Using attic heat for the house - Page 12

Daox · 05-24-11, 11:20 AM

I have not considered putting a liner in the chimney. I really don't think it'll do any good. The bottleneck of the system is definitely the outlet in the kitchen. The cross sectional area of the chimney itself is much larger.

Weed Dog · 05-24-11, 02:28 PM

Cool project, BTW. Do you have a thread or posting about how your chimney was rendered obsolete for heating purposes?

Daox · 05-24-11, 02:50 PM

Nope, no thread. But, when I bought the house, they had just redone the roof. At that time, they had the chimney cutoff below the roof so they wouldn't have to deal with it. I'm sure it hadn't been used in quite some time.

Weed Dog · 05-26-11, 01:44 PM

Ahhh, so perhaps you have a newer natural gas-fired furnace that vents out the side of the house? Could the water heater be vented so as well?

The chimney bricks could be re-purposed for other construction and the chimney column space reclaimed for living/storage. Still, the brick visible in the kitchen photo is rather handsome...

These comments are in no way intended to minimize what I see as a clever and cool project.

I've entertained side-venting my heating unit and water heater to reclaim the space now occupied by the chimney. Tongue-in-cheek, I tell my my wife we could turn the chimney into a clothes chute...

ovann86 · 05-30-11, 06:18 AM

Hi Daox - I've enjoyed reading your little project and have been interested in trying something like this as well.
I would like to know how you are filtering the dusty attic air that's being blown into your house. Or is it not too bad?

Daox · 05-30-11, 09:32 AM

So far, I haven't used any filters at all. I just checked the kitchen opening and there is no trace of dust on the damper.

AC_Hacker · 06-01-11, 08:14 PM

Hey Daox,

Check this out:

Here is a paper that didn't exactly utilize attic heat, but pretty close...

Combined PV - Air Collector as Heat Pump Air Pre-heater

-AC_Hacker

Daox · 06-02-11, 09:01 AM

Sounds like a great idea to me. I think if I were to take this to the next level, I'd probably use a heat pump to allow more heat to be moved. The fans work good for heating one room, but there is a lot more heat up there that could be harvested.

TheyCallMeDave · 07-14-11, 10:30 AM

Im curious to know when your attic is at 90 f, what the outside temp. is at the time and if it was a totally sunny day ? Im in northern Florida and ive never measured my attic temp. but i strongly suspect that it is at least 90 f up there when its 60 f. out due to the intense suns rays beating on my black asphalt shingles. This winter ill pay closer attention to that and just may implement something like you have to take advantage of the accumulated heat up there for the living room area where i spend nearly all my waking hours. During the summer months, i wouldnt be surprised if my attic is at 130 f. at 6 pm which has me thinking I should throw a 300' coil of 3/4" Pex up there for shower water (cooling down with some cold water of course) .

Daox · 07-14-11, 11:05 AM

The ambient temperature varied quite a bit. The attic temp was much more stable. I'd say the ambient temperature was anywhere from 40 to 60F.

05-24-11, 11:20 AM	#111
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I have not considered putting a liner in the chimney. I really don't think it'll do any good. The bottleneck of the system is definitely the outlet in the kitchen. The cross sectional area of the chimney itself is much larger. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

05-24-11, 02:28 PM	#112
Weed Dog Lurking Renovator Join Date: May 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Using Attic Heat Cool project, BTW. Do you have a thread or posting about how your chimney was rendered obsolete for heating purposes?

05-24-11, 02:50 PM	#113
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Nope, no thread. But, when I bought the house, they had just redone the roof. At that time, they had the chimney cutoff below the roof so they wouldn't have to deal with it. I'm sure it hadn't been used in quite some time. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

05-26-11, 01:44 PM	#114
Weed Dog Lurking Renovator Join Date: May 2011 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 24 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Attic heat Ahhh, so perhaps you have a newer natural gas-fired furnace that vents out the side of the house? Could the water heater be vented so as well? The chimney bricks could be re-purposed for other construction and the chimney column space reclaimed for living/storage. Still, the brick visible in the kitchen photo is rather handsome... These comments are in no way intended to minimize what I see as a clever and cool project. I've entertained side-venting my heating unit and water heater to reclaim the space now occupied by the chimney. Tongue-in-cheek, I tell my my wife we could turn the chimney into a clothes chute...

05-30-11, 09:32 AM	#116
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	So far, I haven't used any filters at all. I just checked the kitchen opening and there is no trace of dust on the damper. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

05-30-11, 06:18 AM	#115
ovann86 Lurking Renovator Join Date: May 2011 Location: AUstralia Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Hi Daox - I've enjoyed reading your little project and have been interested in trying something like this as well. I would like to know how you are filtering the dusty attic air that's being blown into your house. Or is it not too bad?

06-01-11, 08:14 PM	#117
AC_Hacker Supreme EcoRenovator Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 4,004 Thanks: 303 Thanked 724 Times in 534 Posts	Hey Daox, check this out... Hey Daox, Check this out: Here is a paper that didn't exactly utilize attic heat, but pretty close... Combined PV - Air Collector as Heat Pump Air Pre-heater -AC_Hacker Attached Thumbnails __________________ I'm not an HVAC technician. In fact, I'm barely even a hacker...

06-02-11, 09:01 AM	#118
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Sounds like a great idea to me. I think if I were to take this to the next level, I'd probably use a heat pump to allow more heat to be moved. The fans work good for heating one room, but there is a lot more heat up there that could be harvested. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

07-14-11, 10:30 AM	#119
TheyCallMeDave Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Far northern FLorida Posts: 43 Thanks: 0 Thanked 9 Times in 7 Posts	Im curious to know when your attic is at 90 f, what the outside temp. is at the time and if it was a totally sunny day ? Im in northern Florida and ive never measured my attic temp. but i strongly suspect that it is at least 90 f up there when its 60 f. out due to the intense suns rays beating on my black asphalt shingles. This winter ill pay closer attention to that and just may implement something like you have to take advantage of the accumulated heat up there for the living room area where i spend nearly all my waking hours. During the summer months, i wouldnt be surprised if my attic is at 130 f. at 6 pm which has me thinking I should throw a 300' coil of 3/4" Pex up there for shower water (cooling down with some cold water of course) .

07-14-11, 11:05 AM	#120
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	The ambient temperature varied quite a bit. The attic temp was much more stable. I'd say the ambient temperature was anywhere from 40 to 60F. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.