500 showers heated from one small compost pile how to tutorial
www.permies.com Brian Kerkvliet from Inspiration Farm tells us about his little compost pile that provided 500 hot showers. Compost heat can, indeed, be captured to heat water. After the hot showers, you have a lovely pile of compost! The moisture from the shower feeds mushrooms! Hot water, compost and mushrooms. Permaculture!
25 Responses to 500 showers heated from one small compost pile how to tutorial
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@finleyalicia I suppose so. As long as you can make sure that there are no hose punctures and the temp stays on the high range of 140 degrees (possible, but not always in a compost pile) then there shouldn’t be any problems. However, a hose puncture/temperature variation could mean you’re showering in some fairly bacterial stuff, especially if you’re the first person to use the showers that day.
BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo
November 14, 2011 at 9:51 pm
@BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo It doesn’t take long because the water is running through a 100 feet of hose inside 140 degree compost pile.
finleyalicia
November 14, 2011 at 10:39 pm
I can see how this is built, coiling the poly pipe while layering the compost. But how is it unmade when it’s time to empty and spread the compost? I’d be afraid to stick a shovel or fork near the water pipe or hose.
Crunchy68
November 14, 2011 at 11:36 pm
If you have a compost pile outdoors like that, with food scraps being added every day, and some other organic materials being added, possibly with some adequately aerated but also insulated box sorta thing, it would be possible to get hot water all winter I think. Just have to control the aeration a bit so that the cooling rate from outdoor cold air is not too much to overcome the heating effect of the composting. Also the hot water can heat the floor heating system of a small house I think.
jcfdillon
November 15, 2011 at 12:28 am
Crazy hippie shit. I love it
yodellikeyoumeanit09
November 15, 2011 at 1:24 am
@sustainable2012 If you run your hot water at anything more than a trickle, it will run out of heat almost immediately. The guy is greatly exaggerating how much hot water this will produce. It’s basic 6th grade science.
JustDiploid
November 15, 2011 at 2:08 am
@morkrom1 bacterias involved in compostage process need air and oxigen
marcorutili
November 15, 2011 at 2:15 am
Why don’t you isolate the compost in an underground insulator lined compartment so that your shower isn’t just an ugly ass “summer thing” sitting next to and contributing to the decomposition of your wooden cabin?
There’s nothing stopping you, since you have interns every summer. Imagine spending 6 hours doing that so you don’t have to ever have them pile shit for an “internship” again!
A second thing, why all the mushroom talk? What use is a mycelium colony to you?
morkrom1
November 15, 2011 at 3:02 am
Maybe build a little wooden enclosure screen for privacy. Great idea!
jeanineadele
November 15, 2011 at 3:16 am
You people should be running America……..
illuminationclub
November 15, 2011 at 3:31 am
@BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo 20 seconds
paulwheaton12
November 15, 2011 at 3:52 am
How long does the water have to sit inside the hoses inside the pile to get hot? That’s the big question.
BooGooNFlowoo4Evoo
November 15, 2011 at 3:58 am
I think this is great! thx
ilelar
November 15, 2011 at 4:12 am
I am doing this… thank you.
so cost efficient
sustainable2012
November 15, 2011 at 4:35 am
SO COOL! The withdrawal of heat didnt harm the compost I hope 😉
Myrrdin23
November 15, 2011 at 5:18 am
@vernsixjr come on out to the forums at permies.com and find the thread on the jean pain method. In that thread you will find one that lasted for more than a year.
paulwheaton12
November 15, 2011 at 5:45 am
How does this work in the winter months? We are in the Ozarks of Southern Missouri and I would love to try this. Thanks!
vernsixjr
November 15, 2011 at 5:50 am
@paulwheaton12 Yes, I agree with you. But I’ve seen some pretty neat units that use separate lines of solar heated water (with part antifreeze added to this water) which run in a coil to heat the water in a water heater.
These seem pretty easy to build and much more efficient for long term (no maintenance).
Manure could grow tons of mushrooms, which, to me would appear to be of better use than heating water, when a solar system would do better, no?
Do you capture the methane?
brentbps1
November 15, 2011 at 6:12 am
@brentbps1 solar heat is more likely to breed legionella bacteria than this method.
paulwheaton12
November 15, 2011 at 7:04 am
Who’s playing the banjo in the background…
Heat from poo.. ewe.
Easier to just do solar heater, so much cleaner too.
brentbps1
November 15, 2011 at 7:44 am
cool, pretty efficient.
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ThinkStage
November 15, 2011 at 8:38 am
Imagine if you did this ran tubing through your floors and have a circulating pump you could heat your home from composting materials. This along with other passive designs would greatly reduce your energy bill.
cdltpx
November 15, 2011 at 8:45 am
What does your home oqners association say? LOL tree hugging dead beat
cabritorsss
November 15, 2011 at 9:06 am
using dirty bath water to feed your crops. the fuck.
dsalimander
November 15, 2011 at 9:57 am
I doubt it was ever “white hot”.
ReasonNLogic
November 15, 2011 at 10:51 am