for irrigation and outdoor use—efficient, practical, and off-grid ready.

What’s Next for This Fourth-Generation Homestead?
With water secured and the family moving in this weekend, the next stages of this off-grid homestead restoration will include:

• Off-grid refrigeration using a 90-year-old springhouse
  
  
• Low-head, high-volume hydro power
• Old-fashioned homestead repairs and systems

This is just the beginning. As we work through each phase, we’ll document the full journey to help others learn how to reclaim, restore, and live more independently from the land.

Need Help With Your Own Off-Grid Project?
I offer in-person homestead consultations (travel fees apply) and free remote consultations via phone or internet. If you need advice, guidance, or hands-on help with your homesteading, off-grid water, or preparedness projects, I’d be glad to help.

Like, share, and subscribe to follow along with this amazing generational homestead journey. Drop a comment below if you have questions—or want to share your own spring water or off-grid experience.  Visit us at:  CarolinaHomesteadPlanner.com for more information and resources.

Thanks for watching, and as always--thank you, Jesus.

#OffGridLiving #HomesteadingLife #SpringWaterSystem #HydraulicCement #DIYHomestead #MountainLiving #BaseCampWNC #FourthGenerationHomestead #WaterPurification #SelfReliance #SpringRestoration #BurnsvilleNC

Welcome Back to Base Camp WNC – Starting a 4th Generation Family Homestead

We’re excited to bring you along on a brand-new chapter here at Base Camp WNC as we begin building a fourth-generation family homestead in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

This project is especially close to home—one of my closest friends has a son who’s moving onto the family property, and we’re getting started with some essential infrastructure work. In the next video, we’ll be focusing on installing a fresh spring water system to supply clean running water to the house.

What’s Coming Up:

• Spring Water Installation – We’ll show you how we tap into a clean mountain spring and run water directly into the home.
• Low Head, High Volume Hydro Power – Learn about our plans for a hydro system that generates sustainable energy with a low elevation drop.
• Rebuilding an Original Spring House – On the property sits a 60+ year-old stone springhouse built by Joe’s grandfather. This structure served as the original refrigeration system for the homestead—and we’re going to restore it!

Joe, who manages the technical side of my YouTube channel, is also launching a brand-new magazine dedicated to homesteading and self-reliance. As soon as I have the details, I’ll share the links and help spread the word about this great new resource.

Now, let’s take a quick look at this incredible springhouse. It’s built from massive hand-laid stones—some weighing over 300 pounds—with an original wooden door still intact. We believe the spring once ran through this structure, feeding into a trough system to keep milk and other perishables cool before refrigeration was available.

This homestead, like many in the area, was originally built without electricity, making this springhouse an essential part of daily survival. We’re going to turn its restoration into a full video series on off-grid refrigeration and traditional homestead technology.

Coming Soon:

• Clean spring water system installation
• Water purification for safe drinking water
• Rebuilding the historic springhouse
• Homestead hydro power generation

We're making big strides—Joe’s son is officially moving onto the property this weekend, and by the time this video goes live, he’ll be settled in. It’s the beginning of a new generation living off the land, and we’re thrilled to share every step with you.  We love homestead planning, and this is a great new adventure in homestead living.  For more information and homestead consulting, visit our site at:  https://carolinahomesteadplanner.com

👉 Don’t forget to like, share, comment, and subscribe to follow our homesteading journey. If you have any questions—or if I can help you with your own off-grid or preparedness project—just let me know in the comments.

Thanks for watching, and we’ll see you on the next one!
#Homesteading #OffGridLiving #SpringWaterSystem #HydroPower #SelfReliance #BaseCampWNC #HomesteadRestoration #SpringHouse #WesternNorthCarolina #Preparedness #DIYHomestead

Welcome back to Base Camp WNC!

As promised, I’m doing a quick video on this device called the Pump Saver. I picked it up on Amazon for around $389. We're currently in a house with a low-producing well — about half a gallon per minute. The property is rented out, and they have a water system set up that makes it workable. But they had a major issue before: the well would keep running dry.

With such low output, the well could only produce about 100 to 150 gallons before running dry. That led to frequent pump problems. This is where the Pump Saver comes in. It monitors the electrical current going to the pump. When the water level drops too low, the current changes — and the device automatically shuts off the pump to prevent damage.

Let me take you inside and show you how it works...
I've already removed the cover, and you'll see I put a piece of tape over the green indicator light — it was interfering with the camera. To calibrate it, simply turn this screw to “calibrate.” With the pump switch open (meaning it needs water), turn on the power. The pump will run for about 10 seconds, then shut off.

After that, adjust this knob to your desired delay setting. I’ve set mine to 180 minutes (that’s 3 hours). That means when the water level drops and the pump shuts off, the system will wait 3 hours to allow the well to recover — in this case, bringing back around 90 gallons of water. Once recovered, the pump kicks back on, pumps out the 90 gallons, shuts off again, and waits another 3 hours. It's a cycle designed to protect the well and pump.

Then, set the sensitivity using the knob right here.
As for wiring: the power feed from the house connects here — this is a 220V system. One wire goes into the terminal marked “IN,” and the other into the second “IN.” Don’t forget to connect your ground wire. The output wire, marked “OUT,” also gets a ground and runs to the pump switch.

The wire then runs down to the pump controller. That’s all there is to the basic setup. Once everything’s wired, the green light will indicate system status.

The unit has a series of status lights and error indicators, such as:

• Dry Run
• Dead Heading
• Overcurrent
• Voltage Fault
• Rapid Cycling
  

All of these are explained clearly on the panel, so you can easily read and diagnose any issues.

And this device isn’t just for wells. You can use it with pumps in cisterns, transfer tanks, ponds — basically any situation where you’re moving water and need protection in case of dry run or voltage issues. It’s a great way to protect your investment and avoid expensive pump replacements.

If you have questions, feel free to email me — you’ll find the contact info below. I’ll do my best to help you out.
As always, like, share, subscribe, and tell your friends.

Thanks for watching — and I’ll see you on the next one!

For more helpful homestead planning tips, visit Carolina Homestead Planner.