https://encrypted.google.com/search?q=aquarium+float+valve
On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 1:17 PM, ken winston caine < k...@mindbodyspiritjournal.com> wrote: > ** > That WOULD work, epecially if it had a float valve as the big, traditional > rooftop and window swamp coolers do. > > Wonder if 50 gallons is overkill? > > The big ones don't need constant steady flow from a water source because > they recirculate the water that drips into the catch tray at the bottom. > They do let water seep constantly onto the pads from the top and turn on the > water source flow (via the float valve) any time to the top reservoir tray > gets low. > > Must be some way to integrate a float between a bulk source of water > hanging (or mounted) above the swamp cooler. Or.... > > maybe just use an IV valve -- the little plastic pinch device on the tube > running from an IV bag -- to control the rate of flow. > > Still, at some point, you probably will get overflow of the catch tray on > the bottom. So need to design for that, too. Since water is precious, and > particularly in desert environments where you haul it in, would be nice to > design a way to catch -- and later re-use -- any overflow. Wouldn't be hard > to do. Just another tube and container, this one below the unit. Then once > or twice a day, empty the overflow container into the source container. > > We're getting closer here to a very low energy efficient evaporative > cooler, Richard! > > -- ken winston caine > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Richard Ginn <g...@gii.net> > *To:* hexayurt@googlegroups.com > *Sent:* Sunday, July 10, 2011 9:20 AM > *Subject:* Re: [hexayurt] Windows and COOLING on the PLAYA > > another way to have water flow down over the material is with a large > reservoir (plastic garbage can) above it that you refill by hand (bucket) as > needed. 50 gallons would trickle down all night maybe? > > On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 3:31 AM, ken winston caine < > k...@mindbodyspiritjournal.com> wrote: > >> ** >> Pretty amazing amount of pumping for 6 watts, Richard. >> >> Still, if I'm running it 24 hours a day (along with the fan) during the >> current 100-plus degree days and high 70s to high 80s nights until about 4 >> a.m. when finally it starts to cool down a little, I'm using 282 watts a >> day. That's 1/5 of the total electricity I have available each non-overcast >> day from my solar system. That's a pretty big bite and I can probably afford >> it only a day or two a week and keep the system healthy. >> >> It's NOTHING if you're on the grid. And a wonderful savings compared to >> typical pumps. >> >> Best, >> ken winston caine >> >> P.S. Am going to look into it, anyway. Because it would be really nice to >> be able to use it if only from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. or so when the inside of my >> RV heats up into the middle 90s most days this time of year. My self-wicking >> coolers bring the air right in front of me and on my face down to the mid >> 80s while I'm working at my desk, which is much more tolerable than mid 90s. >> But if I could force more water into the pads, and add pads, I could get >> better cooling. >> >> Have been meaning to hook up the Kill-a-Watt meter up to an aquarium pump >> and see what kind of wattage it draws. If it's less than 6 watts, I'll >> report that here. (Doubt that it will be.) >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> *From:* Richard Ginn <richardg...@gmail.com> >> *To:* hexayurt@googlegroups.com >> *Sent:* Saturday, July 09, 2011 10:21 PM >> *Subject:* Re: [hexayurt] Windows and COOLING on the PLAYA >> >> For 6 watts you can power a 12-volt CPU water cooling pump that is rated >> at 132 gallons per hour, and then you don't have to wick the water at all: >> >> >> http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6073/ex-pmp-53/Danger_Den_DD-CPX1_12V_3-Pin_Powered_Pump_-_DD-CPX1.html?tl=g30c107s153 >> >> On Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 5:11 PM, ken winston caine < >> k...@mindbodyspiritjournal.com> wrote: >> >>> Jack, I've experimented with developing a 7-watt, self-wicking swamp >>> cooler >>> that works pretty well. >>> >>> Haven't experimented with EVERY fabric known to man, but did find, >>> surprisingly, that absorbant paper towels tended to wick better than >>> about >>> any cloth fabric I could test.But even., then, they tend to wick up only >>> about 6 inches above the water surface. >>> >>> What really helps is to hang them with open pleats facing the air source >>> and >>> allowing a tiny bit of air space between each hanging wick. That allows >>> the >>> air to pass between them a tiny bit. If using a high-efficiency, >>> low-wattage >>> 12v fan made for use in RVs and campers, having the open end of the pleat >>> facing the fan's exhaust also helps the pleats balloon a bit and speeds >>> evaporation. >>> >>> My design provides 8 to 10 degree cooling for about 5 feet in front of >>> the >>> swamp cooler exhaust. So it's a personal cooler, not a room cooler. >>> Although >>> it does noticeably help cool the room a tiny bit, so long as you have >>> fresh >>> air vents in the room bringing in occasional super dry gusts. That's when >>> you notice the moisture evaporating in areas of the room other than >>> directly >>> in front of the cooler. >>> >>> The more folds of wicking material you can fit in your box (if buidling a >>> swamp cooler) the more cooling effect you'll get. >>> >>> Have yet to experiment with putting the fan on the top of the box, >>> ponting >>> down at the wicks and water tray on the bottom. Am planning to test that >>> next. >>> >>> Have tried quite a few variations. Have found that the fan BEHIND the >>> wicks, >>> blowing air through them, provides better cooling than locating the fan >>> in >>> front of the wicks so that it *draws* the air through the wicks. >>> >>> Also have found that having a larger intake opening than exhaust opening >>> seems to help a bit, too. About a 2::1 ratio has seemed best in my >>> experiments. >>> >>> You can do these with cardboard boxes and duct tape and rubber maid >>> shoe-box size plastic containers. >>> >>> The type of fan I use is this: >>> >>> http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/fan-tastic-endless-breeze-12v-fan/38132 >>> >>> I also found at the end of summer about six years ago at a Wal Mart in >>> Albuquerque a season closeout price on Wal-Mart's "Ozark Trails" version >>> of >>> this fan and bought seven of them for $4 each and am using those in two >>> of >>> my swamp cooler. They actually use less wattage than the Endless Breeze, >>> but >>> push slightly less air through, too. >>> >>> May have been four years ago I wrote here about Buckminster Fuller's >>> proven >>> "cooling effect," but have not yet heard of anyone experimenting with it >>> on >>> the playa with hexayurts. >>> >>> Fuller proved that putting a rain-capped stovepipe in the center of the >>> roof >>> of his circular dymation house or at the apex of the roof of a geodesic >>> dome, and then having open vents about 1 foot above floor level around >>> the >>> walls of the building created an amazing, counter-intuitive cooling >>> effect. >>> The ratio of low-wall vent airflow capacity to roof vent was about 4 to >>> 1, >>> if I recall correctly. >>> >>> What happens -- and Fuller demonstrated this multiple times, including in >>> a >>> dome at the equator built for the U.S. military -- is that as the ground >>> around the building and the walls of the building heat up as the sun >>> beats >>> down, this creates a flow of warm air rising around the outside of the >>> building. That rising air creates suction at the floor level vents, >>> pulling >>> air out of the building. That causes a rush of air to be pulled down into >>> the building through the roof vent. >>> >>> Fuller said this phenomenon extends for hundreds of feet into the air >>> above >>> the building. So you have hot air rising in a circle around the building >>> and >>> COOL air from higher in the atmosphere hundreds of feet above the >>> building >>> being sucked down the center of the invisible column. >>> >>> The cooling effect was commonly reported to be in the range of 20 >>> degrees. >>> That is, the air coming in through the root pipe and dropping on the room >>> had an effect of cooling the room by about 20 degrees from its >>> temperature >>> with the vents all closed. >>> >>> Pretty amazing. Completely passive (other than opening and closing >>> vents). >>> And, other than the initial cost to build (the pvc or stove pipe and rain >>> cap and dampers), free. >>> >>> I say that this is counter intuitive because normally we expect interior >>> heat to rise and exit through a roof vent. And normally it does. And that >>> certainly helps exhaust heat from the room or building. But it doesn't >>> bring >>> in a nice, steady, flow of cool air that drops on the room from the >>> ceiling. >>> >>> Hope that helps inspire someone to experiment and report their results. >>> >>> Best, >>> ken winston caine >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Jack Senechal" <jacksenec...@gmail.com> >>> To: <hexayurt@googlegroups.com> >>> Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 3:19 PM >>> Subject: Re: [hexayurt] Windows >>> >>> >>> I've used metal tape to fix a plexiglass panel to the outside, and it >>> worked great. You could do two for better insulation, one inside and >>> one out. And if you have two panels of plexiglass, you can bolt >>> through them for extra solidity. But I think that might be overkill >>> for the Playa. Having the cutout in there to block the sun during the >>> part of the day when it shines in the window directly would probably >>> be a good idea. >>> >>> Regarding ventilation, I suspect that it would work well to generate >>> an updraft by installing a black chimney pipe in the roof. That would >>> draw air up when the sun shines on it, pulling it in through your >>> vents below. >>> >>> As an added bonus, you could put a damp cloth over the vent so air has >>> to pass through it, which would cool it down and moisturize the air. >>> You'd need a course fabric for that, something that's absorbent and >>> loosely woven so air could pass through well. You could drape the >>> bottom into a bucket of water, and it would wick it up continuously. >>> >>> I haven't actually tried those ventilation ideas to work out the kinks >>> yet, but I intend to do that this year. The principles behind it are >>> sound though :) >>> >>> Jack >>> >>> On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 11:20 AM, Milt Fisher <mfisher...@gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> > I was planning to tape the filters to the outside after setting up. >>> That >>> > way >>> > I could replace the cutouts during dust storms if too much dust came >>> > through >>> > the filters. >>> > Did you just have one filter? Was that enough to provide ventilation? >>> > On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:44 AM, Steve Upstill <upst...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> > >>> > Don't know if you're headed for the Playa, but I liked my hyurt nice >>> and >>> > dark. I had great results with a furnace filter: cut a hole just small >>> > enough to hold the filter firmly. Bonus: you can still fold/stack your >>> > panels. >>> > Cheers, >>> > Steve >>> > -- >>> > Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when >>> you >>> > do >>> > criticize him, you'll be a mile away and you'll have his shoes. >>> > >>> > On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:03 AM, Milt Fisher wrote: >>> >> >>> >> I'd like some recommendations for hexayurt windows. I'm not interested >>> in >>> >> framed, sliding windows with screens, just some plastic of some kind >>> >> taped >>> >> over a hole in the panel. Any recommendations on what kind of plastic >>> to >>> >> use? Thin plexiglas maybe? Or perhaps flexible vinyl? >>> > >>> > >>> > Any other ideas for simple windows? >>> > I'm planning to tape the plastic to the outside and hinge the panel >>> cutout >>> > into the window opening so we can close it when we want darkness. >>> > Thanks, >>> > Milt >>> > -- >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups >>> > "hexayurt" group. >>> > To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >>> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> > hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> > For more options, visit this group at >>> > http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>> > >>> > -- >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups >>> > "hexayurt" group. >>> > To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >>> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> > hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> > For more options, visit this group at >>> > http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>> > >>> > -- >>> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups >>> > "hexayurt" group. >>> > To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >>> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> > hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> > For more options, visit this group at >>> > http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>> > >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "hexayurt" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "hexayurt" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>> >>> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "hexayurt" group. >> To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "hexayurt" group. >> To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "hexayurt" group. > To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "hexayurt" group. > To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hexayurt" group. 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