Earthship Thermal Wrap and Cooling Tubes

[@HotelHero]

How do you protect from mold buildup inside the pipe?

[@jimh712]

If you want to see if you can get cooling/heat out of buried pipes in you area... Get an 12 auger and bore down app 20 feet.. Watch the dirt you're bringing up as you bore down... You are looking for moisture... Put up an awning to keep the sun off the hole... Lower a thermometer that will record the temp.. That should give you an idea of what you are looking at... Remember to put these tubes on the north side of your building to help keep the suns hearing effects from raising the temp... Moist soil will give you better energy transfer Metal pipe (corrguated) Should work the best

[@offthegridbuild]

@imau2ber Interesting suggestion, makes a lot of sense, even the way we do it without perforating, the water still runs out due to the tubes being set on an upward angle into the house. Two thoughts: 1) Why use solar fans for airflow? Why not use the greenhouse convection engine? Super powerful and completely free. 2) Note that hot temps with high humidity, I have seen the cooling tubes to very little cooling at all.

[@BREGGREN]

Great Thorough Friendly Innovative VIDEO! You are a Great Host, 'Explainer' Teacher & Play by Play Commentator- Excellent Job! I'll Check-Out More of Your Videos! Thanks!

[@bvonmoss]

Looks awesome. I wonder if people build on a south facing hillside as mentioned in vol. 1 can now put in the cooling tubes. I wonder if the tubes could swing around east of west in that case instead of on flat land. At the right time I hope to build my own earthship in the near future.

[@offthegridbuild]

Cooling tubes are best for air exchange, not so so much for cooling. I would recommend vertical glass with an awning so as to mitigate how much solar gain you have in your home.

[@GuyBrown]

would you be willing to share the "plans" for the earthship you built?

[@tomcosgrove3017]

What if you live in a climate that has -40 in Canada. With the summers high of 25 degrees. Where the frost line is 48" below… Would that affect the floor how warm it would be or would the floor have to be dug down 48" as well

[@prettyparadoxicalwoman8285]

Hi I am a single mom of 3 young boys I'm doing a 4 bedroom earthship. I am doing it all off of KZbin vids so please keep these vids coming of all things big and small that your doing I am copying you and doing it by myself with my 14 yr old boy thank you

[@lpmoron6258]

How is the earthship coming?

[@milo6971]

Another good source - Niall Divers channel

[@offthegridbuild]

In an Earthship we did in hot and humid texas, they get by pretty well with ceiling fans.

[@gusmif]

Physical Graffiti in the background. Love it

[@MrsMika]

Do you close (if so how?) the cooling tube off in winter to keep the heat inside the house? Do you have to clean them out so mold does not grow in the cooling tubes? What do the tubes look like finished off in the house when everything is done? Is it just a giant tube in the wall?

[@WhatsUpWithSix]

I'm in a very hot southern part of the USA and wonder about two things...1) would the tubes work at all here? 2) should I put the windows on the south side given the EXTREME heat here about 8 months per year?

[@saralolic671]

Hi! What are you filling with between the insulation and the tyre wall? Only dirt or something else?

[@arshikhur6773]

I am in love with all you earthship people. Can u'all be my best friend? I need a tractor, with all the attachment. then a plumber, electrician and guys with muscles. hahah, I don't understand how this cooling tube thing work but I will get there. I have tools but I am not good at usng them. But I need to do this. Keep posting your awesome videos. I love off the grid people

[@offthegridbuild]

Interesting idea. They are pitched upward toward the house, but always thought that was because you didn't want the chance of flooding water from outside making it's way inside.

[@jelaniasim]

What about putting mesh on the side of the tubes that run inside the house as well? Just a question.

[@smilingdog54]

Could the plastic culvert be used instead of the galvanized?

[@Ciberboy28]

does the wrap be used at any kind of climate or just where are 4 season?

[@plainwornout3964]

The Tubes should be U- shaped. The Intake and Exhaust should both be in the Building and the Pipe should be completely buried. Then you use a low C.F.M. Fan to flow the air. Cooler in Summer and warmer in Winter. Also, you should use the proper Connectors as Termites and other Bugs will find their way into your Building. Just my Opinion.😉

[@oakld]

That would be cooling/pre-heating, not ventilation. But as for ventilation, thing s aren't as simple as putting a tube into dirt for sure...

[@chenelson185]

do you fill the trench ,for the tubes ? and put breather on top or live it like that?

[@1231dre]

Can you tell a difference in temperature once tubing is exposed

[@offthegridbuild]

@bvonmoss It would be hard to retrofit an existing Earthship with cooling tubes because you'd have to break through the tirewall, but you could get a little creative and run them underground then come up along side the north wall and enter near the roof. Good luck!

[@offthegridbuild]

@bvonmoss You would have to do some research of air flow. It's a tricky thing, nothing like water flow. Everytime you have a bend in your pipe you but you airflow down significantly. But it is possible. I have heard of bends going upwards to escape the berm vertically.

[@wulfclaw4921]

Thanks for explaining the design/build. My question would be- How do you dissallow water to come in through your culvert pipe, say in the event of a flash flood or something?

[@offthegridbuild]

slight downward slope, the outlet is elevated like at least a foot or two off the ground, on a well drained buildsite, it would require noahs flood to back that bitch up

[@NaGeRu82]

Great videos Dan. What's the method for determining the height of the tubes entering the earthship? Looks likes you've got them sitting on top of the 3rd course there. Is this optimum?

[@janbrzak1]

Hi, if I don´t have enough space in back for straight cooling tubes...could the tubes be curved? Is there any experience? thanks

[@55jogreen]

How many Sf is this house and how much did it end up costing?

[@maxmason6779]

I'm still interested in MrsMika's question from three years ago. How do you clean the cooling tubes? when cool air warms & condensates, moisture forms and it's going to grow mold. the corrugated tubes seem nigh impossible to clean effectively.

[@offthegridbuild]

+Max Mason air is so incredibly dry in taos, it's a non issue

[@christopheraugustine5816]

It is worth mentioning that in less arid regions large diameter PVC tubes (think municipal water supply pipes) could be substituted for the corrugated steel. This would alleviate concerns with corrosion. Copper tubes can corrode but prevent mold growth, however they are cost prohibitive. As for mold prevention in PVC I am not sure, but cleaning could be accomplished with with a large wadded up towel and some good disinfectant. Attach to an electrician's fish tape or similar and yank the whole thing from the house outward. Don't forget when setting your tubes to put them with some drop going out of the house to prevent water coming in. A fair amount of drop from the house to the end of the tube will not only prevent hard rain from flowing in through the tube, but also encourage natural gravity drainage back out from the condensation. Lastly, the flashing may work in New Mexico, but if moisture is an issue at all where you are building, make a proper connection to avoid further problems.

[@offthegridbuild]

PVC doesnt conduct temperature as well as steel tho, so there is a sacrifice in using it. you want a pipe that is gonna suck as much heat as possible out of the incoming air

[@christopheraugustine5816]

Correct, and it will not be as inexpensive as culvert.

[@cathykrueger1035]

The tubes are installed with a slight slope out of the house so any condensation flows out of the tube. If it has to go up to reach the ground leaves then a T is put in with gravel below it so water flows into ground and air goes up

[@OfftoShambala]

I have an interesting house situation that I’m looking to buy… I want to experiment… it’s in high desert w windows facing north, may be slightly east… the lot hills up on the south side… it’s in the high desert at the base of mountain… just below the proper foothills. I want to run a cooling culvert in through the south wall so I can use the existing greenhouse like north facing windows to vent and pull the cool air in… I’m also thinking of using a coiled culvert with 4” pipes… it is a 400sf building where the windowed area is ideal for separating like an earthship… my hypothesis is that it will still work, but maybe not as well… but, better than nothing. And I don’t have a bermed wall, but was thinking of building a rammed earth wall and or a straw bale or straw clay wall around the existing house, located about 5-6’ off the house wrapping around the east west and south for additional climate control and the growing benefits of such spaces, shade, outdoor extension of living space… protections from animals, elements and more… anyone have anything to say about this opposite set up I want to try out?

[@tomtaylor8462]

I have heard that the advertisement tarps on billboards are a cheaper alternative for waterproofing. Also even old pool blanket maybe.

[@dafnestengel995]

Tom Taylor P"

[@offthegridbuild]

The tubes are going to do pretty much nothing as for cooling in the hot and humid months. What they will do is air exchange which is very important in a home that is buried on 3 sides. Before tubes were used there were skylights in the back of the house for air exchange and cooling. I would put windows in for heat in the cooler months, but maybe you could save money on your design by putting less glass in. I would recommend thermal shades to keep the sun out in the hot months.

[@TheSkrikycracker]

Did you use adobe to fill the tires or just dirt? Great job you guys did here!! Congrats

[@BrentComon]

First, thanks for all the detailed information! Doesn't adding the insulation defeat the purpose of having a earth sheltered hone?

[@fjayrockst]

how much do these cost?

[@moldprintsrl]

I was wondering if an EPDM membrane has to be fitted behind the tire wall to prevent moisture to get inside ? Im planning to build in a slope and very probably the moisture will get inside after a while unless a EPDM membrane will be used ?! cheers

[@coopstere]

I'm planning mine and thats what I'm going to use. That's what I've seen Michael Reynolds use on his...he's the expert on earthships. You'll also use the epdm for your botanical cells in the house as well. It's important to note from this video, his cheaper connector he came up with will fail some time in the future as the earth settles. It has to be water tight in order to be airtight. This one is going to be leaking dust, insects, gases and molds into his home from the very start.

[@miken2419]

just a thought...but instead of flashing on the cooling tubes...to be super super thrifty could you not just wrap them in the plastic from the concrete bags or other construction plastic then bury.........it would be waste anyways and probably discourage roots from growing down into the humid tube........heated air being drawn thru a cool earth mass is sure to build 70-100% moisture without forced air.....how deep would you say these cooling tubes are?? well under any possible roots??? roots bring micro organisms which breed a host of nasty pests such as fungus gnats and molds.....not so great for the south facing garden.....its been a while...any issues or mods you might suggest...I LOVE THIS STUFF...and thank you so much for the very detailed video so my not so savy friends can finally get the picture

[@Laurel-Crowned]

Plastic deteriorates pretty quickly

[@vicbrown7637]

how do the cooling tubes work, in other words, how do you get air flow? I could understand if these tubes were hooked together and one was an intake and another the outlet. can you explain? PS - amazing work!

[@offthegridbuild]

greenhouse is hot and vents upwards. this creates a vacuum effect. which sucks in air through the back of the cooling tube, which is buried in several feet of dirt, and therefore much cooler than air temp. the air cools off as it goes through the tube and it enters the house like air conditioning

[@offthegridbuild]

It's true, they are very dangerous. When I had to get in the trench, I was sure to get out as quick as possible. I never went in if I was alone. Regardless, I was taking a risk each time I did it.

[@mountaindog1929]

Where can I purchase some of this equipment? Or rather, where can I purchase it cheaply, if possible, lol?

[@tejolson92]

Bill Mollison says these things gotta be at an incline towards the earthship so the air has to climb and at the same time the water will drop out of the air. He could be making up science, but there might be something to it. If there is, I wonder if putting a pipe in that pipe can cool the air further. The inner pipe goes inside, the outer pipe will have its own evacuated solar tubes. The air in the outer will move faster than the air in the inner and wick heat off the inner.

[@F1nddatruth]

Mike Reynolds, the creator of the Earthships uses these tubes as the sole air conditioning in New Mexico, keeping their Earthships around 70-75F. Check out the official Earthship web site I've learned a lot from his videos. It's earthship dot com

[@JohnKesselChannel]

Why is foam insulation used instead of straw bale? I understand that the back wall is bermed, and you are using a moisture barrier. Can't you do a kind of moisture barrier with straw bale, which has so many assets (free, natural, higher R-rating, etc.?)

[@offthegridbuild]

+John Kessel u dont want to bury straw, sooner or later it will get wet and break down

[@JohnKesselChannel]

is it not feasible to cob the straw bales before burying?

[@offthegridbuild]

John Kessel sure, what good would that do?

[@JohnKesselChannel]

I'm sorry, i don't understand your answer.

[@JohnKesselChannel]

I am eager to learn this craft, but fairly unedified. Is that rigid foam the best insulation for this purpose? Why so?

[@JanColdwater]

I wish someone would address how radon is reduced.

[@josh124c]

Pitch the pipe down away from the house. Radon is heavy

[@JanColdwater]

@@josh124c Thank you!

[@JD97711]

My biggest question about this is "What keeps the back-fill from moving the walls over time ?"

[@JD97711]

J.J. Lemstra Thanks. What is the magic angle ?

[@richardholt9170]

Why use the foam barrier when you can do thick plastic up the back side of your tires. Double it up the plastic.. When you fill up the back side pull one layer of plastic up and put one layer going down. Then fold it over and staple in down the front or inside part of the tires. Then use chicken wire over that on the inside and run your stucco finish. No need to throw mud on inside on walls. Plastic will hold stucco in place until it dries. Then do your finish coat of stucco or paint. Seal up cheaper and work better for both sides of your tire walls. One day i'm hoping to build my own earthship.

[@offthegridbuild]

foam for insulation. if you didnt mud the gaps in teh tires, it would reduce the conduction of solar heat into the walls, which is their hole purpose

[@pieeyed9366]

I thought you need to go at least 8 feet deep to utilize the constant 50 degree temperature of the ground?

[@PerDiemMetals]

Depends on the climate.

[@unclejack41]

4' thick walls isn't needed since you already underground. Thermal mass is already there

[@moldprintsrl]

i watched this video years ago and just keep asking myself - what's the point using the thermal wrap if loads of earth is placed before and after the wrap itself ? the best insulation is the mother earth and if thats true then the thermal wrap is just waste of money

[@offthegridbuild]

You don't know what you're talking about. The earth INSIDE the insulation is meant to be kept heated at like 68 degrees. The insulation separates it from the EXTERNAL earth, the berm, which regulates itself around 58 degrees or less. Earth is not insulation. Its thermal mass. Insulation is meant to slow the transfer of heat from one mass to another. Thermal mass is meant to hold on to temperature, which it easily transfers to other massive, non-insulative masses. If there was no insulative thermal wrap around the tire wall, it would quickly lose all of its heat to the exterior earth and would settle around 58 degrees or less. This is too cold for human comfort.

[@offthegridbuild]

you got it, babe

[@charlesnorvell6393]

@@offthegridbuild Well that's good to know. In the Southeast with 110% humidity, 58 degrees sounds amazing. Especially with good air flow. I think I'd rather keep the insulation off and periodically close/crack the tubes if it gets too cold than to try and insulate it and risk being unable to cool the home enough. I'd imagine there will be enough losses to even out the temperature so that its not unbearably cold.

[@tanyad7894]

@@charlesnorvell6393 I'd love to hear how that works for you. I'm looking at a colder climate, but with hot humid summers. I'll need a wood stove anyway...

[@cricket2central585]

I also thinking about it

[@SCOREWIZARDSMUSIC]

Black Sabbath - The Wizard

[@behrpalomo4479]

Sounded like Black Sabbath to me.

[@MatHelm]

Empty pipes need water proofing more than any other. Those pipes are now full of water and useless.

[@Energi2DmaxX]

why is the camera man breathing so hard

[@littlebird2573]

the intro music and mouth breathing in this video is very distracting. However, i really like the content of your videos.

[@cloucks1003]

the breathing camera guy gets annoying