jdphish wrote:
A little aside note, not meant to hijack thread. When pouring the concrete slab, I very much wanted to install coils for hydronic (I think thats the word) heating and cooling. The contractor talked me out of it. I would love to know if someone has ever tried that and with what results. It may add significant expense up front but pay dividends in long term low cost climate control. Some times I have trouble staying in "the box."
I've never been able to do it... but a geology instructor explained why underground construction in deserts made so much sense... 15" below ground, the temp stabalizes.
OF COURSE it would be a good idea to plumb below the earth to stabilize water temps, and run alongside with 'waste water size ' tubing to move air, as well-- instant A.C. with no electricity, barring a simple fan on both ends.
Your contractor doesn't understand low-e adaptations, and needs to be taken to school.
An ideal layout would be to trench at roughly 4', zig-zg the pipes, laying earth over each layer up to your '15" depth, then cover. My fantasy would be to trench every four feet... and do it again, over the area of your property. You would have a year-round stable air flow, and a year-round 'chiller'/ 'heater' for your water to mean temp, year round. If you have only a closed system for air temp -- that is great. However, if you go a little deeper (you'd need to keep the water moving without heat... so, geyser pumps? and would have to keep the water level... etc....)and let the depth act as a low-e chiller to rear 'cold water fish'...
Backyard Aquaponics
