Author Topic: Buried culvert type tube for heating/cooling house (Read 1880 times)

Harold in CR · « **on:** February 17, 2023, 03:58:12 PM »

Sorry, search found nothing.
Been a long time since being on this site due to various problem with life issues.
Anyway, Son moved to South Alabama and then had a stroke. May never work again, so, trying to help with energy bills through ground assisted air through AC duct work. Did this a long time ago and helped by direct opening into house with no duct work.
Looking for helpful advice, I know this could help raise air temp in winter and cool the temp in summer using the A/C blower and duct work. Problem is losing marbles every day and forgetting the construction requirements.
Any experienced help greatly appreciated.

JW · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2023, 04:14:40 PM »

Heres what I came up with.

https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php?topic=143881.0

https://www.fieldlines.com/index.php?topic=146893.0

I know the search function currently does not work. I have been studying how it "should" work. Were working on fixing it may take a couple weeks from now.

JW

MagnetJuice · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2023, 06:00:55 PM »

Until the search function on Fieldlines.com is fixed, the best way to search the site is using Google.

Just type this on Google:

site:fieldlines.com

Then add search terms to zoom-in on the information that you are looking for.

Here are two examples. Notice that one is looking for heating and the other is looking for cooling.

Harold in CR · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2023, 10:46:24 AM »

Thanks guys. The computer language or way of looking for stuff is what stumps me.

Youtube calls this "earth tubes" is what I am looking for. Plastics don't transfer heat/cold as quick and steady as metal, so, that's why I am considering culvert tubes or equivalent.

Idea is to "dilute" the air inside the house. The house I did this in years ago, I also cut a hole in the ceiling and roof and added a solar chimney with a 20" box fan fastened inside helping move the hot air from the upper parts of the rooms.

Mary B · « **Reply #4 on:** February 18, 2023, 12:00:33 PM »

Quote from: Harold in CR on February 18, 2023, 10:46:24 AM

Thanks guys. The computer language or way of looking for stuff is what stumps me.

Youtube calls this "earth tubes" is what I am looking for. Plastics don't transfer heat/cold as quick and steady as metal, so, that's why I am considering culvert tubes or equivalent.

Idea is to "dilute" the air inside the house. The house I did this in years ago, I also cut a hole in the ceiling and roof and added a solar chimney with a 20" box fan fastened inside helping move the hot air from the upper parts of the rooms.

In humid climates like Alabama mold and mildew is going to be a problem, be better off with a sealed liquid loop and a car radiator and a 12 volt fan with a good shroud to fan and duct work the other side. Can use pex for the loop, deeper it is buried the better! And longer!

Harold in CR · « **Reply #5 on:** February 18, 2023, 12:08:44 PM »

Thanks Mary. You just answered my next part of the project question.

I was hoping to make the air tubes as a closed system also ??

Ok Mary, you got my interest going. How about if I buried a stainless milk tank and plumbed out of that. I'm just not convinced about Pex absorbing coolness from the ground, but running it from a tank of liquid would be easier to install.

bigrockcandymountain · « **Reply #6 on:** February 18, 2023, 04:07:57 PM »

I have a single loop of 1/2 pex and a 8" x8" radiator that used to preheat the incoming air to a heat recovery ventilator. It worked ok in the fall, but as the ground around the loop got cooled, it worked less and less. It still had some value though. It's only maybe 30' of trench, so 60'of pipe though. I run methanol washer fluid in it so it doesn't freeze. The new HRV doesn't shut down when it gets cold, so it is no longer needed.

To heat and cool an average house i would think you'd be looking at more like 500' of trench or so.

I have a friend that did 6" clay tile pipe about 600' with an air intake on the end and a fan to suck the air into his house. He says it blows nice and cold in the summer. I'm not sure it moves enough cfm to cool the whole house though either.

I'm not sure what the ground temperature is there, but here it is about 45f 7c
It is too cold to be much use for heating unless you use a heat pump.

Harold in CR · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2023, 06:35:58 PM »

Clay tiles (tubes) could be a possibility, ground is red clay/dirt composition, maybe someone makes them locally ? Ground temp possibly around 55 deg @5' depth ? Haven't tested yet.
Not trying to heat or cool directly, just integrate as much as possible to lessen expensive means to heat or cool. Closing doors to bedrooms, bathrooms will lessen amount of CFM to be treated and still, "creepage" or cooler/warmer air under doors etc. should still help somewhat. Addition of solar power to cut electric bills should also help greatly.
Solar panels on roof might shade the "vaulted" roof/ceiling inside, but, a fitted second roof of 1x6 rafters, as such, and sheetmetal, insulated on underside would prevent excess heat and help longer lasting asphalt shingle roof deterioration.

MattM · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2023, 07:00:55 PM »

I'm in Florida's panhandle. Insulation is the single best investment you can help with. Sealing off the attic is probably the next, because your ductwork for some awful reason, is up there in southern states.

Harold in CR · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2023, 12:38:54 PM »

MattM
You are in the same latitude as my son, being 30 miles north of Florida, near Dothan Al. He has a typical, for the area, manufactured double wide. It has vaulted ceilings and that's why I'm considering the roofover with styrofoam panels maybe between the rafters.

Been wearing out youtube for different examples and found that vertical drywells ? might be a good option for closed loop liquid system. Ground MIGHT be denser red clay, so, doubtful surface water, but, having thoughts about enhancing those.
The bulk milk tank idea I mentioned, I forgot they are insulated.

Mary B · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2023, 11:48:48 AM »

If you can drill a series of shallow wells and make them all one long loop... to aid heat transfer back fill with water and dirt. Pex is the material of choice even in MN. Guy I know did 2 600' deep wells and the heat pump helps cut his propane bill in winter and his cooling bill in summer.

If you can find a shallow well drill rig to rent you could knock the holes out in a day... deep holes like my friends require a professional to drill. his went into the local aquifer too so some water to help heat exchange.

MattM · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2023, 12:39:55 PM »

Ground water in this region is better for cooling than heating.

Harold in CR · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2023, 03:34:34 PM »

Found a youtuber that made a drill to 20' and connected them in a single loop. Had a reply from someone that went 23' deep on 3 wlls and never got the temp below 68 degrees from the wells. Not enough info to figure out what was wrong. Had to be something.

I'm thinking 10 wells at 20' and a 10' galv pipe on each suction leg. Just can't believe the plastic will transfer the cooling through the plastic as well as metal. Old school and old age don'tcha know. $:-\$

Trying to get Son to take temp reading on tap water to see what we have to work with.

Not familiar with heat pumps, yet. (revert back to don'tcha know) comment.

MattM · « **Reply #13 on:** February 21, 2023, 06:18:54 AM »

We have loess soil here. You have to get about 60 feet to get to a colder water source in some areas. This property sits along a creek and the natural spring feeding into it is in the 50s year round. Its a few degrees cooler than our well. The creek has so much inflow that it never warms up even during long hot spells, so I'm thinking its source is an aquifer down deeper than our well somewhere. Its a pretty unique feature to this property.

electrondady1 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2023, 09:20:55 AM »

there are a lot of videos on you tube. search " earth tube cooling system "

Mary B · « **Reply #15 on:** February 21, 2023, 11:20:22 AM »

My tap water temp is currently 45 degrees!!! But that is a city water system 8-15 feet down... summer it gets to about 55...

electrondady1 · « **Reply #16 on:** February 25, 2023, 02:58:43 PM »

there are several videos on this project here is one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbi0UrSMxoM

Harold in CR · « **Reply #17 on:** February 25, 2023, 11:20:29 PM »

Been watching lots of stuff on youtube. Most don't mention mold, mildew, fungus, and draining water, and this area is nearly dead flat and level though. Money is a big part of this project. I'm finding a lot of youtube vids don't admit to less than ideal successes.

Thanks for all input. It's all appreciated.

MattM · « **Reply #18 on:** February 26, 2023, 06:25:42 AM »

If he doesn't mind, a white roof is a great overall cooler in the South. Not many people appreciate white roofs here, and go far too dark on colors.

DamonHD · « **Reply #19 on:** February 26, 2023, 07:59:09 AM »

Here's the extreme version that can cool your roof below ambient!

https://www.skycoolsystems.com/technology/

Rgds

Damon

MattM · « **Reply #20 on:** February 26, 2023, 05:29:18 PM »

Skycool uses the most reflective white available at a commercial grade, quite a bit whiter relative to your conventional paint. Their white includes some key infrared wavelength range. But any white is better than dark colors.

Harold in CR · « **Reply #21 on:** March 02, 2023, 10:44:19 PM »

Asphalt shingle roof is difficult to paint. Roof over would be metal and hopefully long lasting white color. Here, I paint the corrugated roof with an elastomeric paint, that stretches as the panels warm up.

Sorry to not be more into the discussions, have some health issues.

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Author Topic: Buried culvert type tube for heating/cooling house (Read 1880 times)