SB: Cooling boxes: via Earth-connected tubes

[Charmaine R Taylor <tms@northcoast.com>]

The locat Approp Tech student run off the grid house here at Humboldt
state U has an old fashion idea working. A cool box is simply a cupboard
in the kitchen on the north facing wall. Exterior vents are built
(slats) facing down, with a screen over the exterior which is open to
the cool air.

yogurt, fruit veggies etc are in there, but not things like meat or
cheeses which need cold temps to stay fresh.

many old houses 50+ years have such a cool box in a kitchen. people kept
potatoes, etc there

I tried this on a north facing  sheltered window here in the winter..and
could not maintain 50 deg or less and lost food, so it doesn't alway
work well.  I did not have enough cool breeze I think, and no insulation
around the window ( no "box" was in place, which might have made a
difference.) just used a windowsill

the cool box cupboard can be heavily insulated, and open like a regualr
door, but have metal lined insulated walls and door.

In a cob-earth dougout  hillside dwelling ( very rural) the folks had
taken a small refrigerator door and mounted it to a frame, the portal
faced the north earth wall, and was very cool inside..facing basically
clay dirt.  the metal fridge shelving was placed in there too, so from
the room it looked like a fridge door built into the wall.  did I say it
was rustic? packed earth floor with flagstones laid in around the
potbelly stove..talk about a little Yoda hut..I loved it. my city friend
was aghast..but it worked for the people who had lived there.

Charmaine  Taylor/ Taylor Publishing
PO Box 6985, Eureka CA 95502
707-441-1632
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to:
   <strawbale-unsubscribe@crest.org>

or for the digest to:
   <strawbale-digest-unsubscribe@crest.org>

Please send any list administration questions to
strawbale-owner@crest.org