Yep. I can't find a single store in the bay area with them in stock. I found an aspen pad, but I'm worried about moop. I think I'm about to do the same and just order from Amazon.
On Fri, Aug 12, 2011 at 10:33 AM, Steve Upstill <[email protected]> wrote: > Is anybody else out there getting thwarted by the unavailability of Duracool > pads? Home Depot is totally out as far as I can tell (not just stores, but > nationally). I just paid Amazon $20 for purchase and shipping of mine. > > Alternatives? > > Cheers, > Steve > -- > Dare to suck. > > > On Jul 29, 2011, at 6:08 PM, David Kelso wrote: > >> Thanks for all the feedback guys! >> >> I've decided to convert my two bucket system in to the one bucket >> system (thanks for the link Andreas). I bought that low wattage pump >> too (thanks Richard). And I went with the endless breeze fan (thanks >> Ken). >> >> Last thing to find is a way to get the air into the yurt. I'm hoping >> I'll find a 12" flexible duct somewhere and be able to skip any size >> conversions and just slip it directly over the fan and 5 gal bucket. >> >> david >> >> On Thu, Jul 28, 2011 at 12:09 PM, Steve Upstill <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Chasomatic, >>> >>> I'm looking at the Frozen CPU site and they have a buttload of 12V fans. >>> Any clues for getting closer to what you're talking about? >>> >>> Thanks, >>> Steve >>> -- >>> There is a problem when the turnover in the United States House of >>> Representatives is lower than it was in the Soviet Politburo. >>> -- NATHANIEL PERSILY, election law expert at the University of >>> Pennsylvania Law School >>> >>> >>> On Jul 21, 2011, at 11:39 AM, Chasomatic wrote: >>> >>>> I use the Home Depot bucket style of swamp cooler. >>>> >>>> My pumps come from Harbor Freight and they're Solar powered fountain >>>> pumps for outdoor gardens ($19.95). They have a pressure head of at >>>> least 3 feet and their own solar panel. Net power consumption ZERO! >>>> My fan comes from Frozen CPU, I can't remember the exact numbers right >>>> now but it's specially designed to give a column of air not the normal >>>> dispersal pattern. It draws 0.7 amps to run and puts out around 120 >>>> cfm ($31 with shipping). It shoots the air out of the pipe. >>>> >>>> I think my total power use will be about 1.0 (.3 pump+.7 fan) amps per >>>> hour. Last year I didn't run the SC very late into the evening but it >>>> may be hotter this year. Maybe 8.5 watts per hour from my 10 watt >>>> solar panel/battery. It's close, but I may be a balanced power >>>> system. >>>> >>>> My first effort for this year's swamp cooler was a little weak, but I >>>> still have it. Has anyone built a chest from Hexayurt panels to keep >>>> beer cool? I think my small SC would be enough to work but I don't >>>> know how to calculate the potential temperature drop (would it be >>>> worth it?). >>>> >>>> any ideas >>>> >>>> On Jul 10, 8:20 am, Richard Ginn <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> another way to have water flow down over the material is with a large >>>>> reservoir (plastic garbage can) above it that you refill by hand (bucket) >>>>> as >>>>> needed. 50 gallons would trickle down all night maybe? >>>>> >>>>> On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 3:31 AM, ken winston caine < >>>>> >>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>>> ** >>>>>> Pretty amazing amount of pumping for 6 watts, Richard. >>>>> >>>>>> Still, if I'm running it 24 hours a day (along with the fan) during the >>>>>> current 100-plus degree days and high 70s to high 80s nights until about >>>>>> 4 >>>>>> a.m. when finally it starts to cool down a little, I'm using 282 watts a >>>>>> day. That's 1/5 of the total electricity I have available each >>>>>> non-overcast >>>>>> day from my solar system. That's a pretty big bite and I can probably >>>>>> afford >>>>>> it only a day or two a week and keep the system healthy. >>>>> >>>>>> It's NOTHING if you're on the grid. And a wonderful savings compared to >>>>>> typical pumps. >>>>> >>>>>> Best, >>>>>> ken winston caine >>>>> >>>>>> P.S. Am going to look into it, anyway. Because it would be really nice to >>>>>> be able to use it if only from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. or so when the inside of >>>>>> my >>>>>> RV heats up into the middle 90s most days this time of year. My >>>>>> self-wicking >>>>>> coolers bring the air right in front of me and on my face down to the mid >>>>>> 80s while I'm working at my desk, which is much more tolerable than mid >>>>>> 90s. >>>>>> But if I could force more water into the pads, and add pads, I could get >>>>>> better cooling. >>>>> >>>>>> Have been meaning to hook up the Kill-a-Watt meter up to an aquarium pump >>>>>> and see what kind of wattage it draws. If it's less than 6 watts, I'll >>>>>> report that here. (Doubt that it will be.) >>>>> >>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>>> *From:* Richard Ginn <[email protected]> >>>>>> *To:* [email protected] >>>>>> *Sent:* Saturday, July 09, 2011 10:21 PM >>>>>> *Subject:* Re: [hexayurt] Windows and COOLING on the PLAYA >>>>> >>>>>> For 6 watts you can power a 12-volt CPU water cooling pump that is rated >>>>>> at >>>>>> 132 gallons per hour, and then you don't have to wick the water at all: >>>>> >>>>>> http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6073/ex-pmp-53/Danger_Den_DD-CPX1_1... >>>>> >>>>>> On Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 5:11 PM, ken winston caine < >>>>>> [email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>>> Jack, I've experimented with developing a 7-watt, self-wicking swamp >>>>>>> cooler >>>>>>> that works pretty well. >>>>> >>>>>>> Haven't experimented with EVERY fabric known to man, but did find, >>>>>>> surprisingly, that absorbant paper towels tended to wick better than >>>>>>> about >>>>>>> any cloth fabric I could test.But even., then, they tend to wick up only >>>>>>> about 6 inches above the water surface. >>>>> >>>>>>> What really helps is to hang them with open pleats facing the air source >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> allowing a tiny bit of air space between each hanging wick. That allows >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> air to pass between them a tiny bit. If using a high-efficiency, >>>>>>> low-wattage >>>>>>> 12v fan made for use in RVs and campers, having the open end of the >>>>>>> pleat >>>>>>> facing the fan's exhaust also helps the pleats balloon a bit and speeds >>>>>>> evaporation. >>>>> >>>>>>> My design provides 8 to 10 degree cooling for about 5 feet in front of >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> swamp cooler exhaust. So it's a personal cooler, not a room cooler. >>>>>>> Although >>>>>>> it does noticeably help cool the room a tiny bit, so long as you have >>>>>>> fresh >>>>>>> air vents in the room bringing in occasional super dry gusts. That's >>>>>>> when >>>>>>> you notice the moisture evaporating in areas of the room other than >>>>>>> directly >>>>>>> in front of the cooler. >>>>> >>>>>>> The more folds of wicking material you can fit in your box (if buidling >>>>>>> a >>>>>>> swamp cooler) the more cooling effect you'll get. >>>>> >>>>>>> Have yet to experiment with putting the fan on the top of the box, >>>>>>> ponting >>>>>>> down at the wicks and water tray on the bottom. Am planning to test that >>>>>>> next. >>>>> >>>>>>> Have tried quite a few variations. Have found that the fan BEHIND the >>>>>>> wicks, >>>>>>> blowing air through them, provides better cooling than locating the fan >>>>>>> in >>>>>>> front of the wicks so that it *draws* the air through the wicks. >>>>> >>>>>>> Also have found that having a larger intake opening than exhaust opening >>>>>>> seems to help a bit, too. About a 2::1 ratio has seemed best in my >>>>>>> experiments. >>>>> >>>>>>> You can do these with cardboard boxes and duct tape and rubber maid >>>>>>> shoe-box size plastic containers. >>>>> >>>>>>> The type of fan I use is this: >>>>> >>>>>>> http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/fan-tastic-endless-breeze-1... >>>>> >>>>>>> I also found at the end of summer about six years ago at a Wal Mart in >>>>>>> Albuquerque a season closeout price on Wal-Mart's "Ozark Trails" >>>>>>> version >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> this fan and bought seven of them for $4 each and am using those in two >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> my swamp cooler. They actually use less wattage than the Endless Breeze, >>>>>>> but >>>>>>> push slightly less air through, too. >>>>> >>>>>>> May have been four years ago I wrote here about Buckminster Fuller's >>>>>>> proven >>>>>>> "cooling effect," but have not yet heard of anyone experimenting with it >>>>>>> on >>>>>>> the playa with hexayurts. >>>>> >>>>>>> Fuller proved that putting a rain-capped stovepipe in the center of the >>>>>>> roof >>>>>>> of his circular dymation house or at the apex of the roof of a geodesic >>>>>>> dome, and then having open vents about 1 foot above floor level around >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> walls of the building created an amazing, counter-intuitive cooling >>>>>>> effect. >>>>>>> The ratio of low-wall vent airflow capacity to roof vent was about 4 to >>>>>>> 1, >>>>>>> if I recall correctly. >>>>> >>>>>>> What happens -- and Fuller demonstrated this multiple times, including >>>>>>> in >>>>>>> a >>>>>>> dome at the equator built for the U.S. military -- is that as the ground >>>>>>> around the building and the walls of the building heat up as the sun >>>>>>> beats >>>>>>> down, this creates a flow of warm air rising around the outside of the >>>>>>> building. That rising air creates suction at the floor level vents, >>>>>>> pulling >>>>>>> air out of the building. That causes a rush of air to be pulled down >>>>>>> into >>>>>>> the building through the roof vent. >>>>> >>>>>>> Fuller said this phenomenon extends for hundreds of feet into the air >>>>>>> above >>>>>>> the building. So you have hot air rising in a circle around the building >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> COOL air from higher in the atmosphere hundreds of feet above the >>>>>>> building >>>>>>> being sucked down the center of the invisible column. >>>>> >>>>>>> The cooling effect was commonly reported to be in the range of 20 >>>>>>> degrees. >>>>>>> That is, the air coming in through the root pipe and dropping on the >>>>>>> room >>>>>>> had an effect of cooling the room by about 20 degrees from its >>>>>>> temperature >>>>>>> with the vents all closed. >>>>> >>>>>>> Pretty amazing. Completely passive (other than opening and closing >>>>>>> vents). >>>>>>> And, other than the initial cost to build (the pvc or stove pipe and >>>>>>> rain >>>>>>> cap and dampers), free. >>>>> >>>>>>> I say that this is counter intuitive because normally we expect interior >>>>>>> heat to rise and exit through a roof vent. And normally it does. And >>>>>>> that >>>>>>> certainly helps exhaust heat from the room or building. But it doesn't >>>>>>> bring >>>>>>> in a nice, steady, flow of cool air that drops on the room from the >>>>>>> ceiling. >>>>> >>>>>>> Hope that helps inspire someone to experiment and report their results. >>>>> >>>>>>> Best, >>>>>>> ken winston caine >>>>> >>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>>>> From: "Jack Senechal" <[email protected]> >>>>>>> To: <[email protected]> >>>>>>> Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 3:19 PM >>>>>>> Subject: Re: [hexayurt] Windows >>>>> >>>>>>> I've used metal tape to fix a plexiglass panel to the outside, and it >>>>>>> worked great. You could do two for better insulation, one inside and >>>>>>> one out. And if you have two panels of plexiglass, you can bolt >>>>>>> through them for extra solidity. But I think that might be overkill >>>>>>> for the Playa. Having the cutout in there to block the sun during the >>>>>>> part of the day when it shines in the window directly would probably >>>>>>> be a good idea. >>>>> >>>>>>> Regarding ventilation, I suspect that it would work well to generate >>>>>>> an updraft by installing a black chimney pipe in the roof. That would >>>>>>> draw air up when the sun shines on it, pulling it in through your >>>>>>> vents below. >>>>> >>>>>>> As an added bonus, you could put a damp cloth over the vent so air has >>>>>>> to pass through it, which would cool it down and moisturize the air. >>>>>>> You'd need a course fabric for that, something that's absorbent and >>>>>>> loosely woven so air could pass through well. You could drape the >>>>>>> bottom into a bucket of water, and it would wick it up continuously. >>>>> >>>>>>> I haven't actually tried those ventilation ideas to work out the kinks >>>>>>> yet, but I intend to do that this year. The principles behind it are >>>>>>> sound though :) >>>>> >>>>>>> Jack >>>>> >>>>>>> On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 11:20 AM, Milt Fisher <[email protected]> >>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>>> I was planning to tape the filters to the outside after setting up. >>>>>>>> That >>>>>>>> way >>>>>>>> I could replace the cutouts during dust storms if too much dust came >>>>>>>> through >>>>>>>> the filters. >>>>>>>> Did you just have one filter? Was that enough to provide ventilation? >>>>>>>> On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:44 AM, Steve Upstill <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>>>> Don't know if you're headed for the Playa, but I liked my hyurt nice >>>>>>>> and >>>>>>>> dark. I had great results with a furnace filter: cut a hole just small >>>>>>>> enough to hold the filter firmly. Bonus: you can still fold/stack your >>>>>>>> panels. >>>>>>>> Cheers, >>>>>>>> Steve >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when >>>>>>>> you >>>>>>>> do >>>>>>>> criticize him, you'll be a mile away and you'll have his shoes. >>>>> >>>>>>>> On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:03 AM, Milt Fisher wrote: >>>>> >>>>>>>>> I'd like some recommendations for hexayurt windows. I'm not interested >>>>>>> in >>>>>>>>> framed, sliding windows with screens, just some plastic of some kind >>>>>>>>> taped >>>>>>>>> over a hole in the panel. Any recommendations on what kind of plastic >>>>>>> to >>>>>>>>> use? Thin plexiglas maybe? Or perhaps flexible vinyl? >>>>> >>>>>>>> Any other ideas for simple windows? >>>>>>>> I'm planning to tape the plastic to the outside and hinge the panel >>>>>>> cutout >>>>>>>> into the window opening so we can close it when we want darkness. >>>>>>>> Thanks, >>>>>>>> Milt >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed >>>>> >>>>> ... >>>>> >>>>> read more » >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "hexayurt" group. >>>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>>> [email protected]. >>>> For more options, visit this group at >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "hexayurt" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >>> >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "hexayurt" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "hexayurt" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hexayurt" group. 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