Insane House Cool-Down Scheme

[fredfighter]

[PaPaPeng]

Won't work. The ambient temp of the water and the air will be the same. The water-fan combo only works because the fan speeds up the evaporation of water in an open system. Its evaporation that carries away heat and gives the sensation of being cooler.

[fredfighter]

...

True evaporative coolers do not just give the sensation of being cooler, they actually lower the air temperature. But they are only effective under conditions of low ambient humidity. What I'm suggesting is a heat exchanger, not an evaporative cooler.

I don't know where you live but nowhere that I ever lived had cold tapwater that was 90 degrees F. You do understand he would only be recirculating the air, not the water, right?

[PaPaPeng]

I folllow your argument. But to use colder water from the house supply to circulate through the car radiator gizmo where will this water go to? Certainly potable water is too precious to let it run to waste or even to over water the lawn. A simpler and more effective patch would be to put a block of ice infront of the fan.

[Goedjn]

OP claimed that his water was not metered, and there's apparently enough of it so that he was considering dumping it on his roof, to cool that off. (which he could still do, actually...)

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if a vortex-tube will work on water, or does it only work on gasses?

[fredfighter]

It's not simpler if you include the process of making the ice.

As he said, the water is free.

Just how expensive and precisou potable water is depends on location. My water comes from the Potomac River upstream from Washington DC and the effluent goes to the Pautuxent river. Both flow into the Chesapeak Bay. So if I were to do this, the net effect on the Bay would be zilch. Since my water does not come from a resevoir, I would not be depleting any resources either. Most people in the US water their law with potable water. Most building codes don't allow any BUT potable water to enter a house though some will use grey water (like bathwater) to water their lawns and gardens.

If his city doesn't even charge for potable water then there is a good chance that potable water is plentiful locally.

Also consider that the flowrate would be small because the specific heat of water is much higher than air. A trickly would suffice.

Heck, he could trickle it over his roof, as he first suggested, a double whammy but it would not be enough to keep his whole roof wet.

BTW, a 'soaker hose' laid along the ridge line would probably be able to wet the roof evenly.

[Puddin' Man]

Thanks for an accurate observation. We are at the confluence of 2 of the 3 largest rivers in the US. Water is thankfully plentiful here: they meter to businesses but not generally to residences. They probably wouldn't like my little idea, 'tho, if they became aware of it.

And looks to be the best option. If I could only find a cheap, unobtrusive way to rig it ...

Maybe a 30' soaker run for as little as 3 hours only on clear,

90+ degree days (maybe 40 days/season). Just enought flow to keep most of the roof wet.

Any ideas (I'm brainlocked)??

Thx, Puddin'

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