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General: Convection driven earth tubes for ventilation

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeDec 28th 2007
     
    Does anyone have have any experience of the effectiveness of convection driven earth tubes providing ventilation in an earth sheltered home? Detail in the following link.

    http://www.primedesign.us/self_heating_houses/pahs_article_1.html

    This seems a very simple and cheap way to provide ventilation probably with the help of a solar powered fan. Any known problems with this approach?

    Cheers
    • CommentAuthormattstan51
    • CommentTimeDec 28th 2007
     
    I've seen these used at Great Notley Primary school - an earth tube was used to bring tempered air to the middle of the building - used passive stack technique of opening window at high level on thermostat so that when room was hot, window opened and cooler air from earth tube was drawn in
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeDec 28th 2007
     
    Does it work?
    • CommentAuthormattstan51
    • CommentTimeDec 29th 2007
     
    yes - and not very technical. Uses the fact that earth (at least in the UK) stays at a faily constant 11 degrees celcius once you get below the top layers
    • CommentAuthorPeter A
    • CommentTimeDec 29th 2007
     
    Stuart,
    I too think there is some mileage in earth tubes for passive ventilation especially with the drive to make homes more airtight. I don't think you would need a fan, good design to ensure there is a temperature difference to force the air through the earth tubes should sufice, I had thought of a solar chimney to help?
    I do have one concern having seen the insides of plastic pipes left underground, perhaps it's because they aren't vented properly, but they look a bit grotty, would they over time become a health hazard, anybody got any thoughts?
  6.  
    These people have installed a few..

    http://www.thenaturalhome.com/earthtube.htm
    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2008
     
    Great, sounds like a very cost effective solution (for a new build earth home) and easy to clean. I like the idea from the nautural home link that you can put essential oils on the cheesecloth! Brilliant. Cheers for that Jeff.
  8.  
    the pipes should be clay, not plastic
    • CommentAuthorStuartB
    • CommentTimeJan 4th 2008
     
    Why clay? Won't plastic last longer and be more flexible (and cheaper) to work with?
    • CommentAuthorhowdytom
    • CommentTimeJan 4th 2008
     
    Clay is bad to clean, whereas plastic can have a cloth pulled through easily with a bit of bleach or such to remove any debris or mould, I presume Mattstan51 is thinking that the heat transfer is better with clay pipes, so long as you have long enough runs in the ground then heat transfer in plastic will be fine.
    tom
    • CommentAuthorstephendv
    • CommentTimeJan 5th 2008
     
    Information on a commercial system using plastic pipes is available here: http://www.rehau.co.uk/building.solutions/civil.engineering/ground.heat...geothermal.energy/awadukt.thermo.shtml
    Their design include a condensation discharge component which either pumps liquid out, or lets it out through the drainage system. The last page of their sales brochure contains the supposed difference between their "thermo" pipes and normal PVC - although it's all marketing speak, no facts or figures.

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