Analysis of six extreme heatwaves found that when temperature and humidity were accounted for, all were potentially deadly for older people
The paper is here
Analysis of six extreme heatwaves found that when temperature and humidity were accounted for, all were potentially deadly for older people
The paper is here
In lieu of trees and shade, I’ve been told (by a woman that was almost 100 years old) that during a really miserable heat wave, (she hated being too hot) get into a basement or anyplace that has a first level that is in - not on - the ground.
Unfortunately, that’s just not possible everywhere. For instance, where I live the water table is like 6 inches below the ground. Pretty much every house here has a crawlspace foundation. The few that do have basements pretty much all have mold issues and need sump pumps, etc.
Sounds like a good source for water cooling! Dig a small well and pump the water around you to cook your room.
Not sure how effective this really is, should get some amount of cooling and have been curious to try it sometime.
That’s the issue with high wet bulb conditions: they are too hot and humid to allow for evaporative cooling to work.
Good news, it isn’t evaporative. It relies on the ground being cooler than the air.
Oh, you mean geothermal cooling. Yes, some buildings use that for heating/cooling by using vertical wells or buried horizontal loops coupled with heat pumps. It’s fairly green, though can be an expensive investment up front if one needs to use vertical wells due to lack of real estate. It’s still air conditioning, just coupled to underground water as a heat sink instead of outside air.
The DIY method I mentioned is just dumping heat into the ground using water to transfer it. No heat pump, just a pump and much cheaper. Of course anything with a heat pump is going to be more powerful.
Not sure how many watts of cooling something like that could realistically manage but I have been interested in the idea.
I’m picturing a Corsi-Rosenthal box with automotive radiators connected in series instead of air filters! The inlet hooked to a sink, and the outlet hooked to the drain. Heat losses would be introduced at the well’s pump, and at the box fan motor. As long as nothing leaks, the only things to worry about would be the added power consumed, the added wear on the well pump, and the well water’s rate of replenishment. Oh, and the condensation which may collect on the radiators. An interesting DIY idea. I wonder if anyone has already tried it.
Sounds like you are combining both ideas somehow? The Corsi-Rosenthal box radiator in your sink would absolutely work. Though I don’t know how much water you would be going through for it.
If you instead used a closed loop and pumped water through the ground to cool off then the only thing going is the pump and fan.
Condensation is a possible issue, tray and bucket to collect it?
I could think of better uses lol
This summer I may sleep in my smelly basement since I work nights. I’ll get a cot so I don’t have to be on dirt, but it’s better than a room where the temperatures are over 30°C even on smelly wet dirt.
That works in winter as well. The ground usually stays in the 50s(F).