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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

PLEASE NOTE: A download link for Volume 1 will be sent to you by email and Volume 2 will be sent to you by post as a book.

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    • CommentAuthorCranbrook
    • CommentTimeSep 23rd 2020
     
    As some of you may recall I have recently built a timber frame extension with rendered EPS.. at present I don't have time to carry on with the internal work but it is most likely that I will install a MVHR system.. I will also look to improve the insulation on the remainder of the house to improve the efficiency of the MVHR. However to add another spanner in to the mix, I've currently got an 8 tonne machine out my back to sort the garden out (see attached image), and my plumber has said that whilst I'm at this stage I should run some GSH pipe to future proof..

    Thing is, I know very little about GSHP and whether it's worth doing.. any help is warmly welcomed
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 23rd 2020
     
    Unlikely to happen, they need to be 2m deep and the area of the heat field needs to be balanced to the demand or be larger than that, too small or too shallow will result in problems and loss of efficiency
    • CommentAuthorCranbrook
    • CommentTimeSep 23rd 2020
     
    I have no problem with going 2m deep, just depends how long each run is really.. I've tried uploading the picture but it's too big
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeSep 23rd 2020
     
    You might be in then 🙂. Need to know kW demand and type of soil that you have
    • CommentAuthorbxman
    • CommentTimeSep 24th 2020 edited
     
    Hi

    Have you considered a Earth or Ground tube ? with your MVHR that could make use of your machine
    • CommentAuthorbhommels
    • CommentTimeSep 24th 2020
     
    Posted By: bxmanHi

    Have you considered a Earth or Ground tube ? with your MVHR that could make use of your machine

    +1
    Very much worth the effort if you have the digger anyway.
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeSep 24th 2020
     
    Posted By: bhommelsVery much worth the effort if you have the digger anyway.

    Do you have experience of one? I was put off by the possible problems of condensation and mould growth, how do you deal with them? And what do you think provides the benefit to justify the effort and expense (special pipes are not cheap)?

    There are quite a few threads both here and elsewhere discussing them. You could start with:
    http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=8676
    • CommentAuthorbxman
    • CommentTimeOct 1st 2020 edited
     
    Sorry for delay

    Yes not personally lived anywhere with one ; however I was impressed by the one fitted at the

    The Cropthorne Autonomous House

    http://www.cropthornehouse.co.uk/

    I know that Mike And Lizzy were very pleased with it .

    If the OP was intrested I am quite certain Mike Coe would be most willing to confirm and advise them as to practicality and suitability of fitting one .

    Mike can be contacted through his new website
    https://portreepassivhaus.uk/
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeOct 3rd 2020
     
    Posted By: bxmanMike can be contacted through his new website
    https://portreepassivhaus.uk/

    I see that although their air intake is led out underground to an inlet in the ground, it apparently isn't long enough to act as a significant heat exchanger. I'm wondering why they did that, and quite how enthusiastic they are about earth tubes?

    Having looked at their photo diary, I think it's quite a nice looking house and very solid, but not one I would have built myself. There seem to be quite a few self-imposed complications - cutting channels for electrics etc, an insulated block cavity wall that is then overclad with stone, joist hangers in the airtightness layer, internal soil pipe vented to outside, lots of duct holes in I-beams to cut. Plus a lot of concrete!

    The photos do give a pretty good impression of the amount of effort and attention to detail that go into installing both flexible MVHR ducting and airtightness tape, IMHO.
    • CommentAuthorbxman
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2020
     
    I have been kindly provided with some more detail by Lizzy
    she has confirmed that both Houses have incorporated an exceptionally large Thermal Mass.

    I know Mike was inspired by the Vale's Home at Southwell with it's mass of 720 kg /m 2

    Some details of Cropthorne in this respect are here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sij_ptynLaU

    AIUI the climate in Portree is a lot milder than it was in Worcestershire and while they had a 30 metre ground tube at Cropthorne and a MVHR unit with out a frost protection heater .


    They have decided to have a MVHR incorporating frost protection this time and they believe a 5 metre tube will be adequate .

    In both cases they have used the silver treated Rehau ducting which eliminates any health issues

    I imagine that additional ground tube could always be added if necessary.

    It will be interesting to see what their intake air temperatures prove to be over the various months
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeOct 16th 2020
     
    Thanks for the info. The numbers will be interesting as you say.
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