Brandvlei Adventures: Smart Alarms and Bucket Flushes!

Another trip, another adventure to Brandvlei! My son and I were back on a mission: to install the shiny new smart alarm system we designed ourselves. We also had a special delivery in tow – all the new glass for the house's windows and my mom's old trusty microwave, freshly repaired.

We unpacked the car, eager to get started. First things first, we marked out the perfect spot for the main alarm unit. Then, my son, ever the agile one, bravely climbed into the ceiling void. His task? To meticulously remove all the old, tangled alarm wiring and thread in the new. Once he'd conquered the ceiling, we got to work replacing the old, outdated passive sensors with sleek, new ones throughout the house.

With all the sensors and wiring in place, it was time for the pièce de résistance: the main control box. This beauty houses our new backup lithium batteries, complete with cool digital displays for voltage and amperage (because who doesn't love knowing what's going on with their power?). We also hooked up the WiFi router and the solar charge controller – pretty neat, right? My son and I then carefully connected all the alarm wiring, and after a quick system test, we were done! Everything was working like a charm. It's always a great feeling when a plan comes together!

The only minor hiccup? We were still on bucket-flush duty for the toilet. Yep, you heard that right – manually carting water to flush! We weren't quite ready to tackle the new water supply line this trip, but hey, we're making progress. Maybe next time, the luxury of a proper flush will be ours!