Home Efficency Questions.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ok so not to detract from another thread ask questions here on home energy saving or anything for that matter.

[jdmidwest]

If I change the color of my shingles on my roof to white, can I stop global warming?

If I put a little burner on my sewer vent to burn off the methane I produce, will I stop global warming?

[MOPanfisher]

Actually the shingle color is an interesting one. While working in Florida after Hurricane Charley I noticed a shingled roof that had been painted with the silver slurry/sealer stuff. The owner was there and he commented on the fact that it did indeed make quite a difference in his cost for AC. Don't know if he had any data to back it up but always thought it made sense.

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Ha, just for arguements sake, I have had this conversation with the wife. Sure it makes sense that a white roof would not attract as much heat as a black roof, therefore, in the winter time would it be beneficial? For the "savings" would it not cost more to keep replacing shingles? Oh, and the shingles are made of asphalt, which is oil based...... AHHHHH!!!! Lets all just live in caves, they maintain the same temp year round, and you dont need to roof it.

Interesting tip on efficiency I have learned. If you take an old water heater, and dont hook it up to electric or gas, install it between your current water heater and the water inlet from outside. It will work as a pre-heater, and you will use less energy to heat up your water. The reason this works is your water comes in from your water inlet, is colder than room temp. By the water sitting in the first water heater that is not "working" but is in line, the water will raise to room temp. Then the water that is now say 65-70 degrees will be able to be heated to the pre-determined temp on your water heater quicker. Thus using less energy, and getting the same result.

I am told that most water heaters that are not working and are being thrown away, as long as they do not leak, will be a great candidate for this idea, and will also save space in the landfills. :-)

[OzarkFishman]

Now that is an idea that no one can argue. Nice tip Daryk.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I am told that most water heaters that are not working and are being thrown away

You would probably want a gas unit, it would be rare for an electric to be trashed for anything other than a leak. If you check one for a leak it's necessary that some compressed air is used. 60lbs would probably be about right.

[Mitch f]

A buddy of mine works for this German company : http://www.dietrichs.com/

They have a Cad software that's whole intent is to design energy efficiency into new home designs. They can also use the collected point clouds from one of my scanning machines to evaluate the energy efficiency of an existing structure. Sorry it's not in English but it's so new and the product is being introduced in the US this week at a trade show. These are the small steps that can be taken to collectively make a big difference!

[Jerry Rapp]

white shingles makes sense in summer, but in my all electric house the heating bills are much higher than the a/c bills, so I will stick with good old dark colors for the winter benefits. The water heater idea makes some sense also, would like to hear more opinions on this. Using the cave idea is sort of like the old heat pump idea??? How deep of a hole would you have to make to get the cool air year round. Could you dig out a hole the size of a normal swimming pool, put in some kind of vault, and cover it up, and then pump that air into your house all year long would it be beneficial? Or would it have to be deeper than 10 feet? And by the way, as for as the solar thing, when I was a sophomore at college in 1976, in our modern physics class we designed a solar system for the college because of the ongoing energy crisis. Guess what, it was never implemented.

[Wayne SW/MO]

How deep of a hole would you have to make to get the cool air year round.

Cooling air by running it underground isn't a new idea. The way it was done decades ago was to run plastic pipe underground as the return air. I don't remember the particulars, but it seems it was something like 4-6' under and the pipe in 100-150' range. Obviously the pipe wasn't run in a straight line, but was compacted to fit under a backyard. If I remember right a temp of 65 degrees could be maintained for the air entering the condenser or heating elements.

Its long been known that houses surrounded on 3 side and the roof by earth require very little heating and cooling energy, and they are actually one of the few things that are tornado proof.

[lee G.]

Jerry, the water heater idea works, its a pre heater, so the gain is there. Years ago, they said 3 feet of earth was needed to even out summer and winter temps. Also Wayne has knowledge of that type of earth made heating and cooling.

That idea is at least 2000 years old, if it worked then????