Marianne
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 3,269
- Reaction score
- 355
- Points
- 287
- Location
- rural Abilene, KS, 67410 USA
Wally,
Your #2 sounds like the earthtubes. They used large PVC pipes. Condensation and mold ended up being a problem for some. I wanted to build this system into our house, got shot down, dang it. Anyway, I was going to run heavy nylon cord in each tube, then pull a bleach-water soaked towel through to clean the tubes occasionally. Of course, you had to remember to tie the next length of cord on the towel end, or you'd be screwed. I still like the idea - fresh, cool air. Here's a couple links I found a long time ago:
http://mb-soft.com/solar/saving.html
and
http://www.thenaturalhome.com/earthtube.htm
In regards to heating, I remember a picture where a guy put black iron pipe (?) under the grate in his fireplace, ran the pipe to a hard to heat shop. He had made in essence, a radiant heat system above the floor, just around the perimeter of the room. Of course, he had to have a small pump moving the water (closed loop system) constantly whenever there was a fire going. He'd had the system for a couple of years, worked well, but no details on the construction of it.
A simple idea for circulating warm air in a two story house or house w/ heated basement - what about a piece of duct or large PVC, running from the ceiling of the lower level through the floor of the upper level. Warmer ceiling air from the lower level goes up.
Then on the opposite corner of the space, the same size duct or pipe running from the floor of 2nd story close to floor of lower story. Cool air drops. Simple grates could go over the flooring holes. The pipe in the corner could be disguised if it bugged you too much. I know that years ago thats how they heated the second story houses. I think the trick is going to be the air circulation from the top floor clear down to within a few inches of the lower floor in the opposite corner.
Some time ago, I had an interest in trying to use a small parabolic to create steam. I saw one built on the cheap using mylar stretched over a satellite dish, I think. It was a school project, so not actually put into use. Short of burning down the house, I'd like to figure out some way to utilize that.
Your #2 sounds like the earthtubes. They used large PVC pipes. Condensation and mold ended up being a problem for some. I wanted to build this system into our house, got shot down, dang it. Anyway, I was going to run heavy nylon cord in each tube, then pull a bleach-water soaked towel through to clean the tubes occasionally. Of course, you had to remember to tie the next length of cord on the towel end, or you'd be screwed. I still like the idea - fresh, cool air. Here's a couple links I found a long time ago:
http://mb-soft.com/solar/saving.html
and
http://www.thenaturalhome.com/earthtube.htm
In regards to heating, I remember a picture where a guy put black iron pipe (?) under the grate in his fireplace, ran the pipe to a hard to heat shop. He had made in essence, a radiant heat system above the floor, just around the perimeter of the room. Of course, he had to have a small pump moving the water (closed loop system) constantly whenever there was a fire going. He'd had the system for a couple of years, worked well, but no details on the construction of it.
A simple idea for circulating warm air in a two story house or house w/ heated basement - what about a piece of duct or large PVC, running from the ceiling of the lower level through the floor of the upper level. Warmer ceiling air from the lower level goes up.
Then on the opposite corner of the space, the same size duct or pipe running from the floor of 2nd story close to floor of lower story. Cool air drops. Simple grates could go over the flooring holes. The pipe in the corner could be disguised if it bugged you too much. I know that years ago thats how they heated the second story houses. I think the trick is going to be the air circulation from the top floor clear down to within a few inches of the lower floor in the opposite corner.
Some time ago, I had an interest in trying to use a small parabolic to create steam. I saw one built on the cheap using mylar stretched over a satellite dish, I think. It was a school project, so not actually put into use. Short of burning down the house, I'd like to figure out some way to utilize that.
