Backyard LowTech · Field Manual No. 02
Before you buy a panel, a pump or a fan, find out if it works at your house.
The Backyard LowTech Systems Manual covers power, water, comfort and the workshop in 46 chapters. Each one opens with a straight verdict, the real output, the real cost, and a label that says whose job it is:
- 46chapters in 6 parts
- 615pages, large 12.5 pt type
- 8labeled diagrams
- 43pages of sources, listed by chapter
US Letter PDF · edition of October 2026 · sources listed by chapter with the month each was checked
Measure first
Most home energy advice skips the four questions that decide whether it works for you.
Videos show the build. They rarely show what your house uses, what your state allows, what the thing really makes, or the step where a weekend job turns dangerous. This manual starts there. You measure first, then decide, then build only what makes sense for your house and climate.
What your house actually uses
Read your electric bill, build a load map, and measure with a plug-in meter and a thermometer before you buy anything.Part 0 · Chapters 0.2–0.3
What the law allows where you live
Plug-in "balcony" solar, rain barrels and battery banks all depend on your state and utility. The book prints the date each rule was checked and tells you where to recheck.Chapter 2.4, status as of Oct. 2026
What a system really produces
Every chapter has a small table with the option, its status, whether it works at home scale, the realistic output and the real cost. When no reliable price exists, it says "price it locally" instead of guessing.Every chapter, first pages
Where your part stops and a pro's begins
House wiring, gas, refrigerant, structure, pressure vessels and large batteries go to a licensed pro. The book says so on the first page of the chapter, every time.The chapter labels, below
"Expect US$900–2,600 installed at aggregator prices, not US$200."
Chapter 1.5, The Whole-House Fan · p. 104"One inch of rain on 1,000 ft² of roof is about 623 gallons."
Chapter 3.3, Rain Catchment for the Home · p. 404The label system
Every chapter tells you on page one whether it's a job for you.
Most of the book is measuring, deciding and doing simple, safe work yourself. A smaller part is work you should plan and hand to a licensed professional. The colored label at the top of each chapter keeps the two apart.
Build it
Safe for a careful homeowner with ordinary tools.
Build it carefully
Doable, with Caution boxes and "Signs to stop" on the risky steps.
Plan it, hire it
You decide, size and check. A licensed pro installs.
Counted from the chapter list below. Four mixed chapters carry two labels and are counted under both.
Safe for a careful homeowner
Ordinary tools. Follow the steps and the checks.
Example: Measure Before You Buy, Map Your Home's Water, Repair or Replace.You can do it, with real risk in some steps
Ladders, digging, water near electricity, hot water, stored pressure, power tools. Those steps carry an orange Caution box, and the chapter has a "Signs to stop" list.
Example: Attic Ventilation, Rain Catchment, Ram Pumps.Decision guide only, on purpose
The chapter helps you decide, size, specify and check the work. It does not teach installation. This covers house wiring, gas, refrigerant, structure, pressure vessels and large batteries.
Example: Heat Pumps, Rooftop Solar, Battery Banks.Every step ends with a Check. If the check fails, you stop. Some chapters are mixed, for example "build it for devices used on their own; plan it, hire it for anything connected to the house," and the label says which part is which.
Anatomy of a chapter
Every chapter is built the same way, so you can find the answer fast.
The label
Green, amber or red, with one line on what that means for this chapter.
The verdict up front
One paragraph that answers the question before the details: what it does, where it works, where it doesn't, what it costs.
The B5 seal
A five-column table you can scan in seconds:
OptionStatusHome scale?Realistic outputReal costSteps, checks and signs to stop
Tools and skills listed up front. Units in US first, metric in parentheses.
Sources, dated
DOE, EPA, CDC, EIA, OSHA, test standards, data sheets and peer-reviewed research, listed at the back by chapter with the month we checked them.
Look inside
Look inside. These are real pages from the PDF.
Nothing here is a mockup. Tap any page to read it full size.
The 8 diagrams
What you'll see inside: the diagrams, as drawn in the book.
Each one explains a single mechanism with labeled parts and US units first. Tap any diagram to see it full size.
Contents
All 46 chapters, with each one's label.
Plus the 8 diagrams shown above, sources by chapter at the back, and a topic finder.
Fit check
Who this is for, and who should skip it.
It's for you if
- You'd rather understand a system before you pay for it.
- You want lower bills, a real plan for outages and water on hand, without gadgets that don't work where you live.
- You're a careful DIYer, fine with hand tools and a meter, and you want to know exactly where your part stops and a licensed pro's begins.
- You've watched a "free energy" video and wanted someone to run the numbers.
What it is not
- Not a wiring, gas or plumbing install manual. Anything tied to house wiring goes to a licensed electrician, and the book says so every time.
- Not advice for your specific house. Codes, incentives and state laws change; the book gives the month each number was checked.
- Not a promise of free energy or a bill near zero. Some chapters end with "skip it."
- Not a drinking-water certification. Rain, dew, well and condensate water aren't treated as drinkable until the treatment chapter says so.
Sources
Where it comes from.
The Backyard LowTech channel
The manual grew out of the Backyard LowTech YouTube channel: 85 videos and more than 1.4 million views on low-tech ways to heat, cool, power and water a home (public YouTube counts, October 2026). The questions and pushback in the comments decided what went into the book, and what got a "skip it."
No reader reviews are shown here yet, because the manual is new and we won't make any up.
Where the numbers come from
Government agencies, test standards, manufacturers' data sheets and peer-reviewed research. Every chapter's sources are listed at the back with the date we checked them.
The Backyard LowTech Systems Manual
- 46 chapters in 6 parts: diagnose, comfort, power, water, workshop, and the claim filter
- 615-page PDF, large 12.5 pt type, US units first with metric
- The label system on every chapter, plus Caution boxes and "Signs to stop" lists
- 8 diagrams and a B5 seal table in every chapter
- Sources by chapter with research dates, and a topic finder
- Reads on a tablet or computer and prints well
Checkout on Gumroad. The download link appears as soon as you pay, and comes by email too. Reply to your Gumroad receipt within 7 days for a full refund.
Already bought the Low-Tech Cooling Playbook?
Thank you for being one of the first readers. Your upgrade is free: use the code in your email at checkout. The Systems Manual grew out of the Playbook; its Part 1 covers the same cooling systems, rewritten and expanded, plus heating, power, water and the workshop. Your Cooling Playbook stays yours.
Only need cooling?
The Low-Tech Cooling Playbook is the short version: 50 pages on matching cooling systems to your climate, $27. Part 1 of the Manual covers the same ground in more depth, so you don't need both.
FAQ
Straight answers.
How long is it, and what format?
A 615-page PDF (about 9.2 MB), US Letter, with large type (12.5 pt body), edition of October 2026. It reads best on a tablet or computer and prints well. It opens on a phone too, but full pages are small there. Units are US first, with metric in parentheses.
Do I need to be handy?
No. Part 0 and many chapters are about measuring and deciding, with a plug-in meter and a thermometer. The build chapters list the tools and skills they need up front, and the red chapters don't ask you to build anything.
Is this the same as the Low-Tech Cooling Playbook?
No. The Cooling Playbook covers cooling in 50 pages. This manual covers the whole house: comfort (cooling and heating), power and backup, water, and the workshop, in 46 chapters. If you already bought the Playbook, your upgrade is free with the code in your email.
Where do the numbers come from?
Government agencies (DOE, EPA, CDC, EIA, OSHA and others), test standards, manufacturers' data sheets and peer-reviewed research. Every chapter's sources are listed at the back with the date we checked them. When we couldn't find a reliable price, the book says "price it locally" instead of guessing.
Will it work in my state and climate?
That's what the measuring chapters are for. The book gives climate thresholds and state-law examples and shows you how to check your own. For fast-changing rules, like plug-in solar, it prints the date and tells you where to look.
Will it teach me to wire a battery bank to my house?
No, on purpose. Anything connected to house wiring is a "Plan it, hire it" chapter: it helps you size the system, write down what you want, and check the electrician's work. Small battery setups kept separate from house wiring are covered.
How do I get it after I pay?
Checkout runs on Gumroad (card or PayPal). The download link shows on screen right after payment and Gumroad emails it to you as well, so you can download it again later.
What if it isn't for me?
Reply to your Gumroad receipt within 7 days for a full refund.
Measure first. Build what fits. Hire out the rest.
615 pages for the whole house, with a straight answer at the top of every chapter.
Get the Manual, $47