We've really just broken ground to level up a spot for the quonset. 8) The plans are to erect it, after pouring a slab and then build our house inside. Building is designed to be 40 x 50 x 15 tall or so ( we do have the blueprints, just not being exact here) hut will start off the ground on a 3 or four block stem wall on 3 sides, to achieve good clearance for second floor, also helps with leveling. Stem walls will be back filled as well.
So we are just thinking ahead to what we would like to do. Reading other post and educating ourselves from other sites as well. Anyway, sometime my head gets filled with odd ball or out of the box ideas that I can't just go online and research.
Question is will circulating air through like an 8 to 12 inch pipe 5 to 6 foot deep in a large loop around from one side to the other of the house provide any relative heating and cooling properties? I'm not expecting it to be an even temp year round, just keep it from freezing in winter and relief in summer with as little power as possible, maybe a 110 fan in the pipe.
To keep things in perspective, we do have a backhoe available. And always try to keep cost down.
Thanks, Jay
Also, thinking down the road, if I get enough saw dust to add a pit to the loop for winter heating. Just dig down to the line in a 10 x 10 area, fill with saw dust to ground level and cover. Should create some additional heat ?
Air is not a great carrier of heat. I am not an expert on this but I think you may want to look into doing geothermal. where I live in NY the pits are typically 6' deep and you get constant 54 degree temperatures year round. the pipe that goes in the pit is in loops and I think is 1.75" or 2" pipe. Run this through the slab in the area of the house. you can also add a heat pump to the setup to heat the entire living space in the winter. if you only want to circulate the water then you just need a circulating pump. The pumps are pretty small 110 volt ac.
That is my understanding as well. The ground source heat pumps work well once you get over the install cost. What you are describing I think is called an earth tube, they were tried and written about for awhile, but I don't hear about them anymore and have never seen one. That said in Thomas Jefferson's study, up on the wall is the outlet from an earth tube that starts a good ways from the house out in the yard. In summer it brings in cool air into the study.
Airtubes out west that go 14 ft below ground and 14 ft long must be 14 inches in diameter. This is for a greenhouse built into the side of a mountain. But 14 is your key number .
If you are talking about geo thermal on a ground loop in this part of Ohio it takes 6 to 700 feet of pipe per ton rating buried at least 4 feet deep .That's a lot of pipe for a 5 ton unit .Mine runs off of a 186 foot deep well and does nicely at 53.5 degree inlet temp .We have lots of ground water in these parts BTW . Almost Christmas and I've yet to fire the wood stove ,too warm .
Thank you all.
I do get that water will be efficient.
Al_Smith : Are you running a full geo thermal system or just ground water through a loop and into the house?
Thanks, Jay
It's a 5 ton unit,Water furnace brand fed from a well .I installed the thing,hand formed the duct work etc .If I recall correctly it took 26 sheets of 22 gauge galvanized steel .The duct work is all insulated with 3/4" rigid fiberglass .It was a chore, took me the best portion of one summer to do .
Quote from: red on December 19, 2017, 08:28:02 AM
Airtubes out west that go 14 ft below ground and 14 ft long must be 14 inches in diameter. This is for a greenhouse built into the side of a mountain. But 14 is your key number .
14 ? Why 14 ? I looked past this when I saw 14 ft below ground, it this area that would be a chore. But after thinking about it, I do have the head of a hollow very near. So burying could have the same effect ? Also, larger than 14", longer than 14' and deeper than 14' could work ? Right?
Thanks, Jay