Post by woodyz on Jun 29, 2012 23:28:49 GMT -7
I don't know where I first started posting about this and I want to add to this as I work out my proof of concept, so I just made a new thread.
I remember my Grandfather using old deep freezers as small root cellars. He was big on canning and storing in root cellars and I swear he must have built about one on every acre of property he had. But he had this one made from an old deep freeze at his main fish pond so he could keep bait, fresh water and the like right there. I remember the water from it being nice and cool on the hottest days.
Then I research some and found where people were using buried trash cans, etc. as root cellars/cold storage.
So my idea is to bury old deep freezer or I guess any insulated box into an east or north facing hill, just deep enough to get the bottom to the freeze line.
It needs to maintain air circulation and drain ability from condensation or whatever.
I will put a good layer of straw in the bottom, then a layer of newspaper, then a layer of potato's, and repeat.
My son has already welded some hasps so I can lock the lid (I don't want to worry about kids getting into it) and 4" pipe openings on opposite sides of the top and bottom for air flow. We were going to "plant" our first this week end, but I got to talking with a man at the local farmers market about my plan and I think he had a very good improvement.
If there is a wind it is almost always going to be going up hill on the east or north facing side. So I am going to include a wind tower or chimney out the top hole and I am going to run PVC pipe into the bottom hole with an opening below the cellar/box. Air should be sucked into the opening at the bottom from the chimney effect. With the PVC intake pipe below the frost line the air temperature should cool or warm as required.
I plan to put out two of these this summer, but will start with one with an air tower and one with out to compare the effectiveness.
It is my understanding people in Iraq were able to store ice in the desert, in the summer, using this chimney effect.
I remember my Grandfather using old deep freezers as small root cellars. He was big on canning and storing in root cellars and I swear he must have built about one on every acre of property he had. But he had this one made from an old deep freeze at his main fish pond so he could keep bait, fresh water and the like right there. I remember the water from it being nice and cool on the hottest days.
Then I research some and found where people were using buried trash cans, etc. as root cellars/cold storage.
So my idea is to bury old deep freezer or I guess any insulated box into an east or north facing hill, just deep enough to get the bottom to the freeze line.
It needs to maintain air circulation and drain ability from condensation or whatever.
I will put a good layer of straw in the bottom, then a layer of newspaper, then a layer of potato's, and repeat.
My son has already welded some hasps so I can lock the lid (I don't want to worry about kids getting into it) and 4" pipe openings on opposite sides of the top and bottom for air flow. We were going to "plant" our first this week end, but I got to talking with a man at the local farmers market about my plan and I think he had a very good improvement.
If there is a wind it is almost always going to be going up hill on the east or north facing side. So I am going to include a wind tower or chimney out the top hole and I am going to run PVC pipe into the bottom hole with an opening below the cellar/box. Air should be sucked into the opening at the bottom from the chimney effect. With the PVC intake pipe below the frost line the air temperature should cool or warm as required.
I plan to put out two of these this summer, but will start with one with an air tower and one with out to compare the effectiveness.
It is my understanding people in Iraq were able to store ice in the desert, in the summer, using this chimney effect.