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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: K Frame on February 06, 2020, 12:17:10 PM

Title: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: K Frame on February 06, 2020, 12:17:10 PM
but without burning fossil fuels.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200204-what-is-the-most-sustainable-way-to-heat-homes

The first one is the most interesting, in which heat exchangers are being put in sewers to grab heat in the tunnels and move it to homes. Sort of like a geothermal system without the wells.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: Hawkmoon on February 06, 2020, 12:29:16 PM
Sewers?

The nearest sewer to my house is miles away, in another town.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: charby on February 06, 2020, 12:34:36 PM
Sewers?

The nearest sewer to my house is miles away, in another town.

pull heat from your septic system
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: K Frame on February 06, 2020, 12:54:04 PM
Jesus wept... it's not an article advocating a "one system for everyone" kind of thing... Obviously it's where sewers are a thing...  :facepalm:
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: charby on February 06, 2020, 01:01:05 PM
Jesus wept... it's not an article advocating a "one system for everyone" kind of thing... Obviously it's where sewers are a thing...  :facepalm:

"If I can't use it, it won't work for anyone"
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: makattak on February 06, 2020, 04:26:35 PM
As I recall, Europe (Western, at least) has much milder temperatures than, say, the U.S as a whole. And, for example, the Midwest, specifically.

Might not even be the lack of sewers that would preclude Charby from using it.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: charby on February 06, 2020, 04:40:16 PM
As I recall, Europe (Western, at least) has much milder temperatures than, say, the U.S as a whole. And, for example, the Midwest, specifically.

Might not even be the lack of sewers that would preclude Charby from using it.

A few years ago I toured a turn of the century house in Ames, IA that an architect was rehabbing to try to make it energy neutral as possible for HVAC. He drew outside air through a tube buried in the ground as his main source of climate control. It was the middle of the winter and the house was quite comfortable. I didn't see any forced air electric/gas furnace or boiler in the basement either. He was self experimenting to see of older homes could be rehabbed this way.
Title: Re: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: lupinus on February 06, 2020, 04:55:00 PM
Sewers?

The nearest sewer to my house is miles away, in another town.
Well, I guess you're just screwed then.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: brimic on February 06, 2020, 04:57:29 PM
pull heat from your septic system

Doesn't the septic system need the heat in order to work effectively?
Title: Re: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: lupinus on February 06, 2020, 05:00:50 PM
Doesn't the septic system need the heat in order to work effectively?
I believe so. But would you be siphoning enough heat for it to impact it doing it's things wonder?

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: charby on February 06, 2020, 05:05:20 PM
Doesn't the septic system need the heat in order to work effectively?

Septic should be below the frost line so the heat of the earth keeps the bacteria happy. Warmer temps move to cooler temps, so shouldn't be a problem keeping the poop eaters happy.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: Doggy Daddy on February 06, 2020, 06:39:20 PM
Septic should be below the frost line so the heat of the earth keeps the bacteria happy. Warmer temps move to cooler temps, so shouldn't be a problem keeping the poop eaters happy.

Then why do Dems always look so ill-tempered.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: WLJ on February 06, 2020, 06:41:43 PM
Then why do Dems always look so ill-tempered.

An over abundance of E Coli
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: Hawkmoon on February 06, 2020, 10:50:49 PM
Jesus wept... it's not an article advocating a "one system for everyone" kind of thing... Obviously it's where sewers are a thing...  :facepalm:

Thank you for clarifying that, Captain Obvious.  [ar15]
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: charby on February 06, 2020, 11:06:34 PM
Then why do Dems always look so ill-tempered.

Side effect of TDS
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: K Frame on February 07, 2020, 07:32:53 AM
Doesn't the septic system need the heat in order to work effectively?

Septic systems get heat from both the ground and from the activity of the bacteria.

Depending on how much heat you tried to take out of the system I think you could run into problems with slowing the bacterial action down.

I know some large commercial septic plants have been designed so that they can harvest both excess heat and methane gas.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: K Frame on February 07, 2020, 07:37:55 AM
A few years ago I toured a turn of the century house in Ames, IA that an architect was rehabbing to try to make it energy neutral as possible for HVAC. He drew outside air through a tube buried in the ground as his main source of climate control. It was the middle of the winter and the house was quite comfortable. I didn't see any forced air electric/gas furnace or boiler in the basement either. He was self experimenting to see of older homes could be rehabbed this way.


Interesting concept, but I can't see how it would work to provide the primary source of heat without either a heat pump or some sort of additional boosting. 8 to 10 feet under ground the temperature is pretty steady 50 deg. F. That's simply not going to cut it for providing primary heat to a home in the middle of an Iowa winter.

The fact that ground temperature is stable year round is what makes geothermal heat pumps so damned energy efficient.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: K Frame on February 07, 2020, 07:39:45 AM
Thank you for clarifying that, Captain Obvious.  [ar15]


Well, then, what the hell was the point of your comment? Anti-virtue signaling? A momentary spell of retardery?  ;/
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: charby on February 07, 2020, 07:53:31 AM

Interesting concept, but I can't see how it would work to provide the primary source of heat without either a heat pump or some sort of additional boosting. 8 to 10 feet under ground the temperature is pretty steady 50 deg. F. That's simply not going to cut it for providing primary heat to a home in the middle of an Iowa winter.

The fact that ground temperature is stable year round is what makes geothermal heat pumps so damned energy efficient.

Probably did, I was seeking out a gas furnace and not looking for a heat pump unit.
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: dogmush on February 07, 2020, 09:51:28 AM
Septic systems get heat from both the ground and from the activity of the bacteria.

Depending on how much heat you tried to take out of the system I think you could run into problems with slowing the bacterial action down.

I know some large commercial septic plants have been designed so that they can harvest both excess heat and methane gas.

Perhaps drop some electric heating coils in the septic tank to make sure the bacteria stay warm enough while allowing you to use a green renewable form of heating for your house?
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: Pb on February 07, 2020, 01:48:08 PM
I sounds like really interesting technology.  I wonder how cost effective it is?
Title: Re: Interesting article on heating homes in Europe...
Post by: K Frame on February 14, 2020, 07:35:14 AM
"Perhaps drop some electric heating coils in the septic tank to make sure the bacteria stay warm enough while allowing you to use a green renewable form of heating for your house?"

I can't really see that being very effective. The energy you'd put into the tank would be largely withdrawn to go to the house.

Seems like it would be less hassle, more efficient, and a less shitty job to just put those electric coils to work heating your home.