So I was idly wondering how eco developments cope with prolonged spells of freezing weather. I know extra high insulation is a major part of eco building, but....
Rain water collection, solar heat gain, reed bed waste water treatment, I'm guessing they'll all be affected by the weather, in particular what happens to the reed beds? If they get frozen there's the potential for a biohazard, and if the beds serve lots of properties, they could become uninhabitable.
Any eco warriors care to comment.
Not a problem, all the people that can a££ord such things have gone on a winter cruise.
No different to a conventional sewage/drainage system freezing up.
If temperatures are below freezing, there will be virtually no biological activity anyway - and no smells.
In practice I doubt larger volumes of water ever freeze solid all the way through in the UK these days.
Of course there's no rainwater collection if the roof is covered in snow (then rather a lot when it thaws). Good design should ensure storage tanks are unlikely to freeze.
Solar gain requires sunlight rather than air temperature, and solar water heaters will have antifreeze in them.
The more engineering-orientated views I hear (rather than good-life type views), stress the importance of domestic insulation and airtightness/controlled-ventilation far above all the other eco- building objectives. If you have mains water and mains drainage - use it - the utilities can usually do these things at lower cost and with greater energy efficiency than the householder can. Grey water/rain water recycling is a useful addition to reduce drinking water consumption though. Solar water heating and passive solar gain work and are cost effective - most other domestic energy sources aren't cost effective, most of the time.
On 30 Dec, 08:05, The Wanderer wrote: ...
We're not eco warriors, just pensioners with a conscience but we do the best we can to protect the environment - the result is a saving of money which has meant that we could have a (summer) cruise if we wanted. Having been on one to Greenland and seen the effect of Man's indulgences we don't want to go again.
We collect water from greenhouse, shed and house roofs for the garden. There are six large butts, they froze in the recent low temperatures but since the water wasn't needed then it didn't matter.
The hens are in the greenhouse for a few weeks and we've had to keep an eye on their drinking water, it has frozen a time or two. The extra day length they're experiencing (by not being shut in a dark coop until about 9 am) means that they've come back into lay.
Our domestic hot water solar panel was affected by the snow - the sun couldn't get to the panel. That was irksome, we had to use the boiler a couple of times. It's a direct solar panel, the water is heated itself rather than as a secondary process so there's no anti-freeze involved. If there's any sun and the panel isn't covered the water will be heated. The water flows through special small bore silicone tubing which isn't affected even if the water in it does freeze.
Our wood burning stove is lit in the afternoon and warms us directly until we go to bed, usually at about 10 pm. It also warms the room overhead, our bedroom. It goes out during the night but because the whole fabric of that room is heated while the fire is burning the room is comfortably warm until the afternoon. The mass of the stove and furniture act as storage heaters.
I cook on it daily (when it's lit) and the other day there were nine of us for dinner. I cooked a large pig's leg on it and all the vegetables for our meal. The plates and sauces were kept warm on it too. It hasn't been affected by the cold except, perhaps, to increase the chimney draw so speeding ignition.
Insulation, as much as possible, is vital, as is draughtproofing, with good ventilation. This year we double glazed the transom lights, it's made a big difference to our comfort in that room.
The bathroom rh controlled low wattage extractor fan has been activated when cooking in the recent cold weather.
Our next project is to insulate under the floor. It's been put off for years because even my very thin spouse finds it difficult to wiggle through the small gap under the floor. I'd have no chance ...
I would welcome some people's experience of underfloor insulation, especially in regard to materials used. We're thinking of wool.
Mary
I thought that's what small children were for.
I'd be concerned about vermin making a home there, and about moisture being retained there are potentially causing rot in the joists.
Insulation materials compared:
We haven't any now, the smallest grandchild lives in another country. When he comes he'll be sent up the chimney.
No, there are specially treated fleece slabs made just for insulation, they are vermin, moth and rot-proof and the moisture absorbtion and release is a positive advantage.
I'd just like to know if anyone here has used it.
What do you use?
compared:
We haven't any now, the smallest grandchild lives in another country. When he comes he'll be sent up the chimney.
No, there are specially treated fleece slabs made just for insulation, they are vermin, moth and rot-proof and don't attract or hold moisture.
I'd like to know if anyone's used it.
What do you use?
Still nice and soft and warm for vermin to make a nest in. They'll nest in rock wool or fibre glass. The fleece stuff is *much* nicer to handle and no doubt mice will think the same. B-)
Definitely not an eco warrior but I do like to get summat for nowt or at least reduce my contribution to Bloody Gordons waste funds. I have an evacuated tube solar collector for my hot water and I can hear the pump cut in and out when the sun is on the panel even when the temperature is below freezing.
Maybe the mice will get radon sickness?
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