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Forum Index : Solar : Deciding if I should build this solar heater
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Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 03:43pm 10 Sep 2021
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Easy to see the change of season with the solar output. Did 69Kwh today. Multiply that out by the increased efficiency of these tubes and there is some really heat to be made.... When we really don't need it.
Forecast is for 29 Here tomorrow which means it will probably hit 32 at least.
Definitely time to get the cooling ideas in place.
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 12:26am 12 Sep 2021
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What a difference some sun and heat makes. 29 yesterday and 74 KWh. Supposed to be the same today. Has been coming up just this week from low 60's with clear skies so a decent Jump. have not changes a single thing with the panels for many months so it reflects entirely the improving solar radiation.
Despite now having 2 sets of fans in the shed now it still felt decidedly warm in there although later in the afternoon felt a bit chilly when directly in front of them. Acclimatisation still at play I think. Next few days are supposedly going to be much cooler and wet.
I had the tube fan blowing in the house from about Mid day and windows open at the far ends of the house. Was hoping to get an airflow through to try and warm it. The house never seemed to feel near as warm as outside. In the evening when the sun went down, the temp quickly dropped like a stone. I measured my various spots and the best I saw was 20o. it was 19 when I started so no worthwhile improvement to speak of which was perplexing.
After blowing in air most the afternoon with an 8" blower going flat out, I was expecting to get the place a lot warmer. Not sure what is going on. Having lived in totally uninsulated houses, if it was down to that the place would still be warm from the day well into the night and would have got near day temp pretty easy.
Seems there really needs to be a LOT of this low temp differential air to make a difference. That or having the temp 10 o or higher is important to get a worth while temp rise.
The main lounge room which is on the north end has really been heating up this week. I'm really questioning the value of having the sun shine on rooms during winter. It seemed to make no difference at all in there in the coolest months but now If the doors are left shut, the room turns into a Hot box. Much of the walls have hedges in front of them but I might look at getting some little awnings over the 2 sets of Double doors to keep the heat out there. The sun coming in in winter seems to have very little benefit. Spose I could always look at those canvas type that could be retracted.
I don't know how clean you need your work area Roger but you might want to talk to your friend about some paper filter inserts. I can see with the airflow you are going to have there will be a lot of potential for dust to be carried in which may not be significant on any day but could build up over time moving lots of air through.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 08:05am 12 Sep 2021
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Sounds like another decent day then ... and that's a pretty decent output from the solar too. Our forecast is for 17 and rain.
Always good when you predict a certain output and that's what you get.
Yeah, I'm inclined to agree with that too. I mean it may increase the overall temp with a low differential ... but with 10 or 20 degrees you can feel the difference.
Mmm ... not sure about this. The only room we have that cops any sun is the laundry ... and if there's any sun at all, any time of the year ... it gets beautifully warm and quite quickly.
We keep the blind down if we want to keep the heat out ... and on cold days we have it up until the sun goes ... then put it down to try and retain the warmth.
That's a good point really. My work's not overly dirty or dusty ... but over time there's no doubt the system will get caked in dust ... and it will be a fair bit of work to dismantle and clean out.
Dave, I've got to tell you that your idea of heat soaking the house definitely works.
As I mentioned a few days ago we got up to 29 in the lounge and then close again both Fri and Sat. The house was very comfortable, to the point that I didn't relight the fire Fri or Sat night.
Has been very nice in here today still ... and the fire hadn't been lit since stoking it up Thurs night.
Todays forecast has been for 17, cloud and rain ... and that's what we've had ... and a couple spells where it was absolutely freezing outside ... to the point were I came in and relit the fire so we don't lose to much momentum.
We had visitors and they kept saying how nice and warm it is in the house, and that was before I relit the fire. Even my wife seemed comfortable still.
Haha, thanks ... and yeah I can be a bit of a drama queen at times
Sounds like it. I have trouble with them feeling tight, but only occasionally ... and once I start feeling hot, I gotta get them off as quick as I can.
Good point. Time marches on slowly but steadily. We always wanted a bigger place for us and the kids ... and when we finally could afford one and found what we wanted ... as we shifted, the older of the girls moved out of home ... so we didn't really need 4 bedrooms.
Since then, the other 2 moved out, but the first came back ... so we still really don't need as big a place as this.
Yes, I have to agree there. I think that's why I fell in love with this place when I first saw it ... it ticked all the boxes ... including the fact that it has several acres of land which will be able to be subdivided. We're not in any hurry to lose the space, but it's a nice feeling knowing the empty paddock is going up in value every year.
Sorry to hear that Dave, it must be hard. I don't suppose it has to be done ... but I'm sure it will help in the long run.
That's gotta feel good. I cleaned a small area of the workshop yesterday, and just walking through feels so much better than before. I really need to do the rest.
Can't really help you there, I'm hopeless at that myself. I occasionally start a section of stuff I'm going to sell ... but a year or two later it's still sitting there gathering more and more dust and blocking up the works.
Haha, yep ... same trouble here. The mess is all my fault. Ok, yeah a lot of it is ... but a long way less than "all".
That would be very handy ... has to make it easier.
Yes, agreed. And it's a trap I have to be careful of. A bigger shed just means more room to store stuff, most of which should be moved on.
Cool, keep the momentum going. Space is good!
Exactly!
Yep, understood ... and it might be as simple as that ... get everyone involved and make it a team effort in making the decisions.Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 10:23am 12 Sep 2021
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Today was beautiful. about the same temp although it felt warmer but BOM said cooler. Little cloud this afternoon so the solar was down 2Kwh. Not complaining though.
Today was a good example of the reccomendation of the 35 or whatever it was and so much above ambient. I put the fan in the window again and the air blowing in felt Chilly. Temp gun said 25 Which was what I got outside so wasn't just sucking cool air from under the verandah as I knew it couldn't but was wondering. Moving air even at the same temp as ambient certainly can feel a LOT cooler. Guess that's why we have fans in Homes.
I thought of you and turned the fan onto the floor. It was 19 When I started, coming in for lunch about 3 I saw it was 24. I turned it off about 3 hours ago and the floor in that area is now 21. The carpet in the adjoining room is giving the same reading so a bit hard to say if it's reading surface temp or is heat soaked.
Checking the rest of the floor, it's showing 21 as well and far away from where the air blowing in could have reached around the corner of the kitchen Island. I did go round the edges near the exposed walls and saw a definite 19 both at the front and rear of the house for a fair distance where I could measure without furniture.
The ambient at my measurement spots is 23 which is nice. Perhaps there just wasn't enough time yesterday to get the place properly soaked? Shooting the furniture temps I'm also getting the same reading minus a degree here and there which I put down to measurement error and rounding of the meter.
Yeah, I might have to re evaluate how I was considering that.
I was thinking today the idea I had of going along the back with a vetandah of panels May be a bit flawed. That's the west side. The panel I set up to pull the hot air from was aimed north at the correct pitch. That would not be the case with the verandah so I will need to re run the Numbers to see what is more realistic.
I was also thinking the perfect place for the solar heater would be that north side of the house. There is a path along there and it's all out of sight so setting up some panels along there as a free-standing winter setup would probably pass approval. Bit of a Run to the window though as there are only doors along there.
Yeah, I am very undecided about the value of Blinds. To my Mind they would have to me more or less sealed between the window and the room to really be effective. If cost wasn't a factor, I'd have most of the windows Fitted with sheets of perspex with rubber moulding around the edge to create a trapped air pocket. It would be easy to do with the way the windows are fitted but perspex that size.... Probably not that much more to get double glazed windows fitted.
I might take some measurements and see if someone will give me some online estimates. Maybe they have brought our something more cost effective. TBH, I wouldn't care if half the windows were not able to be opened. We rarely open most of them anyway. So damn many in this place You would only need to ever open half at a time.
Well it stands to reason just though having the radiation from a thermal mass but one thing that's really good about talking of things like this here is we get the feedback from others trying the ideas to either confirm them or give cause for a re think. Nice that it's worked to keeping your house comfortable.
Your tubes will be the perfect candidate for this. About as free and automatic, nil Hands on heating as one could get. Hopefully with the increased size of the new array the good days will carry over to the cold ones and without doubt your wood heating labour will be greatly reduced.
I started in on the 3rd bay today. Flanked it somewhat. I had a store of engines there as well and after cleaning a few other things up where a fair bit of chucking got done, I got into where the engines were. I thought they can come out and go on a pallet as well. Pulled out 6 little ones, 6Hp and under but I left the 30 Hp Ruggerini there for the time being. It's on it's own little trolley and out the way for now so left it.
I did get my brand new tool chests out and set them up. Oh I am pleased! They weigh over 100 KG and are good and sturdy. Put the nice HD wheels on and the thing rolls round real Nice. Even started filling it with tools. Of course the spot I allowed is 30mm too narrow but not to worry. I'm wondering if it really needs a permanent spot at all being I'll want it at the front and rear of the shed depending what I'm doing. Seriously considering getting rid of an annoying old Cupboard but can't bring myself to unpack and find places for what is in that... yet.
This is going to be a vast Improvement on the plastic tubs I have now with different tools in it. Marvellous how I discover what was blindingly obvious to everyone else.
The front of that bay won't be bad at all. The new BBQ takes up a lot of space, there are cupboards there some I'll use and one I'll probably try to sell and if not Burn/ chuck and bit of other Bulky stuff that will be no problem to go.
The foreperson and Daughter came up today to marvel at the never before seen space. I have put some stuff back in the 2nd bay, the cupboards I want as a work bench and some stuff to advertise to sell when we are paroled... whenever that might be.
Mrs and I were going through a bag of old sheets and pillow cases. Came across a few things and I lost it. Memories of things I can see so clearly and I still can't handle . I have no idea how I am going to do that back half of that bay.
I did decide to Pike on it for now though. I got up in the mezzanine and had another WTF is all this crap here for? moment and agreed with the Mrs that would be better cleared first so what we want to keep in the 3rd bay can be put up there safe and sound. Won't have to double handle it either which will be a plus and no sign of mice up there either.
One disappointment is the tractor wont reach that high to put pallets up. I'll have to put it on a pallet, lift it and then take it up the foot or so it's short and and re stack it. Not a biggie but would have been nice to be able to put it straight up. Maybe a set of ramps would do the trick.... which I'd never use again and have something else hanging round. Think when I put some of it up there I backed the ute in and stood in that which made it much easier to get up.
Perfect excuse to buy a forklift!!! An electric one I can move and load panels with and use the batteries for a DIY Mini grid as well.
Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406
Posted: 09:27pm 12 Sep 2021
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I bought several four drawer filing cabinets real cheap. Ideal for storing odd stuff out in the shed.Cheers, Tony.
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 05:11am 13 Sep 2021
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My neighbour recommended them to me a while back and I have been looking for some. I saw him come in Sat morning with 3 in the back of his ute. He was going for a walk and saw them out the front of a house in the next street in their clean-up pile so went back and grabbed them.
Just my luck.
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 11:31am 13 Sep 2021
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I think Rogers weekend weather blew up here today. Cold and Miserable with just enough rain to be a pain in the arse. No good for watering anything but enough to make working outside a non starter as well.
Having SOOO much room in my shed now, I was able to play round with making up a Bull bar for the tractor so not all lost due to the weather.
Mrs and I were both complaining of the cold in the house today but checking the inside temp gave consistent 20o reading leaning heavily to the side of 21. Felt like half of that which shows how quick one can acclimatise to warmer temps and then feel cold when they go back to what you were used to only a week or so before.
I checked the floor temps again. The spot where I had the blower going yesterday is the same as the rest of the floor, now back to 19. The edges of the floor near the walls are low 17. After the Mrs put the heater on low, the walls are reading 21 now and feels OK.
I wonder if the slab is changing temp much or it's just the surface temp that's being read?
I was talking to my mate today that does AC and also looks after a lot of pools and rec centres. He said he's busy going round the places he looks after Checking and servicing heat pumps and Boilers that have been shut down that would normaly have been running. He said if things do open back up again mid next month, they will have to start firing the heaters up in a couple of weeks so there is at least a fortnight to get the pools up to temp.
Having helped him with these on occasion and thinking back to what I understood, I said surely it doesn't take a fortnight to get them warmed up? He said no, some of the ones I have done in the last couple of years could come up in 24 Hrs or less as I over specced them to cope with max loads but, they only bring them up a degree a day so the expansion is limited and the shells don't crack or tiles fall off.
Would seem to me there could be a risk of the same thing ( cracking) if one were to heat a floor slab too quick or just heat a part of it without the rest? No idea but mate having mentioned this got me thinking. 2nd thoughts are it's going to take The heating power of one of my burners cranked up rather than the few KW we would Impose otherwise. The localised heating roger gets with his wood fore would confirm that.
Certainly been a lot of cracks in this place since we came here but I have had them looked at by various people and they all put it down to the expansion and contraction of the ground due to the dry and wet. As said, when they appeared in the drought, they have mostly closed up when we got the Floods! They are also in the walls rather than any I have seen in the tiled areas.
Also thinking about it, underfloor heating does not seem to be a problem but that is pretty wide areas with pretty even heating.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 12:30pm 13 Sep 2021
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Yeah, I need to do more of that myself.
I'm of two minds really ... whether it's like pumping the hot air staight out a window ... or whether it really does add heat to the floor, which gives it up a little later on.
It is possible that the floor just soaks it all up and it goes straight down into the ground ... because the temperature certainly stays lower in the house ... but I do hope it is actually storing most of it.
When I think about it, I know we need the fire on for several days before we start to notice that it is generally warmer inside ... though once it is warm, it seems to stay warm with less effort.
And same goes when we have a warm spell ... it takes several days of warm weather before the house can start to feel overly warm and we need to take some action. Most times it is just a matter of opening up at night to let the cool breezes through ... unless the temp doesn't drop much, in which case we need the aircon on.
I'd have to agree with that ... the closer the fit and the less air that can get around them, the better they are I reckon.
Ours is very close fitting to the frame, so seems quite effective ... though I'm sure it could be done better with a bit of effort.
I think the hardest thing is to always be planning ahead and grabbing the heat when we can ... rather than waiting till it's cold and then it's too late and gotta burn some coal to warm up again.
Yeah, I suppose we could go spend all day theorising and fantasizing with the washing machine girls ... but this way is far more satisfying and productive ... and I have some facts now to back up my arguments. Whether I'm coming to the correct conclusions I don't know ... but it's better than not doing the experiments.
I think one of the biggest things I've learned in this discussion is that there are different angles to tackling this issue. Until Warp gave an explanation for how it works for him with a low thermal mass house, I never really considered it at all ... especially seeing I've only ever lived in homes with high thermal mass.
Yeah, I'm still excited to see this through ... though so many other tasks getting in the way all the time. Especially after yesterday when it got so cold outside ... yet inside was beautiful.
That's awesome. A few wins along the way is what we need to keep us going.
It was great being able to walk into the workshop this morning after my little clean up and enjoy the little bit of tidyness.
You're not alone there ... I have dozens of little jobs I could do that would save me a ton of time and annoyance ... but I just keep doing it the hard way.
I certainly don't envy your job. I guess you need to all be in on it together ... and I suppose it may depend on what you plan on doing with it all ... keeping it and storing it .... or finding new homes for some of it amongst some friends perhaps?
That would have to help .
Do any of your friends have a set of ramps for machinery or cars ... if you could borrow a set and put them up on blocks, just high enough to get that extra foot.
Plonk one pallet up there ... then lever it to where you want it ... then put up the next. Would have to be easier than lots of manhandling.
Haha, great idea. I'm sure the Mrs will be all for it.
Yeah, I've got a heap for storing tools as well. In fact I bought a number of double width filing cabinets which work very well. Still need to organise them all properly though. Around here, they seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper ... often see them on marketplace for $20 or $30 ... normal ones that is.
Looks like a great idea, though because of the way the shed's built I will probably have the tubes bolted to the wall with the top manifolds at about 7-8ft.
Then all I'll need is a 90 degree bend at each end, piping in and out through the wall. There is a mezzanine floor above the workshop with a heap of storage space up there ... so that would be difficult to navigate.Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 03:35am 14 Sep 2021
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Like most things, I'm in about 17 Minds on that. First there is the massive amount of thermal mass that has to be heated. 2nd, there is the ability of the concrete to convect heat. Off the top of my head, I think it's pretty poor conductor so the heating is likely to be localised. 3rd, Dirt is DEFINITELY a poor conductor of heat... unless it's wet and it could be wet or dry under the slab. 4th, if the heat is leaching into the soil, then even the first 10 cm is likely to be a significant thermal mass. A Cubic meter of soil weighs around 1.6T depending on moisture so that adds to the amount of energy required to make a difference.
Crunching some numbers...
-ROUGHLY- raising the temp of 1 Sqm of concrete and soil, 100mm each, 200mm depth total, is going to take ( I was only half Kilo out on what I guessed) around 10.56 KWH. Many variables but that's certainly in the Conservative (IE, likely to be MORE) ball park taking into account differences in thermal densities and weights of the respective materials.
I imagine in practicality you could easily double that because the sqm of thermal mass we are talking about is connected all round to the rest of the slab which will be leeching it although heating up somewhat too but to get our first sqm.... 20Kwh I think would be in the ball park. The ajoining areas should be a bit less till they all leveld out back at around 10- maybe 12 KWH M2.
That's a Lot of energy for a tiny bit of floor area. That is around 700 Kwh @ 10 Kwh m2 for my Kitchen floor. Wow! Was regretting a bit I didn't find the cheap thermal wire when we re did the tiling but seeing those Numbers...... I'd have to start heating it in march to have the available power to get it up to speed. What it would use to maintain it.... I hate to think. That said, the meter on the fan heater here in the office is coming up on 450KW for the season so....
If I did underfloor heating I definitely think it would be an proposition for an oil burner.
Anyway, based on that, I think it's going to need a LOT of hot air blowing to make any difference even just to offset any cold coming UP though the slab. Bear in mind the air blowing on the tiles would have a pathetic efficiency of imparting the heat to the floor. I'd reckon 5% might be optimistic. Still, the heat would bounce off and go into the house so not like the energy would be wasted.
I think that bit of Number crunching I just did concurs with your and my practical results pretty well. Sure we both knew it was going to take a lot of energy but just how much when practically applied is significant.
The heating also goes back to the thermal transmission properties of the cement. I'm sure you could blast it with a flame thrower for an hour and you would find that the heat did not spread very far at all. The thermal energy will transfer but the rate at which that transfer takes place is another thing.
And again we see why with the numbers calculated and my point about the speed of thermal saturation speed.
That really comes back in my mind to the basis of the Industrial Revolution. All this Clean and reliable energy is really taking us back to the same problems of 150 years ago. As is our reliance on solar in the different ways you and I utilise it.
The energy is unreliable and it's also most available when we least need it and Vice Versa. Myself, I have concluded that solar energy storage for MY circumstances is impractical. Yeah, If I could store heat From Dec to Mar to use in June to Aug, fantastic but I can't and there is not enough available in the winter months when I need it to be satisfy my needs. Matter of take what we can get when we can get it and be happy but if you are putting all your eggs in that basket, you are going to be eating them raw that's for sure. Why they think they can base entire grids on this intermittent energy is beyond me but that's another rant.
I looked in there on the weekend. Oh my! Thay are still going round in the same circles and talking the exact same crap on the same threads as when I told them to shove it. They love talk but very few of them every risk chipping a nail by doing something hands on.
Precisely. And coming to the right conclusions is maybe not as important as adopting the right practices or procedures. I remember being in the country many years ago far in the boonies. The property was cut off from help due to Flooding. There was a really sick Dog that I looked after and did the best I could. I made all the wrong assumptions about what was causing the problem but what I did for the dog was spot on. When we got it to a vet the was commending me and the great job I did and the fact he would have done exactly the same. When I told him why I did it and my take on the situation, he got a funny look and said you are completely and utterly wrong but does not matter, you did everything right, the animal is much better and not dead, it's the result that counts not why you took the action that was correct anyway.
Never forget that and if nothing else, shows having a go is the important bit. I have done the same thing a number of times since. Got the theory completely arse up but the actions right and the result is the same. Even if the idea behind what you do is wrong but the course of action is correct, you still get the right result and that's what Counts.... Except if you could have got the same result much quicker and easier and cheaper had you had the right idea.... But luckily I have never done that... ( Cough, cough )
I can honestly say I learnt a very long time ago there are ALWAYS different ways of Tackling EVERY problem. Some of the most effective are very counter intuitive until they are either explained or you think them through and then you realise that the "Unusual" method being " wrong" , the normal method is sadly lacking and a lesser approach.
Back in my veg days I approached nearly every established practice from a perspective that I got ridiculed for but most of them worked and many of them now are the standard practice in the game.
Too many just play follow the leader and don't stop, think about what they are doing, why they are doing it, what the real core goal of the exercise is and put different ideas to the test.
I was asking about bull bars on a brand specific Tractor Forum yesterday within the Model type sub forum which is the most popular one. I said I wanted to use a solid steel plate across the front for best protection. All these people jumped in telling me I couldn't do that because it would block the airflow to the radiator and I'd Cook the thing and the factory ones were mesh for that reason. There would be a good 4" from the plate to the Cowling so I couldn't see why it would matter?
I also reminded them that the engine is reverse mounted and the radiator is at the other end of the cowl where the Driver sits and pulls air from there. I doubt the flywheel would overheat with less airflow sitting behind the plate. Pretty amazing how many people with the same machine forgot that and automatically thought of a car or a truck.
Yeah, that annoying thing call life that endlessly takes us away from what we want to do and throws multiple things at us we have to do all at the same time. No wonder Round Tuits are so plentiful!
Pffft! I'm the friend that lends mine to everyone else! I did think of that. Luckily I also have an amount of that rubber flooring I liberated from the dumpster when they were putting in a new Gym up the road. I'll put the ramps on that so they are not skating across the smooth concrete floor. Going to take a bit of measuring to get them in the right place I expect but should work. I might do what I have been going to for years and raise the end stops. Tractor will drive clean over them without noticing which would not be good at all.
Hmmm, I had my doubts but if you think so, I'll run it by her...maybe on the phone when I am well out of arms reach... just to be on the safe side. I was thinking of my electric winch but the ridgeline of the roof is probably taxed holding up panels being just that thin pressed hat profile. Any decent support runs across the garage.... In all the wrong places for anything really.
I could reach up there with the Jib crane easy enough but then I'd have to trade the pallet for one of those old rope sling things they used to use to load ships before sea Cans came along.
Probably due to so many businesses going to the wall.
After warps Suggestion, I looked them up on the sales sites. Quite a few being given away, unfortunately not near me but I'll keep an eye out and if I could get a few in a reasonably straight line or loop out and back, that would make the trip worthwhile. There is one going nearby for $50 but it looks too nice for a Shed. Might see if it's there in a week and ask if they will take less...or some of my surplus Cupboards and Cabinets in trade.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 03:40pm 14 Sep 2021
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Haha, definitely brothers.
Yes, agreed ... and my experience so far keeps me heading down this track. Your numbers and equations are pretty impressive, though they're way over my head.
Would be awesome if we had a means to store it, but you're right ... just not possible (yet).
Haha, yep.
I haven't bothered, it's too depressing. Lots of talent in many places but simply not being used to advantage ... then they try to argue from a point in theory and have no idea how to check any of them.
Or even just trying to prove a theory would be nice without all the bluff and bluster trying to get everyone else to agree with them and not even consider an alternative view.
I wonder how often I have the wrong end of the stick too ... and no wonder things go wrong occasionally ... though just as well some go right or I'd give up I guess.
Yes, see that a lot in many areas and not interested in the slightest in entertaining alternative views.
Yeah ... as well as all the things I allow in the way as a means of procrastinating. I always have an excuse somewhere.
Sounds like a good investment in time ... could save a lot of pain.
Haha ... yeah some things are better left alone.
Could well be ... plus so much reliance on 'cloud storage' instead of physical storage.
I'm still old school and while I use my pc ... I still have a lot of paper based stuff. So much quicker and easier, especially when things go offline or the pc is chucking a fit.
And for all those who think I'm wasting resources ... I use less paper in a year than what would get normally get dumped here in a month if we allowed them to stick junk mail in our letter box. In fact the two times in 6 years we've got junk mail it was far too big a roll to even go in our letter box. The regular deliverer musta been on holidays and the stand-in was very efficient.
Yeah, keep watching ... you'll score more than you need I'm sure.Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 11:47pm 14 Sep 2021
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You can get the numbers for everything online as fas as density's and Thermal capacity's go. Then it's just a mater of multiplying them out with basic maths. There are Equations for doing them but I avoid them as we are not Building Bridges or sky scrapers here so basic calculations are good enough. Always a lot of variables and unknowns anyway and we only need a rough idea.
I just find it's useful to know if something is 2, 100 or 3655 so you at least have an idea of what you might be up against or have to allow for. Even if we were given a precise number, not like we are building anything to cater to that with the same accuracy anyway.
So many Times I have walked past my AC and felt the air Coming out the Condenser and thought " If Only there was a way of Storing that Cold for summer or the heat for winter instead of letting it blow away". The efficiency would be off the scale as would the cost and energy saving.
These days, ONLY ever ONE correct way to think and if you don't, not only are you wrong but there is something wrong with you for not being a part of the heard and sheep mentality by daring to think for yourself. If You REALLY want to offend the pack mentality, Start talking Truth and facts they can't deny. That really lights them up and gets you hated!
Nothing as offensive as the truth when it does not agree with the Narrative they are trying to brainwash people with.
Their arguments are based on what the media says but if you link to something that doesn't agree, then it must be made up or can be dismissed because that news source is not creditable regardless of whom they are quoting or the clear logic in it.
For me the sad part is how easily lead people can be and how lazy they are in just preferring to go with anything presented to them rather than do any research into it themselves to find the truth.
I grantee, If I had a couple of news sites or did an interview with some celeb famous and notable only for being famous somehow in the first place, and started publishing that Fried Dog do do would make people 4" Taller, eliminate Balding, increase women's chests 3 Bra sizes and reverse the effects of aging, People would be rushing to parks Following every one round with a Fido they could find ,just waiting for them to drop the magic Nuggets and would be serving it up for dinner that night. For the first time in human history, Kids would be begging for Broccoli and cauliflower instead of the literal crap they were being dished up.
They would then tell you it tasted like Chicken and all the sudden they could tickle the Ivory's better than a concert Pianist even through they had never played a note before.
Never better illustrated than the last 18 Months or so when people have made predictions and expressed fears and been called conspiracy theorists and crackpots then 6 Months later the very thing they said has not only become reality but Normality.
You Really have to be way out there now to be fairly called a conspiracy theorist because most of the old ones have now become very accurate predictors and Visionaries and have the runs on the board to prove it.
Good point. I hadn't considered that but it's no doubt a factor. I think the working from home thing might have an influence. I'm already hearing and seeing a lot of businesses downsizing their office space because a lot of their employees even before the latest wave of the pox were working from home and only coming in once a week or so for meetings/ updates.
Can't walk up to my wife now to talk to her in case she is a meeting with 20 People That can see and hear her. Gotta put pants on instead of just walking round in my Reg Grundys as well!
Was pretty Funny last week when she was sitting there with my little Dinosaur ( Lizard) sitting on her shoulder. She took a video call from one of her team. Dinosaur was sitting on her neck Hiding in her hair and crawled around and the woman my wife was talking to thought it was a snake on her neck and had a freak out. Wasn't too calm when my wife showed her and asked if she could put it away. I mean the woman was only about 60 Km away, Must of thought it was going to jump in the computer and end up round her neck or something. Sheesh!
Pffft! Don't get me started! The amount of stuff we got at the old place was incredible. I think the record was 18 pieces of crap in one Delivery. Not one day, we could easily get 3-4 Drops but one lot was 18 different pieces. I think it was because we lived in the middle and not far from 2 Big shopping centres so were within area of just about every retail chain out there plus all the small businesses around. Couldn't keep the Letterbox Clear around Christmas and the stuff would fall out of people boxes and be blowing everywhere along the road making a hell of a mess. I literally bought a petrol powered Industrial Vac so I could clean it all up it was such a problem and an eyesore. Hit it with the mower and it turns to confetti that sprays out and makes a worse mess.
Here promotional material is so rare we get excited about it. It's like " Hey, remember this?" And "we ARE still on the map afterall!!
As for resources.... Please. Again the guilt tripping of the little guy while Big biz generates in an hour what Joe average could not get through in 5 lifetimes.
In any case, against the fable, Paper wood is farmed and it's not a matter of cutting down wild forest. Thats reserved for the timber industry these days because the wood is too valuable and usually the wrong species for paper.
Complaining about use of resources in paper is like saying don't eat bread or Wheat will become extinct.
Looks like a patchy week of weather ahead here. Fine and sunny today, maybe a shower tomorrow, then back to fine and rain again maybe saturday.
Only thing you can rely on with the weather is that getting sunshine is never reliable!
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 02:44pm 15 Sep 2021
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I don't do enough of it to be confident of my results ... and afraid I'll be going off under false presumptions. Need someone to doublecheck my numbers.
Yep, fairly common dream I reckon. I do feel some sort of heat bank is more do-able than a cool storage ... but if all the great minds have drawn a blank ... what hope do I have.
Haha, yep. Read a quote by CS Lewis yesterday ...
"When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind!"
Yeah, and I'm sure there'll be plenty more to come.
Yes, very likely too.
Makes you wonder about people that's for sure.
Fortunately my wife has always hated it and doesn't want it delivered ... and I am happy with that because it is a terrible waste ... and I can spend more than enough without being tempted with a heap of extra stuff I'll probably never use anyway.
Exactly.
That touches on a topic that has got under my skin.
Bringing our 7y/o home from school a while ago, I pulled up in front of a new house being built just to talk about it and as I am apt to do ... just expose him to as many different things as possible.
Once he realised it was a timber frame, he became really irate ... how dare they cut down trees to build houses, they should get locked up ... rant/rave.
I couldn't believe it. Where on earth has a 7 y/o picked that up from. I can only assume it was from school.
I spent ages giving him some balanced details ... and despite the fact that we've travelled through timber country down the south east numerous times on our way to visit my brother and one of our daughters ... and travelled for hours at a time through the forests ...
... and I had already explained the whole concept of farming trees for timber for housing etc on several of those trips ...
... yet some moron has managed to brainwash him with completely false information.
As a kid, I picked up on all the doom and gloom at the time ... though for me it was nuclear war, the communists, pollution, over population ... and of course the grand daddy of them all global COOLING!!! We were all going to freeze to death, hah!!!
So I have always made a huge effort to be aware of and counter all the current brainwashing that is being applied to our kids ... and that's what annoys me most, that I thought I had that one covered.
One thing I am thankful for is that he is not afraid of covid ... he doesn't seem to have picked up on that fortunately.
The subject of AIDS has come up a few times in our reading material and he has asked each time what it was. I pointed out that 25 years ago it was the same sort of drama as what we are going through now with covid ...
... and back then the whole world was panicking and thinking the end of the world was coming ... but yet slowly and surely the news people found something else to replace it with ... to the point that it's rarely mentioned. And they never found a cure for it did they? I dunno.
Haha, so now I'm ranting and raving. Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 07:55am 16 Sep 2021
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Well I wouldn't like to build a bridge or a skyscraper based on my calculations but for our purposes of DIY, they put you in the ball park and that's good enough. Tells me if something is non viable or not and what ballpark I have to be in. That's good enough for my purposes because I can't account for weather and a Million other factors that could have FAR more influence than the error margin in my dogy calculations.
Probably a good one! There have been endless discoveries made by people stuffing round in the shed and some of them quite Hi tech and millions that are common practice? procedure/ technology used every day.
I would like to play with cold storage as well. Ice has a HUGE cold storage capacity and when it phase changes from water to ice, the thermal storage goes up by like 60 or 100X. Doesn't have to be super cold or anything special at all, just has to turn to ice.
There are a fair few challenges in using ice storage but it is used commercially now. I was only thinking the other day to sit down and do some calcs again on what the 2000L water tank beside the house could store with the possible temp differences I could get using just a water spray on a Radiator at night. Not sure it will be much because the differential will not be huge.
I was keen to get one of those portable AC units and try that in the house till I discovered they exhaust the hot ( or cold) air out a window but suck air from the house. In other words the would be pulling hot air in though the cracks in the doors and windows etc. I spose I could have a return air from outside going to the unit and that might help but seems counter productive just the same.
I would like to learn more about absorption refrigeration but the nothing I know so far says that these systems at least USED to use ammonia and that is both hard to get now and very dangerous.
I am glad my kids are well out of school. was bad enough the years ago when they were and they went to recognised good schools. I was horrified at what they DIDN'T teach them then. If 10% of the things I have heard that go on now are true.... I'd be home schooling them or something myself because I'd be barred from going near the school and I would not stand for the Rot and garbage they go on with.
I remember my Friends Kid Getting into trouble for saying " Merry Christmas". The boy was the opposite of a model student and regularly getting into trouble but my mate was rightfully up the school the next morning Blowing a fuse. He said he knew he was a Bugger of a kid, he had always told the teachers to give him hell when he played up and gave him more when he got home BUT, if they thought they were going to give him strife for saying that, they were going to have a BIG problem on their hands.
You would think such a thing was a stitch up it was so ridiculous but it wasn't and it wasn't yesterday that happened either.
I spent ages giving him some balanced details ...
You Might want to show him the Ikea web site Roger. I think there is also a think on YT about how they own vast pine plantation to get the timber they need to make their products. I saw it a while back and while I forget the details exactly, I still remember it was very impressive. They grow and process all their own timber and buy some from Sustainable growers as well so really it's no different to farming for Corn or Beef.
Have you had any time to do any more on the heater?
I was just outside and had a look at my inverters and Noticed they were Maxxed out again even though it's not a particularly Bright Day. The same happened yesterday. The sun was poking out from around a cloud and when it moved away and the ambient light levels went UP, the output went down.
That cloud edge effect is very pronounced and powerful at times. I wonder if it will affect Tubes in the same way and increase the heat output for the short time it is in play?
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 12:08am 17 Sep 2021
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Haha, that's the sort of thing I keep telling my little fella when I try to encourage him to get involved with something other than computer games. I guess I should be telling myself that too.
It always fascinates me when I read about sensible heat and latent heat ... I just wish I could get my head around it better. Reading that it takes so much energy to lower a litre of water one degree from 2 to 1 ... but then a collossal amount more to drop it to zero.
And then of course the fact that it gives up that energy when it thaws.
I'd never thought of that. I had one in my old workshop that I used occasionally ... but that was so leaky it didn't really matter.
It does remind me about normal refrigerators though ... sweating its guts out to cool the stuff inside it ... but pumping that heat out into the kitchen and making life harder for itself. That's a candidate for a seperate air system too.
Yes, I've often wondered about them too. We had an old kero fridge on the farm before we got electricity ... I remember the big stain up the wall, from the heat from the burner I suppose it was.
Yeah, one thing our older kids never seemed to learn was anything about history or geography.
Oh well, we don't have to worry about that with his school, it's a christian school, so no problem ... but I've certainly heard of it with other local schools.
We were going to send him to a state school, but one of his godparents is a counsellor at the high school ... and she convinced us to reconsider ... and with all the stories she told us of what's happening and what's coming in schools ... we were sold on the idea pretty quickly.
The other amusing thing is that the principle of our boy's school was in the same class as my eldest daughter when she went there ... so we get on well.
Thank you, that will be perfect ... just the sort of thing I do look for and he generally laps up ... and you are correct, it is just farming and perfectly legit. Just coz it's over a longer time frame doesn't make it worse.
Umm ... errr ... yeah, I've had time, but I haven't done anything.
Usual story, other things pop their heads and I have to sort out ... and I get lazy on going back out to the shed at night.
I'm still getting fabulous results from the trial unit and even though the weather has been milder this week, it is still keeping the house heat soaked nicely. Certainly is not making it too hot yet ... just extending the time that I can leave the wood fire off.
I can be quite cold in the workshop and come in for a coffee, and it is nice and cozy inside the house ... makes it a bit hard to go back out.
Yes, that's fascinating.
I'm pretty sure there's a similar pattern with this solar heater too ... but I can't really explain it yet. I notice really high outputs sometimes and think the conditions don't look all that spectacular outside ... and then other times I go to check it out expecting a record output ... and it's quite mediocre.
I need to pay more attention but it could be the cloud effect, just not sure.
Here's yesterdays temperature rise next to the inlet into the heater ...
From a low of 17.4 to 25.3
It was still around 19 in the kitchen this morning and I hadn't relit the fire yesterday or last night.
I heard the thing start up at 7:01 this morning, so is running longer each day now too.
Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 03:55am 17 Sep 2021
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When we re did the Kitchen 2 years back or whatever it was now ( time flies!) the design like most has an enclosure for the Fridge to sit it. That was a sore point after making it well know as to the oversize fridge requirement they still made it too small but anyway.... There is a Cupboard over the top and due to the fridge depth, it sits Forward and there is a gap at the back. They wanted to fill it in but I said no. I had trouble at my last place with the fridge being too close to the Cupboard at the top and their being insufficient airflow.
The gap at the top of this one isn't a lot either but now there is a clear passage all the way to the Ceiling. I'm sure we loose some heat in winter like this but I'm not concerned. Wouldn't be enough to worry about. I actually gave the area around the fridge the smoke test some months ago with an incense stick or whatever they call them and I couldn't really detect any draft around the fridge which surprised but pleased me. When the thing is running there is certainly plenty of opportunity for the hot air to get away though and the cooler room air to be pulled in from underneath.
Perhaps what we loose in heat in summer we make back in better efficiency in winter.... when I have so much solar I couldn't give a toss.... so much for that idea! :0(
I was raised by my grandmother and she always used to say instead of all this useless maths that we would never use, would be a lot better off if they showed us how to fill out a tax form and job applications which would be skills everyone would need and use throughout their lives.
She was correct.
Exactly the same as us. My best mates sister was doing relief Teaching. She flat out told us that it would do more harm than good to send our kids to the local school literally on the corner of our block about 6 houses away. She said due to the high turnover of students in the school which was something biblical like about 80% at the time and the high level of Immigrant kids that could barely read and write English, they would be held back badly.
She recommended a school just around the corner from her and further enquiries showed the school was very highly regarded. Every day for 7 years I drove them the 30 min there and 45 Back home even though the school was less than 12 Km away. Just no easy way to go in those times and I knew the area well and every back road but in the end you had to go through or round the main city of the area and that's where the time was.
Like me. Have done nothing this week but walk round the shed and procrastinate. Been a bad week physically and mentally so it can wait. One of my very few remaining teeth has been giving me grief and the dentist is Booked out. They have several practices which have been quiet they closed which made the one they left open over loaded. Cost saving for them I spose, not so great for the patients. I have an appointment this afternoon but I don't think I'll be up to much the weekend. Got a fair idea what they are going to have to do and it isn't going to calm down for a bit.
I'd prefer to have them all out and just have a couple of magnetic implants to hold the plate in but see what they say. Probably cost about $6K so have to see what the wife says first and foremost!! She may not think I'm worth it and she'd probably be right. Might figure patching up the old model isn't worth it and shed be better just trading me in on a newer more study model with hair that goes faster.
Making a VERY worthwhile heating contribution! The big system is going to be cranking the heat on the sunny days and around the beginning and ends of winter for sure.
We have been getting lows of 3's and 4's over night so while the days are plenty warm, the nights are still very winter like.
At least the solar is coming up to compensate. Haven't used the AC in a month or more nor the Diesel heater. It needs to be looked at but I was just thinking last night, if it were still being used right now where it would do well as the heating requirement is so much less, to rely on that one would need at LEAST 1000L of fuel for a complete season.
I will try to find some over the summer, mis-fuel, old fuel etc but to have that at the main heat source will take plenty of Juice. I'll also be collecting and stockpiling Veg this summer as well. That's the more viable option for me but if I get the diesel, that's an assett as well.
Looking on fleabay, I noticed the price of the heaters has come down to just $90! Pretty sure last summer they were around 70 so I'll keep an eye out and see if the do get cheaper and buy another.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 03:00pm 17 Sep 2021
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I need to look at ours too. It's in a cavity and could do with setting up properly.
Exactly, makes a lot of sense. The other thing I missed out on was to learn to type. I'm still doing my two finger shuffle and backspace. Hopeless.
My younger brother did typing ... and even my dad learned typing and book keeping at the same school when he went through.
This school is across the other corner of the town and apart from a km and a half at 50km/hr at each end, the rest is 80km/hr ... so a fairly easy round trip.
Yeah, it's amazing what can take us out for a while ... and crook teeth are the worst. Sorry to hear you're having trouble with them and hope you can get in to have it fixed quickly.
Nah ... isn't it "better the devil you know rather than the devil you don't"???
Yes, definitely. We had that month in the middle where it was pretty hit and miss ... but the months before and since have been pretty amazing. Definitely worthwhile.
I'd never paid much attention before ... but it makes a huge difference on really cold nights compared to milder ones ... to the inside temp by morning.
I'll still probably need some sort of additional heat supply for early mornings after those colder nights ... but it doesn't take too long for this thing to start to make a difference.
Great idea, just be on the lookout and grab whatever you can.
I should grab one too ... for my main shed. The elect workshop is ok as I can keep my work area warm if I'm desperate ... it's just the main shed is freezing in winter and it would make it a lot easier to decide to go out to do some work at nights if I had a means to take some of the chill off. I'll keep my eyes open for one.Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 05:18pm 17 Sep 2021
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Hmm, Funny, I have pretty much taught myself to type. I'm sure I'm doing it all wrong as far as typing goes but I use all the fingers on both hands and can certainly goa lot faster than hunt and peck with 2 Fingers. When one types as much crap as I do, spose there has to be some benefit and learnt efficiency.
I wonder if kids get any training at all? With the amount done on keyboards now, I'd say it's almost essential.
While I still have to walk my father though how to print a PDF for the 40th time, and I'm not kidding!, he's quite a reasonable Typist from his younger days using typewriters and very early computers in management roles and searching part Numbers and products. Takes him far longer to think what he's going to say in an email than knock it out when it's dictated to him.
I went to the Dentist shortly after my last reply. Had enough experience to know it wasn't going to be fun and it was everything I was scared of and then some. Tooth Broke more and I wasn't going to stuff around with root canals. Told the guy to take it out with a pretty good idea of what I was in for.
IT seems my tolerance to anaesthetic is getting more resilient and the guy was pumping the stuff in and it wasn't doing much. I said after about the 5th hit, I said I know what your Thinking, How much ship to I have to pump into this guy to shut him the hell up? Dentist and nurse really cracked up over that one. Pizzing themselves for about a full Minute.
In the end he said I'm going to have to give you a shot direct into the nerve it's going to.... I said I Know exactly what it's going to be. I said to the Nurse, please excuse my bad words, Right, get on with it. It's like stepping on a nail that goes right through your foot only it goes in your head and out your foot.
Then he had trouble getting it out as I also thought was going to be the case. He ended up taking some bone out to get the thing to finally give up. He had to cut the gums up a bit of course so I'll have some stitches in it a while as well but they don't worry me.
Said to the guy when it was done, that was the best workout I have had for a while. He said me too! I said sorry to be a pain in the arse. He said mate, you are fine, he said not many people would have handled it well as You did. I said I thought I was being a Pussy! He said that was the hardest ones I have done in a while. Nurse said that was the hardest one I have done ever! Oh goody for me!!
Anyway, was feeling like a lot of pressure when I got home and it was bleeding a bit as expected But it's calmed down really well and better than I thought it would. Have to be careful with it a few days but I think will be OK. Have to go and have my denture re modelled now. 5 Teeth left. I hope they aren't as bad in total to get out as this one on it's own was.
Last time I had 10 out in one go and wasn't nearly as bad as this one!
Trouble is I think she knows this old devil too bloody well now and probably had enough.
Absolutely! Seen that in the last couple of weeks. One night I think was 15 or something. House stayed quite cozy. Then a couple of days later we had a Frost. Could feel that laying in bed. Wasn't just us, when the dog comes up and wants to be cuddled, you know shes after some warmth. Normally shes at the foot of the bed and won't come up if you call her so at least I knew it was not just my Imagination it got cool.
No need for one of them for a Shed heater! Probably useless for that size area anyway. They only do 4Kw and I can assure you, that won't do jack for the hangar you have. I'll tell you how to build an oil burner heater that will have the whole shed 30oC in an hour ( or less) if you want!!
Just use old engine or Veg oil, much cheaper than Diesel, its free. Can use anything liquid and Flammable actually EXCEPT Petrol.
That last Draft heater Vid I did would be Fine or there are some forced air heaters that really crank out the fire. Build one into a 44 gallon drum and you could melt snow off the roof no problems. Doing shed heaters are so easy when you have room to separate it from flammables and not worried about a little smell if it happens which is only on start up. You already have some blowers that can be used. The rest is pretty much scrap.
A good length of duct/ stove pipe would be good. I cringe when I see people with shed heaters that let the flue gasses go straight up or have a pipe right behind the heater going through the wall. There is a LOT of heat in the flu gas and you want to run it at an angle IN the shed for as long as possible before sending it out so the max heat is transferred where you want it in the enclosed area not going straight out trying to Combat winter all on it's own.
I'm hoping to have enough room in my shed to put a heater when I'm done Cleaning up. I'll have it so warm I'll just set up the spare bed up there and never come down. There is already the Sewer Pipe up there so all I need to do is install a throne and I'm set.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 02:59pm 20 Sep 2021
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I don't know about keyboards. Our young fella uses an ipad at school, right from reception ... so I expect they'll get some training on real keyboards eventually.
I'm a slow typist and it still takes me far longer to assemble a post than I can type though.
I had exactly the same experience on my second to last visit, it was horrible. No wonder I avoid the dentist at all costs.
I hope you've recovered by now or at least in less pain.
Haha ... I'd have to clean it up a lot more though to feel safe and not be afraid of burning the place down. Still it would be interesting to work out exactly how to do it. Glad it's slowly warming up, will worry about it more next winter perhaps.
If you're anything like me you won't need a bed ... just settle back at my computer and I wake up 20 mins later with a stiff neck.
Again, I didn't get onto the heater on the weekend. Got plenty of other things done and was productive ... and even took the young fella out in the paddock for some driving lessons. I posted a video on my FB profile if you wanna check it out. At least I got him off the computer for a while and he had fun. Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1577
Posted: 01:07am 21 Sep 2021
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I pulled up well from the dentist workout. MUCH better than I expected thankfully. Was the same as when I had the 10 out. Dentist thought and told my wife I'd be in bed for 3 days and not doing much for a week. Went from there, Bought a ride on mower, came home and did the lawns with it, cleaned the gutters, did some gardening and went out to Dinner that night. Next day bit of a twinge but other than that I was fine. Dentist called me in 3 days later when My wife said I was OK and was amazed that I was fine. Seems the procedure may not be smooth for me but the recovery more than makes up for it.
Same this time pretty much. A little discomfort when I woke up the next morning and through the day which I knocked over with some regular Pain killers rather than the industrial strength ones the doc gave me and that was it. I have been very careful with what I ate and drinking barley warm coffee through a straw as the guy went to great pains to warn me off having anything hot for a few days and getting anything in the tooth cavity. Hopefully all good from here... till the next one. Honestly, I can't wait to be rid of them all. Teeth have been the medical bane of my life. Never had anything much else wrong with me and never been in hospital but teeth, Geez I have suffered with them. If I knew what I know now, I would have had them all out when I was 30 if not sooner.
Great you are giving the Young Fella Driving lessons. Earlier the better in my book. I believe it gives them a feel and a basic understanding they can build on as they get older Mentally as well as with practice. My other belief is to let them get out and rip round. Maybe not just yet but I think it is a BIG mistake to not allow them the feel of speed and understand it's dangers. If you have them forever puttering round, all they want to do is feel speed when they don't understand the dangers and what is in play.
I used to rip around with my kids in Dads back block through the trees in what ever Turbo thing was laying around and scare the Bejeesus out of them. When they got their licences they were far more wary. Neither being slow drivers, they just never had the inclination to hoon nor were influenced by others. Took my son for a rip Through some bends near the river one Night in my mates Hotted up HSV. What a car.
I had been driving that road since I was his age so we went through like greased Lightning. Might have over done that a bit. Mrs told me a few days later he was still shaken by that but It sure knocked the thirst for speed out of him. Poor bugger still had several accidents, all people running into HIM. One was Drunk as tested at the scene but they still tried to blame my boy for it. Was outside a Maccas and 3 other lots of people all gave statements the other guy was driving like a maniac and without headlights on. Went all the way to court where a judge finally kicked it and the cops arse for taking it that far and wasting the courts time. Lawyer mate said the guy must have been related to a cop for them not to have dropped it and put the blame on the drunk clown.
I was outside yesterday daydreaming as usual Noting how warm it was outside but the fan in the window did not seem to be blowing any warm air in nor increasing the temp of the place. I looked up to the pitched roof Verandah noting the way the beams were and shooting some temps.
There are panels covering one side yet still the tin was 36o underneath where the ambient was about 23. On the other side of the roof is all translucent fibreglass to let some light in. That was running about 29o. I was thinking it would be easy to enclose that roof under the bearers or right across the bottom and pull the warm air down from there.
It is a bugger to keep clean with the spider webs and dust so putting up a nice gyprock Ceiling and painting would be an improvement and I could sink sone downlights in it to really make it look nice. The floor area is 7x5M so with the steep pitch would work out at more on the roof so provide a decent collector area to pull the heated air out of and push it in the house. The roof is east/ west aligned so will get good sun all day.
I wanted to put panels on the east ( translucent ) side but her indoors that must be obeyed was against it because she thought it would make it dark. With lights I could make it brighter than it is now although I don't think there is all that much light comes through the very hazed and Lichen covered roofing now. Mainly it's from the length and end of the structure. The amount of power 7 360W panels up there would make, she could run the lights all day and half the night for all I cared and we'd still be well in front on the power..... and the heat it produced.
Something I'll do some more thinking about the mechanics of the idea and run it past the Mrs. Could be a very nice improvement aesthetically but have to work out how to duct the air in the house though the eaves without it looking crap.
The August winds have arrived here. Very blowy through the day yesterday so I didnt do much outside. Mrs had to go for tests so was out till late afternoon. She was annoyed I hadn't done every single job that needs doing and rubbished my reasoning. Bout 45 Min after she got home, virtual tornado blew up that I think had her concerned.
When it settled down to dead calm, she called me out and said look how still it is now after what we had. I subtlety asked " Now do you understand why I wasn't going out in that to do anything?"
The lack of a response was all the confirmation I needed. :0)
Was quite sunny yesterday but the night was Cold. Not sure the temp but i'm sure wind Chill made it cooler than what it was. Pretty cool today as well. Wind is picking up so might be another indoor day.
I took the solar panel feed off the battery for the diesel heater and put in back on the fans for the inverters as I noticed they are getting warm again. Re positioned the fan with an off set tilt and was surprised at the difference it made with the amount of air going through the inverter. Makes sense, the air is coming off the blades at an angle so now the air stream is probably hitting more square.
Went out this morning at about 8am and the fan was cranking pretty well. It was still only around 10o and feeling the inverter seemed like it just came out the fridge next to the beer.
I noticed yesterday when I put the fans on there was plenty of heat coming out the main inverter. No surprises there. After a game with the Pup about 20 Min later, I looked at the output and noticed it had gone up almost 100W. There were no clouds at all and was after 2:30 Pm so if anything I would have expected the output to fall.
The inverter did not seem that hot when I put the fans on and was not near max output Doing only 35XX W out of the 5000 rated so I would highly doubt it was heat clipping. It had clearly come down in temp a LOT since I put the fans on but was now doing a good 3600W +. Maybe just works more efficiently when it's running cooler even when not flat out?
I was surprised to see that but it definitely gained output, small as it was, when I know by that time it is falling off being the main array it is connected to is north east.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 803
Posted: 02:52pm 25 Sep 2021
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Glad to hear, hope it's all over now.
I've had some really painful experiences recently with the dentist. Had hoped by now that it would be getting better, what with modern techniques and all ... but not for me, or you either by the sound of it.
He gave me a script for some heavy duty painkillers and I went straight over to the chemist to fill it ... but fortunately I didn't even need to open the box.
After all the pain from the procedure ... the discomfort afterwards was so minor by comparison that I didn't think twice about it.
Yeah, and it's something else to do rather than on electronics all the time.
It's amazing how he gets a bit better each time he goes out. I accidently put it in third the other day ... and he still managed to take off smoothly, I couldn't believe it.
He looks out the window and watches to see when the car starts moving ... and has excellent control ... even though the process takes ages and he's giving the clutch a hard time letting it out so slowly. I can tell that he's also noticing the 'feel' and the sound of the clutch taking up ... so getting better and better each time.
He's able to change into second now and even back into first ... and he really loves the fact that he's learning so young.
Absolutely, agree 100%. It's so important to learn what it feels like at the limit of traction ... and when a vehicle is about to slide and under emergency braking etc ... then if it were to happen on the road ... hopefully he won't panic ... and will be able to get it back under control more easily.
Plus if you have an outlet off the roads where you can hoon around and mess about ... there's no need and no excuse to do it out on the roads.
It's probably the only reason I survived once I got my licence, by learning all the things that could go wrong in the safety of an open paddock, rather than amongst a lot of menacing traffic.
That's a decent temperature ... if it could maintain that 36 degrees ... or even if it dropped to 30 ... that's still far higher than 23.
If the temp inside my tubes is 36 ... the air blowing into the room can be all of that and often a degree or two higher ... and the volume is pretty restricted really.
But doing what you suggested and with such a big area ... you could push 20 times more volume than me. That could make a huge difference inside.
This heat soaking idea definitely makes a difference here ... though I imagine for the majority of people they would think it wasn't worthwhile because you still need another heat source in the evenings and early mornings usually.
For me, being the cheapskate I am ... I absolutely love the free heat ... but don't mind lighting up the fire at nights if need be for a top up.
I still haven't done any more on this new build ... spent all day with the whipper snipper and mower ... and only half done. I can't keep up. Cheers, Roger
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I have trouble with them feeling tight, but only occasionally ... and once I start feeling hot, I gotta get them off as quick as I can.
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