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2 years agoCA Kate z9
2 years agoRelated Discussions
GH Bubble Wrap vs. Solar Pool Covers
Comments (21)pushindirt: If you are referring to the bubble, if you buy it in 2 ft. widths, it should fit between the aluminum polybars on most standard aluminum & polycarb GH's. If you cut a piece the size of the polycarb panel on all or just one of your roof vents, it should allow the vent(s) to operate. If not, the heat shrink film would certainly not overweigh them. You could also cut out only the bottom and sides of a pool cover where it covers the vents, as many people do with sunshades. Double faced tape or velcro might work to hold the cover onto the vent sash, to prevent it from blowing back, leaving the vent uncovered when you don't want it to be. Solar pool covers are far heavier than any bubble wrap and also have bubbles, but much smaller. However, in larger sizes, they can be quite heavy and as another poster noted, getting a large one up can be a real challenge. Our's was so heavy, we cut it into two sections and overlapped them on the top of the GH. The wind took one off shortly after we put them on last month, which fortunately taught us a lesson before it became too cold to work outdoors. I bought some nylon webbing and tied it to some bungee cords that are connected at the base on either side of the GH. It goes over the top and holds the overlapped covers down securely, yet gives just enough as to not put undue pressure on the polycarb. We also used a strong braided nylon rope to wrap around the GH from one side of the door and around, to the other. It's holding the cover tightly against the kneewall and has proved a far better solution than laying bricks and timbers along the bottom as we did last year. We learn as we go....See MorePassive solar help please!
Comments (2)Hi sdegraff, your interest in passive solar is a good one. You can provide 40-90% free heating, have more daylighting and have better passive survivability. A north entry lot is ideal for passive solar. Unfortunately, the plan you have chosen is not going to work without major modification. You need 9-12% of window area to floor area to face south and be unshaded. I see 0% useful glass unless there is an upstairs. I understand that redesigning at this point is not likely but I think if you did find another design that fits your needs and has passive solar elements, it would make your lives happier and reduce your monthly energy costs dramatically. Most importantly though, make sure your building envelope is airtight and continuously insulated. Do the canadian R-2000 certification if you can....See MoreWhich tankless to go with thermosiphon solar HWH?
Comments (4)Tankless heaters are designed to heat a given number of gpm at a specified temp rise. For Example, in Indiana, the inlet water temp at the coldest is about 35 degrees so in the worst case, it takes about a 70 degree temp rise to get it to shower temp of 105. Looking that up in the manufacturer's table, the Rheem RTG-53PVN (145k BTU/H) will heat up to 3.5 gpm at that temp rise. (that's one shower (2.5 gpm and one bathroom sink faucet (1 gpm)). If you wanted to be able to do, say, 2 showers at the same time (5 gpm)at a 50 degree temp rise it would probably be good to go with the next larger unit (199k BTU/H) that would heat as much as 6.6 gpm These are variable gas valves, so they only use as much gas as they need to reach the temp rise for the amount of water that you are using. Buying a slightly larger unit isn't going to be a problem. One of the issues to look at is a low flow rate to kick the unit on... usually .3 - .5 gpm. Lower is better. I've mentioned the Rheem unit. I don't have any reservations about it but do your own looking around. There are other heaters out there with different BTU/H ratings that may be a better fit. Look for an energy factor of .80 or better. Here is a link that might be useful: Spec sheet for Rheem tankless...See MoreSolar Shades or light filtering shades
Comments (5)Light filtering shades have a few degrees to pick from; the smaller the holes, the more light is filtered. I had chocolate brown ones in a former house that had a southern exposition in the master, and 3 sets of french doors, lots of heat and light were coming in, I loved that I was able to walk in the room and still see the view, yet not have so much heat generated. We got used to sleeping with light in the morning....See MoreJurassic Park
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