Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
I never imagined it would be edible.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


       

Please log in.
Before you can vote, you need to register. Please log in or create an account.

Sinktop Air-Conditioner

Water the lawn while air-conditioning the house
  (+3)
(+3)
  [vote for,
against]

Municipal water is cooled variously to 60-70degF for transportation to consumers.

The Sinktop Air-Conditioner comprises a large radiator that plugs into the cold-water tap. A fan blows room air through the radiator, cooling it to the point where the effluent water is at ambient. The water then flows into an outdoor tank used for watering the garden or lawn, which will be happier with non-cold water.

Flow control is via two opposing bi-metal strips and the fan is powered by the water pressure, supplemented by wallpower as the temperature difference (and thus the water pressure) gets smaller.

the Total Cheapass variety is a car radiator with its electric fan attached.

FlyingToaster, Feb 06 2009

[link]






       There's a shower exhaust fan available from the Rainbow Power Company in Australia which is powered by the running water in the pipes.   

       This should work. Unfortunately here in Oz we're experiencing extreme water shortages and restrictions, which means watering gardens with tap water is banned in a lot of places.
BunsenHoneydew, Feb 08 2009
  

       [BHd] Link?
csea, Jul 15 2012
  

       Ditch the tank, and water the garden directly. Gardens should be kept a little on the thirsty side, so that opportunistic water such as rain or this idea is not wasted. In other words, the garden is the tank. The cost of a small tank, and the land it occupies, can easily exceed the value of the water it saves over its lifetime.   

       I once worked out the average power coming into my house as water pressure; pressure in pascals times flow in cubic metres per second gives power in watts. It worked out at about 1/1000 of my average electrical power consumption. So there is a little power to be harvested from mains water, but the main reason for powering the fan by water pressure IMO is simplicity, rather than energy conservation. So ditch the mains backup too. You'll never get the water to ambient temperature anyway, so just let the air flow and the water flow remain in proportion.   

       In less humid climates, a bong cooler (where the air and the water are in direct contact) would be a good option. It's cheap (less metal), it's efficient, and you get some evaporative cooling too.
spidermother, Jul 15 2012
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle