[GSBN] Natural Ventilation

[Bohdan Dorniak]

Hi Frank
There is a unit in Australia called a "Condor" ventilator - not sure if
available overseas?

Regards,
Bohdan Dorniak

Bohdan Dorniak & Co Pty Ltd
Architects & Town Planners
47 Prospect Road
PROSPECT SA 5082
P: (08) 8344 8170, F: (08) 8344 6480
www.bdcoarchitects.com.au

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-----Original Message-----
From: GSBN-bounces at sustainablesources.com
[mailto:GSBN-bounces at sustainablesources.com] On Behalf Of Frank Tettemer
Sent: Tuesday, 30 August 2011 9:56 AM
To: GSBN at sustainablesources.com
Subject: [GSBN] Natural Ventilation

Hi All,

Here's a ventilation question, for all the fresh air fans on this list.
I'd like to use gravity/convection ventilation, and I need to plan a way of
opening and closing the vent.

We're building a small straw bale home for a couple this year that has
engineered trusses.
The upper cord, defining the roof surface, is 6/12 pitch.
Inside, the ceiling in one area of the house is a 3/12 pitch.
The walls are 8'-3" at the truss plate, and the central high point in the
ceiling is 10'6".

The home will be heated with an ESSE wood cooker, and has a 4" diameter ABS
pipe emerging from the floor, behind the ESSE, bringing in fresh air, from
below ground, and will be ducted to the combustion air inlet on the wood
stove for the winter.
During the summer, a 4" TEE in this air pipe will allow earth-cooled outside
air into the home.
(We've provided condensation drainage, as well as a straight clean-out, from
the outside of the home, to deal with potential mildew troubles.)

What I would like to do is provide a 4" exhaust vent, up at the peak of the
interior ceiling, to complete the ventilation scheme, which relies on
gravity to power the flow, i.e., hot ceiling air vents upward, through the
attic space, while colder earth-tempered air is drawn in from the outside in
the house's North shadow, to the centre of the home, near the stove.

I know that while windows are open, the earth-tempered air may not flow
inward with any serious pressure.
But the hot air, at ceiling height of 10'-6" will surely flow upwards and
out, no problem. This is the flow we're looking for, during the hot, Summer
months.

Back to my original question around ventilation. How do I open and close
that 4" ceiling vent?
Is there anything on the market that has very positive closure, and could be
used?  A good closure system will be necessary during the long winter
months, here in Ontario, near Algonquin Park, which has weather similar but
colder than Ottawa, Ontario.

I'm sure this has been done before, and there must be a practical way to
control this venting.
Any ideas?

Frank

--
Frank Tettemer
Living Sol ~ Building and Design
www.livingsol.com
613 756 3884

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