Earth Air Heat Exchanger

MEMPHIS91 · 09-09-15, 07:15 PM

Pretty sure this is the right place for this thread since it is Geothermal.
I have been studying for a while on how to keep things cooler/warmer in the house without any AC.
This project is NOT meant to make it feel so though the AC is on and working great. This systems goal is to only make it feel better with no AC. Though after doing a lot of research I believe that a somewhat reasonable temp/humidity can be achieved.
The basic concept is to bury a length of pipe 5-7 feet deep in the ground, one end is connected into the house, the other end is open to the outside.
The type of pipe, length, lay out, size, depth, drainage, and many many other variables is what mean success or failure.
I have a 2 story house on a large hill. My plan is to have 1 or 2 pipes per room of the house on ground level, then have a slow moving, solar powered fan venting the hottest air out of the tallest point of the house.
I will be posting pictures of the house, and diagrams of the idea I have soon. Here are some links to some sites I have gotten good info from.

http://libraryfiles.tripod.com/00.pdf

(641) 472-4953 Natural Air Conditioning and Heating using the Earth!

Earth tube heat exchangers

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...73utKCjM9bhJwg

There are many more but google quickly pulls up a lot of info.

Plan as of right now is to use this stuff
Shop ADS 6-in x 100-ft Corrugated Solid Pipe at Lowes.com

And cut a very small hole/slot into the bottom of each corrugated rib of the pipe. I will dig 5 feet deep at the edge of the house and end up at 7-8 feet deep where the pipe comes out of the side of the hill. The pipe will be laid with the slots on the bottom to allow any condensation to drain out. The pipe will have a curve in it every few feet as well. I will put 3 inch of gravel under the pipe and fill in around the pipe and on top with at least 2 inch of gravel. Then lay down a filter fabric to keep the dirt out of the gravel. Then I will feel the ditch up to about 2 feet from the surface and lay down some rigid foam in the ditch, and finally cover it all back up. There will be a wooden filter box on the open end of the pipe.
My idea to use the corrugated pipe was to keep the air tabulate, this is also the reason for the curve every few feet, thus "washing" the air over as much surface area as possible.

My only concern is condensation. I have a kinda high water table but I think with the 3 inches of gravel in the bottom under the pipe and slopped to the open ended hill side, drainage should not be a problem.

I will install one of these this fall in order to use it as a pre-warmer for the air that fireplace sucks up the chimney. And real testing will begin next summer. If all goes to plan I will be putting at least 8 more of these in the house.

Ideas? Concerns?

09-09-15, 07:15 PM	#1
MEMPHIS91 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Oxford, MS USA Posts: 496 Thanks: 69 Thanked 87 Times in 61 Posts	Earth Air Heat Exchanger Pretty sure this is the right place for this thread since it is Geothermal. I have been studying for a while on how to keep things cooler/warmer in the house without any AC. This project is NOT meant to make it feel so though the AC is on and working great. This systems goal is to only make it feel better with no AC. Though after doing a lot of research I believe that a somewhat reasonable temp/humidity can be achieved. The basic concept is to bury a length of pipe 5-7 feet deep in the ground, one end is connected into the house, the other end is open to the outside. The type of pipe, length, lay out, size, depth, drainage, and many many other variables is what mean success or failure. I have a 2 story house on a large hill. My plan is to have 1 or 2 pipes per room of the house on ground level, then have a slow moving, solar powered fan venting the hottest air out of the tallest point of the house. I will be posting pictures of the house, and diagrams of the idea I have soon. Here are some links to some sites I have gotten good info from. http://libraryfiles.tripod.com/00.pdf (641) 472-4953 Natural Air Conditioning and Heating using the Earth! Earth tube heat exchangers https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...73utKCjM9bhJwg There are many more but google quickly pulls up a lot of info. Plan as of right now is to use this stuff Shop ADS 6-in x 100-ft Corrugated Solid Pipe at Lowes.com And cut a very small hole/slot into the bottom of each corrugated rib of the pipe. I will dig 5 feet deep at the edge of the house and end up at 7-8 feet deep where the pipe comes out of the side of the hill. The pipe will be laid with the slots on the bottom to allow any condensation to drain out. The pipe will have a curve in it every few feet as well. I will put 3 inch of gravel under the pipe and fill in around the pipe and on top with at least 2 inch of gravel. Then lay down a filter fabric to keep the dirt out of the gravel. Then I will feel the ditch up to about 2 feet from the surface and lay down some rigid foam in the ditch, and finally cover it all back up. There will be a wooden filter box on the open end of the pipe. My idea to use the corrugated pipe was to keep the air tabulate, this is also the reason for the curve every few feet, thus "washing" the air over as much surface area as possible. My only concern is condensation. I have a kinda high water table but I think with the 3 inches of gravel in the bottom under the pipe and slopped to the open ended hill side, drainage should not be a problem. I will install one of these this fall in order to use it as a pre-warmer for the air that fireplace sucks up the chimney. And real testing will begin next summer. If all goes to plan I will be putting at least 8 more of these in the house. Ideas? Concerns?