Alright, folks, gather round because I’ve got a story for you. One that’s going to change the way you think about heating and cooling your home forever. It all started when I decided to take matters into my own hands and tackle the age-old problem of high energy bills.
You see, I live in this 1885 rowhouse that’s about 1,700 square feet, including a basement apartment. And let me tell you, keeping that sucker warm in the winter used to be a real pain in the you-know-what. I had a natural gas boiler and a mini-split heat pump, but even with those, my floors were still cold as ice unless I cranked up the boiler. Not exactly the cozy, energy-efficient home I was going for.
So, I started doing some digging (pun intended) and stumbled upon this crazy idea – a DIY geothermal project. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Geothermal? Isn’t that some high-tech, expensive stuff?” Well, my friends, that’s where you’d be wrong.
Tapping into the Earth’s Warmth
I decided to see if I could rig up a cheap, homemade version of a ground source heat pump. And let me tell you, the results have been nothing short of incredible.
First, let’s talk about the science behind this thing. You see, the earth’s surface, even just a few feet down, maintains a relatively constant temperature all year round, typically around 44°C (55°F) or warmer. This is because the earth acts like a giant thermal battery, soaking up the sun’s energy and storing it underground.
As I discovered from the DIY Solar Forum, all I had to do was tap into this natural warmth by burying a loop of pipe in my backyard. Then, I could use a simple water-to-water heat pump to extract the heat and circulate it through my home’s radiant floor system.
Putting It All Together
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “That sounds complicated.” But trust me, with a little elbow grease and some creative problem-solving, I was able to put this whole system together for just around $3,000.
Here’s how I did it:
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Dig a Hole and Bury Some Pipe: First, I manually twisted a 2-inch PVC pipe into the ground to create a 9-foot-deep hole. Then, I soldered together a 2-foot-long copper spiral with a 1-inch central return pipe and inserted it into the hole, along with some PEX tubing.
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Add a Trench and Another Hole: I also dug a 1-foot-deep trench and buried about 56 feet of PEX tubing in a zigzag pattern around the yard. And to top it off, I dug a 5-foot hole and packed it with 6 more lengths of 1-inch PEX.
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Build a DIY Heat Pump: Next, I took the refrigeration loops out of two old window air conditioners, one new and one old, and carefully bent the copper refrigerant tubes without breaking them. I inserted the hot radiators into one rectangular water vat and the cold radiators into another.
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Add the Brains: To control the whole system, I built a Raspberry Pi-powered controller with 12 power relays and up to 28 temperature sensors. This allows me to monitor and adjust the system as needed.
The end result? I’m now getting 8,000-9,000 BTU/hr of heat output from this DIY setup. And get this – my electricity usage is only about 965 watts, which translates to a crazy-high coefficient of performance (COP) of around 2.7. In other words, I’m getting nearly three times as much heat output as the electricity I’m putting in.
Putting It to the Test
Now, I know what you’re thinking – “That’s all well and good, but how does it perform when the temperature really drops?” Well, let me tell you, I’ve been putting this thing through its paces all winter long, and it’s been a champ.
Even when the outdoor temperature dips down to -12°C (10°F), the temperature of the ground just 14 feet down stays a toasty 44°C (55°F). And at 20 meters (66 feet) down, it’s a balmy 75°C (167°F). Needless to say, I’ve got plenty of heat to work with.
In fact, my DIY geothermal setup, combined with my existing mini-split heat pump, has been able to keep my 1,700-square-foot home a cozy 22°C (72°F) or better, down to an average daily outdoor temperature of -5°C (23°F). And the best part? My electricity usage is way down, and my gas consumption is practically zero.
Saving Big on Energy Costs
So, what does all this mean for your wallet? Well, let me break it down for you.
With my DIY geothermal setup and the mini-split heat pump, I’m only using about 965 watts of power. That’s equivalent to around 19 cents per hour of electricity usage. Even on the coldest days, when I’m running the system for about 18 hours, that’s only about $3.40 per day.
Compare that to the $210 per month I would have spent on natural gas if I had stuck with my old boiler system, and you can see why I’m doing a little happy dance every time I open my energy bills.
And the best part? I’m doing all of this with zero greenhouse gas emissions. That’s right, folks – my heating and cooling are completely fossil-fuel-free, thanks to my trusty DIY geothermal system and my home’s solar power setup.
A Glimpse into the Future
So, what’s next for me and my homemade heat-harvesting project? Well, I’m constantly tweaking and optimizing the system, looking for ways to squeeze even more efficiency out of it. And who knows, maybe I’ll even start offering DIY geothermal kits through Plug & Save Energy Products someday.
But for now, I’m just enjoying the satisfaction of knowing that I’ve taken control of my energy usage and found a way to stay cozy and comfortable, all while saving a boatload of money and reducing my carbon footprint. And hey, if I can do it, I know you can too.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a shovel and let’s get digging! Your wallet and the planet will thank you.