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Forum Index : Solar : Deciding if I should build this solar heater
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Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 01:39pm 31 Aug 2021
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Some are very interesting and clever. The problem now is getting anything to make them happen.
Yeah, Good Point. In my Mind I hadn't seen myself working in a uni, just funded by one or set up in a metal fab shop. I'd be Booted before lunchtime in a uni for telling someone to get real or laughing at them when they hit me with all their PC crap. I wouldn't know I was even doing the wrong thing even if I did care.
There are a Number of people I have emailed back and forth for months that had Intelligent questions and were trying to satisfy different problems. I don't mind that especially when people build something, send me pics and questions and say this is a problem or this is what I want to do. It's the ones that ask the stupid things that even if you gave them plans wouldn't build anything anyway because if they have to ask then they don't have the capability anyhow.
What I have always tried to push is what makes them work which is the heat vaporising the oil to a gas. If I'm any sort of expert on this, It's because I keep that one thing in mind and think it through how it will work in a design. It's pretty bloody simple, just one thing to remember and then you can do the arithmetic in your head. I can honestly say I have never built one of these things that didn't work. Built a few the didn't work the way I wanted them to or were right for the job at hand, but they all lit up and made loads of heat. Quite a few vids where you can see the first light up and the paint burning off On completely different designs. Never had one fail yet because the one thing to remember is so simple even I can get it right.
That is EXACTLY right. Fundamental of marketing. I watch things about sling shots and Hydraulic Presses and Farming and solar Tube air heaters and all sorts of things I'm never going to do or Touch but it's the interest and entertainment value. People don't watch me in the majority to see burners, they watch me to get a laugh out of an idiot.
Yeah well you know my story. With what I have been though you soon get a sense of what matters and what is tiddly winks. There is very little I am afraid of including dying so that makes things easy. As I get older I just have less patience for idiots and those that take liberties or are rude and have no problem telling them so and standing up to them as well. They will talk tough but that's all they will do in the end.
By the same token, I also think it's VERY important to say thank you to people that are good and polite and do their Job well. Just as I have no problem calling out Idiots, I also have no problems asking for managers to point out good staff, Thanking them sincerely and letting them know I appreciate their help when it's gone beyond and above and writing emails to head offices. I think that gets over looked to much these days as well.
I constantly wonder but seems the people watching think so for which I am appreciative of.
I am in trouble with my crap. Not even going to elaborate other than to say I had another epiphany today as to how much I still have. It's not right, I'm not right in the head that's for sure. Cannot deny it. I'm just not wired right like other people.
I said I wasn't going to do this again after taking leave of my good sense at the other place and I haven't..... This is 90% Crap I brought with me! It was brought here and Dumped and now 4 years later I am getting to it. But it's Going. I have no place for this and not going to let it hang over my head any longer.
All good and well but it's not just as so many like my father and mate say " Just chuck it all out". There is a lot of stuff that would be stupid to throw BUT, It's all blended in with the crap and has to be sorted. And that is going to be a BIIIG job and not an easy one.
I did start getting my bench and cupboards in today so that was something. Still lots to sort in that one bay but I was mentally exhausted from sorting and cleaning so late in the afternoon I went to building what the new picture looks like.
Exactly but starting from a Semi clean slate I was realising today that space allocation and organisation isn't going to be easy. Like where do I put my welders, compressor, 30+ power tools, the hand tools and then allocate the stuff i need like my electrical bits, Plumbing The consumables, Disks, wire, tips, rolls of cable and so on. Stuff that is basic tools and supplies forgetting about anything else at all. That's going to be a big challenge for me.
I can also see I'm going have to do some substantial re wiring. I like a power outlet every meter not one on Diagonal Corners of the whole shed. already put a few in at the front, now I'm down the back in previously unexplored Territory, going to have to do the same there.
Might add a small solar inverter in that corner so I have plenty of Juice in the cable where I want to plug things in. The plasma particularly will cause a voltage drop but since I put an inverter up there, no problem at all.
The kitchen was horseshoe shaped, Along a front wall and came back along the other one with a return on the other side. That wasn't going to give me good access with the width of the bay and poles for the mezzanine So I have made it the usual L shape. I'll have to see if Bunnys have some 40MM Chipboard as one side was mainly the sink and as I don't want a sink there , have to replace that top that has the cutout.
Not sure I'll need oxy. I did silver tip bronze with a Home made LPG torch I made some years back. Pretty sure that will be plenty for this.
BTW, Didn't you do yours with a weed Gun?
I cheated. My LPG torch uses gas and compressed air. Don't think the thing is any hotter, that wouldn't stand to reason in my mind but, having control over the air and the fuel I can just dial in whatever flame I want, reducing or oxidising and I didn't have to worry about getting the mix right with an induced air burner.
I bought a weed gun a few months ago actually and had to modify it because it wasn't right. The gas speed was too fast for the flame front and kept blowing it out. I put a big washer in the tip to create some flame retention and opened up the air holes and runs good now flat out without blowing out.
Will be interesting to see what sort of temp rise you can get when the sun is strong. If Your Mrs gets too warm go tell her to put on her bikini.... She's obviously wearing to much if she thinks it's too Hot inside.
Funny about the pool. That's what I saw coming myself. One seems to go from heating to cooling and Vice versa pretty quick.
Another reason why I wanted to do the shed now. Too damn cold in winter but won't be long at all before it's far too hot. The window of comfort is narrow for working outside for me.
Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1021
Posted: 09:39am 01 Sep 2021
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Wouldn't let that bother ya, there are still quite a few of us with some workshop over spill, clutter, junk, crap. Cant work in the shed myself, do most of the work outside, even the big work bench and vice is outside. Not enough path space to walk through the shed, have to climb over most of it, however the wildlife finds its way in, the wallabies get in and camp and so dose prickles the echidna, don't stub ya toe on that.
The thing is, if I need to fix something in a hurry I can find something or cut something up and make it work, hate to waste time going to the shop to buy a part from a shop that should have it but Doesn't, been very self sufficient that way, anything that is to be thrown out is good for nothing else.
Try 20 years later, I still haven't got to it yet......probably something in there I'm looking for.
I admit a clean up and shelving would be the best thing, but that could take months of time I don't have spare.
Also watched part of one of you video's (I don't have much data allowance) I did enjoy it, thanks.
Ya wouldn't believe this...............I just found the aluminium brazing rods, haven't seen them for years, they where on the desk behind this computer, buried under at least a foot of junk, There is 4 of them about 400mm long. Edited 2021-09-01 19:46 by RevlacCheers Aaron Off The Grid
johnmc Senior Member Joined: 21/01/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 282
Posted: 11:23am 01 Sep 2021
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What you need is a gunna do pile ,maybe that will be usefull heap,
A around too it fix section , the most annoying thing about my shed is when I go and buy more parts only to find that I already have them.
But the shed with all its faults helps me maintain my sanity in the new order of bull that is shown on the ABC what ever that stands for. Happing shedding.
cheers johnjohnmc
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 11:59am 01 Sep 2021
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Sounds like my long lost and dearly beloved Uncle. He had an enormous shed and the stuff was literally piled to the Ceiling and sloping down to the small clearance in front of the work bench. Wasn't all Crap either. He was the boss of a council yard for many years and a Lot of new stuff used to find it's way to his Driveway. Not talking about knocking it off either. Lot of stuff showed up from companies eager to show him their product shall we say as he did a lot of the purchasing too. There were so many new lawnmowers and other equipment in that pile and other places. There were about 5 Sheds in total.
I noticed a lot of stuff was falling down and was not stacked as it was. I thought it may have been the cats getting up there. I have found LOADS of mice crap up there, piles of it so that may well have been why the cats were up there. Fair few redbacks too. I found a use for the face nappies that was worth while , Put one on while I was sweeping up to stop breathing as much mouse crap. There was a LOT and I haven't scratched the surface yet.
Oh boy do I hear you! Trouble seems no matter how much stuff I have, It's never what I need so I have to go get it anyway.... Only to find 3 days later wile looking for something else I did have it after all, just had no idea. I don't care what I go to Bunnys for, without fail, something on my list will be out of stock. You can set your watch by it. Can be something common as can be or something that they would sell 10 a year of but do stock it, right till the time I get there. AGGGHHH.
I had a neighbour at my last place, Elderly Italian lady that was on her own. She would come down most days for a chat and of course I was her handyman. She would constantly go mad at me for all my junk especially if she wandered up the back to find me and tell me "Getta ridda all the ship! Why for junk so much have you?"
The thing was, when I didn't have something to do one of her odd jobs and said I'd have to go by it, was the end of the world. " You nota have, for sure you are? Aava looking you done?" She was a Classic! I said to her in the end, Rosa, I can't have everything you need and have nothing in my shed either, how can that work? She said " Only you need for what I want, the rest, you throw 'em out!" I said fine, please give me a list of what you you will need fixed in the next 12 Months so I know what to keep and what I can get rid of. She laughed. I miss her.
Well I did! at my last place I put stuff down, like I did here when I was moving in and 24 years later when I was moving OUT was the next time stuff, a LOT of stuff, ever got touched or saw the light of day again. Not repeating that lunacy again. I very much doubt I have 20 years left anyway!
I have found so much stuff just in the last 2 days I didn't even know I had or where I got it. Also finding stuff that was my grandfathers too. Had to put on my big girl panties and chuck some of that yesterday. It hurt but it's of no use and hasn't been in the 40 odd years he's been gone and no point it taking up space any longer. I still have his rocking chair. That will never go and maybe I'll take it to Shady Acres or the funny farm when I go there.
I got 2 bays of shelving up this afternoon and the old kitchen benches put back together.... In a fashion. Wife came up and pointed out it's all in the wrong order but after working out how it did go from pics, I'm leaving it as is. Was a kitchen, is now a workbench.
Sorting is going to be the killer. I have more shelves and Cupboards now but I'm not just going to pile the crap back in. It's going to have a place so I can find ship I know I have and put my hand on it instead of wasting 15 Min to find it was right beside me under some other crap.
I discovered I have a lot of good stuff, I just need to be able to find it when I want it or other wise I may as well not have it. I have a lot of crates and Bins and I'm going to work out a way of identifying it all. Might print labels and stick them on with clear contact or something. Do they still have that or am I 20 years out of date?
I will need some 32MM Chipboard for the bench top. Lots of Cupboards that had stoves and sinks on top that I have nothing for now. I'll see if I can get real flash and get it in while melamine.
Good to hear. Comments, suggestions and feedback welcome.
Pffft! After what I have found last few days, nothing I wouldn't believe people couldn't find in their sheds.
Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if I found a Ticket to the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Federation of Australia Ceremony up there in all my crap. I think I found a pair of Captain Cooks old boots yesterday and the key to the stateroom on the Endeavour.
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 12:51pm 01 Sep 2021
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No, I several piles already I couldn't pole vault over and I have decided the odds of me living another 150 years which is what it would take to fully utilise my Round Tooit is unlikely so I am giving it a promotion to the " council clean-up" And the " Presents for my friendly local scrappy " Pile instead. Actually, I have very little for him. It's all garbage that's only good for use in swamp reclamation.
I keep telling my wife, my Round tooit is in perfect working order and If I say I'll do something, I will. I remind her, I'm a man of my word and there is no need to keep constantly nagging me and getting on my back every 6-12 months about it.
I have rarely done that, more than about 18 Times in a single month!
But I'm discovering a manifesto of the problem. I'm always seemingly running out of Grinding disks, Thread tape and degreaser I use for everything from what it's designed for to a WD-40 Substitute. I MUST have unearthed 100 Grinding disks the last few days, packets of the 3 size Grinders I have and a couple of strays I maybe was given or bought by mistake.
I have at least 8, six packs of thread tape not to mention another dozen single/ Partially used rolls and I kid you not, I have 2 Unopened Dozen boxes of Degreaser, another opened box I found stray unused cans which has 9 in it and another 14 Partially used tins of the stuff that seemed to be in every second crate and box of crap I looked in as well as just lying on the floor covered up with crap. I have now a Cupboard shelf of decent size that has NOTHING but tins of Degreaser in it.
And plumbing fittings.... I went to bunnys the other day before they locked up and bought a heap so I had them for a project. Oh my! I have 2 Bread crates full now I have been picking out of all sorts of places. Couple here, 3-4 there and they seem to breed like Rabbits and before you know it, you have a life time supply!
I also discovered that I have about 5 spare headlights and Tail lights, each side, for every one of our 3 subaru's and 2 models we no longer own. There are 3 complete sets of wheels and tyres up there too plus 2 sets for my ute. That's not all my fault, my Dad keeps giving them to me in case a light gets broken or we get a flat. Of course gives me the whole set so they match as well as singles he knows are the same wheel pattern and size. The tyres took 2 pallets to put them all on.
Oh, and I found an unopened box of a Dozen Cartridges of Liquid nails and about 7 tubes of silicone sealant I use for putting under the screws when I do my solar panels. Uggh!
But I am at a complete loss as to why I have no space in my Shed! It's a Mystery I can't fathom..... MUCH!!
Well my shedS over the years have been a considerable source of aggravation, self disappointment and frustration over the years but I'm going to turn that around and make them something to really enjoy, crap free.
I also have more sets of HI fi speakers up there than I can explain as well as computers and Monitors. I'm going to wire the place for sound as well as have a computer so I can look things up without having to come down to the house and watch YT or whatever. I am not worried about if the wifi isn't good, I have 2 Rolls of Cat 6 cable I found and a PILE of switches and routers including my beloved 48 Port Giga router I used back when I was doing events with 48 view stations plus 3 servers and work stations. Servers are long gone but I found the 2 Kw power supplies that were in them!
ABC, That stands for " Australian Bullship Commission".
I went to the studios once to see them presenting the news. The Director called " Lights, Camera's, FICTION! and then everyone on set had to be quiet while the guy made up the news broadcast that went all around the country.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 10:57pm 01 Sep 2021
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Morning all ... I forgot to post this last night.
Was certainly a very nice day here for the first day of spring.
I had put the extension duct on the outlet so the air blew straight onto the floor tiles for the day. The overall room temp max was a bit lower than the previous day.
Our forecast for the next few days are (today 33) then 17, 16, 16, 18 ... so I'm keen to follow Dave's suggestion and get the place as hot as possible today to carry us through.
I didn't bother relighting the fire last night either for the first time in several months ... though I plan to tonight so we don't lose too much with this next cold spell.
I heard the fan fire up earlier again today at 7:22, so I got up and switched it off until I'd had my shower etc. Switched it back on at 7:48.
Cheers, Roger
Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406
Posted: 11:33pm 01 Sep 2021
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That is a very solid twenty degree rise, very impressive.
More air will always be better for heat transfer, especially so when the larger system is finally up and running.
Aiming the airflow down at the floor is o/k, but what you really want is for the air to blow horizontally right at floor level directly across the floor.Cheers, Tony.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 11:52pm 01 Sep 2021
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That would be awesome ... imagine what experiments you could try and the progress you could make.
Haha ... can see all the shocked and offended and exasperated wankers right now.
Good to hear. I'm sure it must help you too as it must cause you to consider other ideas and also reinforce what you already believe,
Yeah, a real pity and waste of time.
Mmmm ... I have to admit I didn't even wake up to that, even though I've watched plenty of your videos. Shows how strong the angle is, of having watched videos on oil burners a few years ago where they were using a pump to pressurise the oil to atomise it.
Though thinking about it too ... some of them were using your method where they used an old chamber pot.
Obviously I was only watching them for entertainment at the time, but it's still nice to be able to understand how things actually work.
Except it's only your detractors that try to say you're an idiot, the rest are happy to be educated or simply entertained.
Yes, it puts everything in perspective very quickly.
Yes, agreed ... and it certainly encourages people when they know they are appreciated.
Feedback is certainly important, has to help guide the direction you take ... and provide the encouragement to keep going.
Oh well, I guess now that you've come to that realisation you can do something about it.
Well all I can say is, you're not alone. I dragged my feet for a year before I emptied my old place out at the last minute before settlement ... and still brought a heap of rubbish that should have been culled then.
And I guess it is understandable to a degree because it's such a big task selling a property and buying another ... then shifting everything ... while also still trying to live and work.
My wife comes from a military family where they often shifted every 3 months. They learned to live light ... whereas I grew up on a farm where the family had been for generations ... so we never had to worry about that sort of thing ... and my brother is still there. Makes 164 years the family has been there.
My brother has just inherited our dad's cousins farm ... but when they cleared out the sheds when they helped them move to town 20 years ago ... they found new wagon wheels and spare spokes in the ceiling in the shed ... amongst all sorts of other amazing stuff.
Apparently the homestead was also used as a staging post for stage coaches back in the old days ... and it must be a family trait to not throw anything away.
What's the saying ... now that I know better, I can do better.
I learned when I used to fix tvs and videos etc that when I was under real pressure with lots of work and lots of demand from customers ... that I had to take a deep breath ... tell myself I can only do one thing at a time ...
... then I'd look through my list of jobs that had to be done ... write a number next to each one in an order that made sense to me ... then start with number one.
It's amazing how much that calmed me down ... and I was always amazed at what I could get done by the end of the day.
Oh to have such discipline today.
Oh yeah ... so I did. Though still glad I have an oxy ... it did a great job helping me seal up all the holes in my goldwing mufflers ... and I always enjoyed fusion welding with one years ago.
Haha, yep ... great idea. I'll let you know how that works out. Cheers, Roger
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 12:05am 02 Sep 2021
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Thanks Tony.
Yes agreed about the airflow. Just at the moment the 50 watt fan is a bit light on, but the 400 watt one is overkill ... plus a lot noisier.
I just stretched out the piece of ducting some more ... and now I have it blowing horizontally across the floor. Thanks for the suggestion
I did measure the tile temps around 11pm last night .. and also did the bare feet test.
The tile in front of the heater was at 24 ... though the heater had not been fed since 24 hrs before.
The tile that the hot air outlet blows on in the lounge was at 22.7 ... while adjacent ones were at 21.3.
Very little difference from the hot air ... though it was 6 hours since the hot air shut off ... and believe it or not ... the 21.3 tiles felt cold to walk on ... but the 22.7 was quite comfortable to stand on.Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 04:28am 02 Sep 2021
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Using a cheap PWM board on the 400W unit may be the ticket. Save Tying up your rheostat. Thinking of it, I haven't seen myself many n between fans/ Blowers. They tend from what I have seen to be 50-80W or around the 400 Mark. That said, I have an inline going up the back now Blowing the welding Fumes out the door from behind me. I think that's about 120W but it certainly moves a lot of air. Pressure I don't know about but it has the Right multi blade, motor in the middle, jet engine like design. It is an inline for ducting so probably OK.
Ideally you want something wide and narrow to skim it along the floor much as possible like those carpet Driers have. Can't think of anything that has the shape but would be easy to knock something up even out of Timber. As you are so good at Drilling holes now, A bit of old PVC pipe could be used to skim the air over a broader area. Slots rather than holes would probably be good.
It's amazing how sensitive humans can be to temp. As you say, a degree or 2 can make all the difference.
Keen to see what your gains will be for today and if the "ideal" conditions far as sun goes makes a difference in the gain. Seems pretty consistent so far which suggests to me it's already near it's maximum it's going to do.
When the new setup is up and running, what you have in mind for this one? Are you going to dismantle it, repurpose it for your work area or have something else in mind? Edited 2021-09-02 14:32 by Davo99
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 05:06am 02 Sep 2021
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Interesting. Maybe I haven't harped on it as much as I think or I have not explained it very well. I will keep that in mind for the next one.
I have a friend like that. Was always moving house. I said why the hell you move so much? He said because it saves me from getting too much crap. I said well can't you just throw it out without moving? He said you'd think so but No, I can't. That was when he was renting. He has his own homes now and been in the one he's living in 5 years. Guess the next clean up will come with the next Divorce. Trouble with that is the biggest cleanout is the one the ex's do on him. He'd be a very wealthy man by now if he made better choices in partners. He does not seem to learn unfortunately.
That is awesome! Is the same/ original house still there? My last place had been in my wifes family well over 100 Years. You couldn't tell though. He father had renovated it a great deal and it was quite Modern. When you got in the roof and underneath you could see the history though.
You have any idea what they are worth? Dad had a Couple they were falling apart and rotted to the point of not even being much good for yard art. We were cleaning them out about 12 Months ago to put on the bonfire. Some Guy came along and asked about them and I picked up there might be a Dollar or 20 In them. He looked and said these are genuine and original. He said would you sell The? I feigned hesitation and said what you think they would be worth? He said would you Consider a grand?
I think the guy took what must have been the look of WTF?? as being insulted with the offer and tried to justify it. He said he would have them restored. I said well when you coming to get them? He said Tomorrow OK? I said bring your money. Could have made more money with Dad on the side bet he wouldn't come back but he was there at sparrows with a mate and couldn't hand the cash over fast enough.
Maybe they were worth more but felt guilty enough taking a grand for what was going to go on the burn pile. He clarified if the steel rings and the remains of the axle were included as well? I said ALL yours mate. Don't know who made who's day the most But seemed that everyone was really happy with the deal.
I love old stuff. Probably why I collect so much crap but I'd love to see a place like that.
I got 2 shelving bays up yesterday. I gave a LOT of shelves and braces from a lot I bought with a mate. Think he got the better end of that deal as he took more bay ends and left me enough shelves and runners to put them every 10 CM from the couple of bays I got. BUT.... another mate had a lot of ends left over as he put all his in long runs so saved one end every time and he bought a LOT of this stuff. It's different to the other stuff but I'm just welding it together to make one lot out of 2.
I got a late start yesterday but managed to work till 8:30. I'll try to do the same or better tonight. I had to go out yesterday but today was 11 am start because I was so stiff and sore. Lot of heavy lifting and moving stuff yesterday. I am NOT a morning person. See how I go but If I have to I'll pull an all nighter tomorrow night as it's supposed to rain late Saturday so If I can get everything in, then I can just Apply myself to sorting it... which will be a good 3 Months if I don't slacken off.
I have got another pallet of stuff to put up the back to sort and Now I have to make some more room for another set of Cupboards and the left over kitchen stuff which I'll eventually mount on the wall and clear another space for this shelving bay. Tractor should be in it's new home tonight.
Was looking at stuff today I have taken out and thinking how little REALLY needs to go back. Allocating space will be the hard part and I can see a lot of double handling going on but anyway.
Back to the backache... I mean grind stone..... which is about one of the only things I don't have up there Come to think of it.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 12:21pm 02 Sep 2021
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Here's todays results after a forecast of 33, windy and partly cloudy.
It did get uncomfortably warm inside ... but being aware the cold change is due tonight meant it was easy to put up with ... plus all in the name of science.
I think I mentioned I didn't relight the fire last night either ... though I plan to do it soon, only because we know the temp is supposed to drop significantly for next 3 or 4 days.
EDIT: I should also mention that it's 10pm and still 23 degrees here in the kitchen.
Edited 2021-09-02 22:33 by rogerdwCheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 01:24pm 02 Sep 2021
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So given the right Conditions, This setup still has more to give... albeit when you don't need it.
Maybe for the turn on You need something like a timer that doesn't allow the fans to turn on before say 8 am. After that they could turn off and on much as they liked till say 5 or 6 pm where it reset.
I am still confident the new setup will have an exponential effect. if the system is 4 times bigger I'm still thinking you will get 4X+ more heat out of it.
Lets see how this goes the next few days when you will want it.
Supposed to be a wet and windy weekend but still pretty warm here fine again next week.
No heaters here tonight for the first time. Still 21 inside. Won't put them away yet. Happens every year. September comes with great weather and then first week or two of Oct is wet and Freezing.... just when you thought summer was round the corner.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 12:25am 03 Sep 2021
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I've got one here like that but never got around to trying it. Was one of the things in the shed when we got here!!!
Yeah, that's why I was always going to lay a solar blanket or foil on the floor and blow the air under that. But still haven't chased one up.
Out of the blue, one of our girls mentioned how warm the tiles are and the heat gradient after walking around barefoot on the tiles the other day.
I had thought I would repurpose it for my electronics workshop ... but I would hang it on the wall vertically to keep it up out the way. It would be way more than enough to warm that area which is 6 x 9 metres and well insulated.
I just need a 6 inch hole at each end going through the wall and a fan in one of the holes blowing air out the workshop, through the device and back in.
If I wanted to be really fancy, I'd get holes plasma cut in some sheet metal and folded for the ducting ... but even though this one is not very efficient, with no insulation etc ... it would cook my work area easily judging from its performance here in the house ... so I reckon I will just re-use most of the old one.
Yeah I suppose it wouldn't hurt to remind everyone ... especially those of us who are new to your channel and ideas.
I'm sure most of us could relate to that in some area of our lives. We know somethings not right ... but we can't or won't address it.
No, the original was just a heap of rocks a few hundred metres away when I was a kid ... but our house was in two sections ... the main house and the 'old kitchen' which was built in 1890.
Seems because of risk of fire etc ... they built the kitchen seperate to the house. Imagine two buildings offset diagonally with room between the closest corners to walk through.
Of course by the time I was a kid, they'd moved the kitchen into the main house and the 'old kitchen' was just a store room, hobby room, play room. Spent a lot of time in there building model aircraft and doing homework. Dad even sometimes took his bike in there doing preparation for a 24hr trial.
It still has the old bread oven at the end (closed off) ... that juts outside about 8 feet long by 4ft wide and rounded over the top.
When my brother took over the farm, he eventually remodelled the place by building in a huge kitchen-living area in the corner area to make it one building ... and uses the 'old kitchen' as an office.
There was a huge underground tank 14ft deep in that corner area ... and he filled in about 4ft and the uses that as a cellar under the kitchen floor.
There's also an original cellar under the other end of the house. Lots of history.
It always seems a shame to lose the historic look and feel ... but that's only if you don't have to live there ... plus I'm sure there's a lot of pressure from the women to modernise homes and make them practical.
No, I had no idea. Everything was sorted and taken into town for a huge clearing sale at the local trotting track complex. Was a big event, but I don't remember what they went for.
That's the key really. Awesome if both parties are happy with the deal.
Sadly, after they left, it fell into ruins very quickly which is a huge shame. Would have made a great B&B or something with the history it had.
It also had the main house and then a seperate building with a row of individual rooms ... all with their own entrance, for the coach passengers to spend the night.
That's always the hassle with that stuff ... never a balanced amount. I never had enough shelves for my units, but eventually bought a heap of extras.
I'm definitely not a morning person either and tend to work very late instead.
Great to hear you're making progress and sounds like it will really lift your spirits if you can get it sorted out. The hardest part is to not lose momentum ... so take it easy, but keep going.
Sounds great. All good milestones and hopefully a sense of achievement.
Haha, yep.
Yes that would be the simplest way. It generally doesn't need much time at all.
Quite possibly ... especially with some care to keep it as efficient as possible with insulation etc
Yeah, always lots of false starts and ends to the seasons. Keeps it interesting. Cheers, Roger
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 06:58am 03 Sep 2021
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I looked at mine today, it is 400W. Thought it was smaller but must be a std size for these things.
As I envision it, that seems a bit impractical. I see the thing flapping away and being a trip hazard or at very least not meeting the approval of the Final say whom must be Obeyed single person Committee. The way to go if there was enough free wall without too much in front of it, would be to have like a Boxed Skirting board with Holes or slots drilled into that.
Depending on your/ The Chief of Domestic affairs and house hold Happiness level of Commitment, You could run the pipe through the wall and the cavity and make it look very Finished inside the room. I think some central Heating installs are done like that along the skirting.
She walks on the tiles barefoot even this time of year? Tougher than me! Only time I have had a pair of socks off in the last 3 Months was when I was in the shower. Yes, wear them to bed too Cause the minute my feet are cold I get the sniffles and if that happened now I'd automaticly be Locked up and become a statistic now no one ever just gets a Cold.
Have I told you how much I dislike you lately mate? My whole Shed is only 9x9 and the SECTION of your shed you work in is 3/4 That. Not fair! Least I can park the tractor in mine now and one bay looks acceptable. The rest, yes, still a shameful embarrassment but I'll stick with it every day and in 3-6 Months it should almost be passable too.
The corner I am setting my work bench up on is on the north/ West Corner. I have the radiator fans blowing in the other side but due to the shelving bay I just put up, not going to get a lot of air that side. I just Mounted a panel flat on the wall behind the bench which I noticed was getting good sunlight even at 4Pm when I just came in for lunch. The back West corner is also getting plenty so might put another panels there.
Will have to see how it goes because May not be so cool in summer. The other side is south so doesn't get the sun and therefore may be Cooler. Next winter, If I am enthused and organised enough, it might be a great spot to try the hearing idea. Nothing up that side and Hidden from view with a good clear wall. I put this panel length ways so I should get 4 along there OK. Easy to throw a small inverter on them to fulfill the original idea.
That said, Being flat on the wall will give a low in June of 17 KWH MONTH for 1KW of panels. Having them straight Skyward would give 70. Much more worthwhile. More shade in summer too. Hmm, Looks like I'm going to need to make Up some brackets and support.
I was thinking to do a Q&A Video " all you wanted to know about DIY waste oil Burners" Put all thing things I get asked a lot in one Vid. How much oil they use an hour, can they burn this oil or that, are you single... etc.
I was up early today after collapsing in bed last night. Dressed, had the first coffee, ready to go out the door for an 8:30 Am start. Then my daughter wanted something, then the Mrs, then the next door neighbour rings and asks if I can look after his garden because the other side neighbour told him the neighbour across the road isn't looking after it properly ( after he insisted he'd help out) so could I go have a look? He wasn't in any hurry to ring off and stuff me dead I didn't get to put the phone down and Dad rang.
Answered all his questions on the same things we went over last week ( should he Buy a Bob cat to clear the back of the property? told him again You will never be able to get in and out the Thing, No worry's, You can do it when you come up.... Oh goody for me!!) and then the Mrs wants me to set something else up on her work from Home computer. While I'm doing that she makes a Cuppa so time I get up the back, it's already 12:30!!
I'm in the home straight, everything that can't get wet is under cover and most of the stuff outside the shed is cleaned up. Just need to Push the Harley in there which is a job with it's low Tyres but not game to pump them up because the brakes have gone so the thing could roll down the Driveway and I couldn't stop it. You'd understand what 350Kg Bikes are like to push up an incline being a Gold Wing Owner.
It's a very nice day but still saying rain tomorrow which seems hard to believe right now. It's perfect. That's OK. I found half a Bag of Shirley's No. 17. I have put on the pathway lawn and the parts close to the house and the new lawn out the front so that will be a help. Think I'll go mow now which will break it up a bit more and be ready for the rain.
I'm encouraged when I look in the bay I have done and flattened when I look at what I put in the other shed up the back I have to sort through. Even with what is in the shed now, The sorting and organising of that is going to be a Mammoth job.
Next is to make some space under the Mezzanine to put in the shelves I made up yesterday. Can do that in the rain so all good and Might even make up another bay for the other side as I still have a load of ends left over. Might make that just 4 Shelves for Bulkier Items and then I'd have enough for another bay the same. Anything I can't fit in that lot is then just excessive and I'll have to suck it up and ration myself. Got to say, I have been putting all my hand tools in one bay and that's an eye opener how much I have when I finally put them all in one place. Power tools are another thing. Geez Louise! Cupboard full of them and none of that could be called junk!
I have a real Nice big rolling tool chest up there I got for Christmas I haven't opened which I'm not sure where it is. I think it's behind the Huge BBQ Got for my birthday which is also Still in it's Box! Where to locate it is a question, near the work bench which means I have to walk to the back of the shed every time I'm not at the bench or the front which means I'll be back and forth when working There? Probably enough for a set of most things each end.
My feet are killing me up on that floor. Got the mrs to get me some more insoles for my boots. I seem to have killed the other ones. Need to carpet up there.
I also started on the Lighting. Only a couple of Fluros up there and the switch for them is in a stupid place as well. I put up a big bay light I have and I also have a load of LED downlights I picked up from somewhere So I'll put them in too which will look flash.
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 12:24pm 09 Sep 2021
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My apologies for being missing for a few days, have had so much on and not getting through it all.
Haha, funny you should say that ... she wasn't keen on the idea at all. I was really only thinking of it as a way of testing a theory ... and really still need to try it, though am running out of time for this season.
Certainly sounds like the neatest way, though would be a lot of work getting enough volume of air down to that level. I'll keep mulling it over.
I think it was a one off event coz yes, these tiles are mostly cold ... though that is handy in summer. I used to live in my ugg boots in winter, but now that I've got my nice new ones I rarely wear them for some reason.
I don't like having cold feet either ... takes so long to warm up though I generally have been able to avoid the (traditional) dreaded lurgy.
Haha yeah, I can understand the sentiment. I'm not going to apologise though, just hope that you can score your ideal man cave soon. I did put up with minimal space for 35 years and am really lapping this up ... though just as well my first house didn't have sheds like these or I never would have been able to shift.
One thing I am really happy about is knowing the sheds are bigger than the house. I don't know why I feel so good about that, but I do!
Yep, keep showing up and making progress. Hopefully the little gains are what keep us coming back for more.
Knowing those figures must make it a lot easier to make decisions
That sounds like a great idea ... answer all those burning questions that us newbies have ... and summarise where you're now up to in your understandings of how the things work. Then when you get the newbie type questions in future, you can point them back to the video so they can get up to speed without a lot of effort on your part.
Sounds like many of my days ... though my wife hates coffee, so I'd probably die of shock if she made me one.
Yes, understood. And that's another project I have to get to eventually ... the young fella sounded quite keen to have a go in the side car. Getting dropped off at school with it sounded like fun to him.
Oh well, considering how long it's taken you to get started with the project, you've done a decent amount already ... so if you can somehow keep up the momentum, you've got a fighting chance.
Of course we could ask our wives to help ... and there's no doubt the shed would be tidy afterwards ... coz everything would have been thrown away!!!
I'm the same ... have stashes of tools all over the place and then I find myself drooling over more on marketplace and in catalogues.
Gosh, you'd better open them soon and start using them otherwise they might stop buying you stuff. More incentive to clear more space.
Yep, can't have too much light ... or tools, or toys. Cheers, Roger
rogerdw Guru Joined: 22/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 852
Posted: 12:46pm 09 Sep 2021
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I should report on what the heater's been doing lately.
The weekend was pretty ordinary with 16 and 17 plus rain and cloud ... so nothing spectacular as far as results go ... though still effective to a degree.
Last couple days have been beautiful weather and the heat has been pouring in.
I came in at afternoon tea time today and couldn't believe it ... it was 29.0 degrees in the lounge. I asked my wife if she was hot yet ... and she pointed to her ugg boots and jacket and said well I'm not too warm.
I had to take my coffee back to the workshop to drink, too hot in there.
It went from a low of 19.0 to a high of 27.9 at the air intake in the lounge. The 29.0 was in the other corner adjacent the passage ... and is usually nearly 2 degrees warmer than over at the window.
It's been really cold in the workshop at least until after lunch. Beautiful outside, but just cold inside. In fact yesterday I came back in at morning tea time and put my long johns on.
I can see this heater being perfect for the workshop. It will turn on by 7.30 and even if it isn't much warmer than the inside temp, it won't matter coz I don't generally go out there until about 9 ... and by then it's often pumping 35 degree air already ...
... and I can see I'd need to shut it down once it gets comfortable as the room retains the heat so well. In fact I'd probably get away with a system half the size ... but will still be handy to have the extra potential for those poor solar days.
EDIT: These last couple days are a perfect example of 'heat soaking' the house. While it was a bit over the top ... it certainly keeps the cold at bay far longer ... and using less and less wood. Edited 2021-09-09 22:52 by rogerdwCheers, Roger
Warpspeed Guru Joined: 09/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 4406
Posted: 09:17pm 09 Sep 2021
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For a workshop/garage with a high ceiling, how about a "elephants trunk duct".
This could be winched up right out of the way, or pointed in any direction, so you get the heat wherever you happen to be working.Cheers, Tony.
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 02:45am 10 Sep 2021
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Figured you must have been Busy but I was missing the latest episodes of " Days of our Roger" and beginning to wonder if you were OK.
Man we must be Brothers or twins! I am exactly the same. I think I have 3 New pair of Ugg boots in there Mrs has bought me but I hate breaking them in because they are so tight. And, they tend to make my feet too Hot. The thick work sox I have are just right 90% of the time and when they are not I put on a pair of light shoes and all good.
Sound like my mate up the road. At his last place he had a Tiny Block and a Large but single attached garage. I think it was a double originally but he extended the Tiny lounge into it. Now he has a 20x30M I think it is with a Mezzanine each end which is probably 50% of that. He has an office that is 15 X something with the other 5M width being a bathroom. The office has a full Kitchen Bigger than most new homes have and every bit well equipped with a Double door Fridge with a water dispenser and freezer and the Bathroom.... Well lets just say I remember working in a studio setup years ago to do a shoot and the bathroom in his shed leaves that for dead. Is massive and could easily be out of a Luxury home magazine.
Then there are the stables he Built, again with a stunning Kitchen and bathroom albeit smaller, a Tack room and mud room and a bedroom better than most hotels. The stables is at the front of the Building and the length behind, probably about 20M again is for all his backhoes, tractor, excavator, roller, Cherry Picker,trencher and all his other similar toys He bought just to use on his 20 acres. There is nothing that man does not have.
Same as my mates place. The house is Nice but not large. There is a granny flat but he wants to knock that down and rebuild it. Not sure why, 2 of the 3 Kids have their own homes now and the 3rd and favourite doesn't want to move out the house.
When I was looking to buy here were saw quite a Number of places where the shed was better than the house. Usually the houses were pretty small and crap. I love a good shed but even so, the house is the priority. I can understand something like you have where you wouldn't need the house big as the shed and it's a nice home anyway but these others where you would be better to live in the shed....
I'm now at the back of the 2nd Bay. The first one was easy, that was just my crap, this one is getting hard with other personal stuff that's not mine and memories. The 3rd one will be a nightmare. Think i'm going to need to get some medication before I tackle that one. Just stuff I found already had me not doing well and having to walk away.
I now Have 2 Bays I can park the tractor in. I also have 3 More pallets of stuff. One is left over Kitchen Cupboards that I might put up as cupboards or shelving although the Mrs wants the Laundry done so I might look at getting new white gloss doors made and just change them as the Cupboards themselves are very well made and sturdy. The other is just furniture. Desks, Drawers that I might use up the back and Some huge Speakers off the old quadraphonic system. Got an idea the drivers might be blown and they are so big and Bulky I'm not sure I'd ever use them. I have a set of good full size DJ type speakers anyway and they are a pain because of their size as well. The other is just more of my assorted crap that needs to be gone though. I have picked out the no decision stuff I'm keeping and put that on the shelves, the other will be chuck and keep but needs to be sorted and the remainder organised.
Now Comes the Big girls panties test to Chuck stuff.... and so much else which will be beyond a Nightmare. There is a round desk up there as well Which we really have no place for. Either have to try and sell that ( and store it till we can) or break it up and use it for bonfire wood.
One thing that has proven true for what I have been saying all along, it's NOT all mine as I have been blamed for and there is now at least a Demonstrable Half that is the Mrs or other stuff. I always get the blame for it all but The Mrs came up yesterday and I was pointing out everything else and said when are your next days off because you are going to be spending them up where with me.
Putting stuff on pallets was a good move. I can take it out when I want to clean up in there during the day and then pick it up with the tractor and put it back in at night so it's out of the weather. takes no time to move it I'm clearing first so I have as much space as I can make and put up shelves and Cupboards and then I can start organising.
The rubbish pile is Growing but I'm still disturbed at what I have which will have to be thinned severely. My neighbour and Mrs suggested I could put shelves all around walls and make Rows down the back. Even I can see if I have that much crap I have too much. I want to rationalise it not just neatly warehouse it.
Yeah, I'll probably go flat. Have as many panels up there as the wiring can handle and I only really want these to drive the fans or maybe a charge controller. Much easier to put flat on the walls than hang them off the side of the shed. I was thinking I might Hook one up to some LED lights because it's pretty dark in the middle even during the afternoon because the sun is then behind the shed not coming in the doors or window.
Oh well, considering how long it's taken you to get started with the project, you've done a decent amount already ... so if you can somehow keep up the momentum, you've got a fighting chance.
Yes, I'm determined to get it done now. Still feel like I have just scratched the surface in the over all job but the more I do the more I like having the space and the minimal organisation so far.
Yeah, all OUR stuff would be gone, not a thing of theirs would be Chucked. That said, she is going to have to do some chucking because I won't be able to bring myself to do it.
Just a few Bigger things I want now and I think I'll be pretty content.
Having shed brake today and doing some Gardening and bed preparation with the tractor. My seedlings will be ready to go next week so get the ground ready for them.
Davo99 Guru Joined: 03/06/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1578
Posted: 03:34am 10 Sep 2021
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Must be the same Genes as my Daughter. We went on a trip once and it was 34o outside. Daughter is sitting in the back in the sun with a jacket on complaining we had the AC far too cold. Next she is under a blanket. Mrs and I actually got worried there was something wrong with her. She wouldn't go to the medical centre when we arrived but didn't show any signs of being ill. She normally is cold when others are sweating but that one took the cake.
It' been similar here. Toast warm outside and making me sweat working in the shed but come in and it feels like an ice box. Been putting the heater on most nights as inside it's still only 18/19.
I got my tube fan yesterday which I recently uncovered and put it in the window just blowing the nice 25o air in. The back was nice last night but still had the heater on a bit in the office here.
Thing is as long as it's above ambient in there won't matter. Only feels cold when it's blowing on you and when you aren't there, 1o above is a gain. Time you go out there will probably be warmer than the house!
Just need to link it all to a simple thermostat for the temp cutoff. You can NEVER have too much reserve with solar. Bottom end production on cloudy days can be less that 10% of sunny days and that the days it will really be cold.
The Killer I found this year with heat soaking is the Cold soaking at night. We have had some Oddball nights where the min temp stayed at 15 and then the next nights were back to 3 -7. When the ambient stays up it's great. When it drops, the cold does seep in. That Cold soaking is what really kills things no matter how warm the house was during the day.
We had 25 here on Tuesday and a frost Wednesday morning. The house remained feeling cold all day even though it was very nice outside. There must be so much energy acting on a home in the ambient temperatures as to what it's even practical to pump into one artificially. I think the heat soaking as much as one can is good because then you aren't trying to fight the real cold outside as well as inside.
Time to get started on the alternative Cooling ideas now.
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and all sorts of things I'm never going to do or Touch but it's the interest and entertainment value. People don't watch me in the majority to see burners, they watch me to get a laugh out of an idiot. 
Where to locate it is a question, near the work bench which means I have to walk to the back of the shed every time I'm not at the bench or the front which means I'll be back and forth when working There? Probably enough for a set of most things each end. 
