OKflyboy Hatfield

PaulB wrote:
Why not make the side domes the same size as the central dome?  Cal-Earth's plans are only suggestions, and every site is different with different needs.  I don't know if you have seen it, but this is a terrific earthbag blog:  earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com

No reason other then I like the cloverleaf look of the eco dome. In the end, that's probably what I'll do.

Yes, I've seen the blog, good stuff, and he has several plans that I like on his website.

Thanks,

Ara

PaulB wrote:
The Eco-dome is a good plan, but in my opinion, the bedroom side domes are too small, at least for someone well over 6 feet tall as I am.

That's a fair point.

We plan to take the basic concept and enlarge it. The central dome in Khalilli's Eco-dome has a 15 foot diameter. In "Earthbag Building" By Kaki Hunter and Donald Kiffmeyer, its stated that the largest corbelled dome should not be more then 20 feet diameter. So we plan on making the Central dome in our eco-dome with a 20 ft diameter, and increasing all outer domes in proportion.

Watch the "Jordan" video I linked to above and you can see a clever way to use the bedroom niches. In that video, it appears they had a custom mattress made, that conforms to the entire area of the bedroom niche, and storage is available under the mattress. She sits in the bedroom, which gives you a decent idea of its size, (it appears large enough to sleep someone over 6ft tall comfortably) she also implies that she and her kids sleep there, implying that its fairly spacious.

Just this weekend I took some marking paint and a chain, and drew the floor plan out on the ground in my back yard, just to get an idea of scale. My concern was less with the bedroom niches, and more with the kitchen niche. In that same video, I mentioned. we see those niches applied to a very sparse kitchen. While I believe I could be fine with the bedroom as is, I do not believe I (nor my wife) would be happy with such a tiny kitchen.

Unfortunately, I still found the proportionally-enlarged kitchen niche fell short of the size kitchen I would prefer. Needless to say, we're still on the fence on what to do about it. More chin-scratching required...

I've seen several topics regarding Earthbag construction, but no one has mentioned Nader Khalili's Eco-dome.

Its an Earthbag construction dome, with a cloverleaf floor plan. All told its about 400sq ft, but the single structure can be duplicated and combined to create much larger structures.

Single structure floor plan:


Two Eco-domes connected:


And some finished Pics:




Here's a quick video regarding Earthbags and the Eco-dome in general:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMNzoWkXTtc

And here's a tour of an Eco-dome in Jordan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCLfJORV6Z8

I LOVE this idea!

I find myself with FREEZING feet as I sit and type at my computer desk in the winter. Something like a Kotatsu would be idea.

Sun Frost (the super-efficient refrigerator people) Energy Efficient Shower

The Problem

The design features of a conventional shower minimize thermal comfort, maximize energy use and water consumption while exacerbating moisture problems. Most of these negative effects are caused by evaporation. As small droplets of water fall from the showerhead, the high surface area and velocity of the particles of hot water experience conditions, which maximize evaporative cooling of the droplets. Water saving showerheads that produce exceptionally small water particles can actually further increase evaporation. Water Particles can be cooled by as much as 30ºF as they fall from the showerhead to the ground. Evaporation is also accelerated by convective air currents and low humidity. With the shower curtain in place, a shower area can act as a thermal chimney. Cold air enters from below the curtain; then rises as it is heated by the walls of the shower stall, falling particles of hot water, and the shower’s occupant. The humidity of the moving air is kept low by condensing its moisture load on cold surfaces in the bathroom. This often results in mold growth, rotting walls or ceilings, and wet insulation; a problem that can be particularly acute in straw bale construction.

Bathroom moisture is often controlled by the use of an exhaust fan. The fan sucks out the moisture-laden air, which is then replaced by drier outside air. During the winter, the moisture level in outside air is particularly low, further accelerating the rate of evaporation. In addition, heat is required for the fan’s make up air.
Evaporation is also the main source of heat loss from our skin. Lower humidity will result in increased heat loss from the shower’s occupant and require turning up the hot water to maintain comfortable conditions. If a window is opened to control moisture, the temperature of the bathroom will be lowered, the shower’s occupant will have to then turn up the hot water to stay comfortable. Causing the bathroom to turn into a steam room as moisture in the humid air leaving the shower condenses in the cooler room air.The walls of a bathroom are often covered with high thermal mass materials, such as ceramic tiles. The tiles will typically be below skin temperature resulting in additional heat loss via radiation and convection. The shower’s occupant will then again compensate for this heat loss by turning up the hot water even further.



The Solution

There is a simple solution to this myriad of related problems; preventing airflow to and from the showing area is the key, in other words sealing the shower stall. Additional benefits can be obtained by the incorporation of insulated low thermal mass walls that heat up rapidly. The result is a shower stall where air currents are minimized, humidity is increased and the air is warmer. All these effects will increase thermal comfort and reduce energy and water consumption. Another benefit is that with the air in the shower warmed, the water vapor present will not be condensing in the air, eliminating steamy conditions.

If the walls of the shower have a fairly low thermal mass, the shower stall will heat up rapidly so a comfortable shower can be taken even in an unheated bathroom. We constructed a shower stall for Home Power magazine. The stall has very low thermal mass; the walls are covered with “Reflectics” (aluminized bubble wrap). The top of the shower is covered with a clear plastic bubble, see photo. The shower is located in an unheated greenhouse. During the winter, when greenhouse temperatures dip to 38ºF, you can still take a comfortable shower.




A fiberglass tub/shower combination in my home was sealed with plywood and Plexiglas. This configuration allows for a comfortable shower when the air in my bathroom dips to 50ºF. After showering, I can dry off in the warmed up shower. A vent is opened in the ceiling to dry off the interior. This arrangement allows me to take a comfortable shower in a cold bathroom while using only 1/2 gallon of water per minute. Many showers use a much as 3 gallons of water per minute.

Application In Solar Homes And Developing Countries
This energy efficient shower combines effectively with solar heating, since it allows for a fairly comfortable shower when water temperatures dip to 90ºF (Typical water temperature for a shower is 105ºF). In tropical countries showers are often unheated. The water is generally not quite warm enough for a comfortable shower. To boost the temperature of the water, an electrical heater located at the showerhead is often used. The sealed shower described here could move the water into the comfort zone without using inefficient and costly electrical heating.




The above shower is not mine. The original article can be found here:
http://www.sunfrost.com/efficient_shower.html

Joel Hollingsworth wrote:
Hm...I wonder if a foam blower in the shower might make for reduced energy use, as well.

As Erica said, its not the shower that needs to be warm, its you. I plan on emulating sun frost's idea for a shower. Basically, the shower stall is sealed up tight, allowing no steam (and therefore less heat) to exit the shower. This keeps the temperature inside the stall higher while allowing one to use cooler water, but still feel warm.

http://www.sunfrost.com/efficient_shower.html

I was going to copy the content from sunfrost, but I think I will create a new thread for that.