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Renewable Energy: Using hot air from conservatory to heat colder rooms

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthormaeslas
    • CommentTimeMay 3rd 2008
     
    I have a south facing conservatory which generates heat even if the sun is not out, but at the same time have cold north facing rooms. Is it feasible to pipe this heat to the colder rooms? The building is a bungalow and I was thinking of installing an extraction fan in the conservatory roof and then pipe the heat through the loft to vents installed in the ceilings.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 3rd 2008
     
    That will work -- a friend of mine does it with slow running toilet type fans and 100mm rigid ducts.

    For control you can go for manual or a differential thermostat set up.
  3.  
    Also consider the danger of relative humidity. May get condensation in the receiving rooms - depends on RH in conservatory etc
    • CommentAuthorludite
    • CommentTimeMay 4th 2008
     
    I know of a south facing conservatory, and thought I could simply open the letter box to have the hot air 'rush' in and heat the cold rooms in the rest of the house. . . . . Imagine my horror when I discovered the fundamental rule that hot air sucks cold air in - not the other way round. . . . . . It definately needs a fan to force the hot air into the colder rooms. . . . . I came across a 'solar powered' car cooler in a magazine (and I bought it). You attach it to the window of your car and as the interior heats up, the fan ejects the hot air. Haven't actually tried it out though. . . . but wonder if some sort of solar/temperature activated fan would work. Looking forward to hearing about your results.
  5.  
    With a high window and a low window you can start a convective loop to move the warm air inside!
    • CommentAuthorludite
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2008
     
    Glad you said that. I am looking in to making the fan light window above the door open inwards, (doesn't open at all at the moment) and I was wondering if I then left the letter box open, would the heat circulate without the need for a fan?
  7.  
    Posted By: luditeGlad you said that. I am looking in to making the fan light window above the door open inwards, (doesn't open at all at the moment) and I was wondering if I then left the letter box open, would the heat circulate without the need for a fan?


    My logic tells me that the openings are best to be a similar size to encourage flow, a letter box might be a bit restrictive?
    • CommentAuthormaeslas
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2008
     
    What about the warm air being cooled in the pipework, should insulative ducting be used?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2008
     
    not necessary unless ducts are in a loft
    • CommentAuthormaeslas
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2008
     
    Since the ducting will be in the loft looks like I will have to source insulated pipes. Any ideas on possible suppliers?
    • CommentAuthorludite
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2008
     
    Wouldn't the warm air heat the metal ducting and then heat the rooms it passes through?
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 5th 2008
     
    How about simply laying the ducting under the insulation? Or covering it with a goodly layer of quilt? Insulated ducting only has very minimal insulation.
    • CommentAuthormaeslas
    • CommentTimeMay 6th 2008
     
    I'll try using 100mm pipework with an internal extractor fan, to keep the noise out of the conservatory, and cover the pipes with loft insulation. I've got a thermostatically controlled roof fan in the conservatory, so I will disconnect that and use its thermostate to control the extractor fan. Fingers crossed!

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