Going Green
 

atec 7 7" "atec 77 wrote:
As an example of waste air conditioning
we looked at the cost and decided no installing instead an idea I saw
on one of the English programs about house refurbishment
Pumping air through buried pipes results in very cool air for the
cost of burning z very small light bulb and a tiny percentage of a/c
It did involve some trenching and finding some plastic pipe being
still cheaper than just the install labour cost of one split a/c
over all an immensly satisfing outcome at least 4 times a year :)


Great idea!


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

I find that impossible to believe as the air temperature would hardly ever
or never get below that.

Otherwise you are telling me there is a BIG heat sink buried under the city
because if the soil is being heated by air at 15-35C from above that heat
would have to go somewhere if the subsoil is at 5C. Sorry the physics makes
no sense. Perhaps it's a typo?

David

Going Green
 

I had a 1KW installation put in at the end of May (got the gov's full $8K rebate); it was another three months
before the new meter was installed (they were supposed to let me know when that would happen but the fellow
just turned up and it was lucky I was home.) The installer forgot to read the old meter before he took it
out, said he would have to 'hook it up again' - and I got a huge bill within three weeks; I don't know how
accurate the reading was :( He nearly electrocuted himself installing the new meter; he forgot to turn off
the new installation....he said it was the first one he'd done! I hadn't noticed the meter going backwards
since the original installation so (cynically) suppose the supplier got whatever was generated for nothing.

The regular meter reader came round a week or so later and had no idea how to read the new meter - I
anticipate (but not am not counting on) any savings showing up in the next bill. Even on a dull day, power
seems to be generated, so I am hopeful.

I'm trying to do the right thing...

--
Anne Chambers
South Australia

anne dot chambers at bigpond dot comJock wrote:
I have a solar hot water thingo - it's good. I am waiting for Kevin07 to
spring the $8k approval then we have a solar 1kW installation. I am OK with
spending my tax dollars on my day to days in this way. Just ****es me when
by the end of it all, there will be those with solar stuff and those with no
solar - purely because they cannot afford to shell out a baby bonus or two in
a good way or that as you mention - they have no say due to being a tenant.

Going Green
 

Cripes! Dodgy sounding installer you had. Thanks - I will read my meters
before the installation - phonecam photos are the go.
I hope it works well for you, I am looking fwd to saving a bit on power bills
here with the solar HWS & 1kW leccie systems.
Would it be worth you contacting the installation company and asking them to
check the thing is working as it should? - sounds really sus.
Jock


"Anne Chambers" wrote in message
...
:I had a 1KW installation put in at the end of May (got the gov's full $8K
rebate); it was another three months
: before the new meter was installed (they were supposed to let me know when
that would happen but the fellow
: just turned up and it was lucky I was home.) The installer forgot to read
the old meter before he took it
: out, said he would have to 'hook it up again' - and I got a huge bill
within three weeks; I don't know how
: accurate the reading was :( He nearly electrocuted himself installing the
new meter; he forgot to turn off
: the new installation....he said it was the first one he'd done! I hadn't
noticed the meter going backwards
: since the original installation so (cynically) suppose the supplier got
whatever was generated for nothing.
:
: The regular meter reader came round a week or so later and had no idea how
to read the new meter - I
: anticipate (but not am not counting on) any savings showing up in the next
bill. Even on a dull day, power
: seems to be generated, so I am hopeful.
:
: I'm trying to do the right thing...
:
: --
: Anne Chambers
: South Australia
:

Going Green
 

On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:44:47 +1000, atec 7 7 wrote:


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

How and where did you do the trenching.
The only trencher I can hire is only 3'

Going Green
 

David Hare-Scott wrote:
atec 7 7" "atec 77 wrote:
As an example of waste air conditioning
we looked at the cost and decided no installing instead an idea I saw
on one of the English programs about house refurbishment
Pumping air through buried pipes results in very cool air for the
cost of burning z very small light bulb and a tiny percentage of a/c
It did involve some trenching and finding some plastic pipe being
still cheaper than just the install labour cost of one split a/c
over all an immensly satisfing outcome at least 4 times a year :)


Great idea!


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

I find that impossible to believe as the air temperature would hardly
ever or never get below that.
the physics is easy
] now go try it

Otherwise you are telling me there is a BIG heat sink buried under the
city because if the soil is being heated by air at 15-35C from above
that heat would have to go somewhere if the subsoil is at 5C. Sorry the
physics makes no sense. Perhaps it's a typo?
no go try it

David

Going Green
 

terryc wrote:
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:44:47 +1000, atec 7 7 wrote:


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

How and where did you do the trenching.
The only trencher I can hire is only 3'

used neighbours back hoe then a shovel
bloody hard work and near killed me

Going Green
 

atec 7 7" "atec 77 wrote:
David Hare-Scott wrote:
atec 7 7" "atec 77 wrote:
As an example of waste air conditioning
we looked at the cost and decided no installing instead an idea I
saw on one of the English programs about house refurbishment
Pumping air through buried pipes results in very cool air for the
cost of burning z very small light bulb and a tiny percentage of a/c
It did involve some trenching and finding some plastic pipe being
still cheaper than just the install labour cost of one split a/c
over all an immensly satisfing outcome at least 4 times a year :)


Great idea!


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

I find that impossible to believe as the air temperature would hardly
ever or never get below that.
the physics is easy
] now go try it


I take you are saying this is not a mistake. So please explain the physics.
How can the subsoil be maintained well below the average annual temperature?

David

Going Green
 

On Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:39:54 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:


I take you are saying this is not a mistake. So please explain the
physics. How can the subsoil be maintained well below the average annual
temperature?

I think the temp is 15 deg celcius.

and to answer your question; evaporative cooling {:-).
Water moisuture evaporating?
yes, you are allowed to say bullshit

David

Going Green
 

terryc wrote:
On Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:39:54 +1000, David Hare-Scott wrote:


I take you are saying this is not a mistake. So please explain the
physics. How can the subsoil be maintained well below the average annual
temperature?

I think the temp is 15 deg celcius.

and to answer your question; evaporative cooling {:-).
Water moisuture evaporating?
yes, you are allowed to say bullshit
David

I just cheked the probe down 3 metres
currently 8c but it was much lower last week
might hit 15 in the summer as its the first season I dont know

Going Green
 

"atec 7 7" "atec wrote in message
...
terryc wrote:
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:44:47 +1000, atec 7 7 wrote:


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

How and where did you do the trenching.
The only trencher I can hire is only 3'

used neighbours back hoe then a shovel
bloody hard work and near killed me

How many metres of pipe and what diameter would be necessary for this to be
effective? Or do you have a link that I could explore more?

Mike

Going Green
 

On Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:23:36 +0800, Bloke Down The Pub wrote:

"atec 7 7" "atec wrote in message
...
terryc wrote:
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:44:47 +1000, atec 7 7 wrote:


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane

How and where did you do the trenching. The only trencher I can hire
is only 3'

used neighbours back hoe then a shovel
bloody hard work and near killed me

How many metres of pipe and what diameter would be necessary for this to
be effective? Or do you have a link that I could explore more?

It really is a case of how much cooling you want?
Volume of house to cool?
How fast do you want to cool it?
What is your annual soil temperature profile? (sets max cooling possible)
How deep can you afford to dig and lay the pipe? The deeper the better
the cooling effect
What size pipe can you afford/obtain? Generally the bigger the better
(think surface area for heat exchange).

Everything I've seen has been plastic pipe (long term cleanliness) with a
slow fan into a sealed house. This system isn't about air-con cooling
effect. There probably are a lot of other things you might need to do
before hand to improve the air tightness of your house.

Your cheapest experiment would be to hire a walk behind trencher, then do
a big loop trench from one side of your house out and long the side and
back fences and back to the other side. Lay 90mm plastic poly pipe in it.

Ideally your intake end is under your house (pier construction) or in a
shaded (southerly side) area. Make sure you have good insect screening on
the intake. I do not know if it matters if you push or pull the air.

Bring to a vent high in the main room.

Going Green
 

terryc wrote:
On Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:23:36 +0800, Bloke Down The Pub wrote:

"atec 7 7" "atec wrote in message
...
terryc wrote:
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:44:47 +1000, atec 7 7 wrote:


( 2 metres down the earth never gets above 5 Deg C) in Brisbane
How and where did you do the trenching. The only trencher I can hire
is only 3'

used neighbours back hoe then a shovel
bloody hard work and near killed me
How many metres of pipe and what diameter would be necessary for this to
be effective? Or do you have a link that I could explore more?

It really is a case of how much cooling you want?
Volume of house to cool?
How fast do you want to cool it?
What is your annual soil temperature profile? (sets max cooling possible)
How deep can you afford to dig and lay the pipe? The deeper the better
the cooling effect
What size pipe can you afford/obtain? Generally the bigger the better
(think surface area for heat exchange).

Everything I've seen has been plastic pipe (long term cleanliness) with a
slow fan into a sealed house. This system isn't about air-con cooling
effect. There probably are a lot of other things you might need to do
before hand to improve the air tightness of your house.

Your cheapest experiment would be to hire a walk behind trencher, then do
a big loop trench from one side of your house out and long the side and
back fences and back to the other side. Lay 90mm plastic poly pipe in it.

Ideally your intake end is under your house (pier construction) or in a
shaded (southerly side) area. Make sure you have good insect screening on
the intake. I do not know if it matters if you push or pull the air.

Bring to a vent high in the main room.
Pretty much covers it , a friend an a/c guy and electrician worked the
specs for us
runs down around and back in the rear yard , quite a good distamce
with the house well insulated and sealed its comfortable and very cheap
He ran across a site in the UK which talks about it by googling