6
votes
How much temperature reduction will I get from a green grass-covered roof?
Green roofs help reduce heat significantly. For example in this study
Mean daily temperature reductions achieved were 18.0 °C at the soil surface and 27.5 °C below the module
and this EPA study ...
- 14.6k
5
votes
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Flying vs heating and cooling
Firstly, you have to notice that heating is not optional, it's mandatory. If you leave a home unheated, the water pipes will freeze.
So you could perhaps reduce half of the heating bill.
Where I live, ...
- 5,249
5
votes
What is an easy way to cool off during the summer without electricity?
I developed a simple strategy suitable for living in a flat that is not on the top floor:
When you wake up, close all windows and put the blindfolds down. This allows to prevent sun rays and hot air ...
- 237
4
votes
Accepted
Most sustainable way to cool a dorm-room
The best eco-friendly energy is the one you do not use.
So one of the solution I propose is you heat your dorm room as little possible in order to avoid having to cool it down:
Do not cook in there....
- 1,437
4
votes
Accepted
What techniques or solutions are available for reducing heat absorption by walls?
A solution is to grow vegetation along your wall. Here in Europe we see some mansions with huge vines or ivy.
It can be beautiful. Not sure what kind of vines you can grow in your place, but it's ...
- 1,437
4
votes
Accepted
Can I use a "normal" thermometer in a refrigerator?
A properly made normal thermometer will function perfectly well in a refrigerator, as you describe.
As with all mercury based thermometers be careful not to break it. Cleaning up and then dealing with ...
- 3,517
4
votes
Accepted
Efficiently freezing an ice pack once per 48 hours
Some years ago I read of an off-grid farmstead in Australia that used a conventional chest freezer as a refrigerator. The way he did it was to use a probe and temperature controlled relay to turn the ...
- 7,247
3
votes
Accepted
Effects of refrigerating vegetables that I'm supposed to freeze
Bacteria grow well at temperatures between 4 C and 60 C, generally, the warmer the better for the bacteria.
Generally refrigerators are set to operate at temperatures around 4 C. Freezers operate at ...
- 3,517
3
votes
Accepted
What will happen if I leave my freezer off most of the time?
Having shut off many fridges and freezers for storage, I can tell you exactly what happens and why.
It will quickly become contaminated with mold
The interior of a freezer has some plastic "skin&...
3
votes
Accepted
How to get a small volume of freezer capacity with high efficiency and low cost?
One way to increase the efficiency of an upright refrigerator or freezer is to fill up all of the "unused" airspace with something that won't flow out of the unit every time your open the ...
- 1,654
3
votes
Accepted
How can I stop using HFC refrigerants?
Background
Legislation mandating alternatives
To control emissions of HFCs and other fluorinated gases (F-gases), Europe has two pieces of legislation: the F-gas regulation and the Mobile Air-...
- 12k
2
votes
Excavating holes for cooling during summer nights
You may wish to research "dew ponds" and "air wells" — they all rely on the same fundamental physics.
The phenomenon works primarily because the large diameter, relatively shallow depth, and lack of ...
- 2,889
2
votes
How to get a small volume of freezer capacity with high efficiency and low cost?
So if you only need a small capacity and high energy efficiency, one model that is popular in the sailing community is https://engelcoolers.com/
They have a reputation for efficiency. Can be used with ...
- 256
2
votes
Accepted
Where in the US water system does most chilling occur?
Nutshell answer: Residential use: nil.
Commercial use: Significant. Any reasonably large building has a larger problem getting rid of extra heat compared to heating. All those lights and photo-...
- 7,247
2
votes
Why not use condensate from a split-unit air conditioner to improve cooling efficiency?
Yes, indeed, all AC units have condensing water on the evaporator. One way to get rid of it is simply a pipe where it is discarded to a sewer or discarded outdoors.
In units that are not designed to ...
- 5,249
2
votes
Accepted
How does the EPA estimate annual power consumption for refrigerators?
10 CFR 430.32 - Energy and water conservation standards and their effective dates is the U.S. government standard defining (among other things) how energy consumption of refrigerators is to be tested. ...
- 12k
2
votes
Accepted
Why do the best energy star freezers have higher capacity and lower rated power consumption than the best refrigerators?
Although it seems logical that a refrigerator would be more efficient since it doesn't have to keep things as cold, there are a few different factors affecting real-world performance.
Freezers are ...
- 12k
2
votes
Can I use the furnace fan to cool my house in the summer?
No, it would be expensive and not effective, it only recirculates air in the house. What works very well is a "whole house fan". It can be located anywhere despite the instructions to ...
- 560
2
votes
Accepted
Can window films be fully removed from a window?
Window film can be removed, but it takes some effort.
The film needs to be softened with ammonia, heated with a blow dryer & carefully peeled from the one of the corners. A razor blade could be ...
- 3,517
2
votes
Accepted
What kind of refrigerant should I look for in a residential air conditioner?
When I bought a portable air conditioner unit, I was happy to see some genuine progress made in the refrigerants.
Long time ago, I bought my older portable air conditioner unit and it used R410a as ...
- 5,249
1
vote
What kind of refrigerant should I look for in a residential air conditioner?
It seems the later models of refrigerative air conditioners (heat pumps) use refrigerant R-32. Freon, also known as R-22, is not being used by the major manufacturers for new air conditioners.
R-32 ...
- 3,517
1
vote
Can I use the furnace fan to cool my house in the summer?
Neither of these answers seemed to really address the OPs situation. The OPs house has a basement with naturally very cool air - shouldn't recirculating the air in the house cool the upper stories, as ...
- 11
1
vote
Can I use the furnace fan to cool my house in the summer?
There are ways but not without adding to existing systems.
When I was in the service our furnaces were just like yours 70’s .
We did have swamp coolers, I installed an over ride switch to turn the ...
- 131
1
vote
Effective strategies to use snow for refrigeration in the winter?
Imma use metric here. If you explore this field any more, you'll be swimming in metric, so might as well jump in now. 0C is freezing, 100C is boiling point (212F), and body temperature is 37C.
Use a ...
1
vote
Accepted
Can I insulate my refrigerator to improve efficiency?
I think the greatest efficiency improvement can be obtained by cleaning the condenser coils on the bottom and/back . In a home unit the coils,especially on the bottom collect a lot of lint , pet hair ,...
- 560
1
vote
Accepted
Help me safely mod my freezer
It appears that some of these thermostats have "compressor delay protection," such as this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HXM5UAC/?th=1
- 743
1
vote
Accepted
Should I close vents to unused rooms?
No, closing the air vents will increase your energy bill. The added pressure from closing a vent can cause air leaks in your system, causing long-term and unnecessary energy waste. The heater or air ...
- 26
1
vote
Excavating holes for cooling during summer nights
What you are looking for is called Ground-coupled heat exchanger it can be used for both heating and cooling.
Earth-air heat exchangers have been used in agricultural facilities (animal buildings) ...
- 258
1
vote
What techniques or solutions are available for reducing heat absorption by walls?
Use some thermodynamics
Using the basic thermodynamics principle of black-bodies, your goal should be to change the emissivity of the surfaces of your house. Each surface has a measure of its ability ...
- 1,077
1
vote
Need critique of my idea for a passive heating and cooling system for a tent/waterbed
Never leave home without an air mattress. I've been observing the fools that sleep on the ground for years. The older you get the more likely you will do serious damage. Yes, the "macho" who sleeps on ...
- 11
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