# Thermal flywheel basement



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

This is what I experienced in my house.

Last winter about Christmas my furnace was acting up so one night I just turned it off. I think it was about -20 F that night. The living room thermometer read 50 F when I got up the next morning. Last night I turned it off again and when I woke up it was 30 F outside and 63 F in the house.

I attribute the warm winter inside temp with the furnace shut off to having stored a lot of Btus in the soil surrounding the basement and in the blocks themselves. Now the furnace doesn't run as often so I'm using up all of the stored Btus.

My house is old and not super insulated by any means.

I need to find a way to store solar heat during the day in the winter in my next house. I'm thinking of maybe pouring 1 1/2" of concrete on top of the underlayment or foam.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I'd suggest talking to the people at Hunt Utilities Group in Pine River. Go over there and visit their campus. They have some very unique and innovative ways of insulating and heating homes in northern climates. We have friends that are working with them to build a super-insulated home for under $80K (pole building type home) that is supposed to use very little energy to heat. 

http://hugllc.com/index.php


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I've been there a couple of times but not for a couple of years. My next home will be fairly small,
super insulated and solar heated.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Water tanks are good at absorbing heat for passive solar storage.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Bearfootfarm said:


> Water tanks are good at absorbing heat for passive solar storage.


I suppose it wouldn't have to be inside the house so there wouldn't be a space issue.


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## Skamp (Apr 26, 2014)

fishhead said:


> I suppose it wouldn't have to be inside the house so there wouldn't be a space issue.


Water, by far, has greater thermal properties. 

Inside the home? If you’re going to gain from solar, yes. 

Inside you’re home? If you’re going to cool from earth mass, no, or partially no. 

Lol


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

fishhead said:


> I suppose it wouldn't have to be inside the house so there wouldn't be a space issue.


Unless you want to do a circulating radiant heat set up the water needs to be inside.
They will absorb heat in the Winter and by using long roof overhangs and shades in Summer they won't get direct Sun.

Look up "trombe wall" and picture something similar using water containers instead of masonry.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

Have you seen the Build It Solar Site ? There are many good ideas, implementations and it's all DIY with most well explained and lots of details... http://www.builditsolar.com/index.htm


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Steve_S said:


> Have you seen the Build It Solar Site ? There are many good ideas, implementations and it's all DIY with most well explained and lots of details... http://www.builditsolar.com/index.htm


I skimmed it a few years ago. I'll have to give it a more thorough look the next time.


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## Steve_S (Feb 25, 2015)

fishhead said:


> I skimmed it a few years ago. I'll have to give it a more thorough look the next time.


It hasn't gone away and they keep it updated. Also of interest, there is now reviews of what they did and how it has performed over time (not just a test period but actual long term use) and no issues of posting about the "Lessons Learned" and what not to do or to do better. Most places never ever mention the "ohhh we screwed this up or should have done it this way" as you've likely noticed while researching...


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Steve_S said:


> It hasn't gone away and they keep it updated. Also of interest, there is now reviews of what they did and how it has performed over time (not just a test period but actual long term use) and no issues of posting about the "Lessons Learned" and what not to do or to do better. Most places never ever mention the "ohhh we screwed this up or should have done it this way" as you've likely noticed while researching...


That's really good because most of the things I build work so-so. The second version works better and the third version works much better than the original design. It really helps to get some "working" results and possible amendments.

Thanks!


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 ml (cm3) of water 1 degree centigrade. It takes 80 calories to convert 1 ml of ice at 0 centigrade to 1ml of water at 0 degrees centigrade. The phase change of water from ice to liquid takes 80 times the energy than it takes to raise the temperature of the same amount of water 1 degree centigrade. 

I think you could use this to cool your house in the summer but I don't know a way it helps heat your house in the winter.


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