Pretty Cheap House Cooling?

[Ryland]

There is a house down the street that has a closed loop of PEX pipe coiled around the house below the frost line, the radiator from that is on the incoming fresh air from the air to air heat exchanger, the house is super insulated and it takes care of 100% of their cooling needs in the summer and preheats incoming fresh air in the winter.
Because it's a closed loop there is very little resistance other then that of the pipe for the pump to push, no head like you would have with a well, so it takes very little energy to keep the system going.

[ron]

as I recall , the underground house book circa 1970s says build a 12inx12in tunnel 100 ft long below the frost line and pull the house air through it,that should cool a 1000 sq ft home to 57* winter preheat or summer cooling you can use the same 20in fan and save all the complication of radiators and water,tubing etc. . It may be a good use for your new toybota

[Ryland]

Originally Posted by ron

as I recall , the underground house book circa 1970s says build a 12inx12in tunnel 100 ft long below the frost line and pull the house air through it,that should cool a 1000 sq ft home to 57* winter preheat or summer cooling you can use the same 20in fan and save all the complication of radiators and water,tubing etc.

The big issue that people have had with earth tubes like that is rodents, insects, mold, mildew and radon, you end up with a lot of basement like surface area that you are pulling air from while a radiator is very easy to keep clean and you don't have to worry as much about rodents moving in or a heavy rain storm causing it to fill up with water.

[Varn]

We just dug a trench for electricity. Would have to agree that it would take a heck of a trench to dig a big loop outside the house for air transfer. It would be a monumental undertaking. Big expensive conduit.

I am sure that even if were sealed it would house all sorts of nasties after a few years. Bugs, rodents, mold and other filth that would be recycled. and impossible to clean out. Even a small leak allowing moisture in would likely bring in water which would compound the problem.

I like the original idea of pumping cool water through a radiator. It would still eventually clog up.

Nice tractor and Yamaha btw.

[dremd]

Originally Posted by Varn

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I like the original idea of pumping cool water through a radiator. It would still eventually clog up.

Why not put a little anti freeze, or similar in it?

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Varn

Would have to agree that it would take a heck of a trench to dig a big loop outside the house for air transfer. It would be a monumental undertaking. Big expensive conduit.

While these cooling systems don't come cheap, putting them in place when the foundations are done, means the digging won't take very long when using a backhoe.

I am sure that even if were sealed it would house all sorts of nasties after a few years.

The air can be filtered at the intake, so the critters can't get in.