Just a NOTE, here.... Silicon is NOT the same thing as Silicone.... Some Folks here are using the two terms, interchangeably, which they are NOT.....
There is almost always more than one solution to a problem. Perhaps we could increase your ease of access to water? you have a cistern and roof collection, a stream and a lake. How far, how large, and flow rate? Several methods are available depending upon the variables.
The lake is 1300 yards away and the elevation change is 600ft. The stream is about 2500 yards away and elevation change is about 800 feet, and the terrain going that way is rough. I'm adding another 110 gallons for the cistern system but that doesn't do me much good in the winter. (I have to drain that system before it freezes) My ATV can make it to both, in the summer. But winter freezes both sources. Plenty of snow then anyway. I just don't like to use 2-3 gallons of water when I could avoid it. Dish washing uses the most water. My belly second. And my shower every couple of days only uses about 4 gallons.
I assume both sources are below you, not above, correct? Does the stream have at least 10' of drop near by? A ram pump could raise water about 100' higher/nearer to you, to a holding tank or pool. A solar powered 12vt RV water pump could pump it horizontally to you. Mechanical windmills have been used for centuries to pump water by wind, but for a 600' climb, I would either use a fueled pump, or use a series of solar powered rv pumps with float valves and with tanks at each pump location. Water would climb like a stairway. Could get costly though, as each of those pumps are rated for (I think) about 30-35' of head. On the other hand, a windmill paired with a tank and a ram pump, could raise water more rhan 100' per stage.
Yes. Below me. No elaborate systems needed. Just trying to keep it simple. I make about 5 gallons of water a day in the winter. Summer I can use 5-10 gallons day and getting more is no problem then either.
Wintertime temps? Could do several passive methods to melt snow, with mirrors, black plastic, or solar heaters...
15 to -10f average temp in the winter. Getting water isn't my problem. Using what water I melt or fetch then filter is. So I use as little as possible. The other issue is my sink dumps straight down into a 5 gallon bucket which I then have to tote to the cliff and dispose. If I dump even food particles in dishwater near the cabin the bears and other critters show up.
The cliff is about 40 yards away. A water hose or pipe system would likely freeze in winter or clog in summer. And bears would dig or tear either up. Easy enough to dump the bucket. Bears chew on everything. Porcupine too.
Here is how I make my shower water: Then dump the warm water into my 12v pump bucket and pull the string to start the pump: Then dump the galvanized tub. Every drop of water used is work though. So I try to use it very wisely.
You could heat your water with copper pipe in the fire box, and never have to carry hot water again. Just feed it off your water tank and gravity feed or power pump it only when the shower is running. It would also act as a radiator to help warm the cabin.
The shower/sauna is a separate building about 20 yards from the cabin. The cabin has an oil drip heater. Here is the layout.
Very nice. Thought it was one building. You might check In to evaquated cylinder solar rooftop, water heaters. Your pump would send the water up, cold, it would come back down hot.
That's one of the small lakes in the photo above. The big lake is this one (photo taken from my front porch looking ESE) And to give you an idea of the hill I sit on: Not a good cabin to own if your a sleepwalker.
If you didn't know what mountain mariner meant raise your hand.... Really? Duh we all knew what he meant