I think Home Depot is dropping them altogether. I did an online check of stores in my sister's zip code in North Carolina: all blanks. Online, there's no shortage of stores willing to sell you the pads for $6--plus $17 to ship. GRR!
-- Nobody can be quite as stupid as a really smart person. Why? Because smart people can talk themselves into anything. On Aug 12, 2011, at 11:41 AM, David Kelso wrote: > 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 ยป >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> 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. > 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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