TheBackShed.com

Forum Index : Solar : Solar / passive

Author

Message

mac46

Guru

Joined: 07/02/2008
Location: United States
Posts: 412

Posted: 11:20pm 25 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

My passive solar area,
It was 9:24 am Feb. 2nd and 4*F outside when I took this picture.
This is my water preheater/radiator, it warms water heading for the hot water heater. The sun also warms the area enough to help heat the house during the winter and because of the roof overhang stays fairly comfortable in the summer mounths.

I have a full foundation under this area and also used 6 inch fiberglass in the sidewalls/ 12 inch in the ceiling. Also I have a poured cement floor to help soak up the warmth.
.....Mac46

I'm just a farmer

VK4AYQ
Guru

Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 12:04am 26 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

The farmer wins top marks for thermal efficiency, keep up the good work.

Bob

Foolin Around

mac46

Guru

Joined: 07/02/2008
Location: United States
Posts: 412

Posted: 01:31am 26 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

VK4AYQ, and everyone,
The project is alittle sore on the eyes to look at, its been up going on the 4th. year now, and I admitt it has been abused as a catch all at times.
During sunny days the furnace won't run at all from 10 am through 3 pm and the house temp. will rise from 65*f to approx.72*f, give or take a few degrees. I have my thermostate set at 65*f during the winter.
By opening the basement window and the bedroom window the air will circulate naturally with no fan at all, all natural passive convection. Air flows from the basemant up to the solar room and from there into the house, as it cools it returns to the basement to start the journey all over again.
This works great provideing the sun is out, but in the real world this does'nt happen everyday, and sometimes for weeks on end. During these times I shut the area off from the house. It has'nt froze the water lines yet, knock on wood.
The collector is made up of 1/2" copper/ thin wall ridgid, and measures 20 feet long, no recirculating pump...its force fead from the deep well pump, and has a one way check valve to prevent backfeed.
The room measures 24 feet long x 6 feet wide, and the floor line is situated 3 feet below the house floor line to aid in the air flow. The room faces due south.
.....Mac46

I'm just a farmer

VK4AYQ
Guru

Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539

Posted: 02:43am 26 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Hi Mac

What is your well water temperature as it may be a source of heat if you circulate it on a closed loop with a small pump.

I have tested mine at 23 degrees C all year round which can be used as cooling in the summer and warming in the winter but mine is a bit far from the house to be practical.

When I lived in Victoria a much colder in winter state I used a 2 sq meter solar absorber heating 5 tonnes of old bricks under the house and it kept things warm most times, I also had a wood fire with a heater coil for heating the bricks in the winter.

The bricks stored enough heat to be comfortable for several weeks of inclement weather.

All the best

Bob

Foolin Around

mac46

Guru

Joined: 07/02/2008
Location: United States
Posts: 412

Posted: 01:15pm 26 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

VK4AYQ, and everyone,
I have'nt put a thermomator on the well water, but its about 42 to 46*f. Yes masonary is an exellant choice for thermal storage, haveing a deep basement is also a plus, you can take advantage of the warmth in the earth. I've been studying earth sheltered homes. It would be nice to be free from the need to have a furnace or air conditioning, and the electric and gas bill that goes along with them.
.....Mac46

I'm just a farmer

MacGyver

Guru

Joined: 12/05/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 1329

Posted: 05:25am 27 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

Mac46

Rumor has it you own a bulldozer (your avitar gave it away). So, the thought came to me that you may at some time be building a road or two near your house. If you were to embed copper pipes within the asphault of a road, it would heat the water in the summer and in the winter, you could use wood-heated water to run it back through the pipes in the road and keep the snow off. Kind of a win-win, eh?

When I was a kid, my father and I went to the county and asked if we could have all their used asphault, which they'd ripped up in keeping the roads repaired. They gave it to us for free; we just had to haul it off.

So, that's what we did. After that, we just dumped it onto our prepared roadbed and then sprayed it with gasoline, lighted it and after the flames went away, I ran back and forth over it over with a Case 450 dozer, the tracks ground it into small particles. After that, we had a trailer that had about 16 tires, which was used to haul a ginormous caterpillar. Anyway, it flattened it out enough to make it a passable road. The more we used it, the harder and more compact it got.

My point in telling you this is, we got a FREE road more or less and perhaps this might be a way you could do it too. In your case, you might even be able to have a road do double duty as a passive solar panel. Of course, those were the days way before all these environmental groups lurking about, so spraying the stuff with gasoline and lighting the it on fire might not fly!

. . . . . Mac

Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas

mac46

Guru

Joined: 07/02/2008
Location: United States
Posts: 412

Posted: 06:46am 27 May 2011

Copy link to clipboard

Print this post

...Mac, welcome, and welcome everyone:

Yes, well I remember someone talking about useing black asphalt as a heatsink for heating water on this forum before on another post. I would'nt want to try setting a fire, the local "Barney" and I would become instant companions, he would likely invite me for a stay at the nearest lock up. Don't want that.
Unless the dozer tracks are coated in oil, the asphalt will stick to them like glue...what a mess to clean off.
I'm sorry Mac, but I'm going to pass on this one. Thanks for the ideas.

.....Mac46

I'm just a farmer

Print this page

To reply to this topic, you need to log in.