Underground pipes heat or cool the home without electricity consumption
The temperature that exists underground is much more stable than that on the surface, so that by channeling air from the subsoil into the interior of a house, greater cooling in summer and heating in winter can be achieved.. Depending on the case, it is possible either to considerably reduce energy expenditure, or to avoid it completely for these purposes. Geothermal air conditioning is a good alternative to the energy shortage that is coming this winter. And it is, of course, an ecological and cheap option for any time.
Canadian wells, sometimes also known as Provencal wells, constitute an eAn example of geothermal air conditioning, increasingly in use due to its simplicity.
These systems are made up of pipes installed under the houses and connected to them to adjust the temperature inside the houses. It is a system that does not consume any type of electrical energy, so the only cost is that of its installation. From then on, the air conditioning costs of the home will be cheaper, because a lot of money will be saved on each bill.
The principle on which Canadian wells are based is simple: the air that accumulates in underground pipes is cooler than the air in the house during the summer. In winter it is the other way around: the underground air is warmer than the air in the house. In this way, without the need to consume any electricity, we have a natural source of temperature exchange to heat us up in winter and cool us down in summer.
This type of bioclimatic strategy considerably improves the energy efficiency of a building. Of course, the installation is cheaper if it is done while the house is being built than afterwards, but the advantages are in any case evident.
The temperature of the surface presents a difference with that of the environment and this difference is accentuated and remains stable at a depth of two or three meters, where the temperature usually remains stable around 18ºC-24ºC, as explained by the specialized portal Abouthaus.
Its construction is based on the installation of ducts in the subsoil at a depth between 2 and 4 meters and a length of about 35 meters and circulating the air through them. In contact with the ducts, the air acquires the temperature of the ground, which later, with or without extra temperature input, we will introduce it into the rooms of the house.
It is estimated that at a depth of about 15-20 meters a constant temperature can be found throughout the year. However, at a depth of about 3 meters we already find temperatures that we can consider close to the optimum comfort temperatures in a home (18º to 24º).
It is recommended to study the soil before
It is important that before installing a Canadian well the soil of the plot is studied to know its thermal conductivity and the rest of the characteristics it presents. In this way, its full potential and also its possible disadvantages can be known.
The thermal conductivity of soils depends on their porosity and degree of saturation.
For example, granular soils containing clay or silt have a higher degree of thermal conductivity than sandy soils.
On the other hand, clean sandy soils have low final conductivity when dry, but high when saturated.
The presence of water has a strong influence on the thermal properties of the soil, including the thermal conductivity and heat capacity of the soil.
In winter:
In the winter months, the air outside is cold. But at a depth of two or three meters, the temperature is already higher than outside. For this reason, when the air coming from outside circulates through the underground pipes, it heats up and improves the climatic conditions of the house when it reaches it. Electric heating can thus be greatly reduced or even completely avoided, depending on the case.
In summer:
In summer, the temperature outside is higher than it is underground. In this way, the air that passes through the subsoil pipes is cooled and reaches the interior of the house with several degrees less, so that it improves the comfort of the house and reduces or avoids the consumption of air conditioning or ventilation.
Reference article: https://about-haus.com/how-to-build-a-canadian-well/
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