Forum:

wheaton laboratories

Winter of 2021/2022 ATI test at Allerton Abbey

paul wheaton

author and steward

Posts: 55389

Location: missoula, montana (zone 4)

∞

I like...

posted 3 years ago

5
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

The testing is getting started.

Fred has been staying in Allerton Abbey and trying to cook at least twice a day there. A couple of weeks ago he shared some of the data.

We have three tracking thermometers: outside, inside on an exterior wall and inside on a mass wall.

Further, Cheryl is here and she is working on putting together some window quilts. After all, allerton abbey has a LOT of glass - so that is a big heat leak.

Any day now, will will be moving in, and he is gonna try to think of things to help the test to be a success and gather data.

Some key bits:

- allerton abbey has NO HEAT of any kind

- there is a rocket cooktop which is designed to carry heat for not cooking outside as quickly as possible

- there are no curtains on the many windows

- there is no southern solar gain. The windows face east and west - and southern sun is entirely blocked

Here is some of the data for outside

So for this sample, the highest high was 85 degrees and the lowest low was 19. Maybe october 12 or so.

Now for the interior temps on the mass wall

The temp did get down to 63, although it does not yet include the october 12 date. The earlier average was 70 and the latter average was 67.

Now for the interior temps on the exterior wall

It looks like on october 12, it did get down to 56 degrees inside - near the exterior wall (with all those uncurtained windows)

Dc Stewart

pollinator

Posts: 439

175

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Are there any ideas for increasing the circulation and exchange of interior air?

Fred posted some graphs a few weeks ago which included CO2 and Radon traces. I can't find the graphs but recall that the bedroom showed CO2 around 1300 ppm and Radon around 10 pCi/L. The EPA lists 1000 to 2000 ppm of CO2 as the "drowsiness" level (less than 600 ppm is the recommended target), and 4 pCi/L of Radon as the action level for mitigation (less than 2 pCi/L is the recommended target). Increased air flow would hopefully reduce the levels, especially in the sleeping area.

Devoured by giant spiders without benefit of legal counsel isn't called "justice" where I come from!
-Amazon Women On The Moon

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Here are the updated results from the past week 11/02/2021 to 11/09/2021

Screenshot_20211109-151219_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211109-152132_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211109-151236_SensorPush.jpg

Carl Nystrom

pollinator

Posts: 219

Location: Clackamas County, OR (zone 7)

127

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I have been watching this thread with great interest, as I am currently working on a cellar project and so I have been researching ground temperatures and how they fluctuate with regard to depth. I found this website has a lot of good info:

https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Cooling/EarthTemperatures.htm

I am a little jealous of your stable ground temperatures in Montana from a food-storage standpoint, but for maintaining a pleasant indoor temperature they seem fairly challenging.

It looks like at a stable depth (30ish feet down) the temperature should hover at around 42-47F depending on where in the state you are. If there truly is no heat being added to the Abbey, and you were not taking into account any losses through the glazing; then you should expect to see a curve in temperatures similar to figure 4 (only instead oscillating about 62 degrees, it would be at whatever the local mean earth temperature is - lets say 45F)

Assuming 5 feet of cover; one would expect the ground temperature there to peak at around 60F in about mid September, and then drop to a low of near freezing sometime in mid February. (Although this graph was based on a location quite a bit farther south, and latitude will likely play a role in where those peaks end up). This would imply that your regions frost depth is in the neighborhood of 5 feet, which is wild to me! Here 5" of cover is basically enough to prevent a pipe from freezing! Again, the windows will skew this, as you will be letting more heat in and out.

I read the thread on the construction a while back, but I do not recall how deep the soil layer above the structure is. Has the temperature inside ever been observed to go below freezing?

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I grabbed the data from this morning!

Screenshot_20211110-162710_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211110-142101_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211110-142052_SensorPush.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Here's Today's graphs! 11/11/2021

Screenshot_20211111-151942_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211111-152005_SensorPush.jpg

Michael Cox

pollinator

Posts: 3910

Location: Kent, UK - Zone 8

717

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

What is going on with the temperature jump at 12am?

Moderator, Treatment Free Beekeepers group on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/treatmentfreebeekeepers/

PEP - BB5 Badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by gir bot

woodland care - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Ash Jackson

animal care - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Ash Jackson

Food Prep and Preservation - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Ash Jackson

community living - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Ash Jackson

John Weiland

pollinator

Posts: 2706

Location: RRV of da Nort, USA

809

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Maybe a dumb question or comment, but is there some reason why the Allerton Abbey building is the one getting all of the sensor attention? is there some link to where it is mentioned why the Abbey was chosen for this model versus other buildings at Wheaton Labs? Or are the results being compared to a more functional and RMH-equipped building for the purpose of comparison? Thanks!

“The most important decision we make is whether we believe we live in a friendly or hostile universe.”― Albert Einstein

Kenneth Elwell

pollinator

Posts: 1195

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

525

I like...

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Michael Cox wrote:What is going on with the temperature jump at 12am?

Thinking the same, but that "jump" is only 3*F... the proportions of the graphs are wacky!
It seems to fit max<-->min into the full X-axis regardless of the swing. The earlier posts of the outside temps in September were ~95*F swings, the latest indoor temps are maybe 5*F swings?!?!
VERY difficult for a visual thinker to compare.

Nails are sold by the pound, that makes sense.
Soluna Garden Farm -- Flower CSA -- plants, and cut flowers at our farm.

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Yeah graph scale is going to be different now with daily updates and not monthly. So pay close attention to the Min/Max values

Also I've been informed the "Outdoor Temp" is from a different sensor so here is that from the beginning of October.

Screenshot_20211112-123534_SensorPush.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Data for 11/12/2021:

Screenshot_20211112-144916_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211112-144815_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211112-144949_SensorPush.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Data for 11/13/2021:

Screenshot_20211113-221421_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211113-221451_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211113-221503_SensorPush.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

11/14/2021:

Screenshot_20211114-203047_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211114-203109_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211114-203124_SensorPush.jpg

Mark Brunnr

gardener

Posts: 1240

364

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Kenneth Elwell wrote:

Michael Cox wrote:What is going on with the temperature jump at 12am?

Thinking the same, but that "jump" is only 3*F... the proportions of the graphs are wacky!
It seems to fit max<-->min into the full X-axis regardless of the swing. The earlier posts of the outside temps in September were ~95*F swings, the latest indoor temps are maybe 5*F swings?!?!
VERY difficult for a visual thinker to compare.

Even though it's only 1-3 degrees, it is interesting seeing that something is happening just after midnight to cause a temp jump and humidity drop, same as around 8am. My guess is that whoever is living in the Abbey is starting a fire in the rocket cooktop before bed, and then in the morning it's fired longer to cook breakfast. The cooktop isn't intended to be a space heater but a little heat is put out and perhaps it's too cold.

John Weiland wrote:Maybe a dumb question or comment, but is there some reason why the Allerton Abbey building is the one getting all of the sensor attention?

Allerton Abbey is the only wofati on the property which has the umbrella installed to keep the thermal mass around the walls dry. That is key for keeping the soil warmer since rain and melted snow would soak the soil, and wet soil will not hold heat at all in cold weather.

The holy trinity of wholesomeness: Fred Rogers - be kind to others; Steve Irwin - be kind to animals; Bob Ross - be kind to yourself

PEP - BB10 Badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by gir bot

Carl Nystrom

pollinator

Posts: 219

Location: Clackamas County, OR (zone 7)

127

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Yeah, looking at those graphs it is pretty clear that the thing that is maintaining the internal temperature is the cookstove being fired twice a day. As soon as the temperature spike ends, the graph resumes a steady drop. This could be tested by not having fires for a time, and seeing if the slope of that decline changes, but I think they tried that already in last years test.

Mark, your mention of melted snow made me think of one thing, and that is that snow is actually a pretty good insulator (compared to soil, at least). I found a site about soil r-values and it says that snow is around R1 per inch. Soil they estimated was around R0.125 or R0.25 per inch, but they do point out that "soil" is a very broad term. So; if there is currently any snow on top of the berm, that should help quite a bit to maintain the interior at its equilibrium temperature.

Maybe this was covered somewhere else, but what exactly is the experimental hypothesis that is being tested? Since wood is being burned to heat the inside, is any attempt being made to measure how much is being used?

Mark Brunnr

gardener

Posts: 1240

364

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

The hypothesis is that without any solar gain from south facing windows or dedicated heating, can a wofati maintain a livable indoor temperature just from normal cooking and inhabitant body heat.

The holy trinity of wholesomeness: Fred Rogers - be kind to others; Steve Irwin - be kind to animals; Bob Ross - be kind to yourself

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Thanks Mark for following up on those questions!

I've been in the Abbey for a week now. I personally would not enjoy myself here if the test was to go a period without lighting the stove and having no hot meals while I'm here. I'll let someone else take up that mantle unless it has been done before.

Despite not doing that sort of test the temperature drop does stoll seem to put weigh the minimal heat given off from the stove. I've done some longer cooking tests to see how much is given off for a period of "burn time." I also have started leaving the feed chamber open while cooking as it works just as well that way and allows a bit more of the heat into the room.

I have the graphs here from this past week. We had a number of cloudy and cold days this week so there is a dip in the height of the peaks.

I think my new test would be to try a constant burn time throughout the week and likely be doing 2 to 3 cooks a day.

We got the window quilts all in place thanks to Cheryl and I'm finding some little spots that could use improvement (i.e. cracks in door seals/window seals, etc.)

Here are this week's graphs and also been letting in some light from the east windows in the mornings as it doesn't last long!

Screenshot_20211122-105755_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211122-105518_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211122-105537_SensorPush.jpg

20211122_084809.jpg

20211122_084815.jpg

Mark Brunnr

gardener

Posts: 1240

364

I like...

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I believe it's always been the goal that cooking all the meals in there with 2 people is intended, versus not cooking at all. Part of the ATI part is also having people living in the Abbey all year long, to open windows on hot days and keep cooking to charge up the mass, which I believe Fred was doing earlier. That's great to get the window covers, has the gray water plumbing to the green house been done yet? Perhaps that pipe would need to run under the Abbey berm/mass to keep that pipe from freezing the water that runs through it?

The holy trinity of wholesomeness: Fred Rogers - be kind to others; Steve Irwin - be kind to animals; Bob Ross - be kind to yourself

L. Johnson

gardener

Posts: 1876

Location: Japan, zone 9a/b, annual rainfall 2550mm, avg temp 1.5-32 C

955

I like...

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

While I'm sure they make a difference as they are, wouldn't the curtains ideally have a bit of overhang past the actual window glass dimensions on all sides, top, sides, and bottom? Are they multi-layer?

一期一会

oddball - sand badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Barkley

round wood woodworking - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Mike Haasl

textiles - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Leigh Tate

homesteading - air badge (verified skill)
Skill verified by Leigh Tate

Mark Brunnr

gardener

Posts: 1240

364

I like...

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Ideally the curtains should fit inside the window frame with a friction fit, otherwise if sitting flush against the wall then the air between the curtain and glass will still chill and drop down the wall. Also I've read that you want to include a waterproof layer just under the inner side of the curtain, so that water vapor doesn't work through the curtain and condense on the glass, then drip onto the sill. That would also require a friction fit inside the window frame.

The holy trinity of wholesomeness: Fred Rogers - be kind to others; Steve Irwin - be kind to animals; Bob Ross - be kind to yourself

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I do not know the construction of the window quilts and yes they are not perfect either, but their current state of existence is still better than none in my opinion.

It seems it takes several hours for the temperature to drop significantly and I'm hoping that if I can maintain at least a 1 to 1 1/2 hour "cook time" 3 times a day then we MIGHT see a steady climb in average indoor temperature.

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I feel I should clarify if it hasn't been stated earlier. The "mass" of Allerton Abbey isn't your typical mass from a rocket mass heater. It is simply the structure itself. The only mass that truly stores the heat from the fires being used for cooking is the stove itself. Most heat is directed immediately outside.

So far within the 1.5 hour burns I've done so far I can get the temperature readings up about 1.5° F and then it takes anywhere from 8 to 12 hours for that temperature to drop back to where it was at the start of the last burn.

So my theory is I can get the average indoor temp to gradually rise with each meal preparation (sometimes I just make tea or coffee but keep the burn time relatively the same)

My hopes are the data after this week will reveal that my theory holds true.

I noticed today the temperature seemed to drop much quicker with a few of the window quilts drawn despite the bit of solar gain I was getting from the east windows. Once I closed the quilts the temperature started to level off and decrease much much slower.

My first week I had started the fires with very little burnable materials and going straight in with large firewood pieces.

I now am utilizing thinner wood strips that burn hotter and faster to put off more heat into the space. I can get the temperature up about 0.5° in about 15 minutes with that technique.

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

7
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I added in a very slight improvement today. Folded up some strips of fleece scrap to help seal around the door. The felt lining it was a start but you could still see lots of light coming through the gaps around the door.

Hopefully this will help retain heat here within the abbey

20211127_162748.jpg

20211127_162720.jpg

20211127_162711.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Here we go with another week of graphs!

So far my trend is looking up!

Gotten the average up above 55° this week although these last few days have been a bit warmer than when we started. Hopefully with the little improvements it will start to show more. Otherwise, I've been pretty comfortable here lately even though I'm sure I've acclimated by now.

Screenshot_20211129-123133_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211129-123111_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211129-123051_SensorPush.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Week of 11/29 to 12/6

Note: NEVER forget to put the lid back on the stove. Lost a lot of progress but may just be because it's much colder now...

Screenshot_20211206-095510_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211206-094819_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211206-094857_SensorPush.jpg

Will Park

Posts: 47

I like...

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Here are the previous week's graphs. Started to dip a little lower now that it's been steadily snowing all week

Screenshot_20211213-121502_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211213-121421_SensorPush.jpg

Screenshot_20211213-121433_SensorPush.jpg

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

5
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Hey everybody, I'll be taking the ATI torch from Will as the new humble guest at Allerton Abbey. So without further delay, here's another snowy December weeks worth of data to feast your eyes on.

Screenshot_20211220-150621_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20211220-150607_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20211220-150528_SensorPush.png

Go with the flow that only you know, and consider the rest as sketchy at best. Far be it from me to try and turn moss into a tree - for moss has a beauty same as carpet has a duty. Call me Apple, I require a minimum number of chill hours to be fruitful and crush.

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Another week of data here at AA HQ. It's snowed on snow and then it snowed some more. Those weren't reindeer on the roof, just some daring young does mullein munching at midnight. <that's harmony, one foot crunch at a time>

Screenshot_20211227-172937_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20211227-173004_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20211227-173027_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20211227-173042_SensorPush.png

Mark Brunnr

gardener

Posts: 1240

364

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Thanks for sharing! While the values seem "spiky" I think it's just the scale being so small, vs if the min and max were further apart. Do you know if the interior temp sensors are sitting on the surface in direct contact with the air, or if they are buried any in the material? I'm tempted to get a couple sensors that I could place between the wall boards and mass of my future place, so at least one is not exposed to any air, and would better reflect the earthen mass temps over time, with almost no spikiness day to day but gradual changes as the mass charges/discharges.

The holy trinity of wholesomeness: Fred Rogers - be kind to others; Steve Irwin - be kind to animals; Bob Ross - be kind to yourself

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

The sensor's are all on the interior/or exterior of the structure - completely exposed to the ambient air inside and out. I'll add that the interior sensors are fairly close to the main door that I mainly use. calculate intuitively accordingly,

Grey T. Klein

pollinator

Posts: 141

Location: Limerick, PA

343

I like...

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Mark Brunnr wrote:Thanks for sharing! While the values seem "spiky" I think it's just the scale being so small, vs if the min and max were further apart.

The temp range on each graph is key. For instance, the sensor in the bedroom shows a difference of 5F° between min and max temp, while over by the stovepipe and main door it swings between 52°F and 62°F. I'm into the idea of making a graph with the two data sets plotted.

Fun Fact, the SensorPush app asks you to assign a name to each device. Being a man of culture, Caleb took care to include the diacritic in "Château" 🇫🇷

Check out my Bootcamp Journal: Building and Growing at Wheaton Labs in 2022

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

3
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Another week of full-on Montana mountain winter and it shows on the graphs - but only just. Those peaks and troughs are pretty unextreme thanks to the buffering nature of mother earth.

Screenshot_20220103-201311_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20220103-201326_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20220103-201342_SensorPush.png

Screenshot_20220103-201955_SensorPush.png

Carl Nystrom

pollinator

Posts: 219

Location: Clackamas County, OR (zone 7)

127

posted 3 years ago

Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Is the amount of wood being burned still classified? I stuck those images in MSPaint and used the pixel coordinates to pull out some numbers. There are 92 pixels per 24hr period. I compared the duration of the peaks from back in november to now, and it looks like the larger fires (high peaks) are now being run for 3 or 4 hours vs about 2 hours back then. Would you guys be willing to do a fuel consumption test? Weigh out how much wood is burned in a day? You can get a pretty good estimate of moisture content by weighing a piece of wood, and then putting it somewhere hot and dry until the weight stops dropping.

It just seems to me that if wood is going to have to be burnt anyway for space heating, maybe it would make sense to retrofit the stove into a rocket mass heater at some point in the future?

It is interesting research you are doing, keep up the good work!

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Hi Carl,

I actually didn't know the specific quantity of fuel/kindling used on a incremental basis was classified. I'll have to check on that tho as I suspect is has to do with a number of variables that I'm not aware of. But quantitative scientific measuring aside for now, I could give a few thoughts from my anecdotal experience.

The length of my burns/cooking just depending on whether I'm boiling water, cowboy biscuits or attempting curry like the other evening. It really does depend on how minimalist, extravagant or even destracted I get - victom of multitasking syndrome here.

I personally only get the stove top to 1000 degrees if I want to boil water or make pure carbon. I'm really good at that :D the rest of the time I play it safe and keep it on the conservative side, if I have the time.

I like the idea of a hybrid RMH plus cooktop but I wonder how insanely hot this place would get if I tried to make curry with even less room on the range/ consecutive stages instead of simultaneous when I can. I would estimate it would have to be well tuned to the combination requirements.

I guess if nothing else this winter will be a very strong baseline for nailing next year's optimizations.

Just my from the hip 2c, hope you find it useful.

Cheers

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

4
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Its not winning any macgyver awards but it turned the freezer off under the door and will do it when I leave as well unlike the knitted noodle before. Just made an old shirt into a loop, stapled it and ran a bit of heavy bent wire inside then attached it to the door. Iteration 1 - ugly but functional, iteration 2 - sew up some heaver material around the wire for a more durable and form fit, iteration 3 - make it pretty in the spring.

IMG_20220104_180254.jpg

Mark Brunnr

gardener

Posts: 1240

364

I like...

posted 3 years ago

1
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

I was quickly eyeballing the temps and it looks like it's gone down a bit inside to match being much colder outside. Hopefully catching any remaining drafts will help that! I wonder if that app can export a graph of say a full month rather than a week, to see broader trends in the indoor temps?

Matt Walker's cooktop has a bypass for a stratification chamber that can be used in winter, I expect a sliding piece of metal with a handle out the back left corner of the current stove which would direct gases either up the exhaust or into the bench and then out the exhaust. I forget if this is truly the first full winter for the ATI test or in last winter counted, but I believe you'd need at least 3 winters minimum to compare the moving average interior mass temps over time to see if they go up each year. Hait said it took several years with his PAHS system, so it might only be 2-3F increase per year on average. I'd prefer the flexibility of a mass bypass, and getting the mass charged up faster with it could only help.

I'm looking forward to getting my own build started this year, and we'll see how it compares. I'm thinking I'll include Hait's air pipes through the mass for ventilation, and aiming it at solar south and having an enclosed greenhouse attached like an earthship on the south wall will certainly add new variables to it.

The holy trinity of wholesomeness: Fred Rogers - be kind to others; Steve Irwin - be kind to animals; Bob Ross - be kind to yourself

Caleb Hattemar

pollinator

Posts: 432

886

posted 3 years ago

2
Number of slices to send:

Optional 'thank-you' note:

Send

Hey Mark,
The Abbey does appear to be losing some ground on the differential now that the outside temps are decidedly winter. The real challenge here with sealing things up better is that I'm not able to have the doors or windows wide open to install weatherstripping like one normally does. Doing that results in somewhat of a Pyrrhic victory. I'll add the 'month' graph to my next update in just a bit.

Also, I like the ideas and mods your suggesting especially the bypass flap to a mass and pointing it south with a greenhouse - new variables indeed.