"To heat the home, I wanted hydronic floor heating. This is a system that uses warm water in PEX to heat the home. However, hydronic systems are uncommon which makes it difficult to find an installer. I managed to get one quote and it was about $120,000. No thanks! I decided to take on the project myself. It took an immense amount of planning and a lot of labor, but I got it done for about $18,000."
"An ERV does this by continually exchanging air, but capturing the heat and humidity. Similar to the floor heating, ERVs are obscure and expensive to have installed. I had someone ballpark the system at $40,000. The materials were about $15,000, so I saved $25,000 by DIYing it."
"A big part of the joy of life is solving puzzles. MMM calls it voluntary hardship. It was a lot of work for the F.O.O.L.I.S.H. Project, but the satisfaction of completing these tasks was rewarding."
The F.O.O.L.I.S.H. Project began in 2024 with the purchase of a dilapidated home for renovation. After deciding to scrape the existing structure, significant progress has been made in 140 days. Hydronic floor heating was installed by the owner, saving $102,000 compared to professional quotes. An electric boiler and a large photovoltaic array were incorporated to manage energy needs. An Energy Recovery Ventilator was also installed, saving $25,000 through DIY efforts. The project emphasizes the joy of problem-solving and voluntary hardship.
Read at 1500 Days to Freedom
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