DIY Geothermal Greenhouse Part 4: Earth Battery INSTALLATION

Рет қаралды 657,761

6 жыл бұрын

#113 After starting to build our DIY EMT electrical metal conduit (1.25") greenhouse two years ago, we are finally completing the project.
We readily admit we are not experts at this (we are not engineers, greenhouse experts, or thermodynamic scientists), but a family doing our best to do it all ourselves and install based on all that we have read or watched on KZfaq (Don't believe everything you see on the internet) to date and in line with our limited budget. Based on comments, we already know some things should be done differently. Hopefully, it still works well enough, even if not optimally. We plan to share the results regardless.
In this video we are INSTALLING the passive solar geothermal earth battery system (or climate battery/thermal banking/ground to air heat transfer) after excavating 3,200 cubic feet of dirt from underneath the greenhouse with a Mahindra 3016 tractor. The idea is to use two high efficiency inline fans to pull hot air from the top of the greenhouse during the heat of the day down through a system of black corrugated drain pipes (600 linear feet) in the ground (300' buried at two feet and 300' at four feet) in order to heat the clay in the ground and return cooler air to the greenhouse. At night the process reverses, effectively warming the greenhouse for the cost of leaving a 150 watt light bulb on. In the summer, spring, and fall, this will help to keep the greenhouse cool(er) on hot days, and in the spring, fall, and winter it will help keep it warm(er) at night - we HOPE.
Background on the project: Our farm homestead came with metal pipes in the ground from a former 16' x 50' hoop house. It also had water lines run from the farm well (which also needed to be restored) and a 60 amp electric service. In the first video we installed the 1.25" EMT conduit that serves as the frame. In future videos we'll frame the end walls, run electric, and get the plastic cover on in time for winter.
Each rib or section of the greenhouse consists of three 10' pipes, no cutting. They are joined by stock EMT connectors. The two outer angles are 117.3. The ridge angle is 125.4. Sides are 6' tall. Just over 10' to the ridge. 16' wide.
Ultimately, this will be a double wall plastic film greenhouse.
+AMDG
Music
Epidemic Sound: "Rhythmic Guitar"
Jason Shaw: "Landra's Dream" goo.gl/pi68XB

Пікірлер: 437

@freeheeler09 7 ай бұрын

“Is it wrong? Could be. Will it be a disaster? Might be.” Enjoyed the courage and honesty! I think it will work well. Thanks for documenting the system so we all can learn from your efforts!

@leobaltz2057 6 жыл бұрын

I sure hope this is a HUGE success for you guys!! Good Job! I love seeing the whole family working together!

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you! It is fun having everyone out working on projects together. God bless!

@roberthayes2027 5 жыл бұрын

well done. thanks for showing us your experiences. it's great to be able to visualize how things might work out best.

@bobcat9314 4 жыл бұрын

I just love this video.. I hope to take on this project for my own one day.. Fantastic job.. There is no right or wrong long as your plants produce..

@newenglandhomesteaders8341 6 жыл бұрын

Nice work! Great progress...love to see everyone involved! I'm working on my 10x20 EMT frame greenhouse and hope to have it finished in the next month...weather has not been cooperating! Excited to see this system come to life for you!

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Ha! Talk about weather not cooperating! Right there with you. Yesterday was a race against time (and incoming rain), and to our boys' great credit they never complained once about being out there all day, no lunch, working hard in the cold and rain. We're hoping to get it all completed ASAP and actually use it before summer gets here. Best wishes on your greenhouse!

@Enigmatic_Lurker 3 жыл бұрын

Was just looking into greenhouse options for this year, and saw your video in my search results. Haven't seen a fellow FFA member online before! 🏕

@ritamccartt-kordon283 6 жыл бұрын

I sure hope you have wonderful luck with this project! I plan on doing a greenhouse eventually and this is great information for anyone! I do NOT plan to dig everything by hand! I'm too OLD!! Bee Blessed Danny and Rita in TN on Rooster's Ridge

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you! A backhoe would be the way to go with something like this, and my advice now would be to oversize EVERYTHING if I was going to do it again. OF course that means more money, but it would be a more effective system.

@LifeinFarmland 6 жыл бұрын

Short sleeves!! This project is really coming together. Love it.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Yes! You guys keep the snow up North!

@GrdnGnome5 6 жыл бұрын

We just build our greenhouse out off 1 1/4 emt conduit. It's 16ft by 40ft. Thank you for showing us how you guys build your greenhouse. It realy helped

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Wow - you beat us to a completed greenhouse! Glad anything we've uploaded could be of help to others.

@crazyrees23 4 жыл бұрын

How did it work? Any videos?

@JasonMichaelKotarski 6 жыл бұрын

If I were to choose a position on your crew it would be what ever the dog does. Man that's smart. Lol, its almost as hard to do a project as it is to film it, dead batteries, full sd cards.... Great job, using this for our build so thank you for the in sight!

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Ha, yes the dog has the life! Thanks for the kind words. All the best to you and yours.

@tropicalgardenspain199 3 жыл бұрын

Nice work! Helped me plan for mine, I just need to see how the fans work and what sort of fan. Going to check your other videos now 👍🏼

@gerardshorticultureculture7579 5 жыл бұрын

So happy I found this. Thanks for sharing keep up the good work.

@slobicanbg 5 жыл бұрын

Ok, I am totally new with all this stuff and none of this still makes any sense, but this is *amazing* !

@mykal2803 3 жыл бұрын

Im jealous, looks like a fun build and you have a great looking family hope to get there someday myself.

@MyViewFromTheWoods 6 жыл бұрын

Think it's a great idea. Could see a bathtub effect with the now softer soil above the hard clay. But that would equalize eventually. Looking forward to the results! Like you said, see how it goes and modify.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, realizing repacking the soil, on our time frame (and trying to stay ahead of rain) is an issue. I plan to drive the tractor over it repeatedly, hoping to get good compaction. Hopefully, the system works!

@dougstarr1 6 жыл бұрын

I commend your efforts and i think your idea is sound, BUT, i saw no compacting going on. You cannot backfill 4 feet of dirt without compacting. In about a year you will begin having all kinds of settling problems. You should backfill in lifts of 1 foot maximum with vibratory compaction between each lift. There is no need to worry about crushing the corrugated pipe. It is designed to withstand the weight. One other things i noticed, you did no install filter fabric over and around the pipe. All you need is a small spot of dirt penetration and your pipe system is plugged and useless. I dont mean to critisize but these are major issues than be corrected before you get to far along if you havent already. Good Luck.

@JohnGuest45 3 жыл бұрын

@Bbjones Jones It best to dig narrow trenches so you dont disturb the bulk of the mass. Its cheaper than excavating the entire floor and considerably less work if your using a spade not a backhoe.

@emanuelgoncalvessantos4499 3 жыл бұрын

yeah the filling part make me anxious... You have to fill 30 to 40cm and compact....

@StIsidoresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

It settled some, but not a great deal.

@StIsidoresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

@@emanuelgoncalvessantos4499 It worked out fine. God bless!

@davidschmidt270 3 жыл бұрын

See...this is why on projects I like to read the comments...so I can be more aware !!! Thanks everyone 👏👏👏

@ChrisLMartin 4 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed all the build even seeing the failures. I've been in the planning stage for a while. I'd like to know where you found your inflatable plastic from. and how's it been working. Thanks for sharing.

@sikosis999 6 жыл бұрын

great stuff, only OCD type gripe is the handling of your bucket :) putting unnecessary stress on your hydrolic system! beyond that looks good and right by everything i've ever done or read keep it up we need more people to relearn the skills of living!

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

😬 guilty as charged. I am to rough on it. But that little tractor got the job done!!

@nc28144 6 жыл бұрын

awesome video. alot of hard work is going to pay off.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@sithembisomalusimahlaba197 Жыл бұрын

Great, innovative idea being implemented

@joansmith3492 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing this. I'm wondering why you decided not to use french drain filter fabric sock on your pipes? I'm planning on building a much smaller cattle panel greenhouse (12.5 ft x 7 ft) with a climate battery this summer/fall. My plan is to only go down 2 ft, insulate the perimeter, and lay water filled 16 oz plastic coke bottles along the drains to add more "heat/cold storage". I'm not sure this will work. But it costs me nothing since I have been saving the used bottles. There are so many variations and divergent opinions about this. I look forward to seeing how this works out for you.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

You're welcome. As to the drain sock, since water won't be flowing into the pipes (along with silt) as it would in a french drain, we just didn't see it a necessary expense. The clay back fill is not that small and basically compresses back to a hard packed mass. It really shouldn't be an issue clogging the pipes. Your idea with two liter bottles can't hurt. Might want to consider doing something like spray painting them black. And yes, there are a LOT of opinions about all of this. I tend to go with Jason Smith over at Coghill Farm, just try things and "grind it out" as he says. Experiment and have fun. If it doesn't work, try something else.

@ChristopherBrandsdal 5 жыл бұрын

Great work! Did the same thing on my channel a year ago. My greenhouse was finished last week, so I am VERY excited for next season! :-)

@StIsidoresFarm 5 жыл бұрын

Congratulations!

@savannahrossy1042 6 жыл бұрын

Did you notice the white figure that popped u just behind ur shoulder .. at the mound ? !! Amazing !

@CarlKeeling1881 7 ай бұрын

Brilliant idea

@hunterusa4039 4 жыл бұрын

Amazing! Bob's Adventures hailing from Idaho

@441rider 3 ай бұрын

Great vid, I use tubs on a way small scale to run hot air on way down and it transfers to water. Your dog thought he liked digging,

@MTResilience 6 жыл бұрын

Just a thought on the part where you talk about pulling the hot air from up top down into the piping through the ground. I think it would be more efficient to push the cooler more dense air from down near the floor through the pipe. The effect is the same, but I think it may work better and would really just require you to change which pipe your fans are connected to. I don't have a greenhouse like this, but I'm in the very early stages of trying to plan for one, so YMMV. Would love to hear what you think about that.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Adam, let me first say that we have no personal experience with one of these systems - we have only seen articles and videos about them, so we are trusting that ALL of those are correct and should see soon enough. As we understand it, the idea is to HEAT the ground clay as much as possible during the day and summer and then use that at night and in the winter. Hopefully we'll explain it more in future videos - if the weather will ever cooperate long enough for us to get back to the project!

@scottsiple4151 Жыл бұрын

Hello and thank you for your videos and updates to your in ground greenhouse. I am in the process of putting one in myself in Kansas. My greenhouse is 20 x 40, 8’ south wall, 12’ north wall. I will be installing a climate battery and was wondering where and what type/brand, etc. of in-line fans you used. Thank you and God bless you in your endeavors!

@swann548 3 жыл бұрын

Good idea ! It will give u cool air when u need it.

@thevillafarm6105 6 жыл бұрын

I did notice that you mention around 8:30 that the heating would apply for about 1 foot around the pipe. I am convinced that, due to thermal fluctuation, heat will seek upwards. Though I do not exactly know how the directional matrix, with its center in the pipe, would look like in dirt/gravel. To sum up. Heat can go down from a source, but will in most conditions go upwards. Therefore. The dirts ability to absorb thermal energy would only apply above the pipe, not underneath it.

@waywardspringsacres 5 жыл бұрын

Heat conducts equally in all directions in solids. I think you are referring to hot air rising in convective heat transfer, which only occurs in air or fluids.

@timb7814 4 жыл бұрын

Energy moves from higher temperature to lower temperature. One of the laws of physics and engineering. In air, that typically happens by convection, with hot air rising up. In soil, it is a completely different equation. You will extract energy almost equally from all directions around the pipe.

@arendpretorius8196 2 жыл бұрын

Good day, I am also planning to put in heating and cooling for my greenhouse. How effective does this technique work, what is the increase in temperature using. And how low do your temperatures drop during winter and are you able to heat it during the winter?

@bartbley1269 6 жыл бұрын

might be an idea to have a sump at one end in case your system completely fills with water if your water table goes up in the rainy season . hope things work out great

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks - yes we're planning to at least be prepared to put hoses down into the outlets and pump water out if necessary.

@johnlorraine4978 3 жыл бұрын

Good luck :) This project is nice

@StIsidoresFarm 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@JOHNMORIN100 5 жыл бұрын

Smooth bore pipe has less resistance = smaller fan or blower great thought

@James-st9uu 4 жыл бұрын

Would there be benefit to having an insulation layer beneath the pipes?

@GeoffreyFlores 3 жыл бұрын

LOL. 4:51 starts the silhouette making an appearance on the dirt mound

@firesnake6556 3 жыл бұрын

Best Part!

@brucelipnickas3968 6 жыл бұрын

I built mine with sleeves over the perforated tubing to prevent dirt filling the tubes

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, we're hoping we don't regret not doing that, but since water won't be routinely flowing into them, maybe we'll be ok.

@johnwarfield7742 6 жыл бұрын

I was just going to ask about geo fabric sleeves .....

@alexriddles492 6 жыл бұрын

No personal experience with thermal effect of this but, I have used weed mat to protect drain tiles used in landscaping applications.

@artstrology 5 жыл бұрын

I was thinking strategically drilling drain holes in the bottom of non-perf pipe to allow drainage but eliminate the need for filter sock.

@marcoquezada6731 4 жыл бұрын

We use geo fabric on all of our drain pipes and drain rock. It work great seperating water from soil.

@christianlibertarian5488 3 жыл бұрын

I sure love this idea and hope it works. One worry is the distribution of air into the system. At low air velocities, I don't think it will be a big deal. But at higher velocities, there will be turbulence, raising the resistance. So the first split will see similar resistance in each direction, meaning volume will split roughly evenly between each side. But one side of the split connects to only one lateral run, while the other side goes to multiple. The heat/cold will be split asymmetrically. Its just a worry. Let's see if it is a real world problem.

@MrAircraftGuy 4 жыл бұрын

Well, can you do a follow up video please? I think most of us theatre thinking about building something like this would like some verification of how well it works, so we can validate the expense with our wives!! Well done by the way!

@jenniferg6818 3 жыл бұрын

I agree.

@bradyallison9008 3 жыл бұрын

I"m looking at doing something like this, but I live in a drained swamp and if I have perforated pipe it will fill with water likely to the point of restricting or preventing air flow. any suggestions on other piping to use?

@teufelshunde730 5 жыл бұрын

Just wondering if there is a better media to encase the pipes with to ensure more consistent retention and distribution of the controlled air temp, i.e P rock, 3/4 stone etc., I would think that would also be better for the drainage of condensation as there is very little if ant relief in the surrounding clay to accomedate (spl?) for drainage. Just a few observations. I am sure you are better informed than I am and you have done your home work, I am just looking at from the standpoint of a drain layer and having dealt with the many problems dealing with clay. I was also wondering about the route you took with the layout of the pipes as others mentioned, why not one continuous run. Also agree with the compaction every foot or so on the back fill, seen too many sidewalks on new homes cracking and sinking from rushing to back fill to only have everything settle and the problems eresulting. All in all, I wish you luck, just some of my observations, and yes, I have been known to over think things. LOL Definitely a great series and look forward to each episode.

@billpetersen298 3 жыл бұрын

How cold are your winters? Do you expect enough heat gain in winter, to keep growing? Or does this just lengthen the growing season.

@grabitz 6 жыл бұрын

At 4:48 to 4:52 of the video right side on top of the dirt pile, what is that popping up and falling down an Alien?

@freeheeler09 7 ай бұрын

We have 80 or so days above 100 in summer and the same number of frosty nights. I’m picturing something similar to your system, but putting the floor of the greenhouse 3’ underground for added insulation. Stack 4’ of cinder blocks as lower walls, then timber frame roof. It would be on a slope, so we can easily drain ground water.

@kalimeraHellas 6 жыл бұрын

Why you don't have insulation on the floor under the pipes? I think heat escapes not only to the side but underneath because soil at that depth are much colder than the soil above some feet.

@stainless1981 6 жыл бұрын

What about using like a #5 gravel around those pipes? Think that would retain the heat/cold air better? Are you worried that the clay might crush or fill the pipes? Great job on the project and the video, well done! So excited for you guys. :) Okay, makes sense on the gravel.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

It does not seem that the clay crushed the pipes. We tested the system last night and there seemed to be zero reduction on airflow. As to gravel, as I understand it we want clay up against the pipes as they are what will absorb and hold the heat pushed into the system, but we're doing this based on what others have done or said - no first hand experience yet. We'll certainly share the results and outcomes. Thanks for watching and for the support!

@sheepsy90 4 жыл бұрын

The specific heat capacity is around 2.2 for clay soil and 4.2 for water. Granted a system with water needs storage tanks and water being pumped around. However you get twice the heat sink, thermal storage capacity

@BWWGL9 5 жыл бұрын

What was your Temperature reading, coming up from the tubing in the ground? We use to SNAKE our Hose/Tubing depending on what we were building, and use Hot Water to heat.. as in radiant from the floor up, very Stable once it comes to desired temp. Same HOT water ran through the Hot Water heater for the House, being a secondary benefit (free house water for house use). We burn USED Engine Oil & Vegetable Oil.... all FREE. One heat I built early goes up to 1000 deg.F. Hot water short and sweet.!

@zacschmelzer8487 4 жыл бұрын

How do you keep the water seasonal water table from filling the pipes and restricting airflow?

@briant7953 3 жыл бұрын

Great concept but I don't know about using big o. I used that for drainage and after about 10 years I got sink holes along the runs. Turns out the big o collapsed. I went with perforated pvc and have had no problems since.

@Anthony_DP 6 жыл бұрын

6:16 behind the dirt mound hahahaha

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Glad another person saw that!

@PatrickWagz 6 жыл бұрын

4:48 as well haha

@daveharr3892 6 жыл бұрын

I see aliens. LOL

@123Goldhunter11 6 жыл бұрын

A white foot???

@halheywood3910 6 жыл бұрын

What the heck. .

@gsmscrazycanuck9814 6 жыл бұрын

it will be interesting to see how your greenhouse works. It's very similar to my design except I will circulate air during the day and let the heat rise naturally at night. We are planning to move to Arkansas, so probably won't build the greenhouse till after we move. First we need to find the right piece of land.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

We're pretty eager to see how it works and look forward to sharing the outcomes good or bad. Best wishes on the land search!

@gsmscrazycanuck9814 6 жыл бұрын

I will be watching you closely. Looking forward to seeing how it works.

@williamgrimberg2510 2 жыл бұрын

Foil covered foam on one side facing inward may reflect heat back towards your medium while insulating from the cold exterior earth .

@JohnODonovan1 6 жыл бұрын

Hi there, quick question. When you say clay do you mean clay or soil or backfill ?

@davisgailitis 2 жыл бұрын

Looks awesome. Question as I listened to the condensate and air flow description. What happens in future if and when roots work their way into the "feeding" source you've just created underground? It will be a perfect aeroponic environment.

@JohnGuest45 2 жыл бұрын

Any roots that try to enter the tubes are air pruned.

@mikaylaboo1 6 жыл бұрын

LOL, you have a "Whack-a-mole" on the dirt pile behind you.

@snozzberrybush 4 жыл бұрын

5:42

@kenshepherd6831 5 жыл бұрын

They have a silk sock to wrap perforated pipe with. It comes in a long roll.

@grandmastermicochero 5 жыл бұрын

WONT THE pipes fill up with ground water after heavy rains and snow melts in the spring??

@mc-tu1sv 4 жыл бұрын

Most geothermal projects includ pumps for condensation build up

@evianway 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome endeavor! I wonder, if you have compared smooth wall perforated pipes instead of ribbed, because from hvac efficiency I know the ribs add big resistance to the air flow. Of course this is a slow moving, but just wondering. I'll check your other videos, if you haven't given updates, let us know how it turned out. Also, something else to consider as cheap efficient insurance, just like in the pipe and gravel septic leach fields you put building paper over the gravel, you could do so over the pipes before backfilling. This would protect form silt geting into the perforations but I think like you said, it's probably OK without it too. Good luck and thanks for sharing

@klincecum 2 жыл бұрын

That would defeat the purpose. The ribbed pipes causes more turbulence, and more soil contact. That is the goal. covering the pipes would also greatly reduce thermal transfer. The efficiency of the air travel is not a concern here, at least not in how hvac systems operate. You actually want more turbulence in this instance. More chance for thermal transfer to/from the soil.

@alexsmith9328 2 жыл бұрын

@@klincecum that makes alot of sense thanks for the explanation Happy New Year

@klincecum 2 жыл бұрын

@@alexsmith9328 Cheers!

@clintonlau5826 4 жыл бұрын

Your on the right track it's the only way to learn anything is by doing it. Have you looked into Aquaponics ? Old school for the 21st century

@m.s683 4 жыл бұрын

Cheers, great share pre installing a GAHT system on my side. Would you recommend any tweaking to your system, except altering the 4” with 6” inlet? I'm would you stuck to clay or use gravel or base-coarse? Is it comfortable to be inside in summer? We have hot summers in the Mediterranean climate and i’m interested to spend time in the greenhouse all year around. To grow and just stay there. It's gone be double glaze. Many thanks in advance. All the best

@StIsidoresFarm 4 жыл бұрын

Without a system to compare to personally, it would be hard to know about tweaks. The biggest improvement would simply be moving MORE air. Money was a limiting constraint for us. If it wasn't, we would have used much larger pipes and fans. As a result, it is NOT comfortable inside in the summer. The system simply can't move enough air and the solar gain is too much. Hope this helps.

@Tyepoe 6 жыл бұрын

Just like others have said I think you either need to snake 1 super long, curved pipe or have dedicated inline fans per line of pipe because when you put T's and elbows on something with 1 fan, the air will go the path of least resistance so some of the air is not recirculating inside of the pipes in the middle. Im curious to know how well this setup works but this is something Ive found when using hooking up cooltube light ststems in sequence with ducting... If I were to hook up multiple rows of cooltube lights to one fan, some of the rows would be super hot. Every row of cooltube lights need their own inline fan. Your system certainly looks better but I think "snaking" or bending one or two longer pipes around the entire area would be better in terms of airflow.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Mike, thanks for the comment and feedback. We think the idea of having the the fan in one corner of the system and the exhaust in the other makes nearly all of it the path of least resistance. We've seen a fair number of pictures and images of these systems going in and others do something very similar. Our sense is that because it is effectively a closed system, eventually hot air will get to all of the soil around the pipes. Of course, we could be wrong. Either way, we plan to share the results. Thanks for watching!

@Tyepoe 6 жыл бұрын

Hey thanks for the reply! I didn't even consider that the exhaust was at the opposite corner. I really hope this works out, I want to try it on a project coming up soon. Just like other people have said I have a question about condensation... I agree that perforated pipe is the best idea for escaping condensation in the pipes but is there any consideration for excess rain or if snow melts in excess and the pipes fill up with water and the system becomes completely clogged? Is 4ft - 6ft depth enough feet down to not have to worry about water seeping into the pipes from the outside or is that something to consider? Thank you very much for your time putting these videos together by the way!

@rebeccakimmet5474 6 жыл бұрын

Mike, I agree that one or two long pipes would make more even airflow, but you want to maximize the airflow more than anything. One fan for each circuit would work, but it's not cost effective. Heating ductwork systems are designed to provide consistent airflow from each of the ducts off of the main trunk, just copy that design and it will work good enough. Even having the outlet and inlet at opposite corners like this video isn't enough to get even airflow, more will flow at the ends of the manifold and less in the middle. Even more important is the airflow through the tubes being enough to carry enough heat to matter. The small manifold reduces that airflow.

@muleymcwoolhead4703 3 жыл бұрын

Can you mix dirt and wool to fill in the hole around the pipes?

@organiccleanfoodconnection Жыл бұрын

How is the greenhouse working out since winter? I’m about to bury my tubes. putting the clay dirt over the tubes still the best no covering no rocks? Thank you

@gsmscrazycanuck9814 6 жыл бұрын

great job. Where are you from?

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks - central North Carolina.

@royormonde3682 3 жыл бұрын

These are called GAHT systems, Ground to Air Heat Transfer. One thing I might add is that they have a high temp. and low temp. limit switches, that way your not using energy moving air when the temp. is just right in the green house....usually 50 F at the low and 75 F for the high....you save a bit on electricity, not as noisy all the time, blowers last longer and I'd like to add if your going to try this system out, go for it, they work great. Try and use 6 inch for your manifolds and solid 6 inch for the risers with 4 inch weeping pipe as shown here. Good job here and certainly worth it but could be improved on.

@Kberrysal 5 жыл бұрын

Can you do this with icf blocks

@DavidODuvall 6 жыл бұрын

With an R factor of about 1 per inch of soil I would want to see some research on the effectiveness vs. cost of using the insulation along the perimeter of the thermal mass. However, placing rigid insulation right at the bottom edge of the greenhouse and going down 2' into the ground can prevent thermal bleeding into the greenhouse itself. Basically, you keep the frost line out of the greenhouse and extend the use of the greenhouse later into the winter months - something I've seen firsthand. During your use of the greenhouse in the course of the next 2 years would you make a record of the ground and air temperatures for both inside and outside of the greenhouse?

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback and info. Yes, we plan to track data points at various times of year and share them in the future. We've done a few one year update videos. We'll no doubt do one for this as well.

@T84948 Ай бұрын

Thank you! Im wondering if its possible to cool a greenhouse from 40 Celsius to 20 Celsius using your method?

@RenTanis 6 жыл бұрын

LOL @5:45 video photo bomb from behind the dirt pile. Or crazy large prairie dog! Alien?

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Ha! Someone finally saw that! Good eye.

@carolewarner101 6 жыл бұрын

Wow, pretty exciting! Question though: won't the earth on the bottom pull the heat out since you're only insulating the sides?

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, that is certainly a possibility (probability?), but honestly we were on a tight schedule and budget. Buying more foam at the time was not an option.

@carolewarner101 6 жыл бұрын

Well, I don't know where you're located, but if the earth freezes there in winter, at least you're insulating down to below the frost line where the soil temps are pretty consistent year round. So that still could make a huge difference...perhaps THE difference! Will be interesting to follow you and hear about your observations.

@johnnelson9309 4 жыл бұрын

Looks like a fine 🙂 project. You show offs.😜

@1Ascanius 6 жыл бұрын

Only thing I’m worried is the clay seeping into the weeping tile and blocking the efficiency of your intention, 3” stone in the bottom and reduced to the surface to 1/4” finish gravel would have given a much better flow rate as well as thermo storage. I would like to know how yours does work out Bonne chance

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Going to upload the next part in this series today. We dug up and replaced the manifolds with 6" pipes. We did have water in the lowest pipes, but there was no clay in them. Water was clear. Check out this website for great information, on bit of which is why you need perforated pipes on earth batteries: www.ecosystems-design.com/faq

@mellooks 4 жыл бұрын

How did this work for you? Maybe an update video?

@ti89todd13 Жыл бұрын

Was the intent of this construction to store daytime heat and then reclaim the heat at night, or was it intended to access more constant ground temperatures at depth? If intended for storing heat, would it have been better to also lay the foam flat, somewhere below the pipes?

@DennisTotman 6 жыл бұрын

The header system you're using appears far less efficient than had you run a continuous serpentine hose back and forth to maximize underground air time.

@xpeeriments6452 5 жыл бұрын

Things as they appear and things as they are, are sometimes two different things

@therevelation19 4 жыл бұрын

@Dennis Totmann, agree completely!

@edwardj456 4 жыл бұрын

I think it depends. Maybe the goal is lower velocity through the underground pipe to allow more heat exchange to occur.

@JohnGuest45 4 жыл бұрын

@@edwardj456 The goal is the exact opposite ;)

@sammaine9966 4 жыл бұрын

you are correct - don't listen to the stoners. Have done these projects before - this will work ok with pipes spread out. You are working with heated mass, which is a slow exchange. All the effort to dig a damn hole, you better make use of it. Velocity? Give me a break.

@ynotproperties 2 жыл бұрын

Do you know or think that there is a benefit to going deeper than 4 feet? I am considering doing a aquaponics system by digging a 10 to 12 foot basement with the fish in the basement and the plants at 2 to 4 feet below grade. I would put the geothermal system at 14 to 16 feet?

@nj609eagle 6 жыл бұрын

Does the CFM on the fan come into play when pushing the air? I have a smal (8x8) greenhouse. I can use a 152 cfm fan on a 4” pipe to turn over the air 17 times, but something tells me with three layers of pipe under the greenhouse, that one fan will not be enough

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

You are correct. What we learned is that we need larger fans moving more air.

@hakijolo 6 жыл бұрын

Hello! Nice project. Could you please tell me, what is the diameter of the pipe? thanks in advance!

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

If you watch one of the next videos in this series ("Mistake") you'll see that we change the return pipe diameter. So the pipes going down into the ground and serving as the manifolds are 6" (15.24cm) and the black corrugated pipes are 4" (10.16cm). Hope that helps.

@Andrew-tv2gg 2 жыл бұрын

So did the styrofoam insulation work? I want to build something like this.

@richardkerman4051 2 жыл бұрын

How do you deal with potential mold in the pipeline?

@johnbeckman8916 6 жыл бұрын

I would think that you need several intake & exhaust pipes rather than 1 per level. It seems pretty restrictive and hard to transfer much heat. I hope that I am wrong and it performs efficiently. Good luck! 😃

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

We're actually copying the systems that are installed by Ceres Greenhouse Solutions out in Boulder, Colorado: www.ceresgs.com/climate-control/gaht/ So we hope it works, too! But seeing as they have installed a bunch of these, we're leaning towards optimistic.

@johnbeckman8916 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, that is encouraging. They certainly would change design flaws in subsequent builds if they noticed performance issues. Praying for clear skies for you.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the prayers! And we'll all get to see how it works soon enough. Best case it works better than we might hope, worst case it moves air and is marginally effective. It's all one big real time experiment. But trust us - we'll let everyone know if it doesn't work as well as we hope!

@rebeccakimmet5474 6 жыл бұрын

Copying is as good as what you copy. What calculations did they use? What performance testing have they done?? and are you in CO also? I'm more into water thermodynamics, but I'd guess you have a 75% bottleneck by using the same size pipe as a manifold. Dig it up and use 8-12" smooth duct for your manifold. You've put thousands of dollars of labor and materials into this, don't blow it on one critical detail. Seriously, the airflow is far more critical than the insulation. Otherwise the construction and design looks great, one of the best. Good spacing, no need for gravel, not overly complicated.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment and info. Seems projects like these are always a learning process if it's not something that has been done a million times. And even then, there can always be improvements or more efficient ways of doing it. In truth, we've looked at a lot of videos and read a lot of information on different websites. Even there, folks will say one thing ("You need 10% of the volume in linear feet of tube.") and there seems to be no science or data to back it up (and people let them know that). Another point made is how often the air in the greenhouse needs to be turned over an hour, but no reason is given for that number. So a lot of this seems to be a case of someone did it one way, and a bunch of folks started copying it, and that became the way to do it (including us). So this is an experiment for us. If we have to dig up the ends later and adjust the intake and manifolds, we can, but unfortunately we are on a very tight timeline right now. We'll have to see how it does as installed. All this is to say, your points are well taken. Perhaps we'll put a high efficiency fan at each end of the system, one pushing and one pulling. Again, thanks for taking the time to comment.

@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork 6 жыл бұрын

Looks good! Only thing I would say is... it might have been better to put the insulation right AT the walls rather than inset... inset, you will get cold "bleeding" in from the outside soil during winter. I am looking forward to seeing how this work for you!

@xpeeriments6452 5 жыл бұрын

no you will not. but thanks for your concern.

@bakit5794 Ай бұрын

can worm not eat through the isolation foam?

@YoderJosh 3 жыл бұрын

I am concerned about groundwater in those pipes. I am not an expert and not trying to point flaws in your work. I would love an update. We use buried pipe like that as a mock french drain to spread groundwater away from wet spots and move around the property. Wouldn't mold become an issue? The fans will dry it some, but wouldn't there be daily condensation? Thank you for running this experiment, how did it turn out?

@ATBrickscom 6 жыл бұрын

darn man your dog is really hard working, I am german too, know how to bark, any job openings :-)

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Ha! Our poor dog is taking a bad rap in these videos - think you're the third person to comment on his life of leisure 😂

@valkyrie4679 Жыл бұрын

I think the recommended depth to dig is 8-10 feet. Where's your frost line? Can't wait to see the result.

@artmonkey4047 6 жыл бұрын

The system could be pitched slightly to one corner with a sump pump just in case it fill up

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Good idea, but two months later (and grading work done to prevent flooding inside the greenhouse) the issue now is little to no moisture in the system not too much. It is actually less efficient without some moisture.

@TheDomi44 7 ай бұрын

with a geothermal Greenhouse is there any benefit in insulating horizonally above the heating tubes?

@estes1957 7 ай бұрын

In my area we have a high water table so I had to install a sump pump as the ground pipes filled with water!

@sparkyplugclean2402 6 жыл бұрын

It looks pretty good, although I tend to agree that the pipes should be ganged into a larger feeder. A lot of the heat storage of such a system will come through the en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enthalpy_of_vaporization of water. A lot of energy goes into condensing and evaporating water, which is why it's critical to have the perforated pipe allowing air access to a large surface area of soil to condense and evaporate moisture from.

@StIsidoresFarm 6 жыл бұрын

Yes, thanks. We improved it (fixed the mistake) in a next video.

@joepeeer4830 2 жыл бұрын

@nospamman4443 2 жыл бұрын

4:48 - right side of the screen 😂

@hypercube33 6 жыл бұрын

Why are you insulating the ground which should be a steady temperature all year below the frost line?

@johnsilvernale6472 5 жыл бұрын

Forget where their location is.. My area Friday will go down 6 feet or so, depending on type of winter we have. Isolating the battery will prevent leaching of heat

@johnsilvernale6472 5 жыл бұрын

Frost not Friday

@timb7814 4 жыл бұрын

Bingo! You're intuition is correct. Insulating around the pit is 100% incorrect.

@kurtc6372 5 жыл бұрын

Eventually the holes in the pipe will get plugged up with the Clay. I would have put a small amount of gravel around the holes of the pipe to keep it from getting plugged up. Of course it would take quite a few years but it’s no different then a septic leach field

@SalaamQuddus 4 жыл бұрын

hello sir i am an engineer from australia am very interested in the idea but I cant understand the reason for the foam insulation as I believe this foam insulation will work against your purpose to exchange heat with the ground , for example in summer if you are cooling your greenhouse it means you are warming the cool ground underneath and these foams will stop the ground from being able to cool back down to keep supplying you with cold air

@jameschrist758 3 жыл бұрын

That foam won’t decay or moist?

@algreen266 2 жыл бұрын

What is the reason you are putting foam polystyrene sheets around the walls of the soil ?And the black connecting perforated pipes are not water locked so water can easily penetrate them, Did you make this calculation? Thanks

@calvinblackwood2578 5 жыл бұрын

Why not just dig trenches? What's the reason for digging out the whole space? I'm just wondering because I'll be renting a machine in the future and I'd like to get the best one for the job.... and most geo lines run for a min for the best efficiency.....