Compost heap hot water - Free water heating

This video shows how you can heat water to high temperatures for free. People throw away garden waste all the time, which could be put to a much better use. A win win as when the compost is decomposed, it will feed your garden again.
Imagine a bigger compost pile with a heat exchanger inside, having water pumped to a storage tank.

[@newbeginningsinbulgaria]

I love any of these energy savings ideas. We used to run a pipe network under a cow straw yard for the same effect. That was under concrete, but still heated the water to around 40 degrees.

[@butterflycottage6421]

That's a great idea. We are doing a new solar collector this year. Hoping it will heat to 60+ like our old one. The compost heat heated water goes for washing up and outdoor showers.

[@ScotsmanInBulgaria]

Very informative video!! Had never thought of that.. We will try this method 👍🏻😀

[@butterflycottage6421]

It's a fantastic way especially if you have an outstanding bath like us 😉. We are going to try it in winter and see how well it does.

[@jockcherokee5180]

Like the simplicity of the idea, no fuss.

[@butterflycottage6421]

Thank you. We intend to do 2 heaps this year with 6-8 bottles in to fill a bath maybe. 🙂

[@TheTimerman1]

Just a thought Penny, but why not make a pipe network in the middle of the compost heap running to an insulated storage tank? Fed by a hose from cold tap, so when you drain hot water out the pipe will automatically top up the system, also as heat rises through the water the tank should be constantly full of warm water if not hot water. Worth experimenting with either way in my opinion :)

[@pennyday827]

Hi Davey. Great minds think alike. We are planning to move the heap to the side of the house and put a coul in to feed to a storage tank by thermal siphoning. Next step will be to heat the roads too. Just need to get more comfortable materials.

[@queenstreetsystems]

excellent - thank you

[@pennyday827]

Glad to be a help.

[@EverydayDukanDiet]

Awesome 👌

[@butterflycottage6421]

Thank you. 😊

[@robertpitt8418]

How long would that size compost heap give of that amount of heat. Thank you.

[@butterflycottage6421]

Hi, it will keep heating as long as you keep feeding it and turning it. Of course it's better to have more than 1 heap so you can continuously have heat. If you don't feed it, it will start to cool down slowly. You will get around 2-3 weeks heat. Please let us know if you try it. It's always good to compare notes.

[@robertpitt8418]

@@butterflycottage6421 has your compost heap ever egnited on its own. Thank you.

[@pennyday827]

No, never.

[@robertpitt8418]

@@pennyday827 thank you for replying so quickly, i hope i didn't startle you ; )

[@pennyday827]

Not at all 😉

[@easy_s3351]

Have a look at Jean Pain, who was one of the first to use a compost heap to heat his water but he also used the methane from it to run his car and tractor. You can also look at Biomeiler which will show you a far more efficient way to extract heat from your compost heap by using a garden hose or something similar formed into a coil and placed inside your compost heap to warm up a water tank. Using that principle you should be able to get the water in the tank as warm as 60C to 70C, depending on how warm your compost heap is. it's a bit more work and you'll have to get the materials for it but it's well worth it. And if you place the water tank high enough (bottom of the tank at least as high as the outlet of the spiral in your compost heap) you don't need a pump.The outlet of the spiral (top of compost heap) then feeds into the top of the water tank and from the bottom of the tank (where the colder water is) you then return to the inlet of the spiral (bottom of compost heap).

[@pennyday827]

Hi, thank you for your comment. We thermo siphon our hot water at the moment using a fire outside in winter and a homemade solar collector in summer. We have thought about using the heap to heat our tank. Will take a look. Thanks again.

[@helengren9349]

At how many degrees do plastic bottles melt... 🤔

[@pennyday827]

Hi, I'm not sure but, it wasn't that hot.

[@katyroberts113]

Hun, that's amazing! Hun. Ding a ling a ling! Love it!

[@pennyday827]

Glad you like it 😊

[@RightOne1]

BTW, won't such heat extraction reduce the pile temperature and result in poor composting?

[@pennyday827]

Hi, the compost was great quality. We are in Bulgaria and it's hot here. The outside temperature helps to keep the heap hot. We haven't tried it in winter.

[@RightOne1]

@@pennyday827 but hot water is mostly required in winters. Pl try and post an update.

[@pennyday827]

We use our oven in winter for hot water. As it's only just summer here an update is a few months away yet. Where in the world do you live? 🙂