Compost water heating

[Burnrate]

Does anyone use compost to heat water.  I am looking at methods for providing radiant heat for flooring and hot water for showers etc.  I will have a very good area to build a large compost pile and will have easy access to compost matter of various kinds.  Are there any other sites that are dedicated to compost projects.

Eric

[greg273]

  Excellent idea, i've not used compost to heat water, but rather to heat waste veg. oil for biodiesel making.  Very low tech approach, as i just buried 5gallon jugs into the pile and let them sit overnight.  Heated the oil to about 97degrees, with an ambient air temp of about 40 or so.  So its definitely do-able.  

  I remember an article in an old Mother Earth News that did exactly what you propose.  I recall they ran black plastic pipe in a coil under a compost pile, and were able to acheive a significant temp. rise for a few months.

  best of luck to you.

[wooferhound]

 I had thought of that before but, I was thinking that if you cooled the compost pile, it would stop producing heat. But I really don't know. If you got the materials, gove it a try.

[juiced]

Someone mentioned to me that heaps of grass (like wheat and grains) when dampened produces large amounts of heat. So... if you can shelter it from actually freezing.. kinda boot-strap a greenhouse.

   Im very VERY interested in passive heating techniques.

[wooferhound]

as I understand it . . .

when you take heat from a compost pile, it slows down the reaction inside the pile and it creates less heat so you can't take anymore heat out anymore.

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/11/10/12400/685

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2004/10/18/14943/865