Massive Earth Tube Installation Begins | Geothermal Cooling

Excavation and installation begins on the earth tube air conditioning system for our off-grid house.
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[@phyllisstein1837]

I was half expecting Jim to hand the can back to Jess to open for him. 🤣

[@TheRealKlinky]

There is a geothermal constant in most areas of the earth that hardly changes year round & is unaffected by weather. The only difference is the depth. This is the reason that half buried underground houses are so thermally efficient. Well done.

[@flightycocktails]

I’m so excited to learn more about this cooling system!

[@spacegamer85]

Earthships use this cooling system and it works great, just need an exit vent to release the hot air and manage the air flow.

[@RedStorm.]

Maybe you can explain how the system works, and why you do certain things..like the holes purpose, the lengths of tube needed for how much air you want, ect...would be so cool to get a blow by blow account of what you are doing in the trenches !! lol good work

[@I_must_get_a_van]

Why would you bother sealing the pipes together when you are drilling holes in the pipe?

[@2012WatchThis2012]

The holes are messed up. Dude is confused between a septic system and his air conditioning project which is proof a little information is dangerous. Well, when they are done, they will know how not to do this 😆

[@williamhuntington1397]

I just LOVE watching all of the great things that you two get accomplished!!!

[@adobo6905]

I am not trying to disappoint you. The piping is undersized to supply enough air volume to cool your space. You need to lay 3 more of the same pipes and connect the pipes to a planum inside the house. Good luck.

[@ServiceTrek]

how do you calculate that? I'm thinking of a similar idea here in NE Ohio. Want to use the passive geothermal to keep a barn above freezing in the winter.

[@ourselfreliantlife]

The pipe size we're using is perfect. 👌

[@user-tg2gm1ih9g]

@@ourselfreliantlife a positive attitude is good ... but you are wrong and will be terribly unhappy with your undersized cool tube. But you MAY have time to fix it, before everything is re-buried.

[@ourselfreliantlife]

@user-tg2gm1ih9g this is all put together from an expert source.

[@Melissa02891]

Wow I had no idea how massive this project would be, I can't wait to see the rest of the process and how it all works. You really have a vision about this build and all the steps you'll need to take. We get to enjoy the video, while you're doing all the hard work. Hope the excavator guy doesn't keep you waiting too long for that third trench. This is pretty cool ❤

[@RedandAprilOff-Grid]

Deep trenches are dangerous but they look pretty solid! It's a good thing your soil isn't sandy. Stay safe! 💛🏜️

[@timpinkerton2893]

My neighbor was killed when a trench collapsed on him..... never get into a unsupported trench.

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

I had the exact same thought. My blood pressure went up watching him work in the trench

[@TheBirdFlu666]

Yeah I was going to say the same thing. Never be down in one alone! I've worked in construction for over 34 years. I've never seen one collapse but have seen and heard stories. On the few jobs where I had to be down in one we had supports holding up the sides.

[@racebanning6390]

Go Jimmy Go!👍👍Ive seen that type of Cooling system and they work Gooood! And they are a 1 time expense, which is a bonus. Priceless moment with Yuvee sittin on that big mountain of dirt patrolling the homestead scene....😂🤣💙Shes a hoot. Gitter done, be blessed yoo all. 🙏🙏🇺🇸

[@EnGammalAmazon]

I'm looking forward to watch this whole video when I finish my work outside today. Before I forget to post a note here, I wanted to add a reminder to myself to let people know that I used this same system in Oregon in 1979. There one thing that this system is also very useful for. If you can lay the piping at a slight grade away from the structure, you will find out that as the air cools, the moisture will condense and run back down the cooling tubes where it can be gathered in a cistern. This is pure water (essentially distilled) that can be used to supplement other water systems or as a source of drinkable water if the main source has issues that make it less than desirable for cooking and drinking. It's just a thought that someone may want to try. On this homesite it would be harder to do because the ground is so flat that it would be hard to set the tube at a grade and you would have to dig a large hole to install a collection and pumping tank. I property had enough grade that I was able to simply gather the water at the air intake and install a line back to the house.

[@brendamower1412]

Congratulations, another step completed. It's going to be fun to see how it all will work

[@gerryhartung736]

Remember the monsoons when you install the pipes! Don't let them fill with AGUA!

[@PastorRob77]

Yes, I don't understand the purpose of the holes in the top of the pvc if he's going to backfill. I've done the same for irrigation purposes.

[@sidekickbob7227]

​@@PastorRob77 he glued the pipes with the holes on the top, for easy alignment. Then he turned the pipe, so the holes pointed down.

[@leelulady2010]

​@@sidekickbob7227 they will still fill up occasionally though, due to water pressure vs air. They also weren't (aren't yet?) covered with those fabric netting "sleeves", so sediment will cause a problem over time.

[@sidekickbob7227]

@@leelulady2010 He knows. That's why he drilled those drainage holes in. And the system isn't a perfect solution, but it works in an off grid enviroment.

[@PastorRob77]

@@sidekickbob7227 I understand the principle of the system to move air from outside, cooled underground, and into the home. I just don't understand the purpose of drilling the holes in the pipe.

[@joyevefarmandforge]

Hubby finished our water catchment system this week!!! Then we had a great rain! So gratifying. Good job on your progress!

[@koningbolo4700]

13:40 Using the two jar system of pvc glue it is good practise to tape the two jars together so the chance of knocking any of them over is slim to none...

[@mosbysmen]

every time i open one it is a solid chunk

[@bran-qt7ds]

There's no reason or benefit to using primer in low/no pressure installations like this anyway. Waste of time and money.

[@Joshua-nq9vb]

This comment exactly. I learned this trick from an old marina owner when I was a dock hand. It's an excellent pro tip.

[@nicholasgardiner9601]

Power tools, passive geothermal, oh yeah!🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@OfftoShambala]

It’s amazing to watch that thing… it does in 1 minute what would take me 3 days… worth every penny! Perfect music…

[@ourselfreliantlife]

The excavator we use is a pro. We wouldn't have been able to do this by hand.

[@BTUChaser1]

This comment from an hvac engineer…. A 6” diameter pipe/duct typically handles about 150 CFM. Each ton of cooling requires 400 CFM. I assume you will need at least 2 tons or more ( >800 CFM). Also….mold concern…. Your drain holes are an excellent and important feature to allow the condensate to drain but I would still be concerned about mold forming on the interior of the piping which could cause health issues and odors.

[@88corinutza]

40 Years in hvac myself , not to mention Radon and other unknown gasses

[@TimAZ]

I enjoyed this episode. My parents used a similar method using concrete tubes back in the '70s.

[@tammysmith7345]

When you really hoped the video was going to be longer, I enjoyed it but just wanted more ❤

[@roundron14]

you guys are all in on these tubes, totally doing it right. It's totally going to work! Super excited for the finish

[@Nannygoat]

I always think digging that deep that fossils and dinosaur bones would be found!

[@heatherk8931]

😂i was thinking the same thing

[@annwithaplan9766]

My Gramma, what straight lines you have. The better to cool you, my dears.

[@davejones4854]

Dog, "the bad news is my tail is the only toy that I have , the good news is it goes ever where I go!!!"

[@hombredeacero3131]

Nice straight trenches. And awesome range!

[@phyllisstein1837]

ah, a rare sighting of the north american fluffy-licker-barn-swallow. a native bird species known for their fondness of humans. and the food the humans offer.

[@silverdominguez8801]

Yay I'm happy to see your video, and excited for you.

[@ShellyD-yh4xq]

Wow lots of hard work you three. And I noticed more birds are showing up😊. Thank you for sharing.

[@rk9family84]

Could you explain the need for the holes and whether you have the holes facing up or down? Thank you! This is a very interesting idea. We look forward to you explaining more about how it works. 😊

[@AAdams-nd1pj]

When the air is cooled, moisture will condense. The holes will drain the moisture into the gravel. Of course the holes face down

[@saxonsoldier67]

Holes were drilled facing up along the writing to keep it straight. Then, rotated down to allow drainage of moisture. 15:43 shows holes down as the angled connector is put on. Airflow through the ground loop can be forced or natural based on design. There is an alternative closed loop system using 3/4 " polytube filled with water/glycol mix connected to a pump and radiator with fan to exchange thermal energy. A 400 ' run with 2 trenches 100' long works very well. Up and down each trench with the 3/4" polytubing. Considering the very dry subsurface soil there, I'd go with airflow through the pipe. No danger of mold growth in their buried pipes.

[@TungB]

@@saxonsoldier67 So this cheaper system would only work well in well drained arid locations? That limits its usefulness. Even with holes down on gravel, how long until it saturates with soil? 5-10 years? That seems foolish. Can that thin walled PVC pipe handle that amount of weight of wet soil without distorting and breaking over time? I think I would go for a more expensive closed loop system, or maybe ceramic pipe. Why chintz on the pipe after paying for that excavator?

[@saxonsoldier67]

@@TungB Valid concerns. That PVC pipe is capable of being buried much deeper than the 5' shown. There in that desert region, it is a great choice and will likely last 100 years or more. The only critiques I could have is to dig a wider trench in order to have a pipe on each bottom edge 4' apart and a few feet deeper. 1 trench, 2 pipes. Whenever there are ground moisture issues, a closed loop system would make more sense. A closed system requires a pump, fan, and radiator to exchange the thermal energy. The system in this video will be a passive system perhaps with a backup fan to move air through it if needed. Every location requires appropriate changes in materials and techniques. The inexpensive system shown here is simple and could be done for $1 k including the backhoe rental. It fits in well with their DIY homestead. By all means, you could spend much more and get better results.

[@GerardAhern-sq1wh]

You guy's are awesome. I love watching you, because it's always something I wanted too do.

[@chadsshow2010]

Awesome work. Was missing the videos. Glad progress on earth tubes are working out. 😊

[@SVPearler]

I worked for a company in Oz that did geothermal heating/cooling. 50m of piping down drilled holes. This would get to the cooler constant temp. Thus, just running the water pump through the heat exchanger gave an air temp in the home close to 23 degrees C. Back in the 90s, it was expensive as it was also a fully ducted system. We also did a job at the State Electricity companys Economical Showhouse.

[@brendabarnes4091]

So happy for you guys!!

[@verdajanefrench6692]

I saw agate that open and closed with out leaving your vehicle.. It was invented in Australia they invented a gate that uses the weight of a vehicle to open. The gate automatic ly opens with the weight. The gate lifting ramp will hole the gate open for 7 seconds to give you time to drive through.

[@jmfarrell5]

Learning so much from you folks. Great progress. 👏🏻👏🏻

[@Iyutdgts]

You should use one of the 4 inch tubes and make a funnel at the top so you can direct the rock right into the area you want it

[@googiesfairyfarm4834]

Gotta say… Anybody pulling up to your place with ill intent will take one look at your private shooting range and decide to keep driving🤣

[@JamesHollinger-lt8qx]

Just a suggestion.. Anticipating water in trench... Dig the line lowering one end and install maybe 4 inches of gravel unter the pipe... On the low end dig like a 4ft lower hole for any water to drain into Maybe use a corrugated drain pipe vertically to be able to pump any access water from....

[@terencetyndall8596]

Have not seen you people for a long time glad to see you'll are still at it really enjoy watching your videos - life takes so many changes - but Its always one foot forward and eyes open and brain learning take care.

[@ourselfreliantlife]

Welcome back! We have a video just about every weekend.

[@bobbilynngibson302]

So exciting! Looking great. Wonderful progress

[@chucklestheclown8024]

Forget the geothermal thingy, you had me at gun range! 👍

[@albertdehn8381]

Thanks for sharing 😀👍

[@kathybaudoin2138]

Now this looks cool!

[@AboutTime-xi5ie]

Oh boy here you go with your air conditioning....I love it and your shooting range, and it's so nice of your girl to mark the spot for her territory. I am so proud of you both, you do keep on keeping on...so stay strong and keep smiling....

[@chandrasutton4669]

Yeah, Earthtubes!!!😊🎉❤

[@0livelanette859]

Congratulations on the forward progresses ! Nice to see you guys smiling ! ♥

[@user-nw7pw9gp8g]

Awesome job 💯👍👍👍. You both totally Rock 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻 lots of love and hugs to you too from Indiana 🇱🇷🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

[@wadeprior5203]

Good morning, Jim. How are you doing lucky? Looks like you're doing a good jabbed. Keep up the good work anything new. How's our dog doing today? Everybody okay k after alright, have a good day. Enjoy your work to speak careful, no accidents.

[@madmex2k]

Uvee claiming the gun range as her poop range 1st thing. Worked great! Thanks, Dad, for clearing up the land so I don't have to dig up a clean spot to poop without weeds tickling my booty.

[@madmex2k]

9000 comments about the holes filling with water and radon gas. I see what you did there! Way to get your numbers up! hahaha jk. I always trust that you and Jess both have researched and know what you are doing with tons of examples and videos watched as templates before you the stuff you do. The sheer cost alone warrants gathering as much info prior to engaging any project. Folks get a bit impatient with no 'splainin, even tho you did splain. I like it, I want to see it working when its done. Every other comment is filled with suggestions of how to do it better. The work you both get done is awesome, especially when you consider there is only 2 of you working on your projects. Its not like you have 4 or so teenage kids helping Mom and Dad build your multiple projects...random shiny thought.

[@kcbeerslinger]

Dude!!! I was always taught to never ever get in a trench over your head without shoring. Never. Even a few pieces of plywood and some scrap 2x4s. Plus without someone working above, if it did start to cave in, you have no help. We also place empty 5 gal. buckets along the trench so if it fails someone could put a bucket on your head in case it covers you completely. Being in a trench is no joke my friend. Especially when heavy equipment is above . I don't want to hear about a popular You Tuber that dies in a trench collapse. Also, nice shooting range. A cooler full of brew and a bucket full of ammo and your all set. Stay safe.

[@madmex2k]

He's not alone, Jess was up top filming.

[@stephenrangel621]

These earth tubes seem pretty interesting . I can't wait to see your results. Peace from California

[@GM-cq6ez]

🕉

[@jerrybingham2105]

Man that was some excellent Backhoe work!

[@peterwaroblak166]

I've always liked this geo-cooling method and it could send in some heat in the winter, that trench might be a good place to plant some fruit trees

[@normaburton161]

I think this is a great idea and I'm really excited to watch how it's done

[@bigpoppaaaron3367]

You should consider adding a large diameter "air collector" on the inlet side to catch as much air as possible. Just a thought in case you haven't already thought of it LOL Looking great!

[@l0gic23]

And filter

[@buydirectusa4954]

I like that kind of natural ac. Any concerns about radon?

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

​@@buydirectusa4954I wonder about that as well. Maybe they live in a place with minimal radon?

[@ericjohnson1008]

I'm excited to see how this all comes together. It'll be awesome.

[@allon33]

Your valley has deep alluvial soil, you could grow a Forest on that land. 🤠

[@Mary-cb5jx]

Looking forward to seeing your progress 👍

[@Teerae11]

The trench guy did great !! Can't wait to see how this works , how it's designed, great work !!

[@johnfullenwider8175]

Just a comment to make you aware, the guy dug a ditch left too much dirt in the bottom with every foot you go down to spoil needs to be a foot away from the ditch and because how deep you are by law you have to have shoring so I pray that you’re safebesides that is not deep enough to get down to where the cooling really is but it’ll help I spent over 50 years running heavy equipment

[@rockysplace6012]

Yay looking amazing

[@oscarverduzcojr.5687]

Beautiful, can’t wait to see the rest

[@downtoearth1950]

Geothermal has been around for centuries 😊

[@crazycloud2]

And it has been sadly ignored, even though it is a + for the planet.

[@debrabrooks6138]

Making great progress! You did great!

[@omegaroyal]

It is a dirty job but someone has got to do it.

[@YourAverageWitch]

I like that shooting range! That's something we wanted to do as well. Now you just got two 100' snake traps in your yard, haha

[@IonOtter]

Next time, use a "Step Drill Bit" That's precisely what they're made for, so they can make the desired size hole, without cracking the material.

[@kevinhwcrabbe-mr3dy]

It’s going to be nice when that is done Jim and Jess where you guys waited for a long time to get it done and happy had other things to do until this day. God bless you both and keep safe from your friend in Southern Alberta Canada.

[@flyoverurbangarden4315]

Great job!!!!!!! And the guy did an excellent job on those trenches.

[@stevehesseltine1898]

Living a little dangerous down in that trench with no cribbing. Be careful Jim.🤨

[@smeejay9621]

I thought the same thing, lucky the soil there seems to be quite solid and stable

[@tbrizius]

Yeah, was hoping for some shoring myself. I guess the soil is so hard and dry that it is stable enough

[@426superbee4]

Judging by the rocks, might need Dynamite 🤣🤣💥💥

[@MariaFuentes-jh3le]

God bless you both!

[@joycemazzarella2098]

Wow ya'll, great job, goes to prove when there's a will there's a way. 👍👍👍✌✌✌💚💚💚

[@bonniefrench9884]

Great progress !

[@user-rq2yk3rr6v]

Love the berm for target practice ❤

[@pennyleonard3496]

❤TY for the VIDEO 😊✌

[@colleenrodamer9497]

That was awesome ❤

[@edensfamilyadventures2714]

Can't wait to hear about the cool air resonating from those PVC pipes 😬👍

[@babybalrog]

cooling is going to be so nice when it's working!

[@dyannejohnson6184]

This is so interesting!

[@affordabledesertliving3487]

unfamiliar with this kind of cooling. Looks fascinating and very practical.

[@ourselfreliantlife]

If done right, it should provide cooling with no electricity. Maybe even a little heat in the winter.

[@jt1957]

love you guys!!

[@rubylasiter5628]

That's a backhoe a excavator is much bigger with tracks, Looks like he did a good job for you. keep an eye on that trench . Jim you are one work horse just think of the money that project will save 👍👍GOOD JOB GUYS LOOKS GREAT.

[@Bennie32831]

I've really wanted to see this sweet thanks 👍

[@theadventuresofbrockinthai4325]

Hey guys, looking good. I like that you are using the natural way to do everything around your property. Any time you can make your life better by using a natural way of doing it is better than having a big machine sucking your energy from your solar system. I will be watching this because I will probably do something like this when I build my home in Thailand. ❤

[@direbearcoat7551]

Great job! Nice berm, too!

[@paulawagner6058]

Congratulations. The dream is happening.

[@rustybloom47]

Thanks very informative,I'll try it.

[@dharmaslife]

Yayyyyyy❤

[@shephusted2714]

will be worth it even more when you have nice cool air - won't be long - good to go big

[@bill944]

I believe that I would've just continued with the pvc to the end of the trench. A little more length can only help and pvc is cheap.

[@tristans333]

Love these weekly updates you guys are so inspirational!! I’ll be out there offgrade one day myself too

[@kermitfrog8340]

On previous videos you stated that the project was on hold until the tubes were done but how do the tubes affect putting tin roof on or walls? In the earth ships they have larger tubes that are angled upwards, if you used full length of tunnel and anglwd it op towards house you would not have needed to drill holes or put gravel in trench or fill in the extra length of tunnel. If you just put a few holes at far endwith a bit of gravel at far end any water could flow down tube and exit at far end. With the roof on you could be working out of sun and out of rain.

[@ourselfreliantlife]

These need to be done before the wall foundation.

[@kermitfrog8340]

Well I have built post and beam buildings before as well as houses and other buildings.if you know where things are going to go you could make pad or footing with the appropriate holes and put up roof or walls etc. Of course its your place build it how you like Just for both your physical,mental,and emotional health the longer things loom and you are in confined quarters the more moods there will be. A birds song is always sweeter if it is not caged, but if it has to be then move it out of its tiny cage and into a large one as soon as soon can be so it can nest and move around and be happy doing bird things.

[@GM-cq6ez]

I'm so impressed with your accomplishments. Jim, you're the most courageous man I know to single-handedly tackle this humongous project! Of course you have help from Jess and some others, but mostly you're it! You are a hero and Jess, I'm sure, is proud of your Taj Mahal. She's your inspiration. What a beautiful work of love.

[@mosbysmen]

nice range

[@thomasmurray4717]

You’re living my dream 👍👍

[@rayriddle9462]

Sooooooooo cool 😊

[@robertmiller5735]

at the middle of each pipe if you had put t " T " pointing down into a 35 gall drum this would have collected the condensation , and like Uncle Owen on star-wars you would have been a moisture farmer

[@kevinhwcrabbe-mr3dy]

I see your guard dogs on work on top of that mound of dirt. She’s doing her job very good.

[@eduardonieto2355]

That is cool my friends I love what you all are doing. 👏👍🇺🇲👏👍🇺🇲

[@walkswithwings7780]

Looking great! 👍 That landscaping will keep you in shape for sure . 😅