Thank you so much for this!!! My dad has unused culvert materials just hanging around and will do a Cobb floor! Wouldn't have thought of this otherwise, so grateful for all the wealth of knowledge you all share 😊👍🌱
I am concerned about mold (growing) in the Earth Tubes. I found a new heat exchanger at an auction, retail $1500, bought for $10, (I don't believe anyone knew what it was!) my plan is to use solid earth tubes, and have them go thru the heat exchanger to reduce any risks of mold or bacteria entering.
easy passive fix for air movement. a large diameter black PVC (2-4") ran vertically high above the seller roof to heat in the Sun and allow warm air to rise , thus pulling cold air in. I'm sure minimal cfm but better than none. add more pipes if one isnt enough. OR construct a pop can heater to move air 😁✌️ excited to see this baby finished
Was going to suggest the same thing. Black vertical pipe in the direct sun for a passive solar vent. The only trouble might be the height needed to draw air through his intake piping which is fairly lengthy.
another solution is something similar to what is used in a solar dehydrator... An vertical airtight box with black metal separated from poly greenhouse panels by a few inches facing south with a stovepipe at the top. It would use convective heat to supply the draft, and you could still vary the input air with a manual valve on the intake side. only adjustment needed is cubic inches of draft producing space versus the resistance of the existing soil plumbing.
@@davidhick4303 If the height of the black pipe has to be too long to create enough of a draft, then why not just extend it down through the floor and into the root cellar by a few feet? It's the temperature differential that causes the draft, and the farther down into the cellar the cooler the temperature. You can also increase the temperature in the topside black pipe by putting it in an upright three sided gutter like box, lined with polished metal, and with the open side covered with clear plastic and facing the sun. It's the same principle as a solar oven.
I would recommend stairs rather than a ladder. When hauling jars and vegetables in and out of the root cellar, stairs will make this easier and safer than trying to climb a ladder when carrying breakables.
How do you know how long to make the earth tubes so that they can change the temperature from -40 deg C to +3 deg C by the time it gets to the root cellar?
What would you do if you had a high water table? I do and was thinking about doing something similar but making mine above ground in a room with 6" think polyaircrete insulated walls. I wanted to dig down under where the Aircrete floor would go and put the same corrugated pipe but my water table starts at about six feet, and running a long stretch isn't an option because I have a small lot that I live on. My thought was to just coil and bury non perf corrugated pipe instead and rely on the thermal transfer to maintain an even temp but not sure if that would work.
Hi Rob, thank you for your never ending inspiration with you video's and books. As we're living in radon area in the middle of France, do you have a suggestion how to use air tubes in the ground without the risk of radon buildup in the space and the stored food? Thank you, groet, Thijs
Are the earth tubes a closed loop (exchanging gases/heat entirely underground) or do they draw in fresh air from distant surface (normalizing temp underground) flushing out gasses?
I think you should build a house or a building around it. It hides it and protects it. Great idea and a great project to take on. Thanks for sharing it with all of us!.
Why don’t you put a ladder Vader in. Takes up a lot less room it’s a lot easier to go up and down by pushing a button. We used to use that invaders to roof houses that was they weren’t that expensive. You could always have the stairs to and the ladder that are running up along it.
This is exactly what I was thinking. A black pipe extending up a structure (like the greenhouse in the background) heats up in the sun, warms the air inside and convection creates a draft; another earth tube replaces the vacuum in the cellar.
I think the perforated pipe would be sloped away from the cellar and eventually drain in a low spot if there were one available. So it would also function as a drain to prevent flooding.
i think a mini root cellar (like ones made with rain barrels or garbage cans) are even cheaper and ,since you cannot walk-in them, you are at less risk of gases harming you
i live in calgary, does any one know of a carpenter/engineer to help me construct a basement cold room. I would like to build a culvert passive root cellar outside but my small city lot does not have enough room.
If you have rotting vegetables in a root cellar then you are doing something wrong. You should adress the rotting vegetables, not the gases they produce.
Would be a sweet pit for the RIGHTS OF MYTHRAS where a Bull is sacrificed above the worshipers... just saying best to keep your options open on this business venture.
$500 is not "basically for free". I love the concept but $500 is a lot of money for some people (especially those of us trying to have more food security). I'm not at all trying to be rude but just please understand that when you say that it makes everything you do seem unattainable for those who can't afford it.
It's nice to be able to refer to $500 as "free" and to casually speak of spending thousands of dollars as affordable and cost effective. Tells me more than I wanted to know about your target audience, and I'm saddened by it.
Hi Peter! Thank you for your comment. In consideration of the retail value of a tank like this while also keeping in mind the should-be cost of delivery, $500 is truly dirt cheep, and indeed, basically free. The additional resources required to support the construction of the tank are in fact quite affordable when considered holistically. Consider the savings if you are largely growing your own produce and you have space over the winter to store your root crops and preserves, not needing to spend money on fuel for travel and money on fresh produce over the winter that has been shipped an average of 2,000km to arrive at our grocery stores. The ongoing and long term energy savings through designing this root cellar to be heated + cooled passively. The peace of mind you feel knowing in the instance of supply chain disruption you, your family, and your community may have food security. I do agree with you, this root cellar could not be built for $0. If your budget is tight there are many great DIY root cellar designs out there to fit your needs that I would encourage you to learn more about.
@@VergePermaculture perspective is important. I have a friend who just spent $3500 on a 44" semi truck trailer in order to save his monthly storage costs. Hes investing in his own storage system. And can sell it whenever he wants to make the $3500 back
Aw Peter, you didn’t realize farming took actual resources and communism doesn’t work? Nobody will build a root cellar for you, if you don’t like a $500 plan go build one out of a cardboard box
@@VergePermaculture I understand all of that Rob. I guess you're just choosing to ignore my point. Not everyone has the resources you're taking for granted here. I expect you've heard some of the discussion that Permaculture is becoming a privileged white person's hobby. Talking about this kind of root cellar construction as being very affordable falls right in line with that criticism and that's probably working out pretty well as a business plan, but it's not very good for Permaculture as a movement to redesign the world.
install it upside down. NOw you've got a roof and humidity will wick up from the open earth floor
Thank you so much for this!!! My dad has unused culvert materials just hanging around and will do a Cobb floor! Wouldn't have thought of this otherwise, so grateful for all the wealth of knowledge you all share 😊👍🌱
I am concerned about mold (growing) in the Earth Tubes. I found a new heat exchanger at an auction, retail $1500, bought for $10, (I don't believe anyone knew what it was!) my plan is to use solid earth tubes, and have them go thru the heat exchanger to reduce any risks of mold or bacteria entering.
Hi, do you have an update on how it did through the winter?
Great idea! Can’t wait to see what it looks like when it’s all done
easy passive fix for air movement. a large diameter black PVC (2-4") ran vertically high above the seller roof to heat in the Sun and allow warm air to rise , thus pulling cold air in. I'm sure minimal cfm but better than none. add more pipes if one isnt enough. OR construct a pop can heater to move air 😁✌️
excited to see this baby finished
Was going to suggest the same thing. Black vertical pipe in the direct sun for a passive solar vent. The only trouble might be the height needed to draw air through his intake piping which is fairly lengthy.
another solution is something similar to what is used in a solar dehydrator... An vertical airtight box with black metal separated from poly greenhouse panels by a few inches facing south with a stovepipe at the top. It would use convective heat to supply the draft, and you could still vary the input air with a manual valve on the intake side. only adjustment needed is cubic inches of draft producing space versus the resistance of the existing soil plumbing.
@@davidhick4303 If the height of the black pipe has to be too long to create enough of a draft, then why not just extend it down through the floor and into the root cellar by a few feet? It's the temperature differential that causes the draft, and the farther down into the cellar the cooler the temperature. You can also increase the temperature in the topside black pipe by putting it in an upright three sided gutter like box, lined with polished metal, and with the open side covered with clear plastic and facing the sun. It's the same principle as a solar oven.
Love it. Looking forward the next episode
Thanks Rob, excellent info!
I would recommend stairs rather than a ladder. When hauling jars and vegetables in and out of the root cellar, stairs will make this easier and safer than trying to climb a ladder when carrying breakables.
Or a dumbwaiter or lift of some sort..? Agreed walking with boxes of jars while climbing a ladder no way!
Yes, thank you for the idea as I have a rather large culvert that I will now drag out of the creek, someone else failed attempt to cross a creek
How do you know how long to make the earth tubes so that they can change the temperature from -40 deg C to +3 deg C by the time it gets to the root cellar?
Same question! :)
wow thanks for the warning! 💟
What would you do if you had a high water table? I do and was thinking about doing something similar but making mine above ground in a room with 6" think polyaircrete insulated walls. I wanted to dig down under where the Aircrete floor would go and put the same corrugated pipe but my water table starts at about six feet, and running a long stretch isn't an option because I have a small lot that I live on. My thought was to just coil and bury non perf corrugated pipe instead and rely on the thermal transfer to maintain an even temp but not sure if that would work.
Hi Rob, thank you for your never ending inspiration with you video's and books. As we're living in radon area in the middle of France, do you have a suggestion how to use air tubes in the ground without the risk of radon buildup in the space and the stored food? Thank you, groet, Thijs
Are the earth tubes a closed loop (exchanging gases/heat entirely underground) or do they draw in fresh air from distant surface (normalizing temp underground) flushing out gasses?
I think you should build a house or a building around it. It hides it and protects it. Great idea and a great project to take on. Thanks for sharing it with all of us!.
What depth do the earth tubes have to be to be effective..(In Ontario here) .. is it based on depth below frostline etc? 4 tubes? How far apart? Thx
Hey Rob! Could you make a video on the benefits of biofilm???
Why don’t you put a ladder Vader in. Takes up a lot less room it’s a lot easier to go up and down by pushing a button. We used to use that invaders to roof houses that was they weren’t that expensive. You could always have the stairs to and the ladder that are running up along it.
how did you drill or make the holes through the earth for the earth tubes? did you did a trench? or?
Following
I would like to see an example of this completed and stocked please. This idea is fascinating!
You think like I think #lets change the world
Will you build shelves along the walls or will produce just be in pails on the floor. I like this idea just can’t envision how to organize it.
try this maybe? czcams.com/video/Hl8IFdLz9J8/video.html
Nice. What is you summer highs and for how many days ? And did you ever get around to doing it ?
Is it not a lower humidity level required for a root sellar? What is best?
do you think a grain bin buried would work? the ones that are corrugated and bolt together? also thinking not to dig it down much, just bury it.
Will a black metal chimney work to create a thermal draught similar to how outhouse ventilation works?
This is exactly what I was thinking. A black pipe extending up a structure (like the greenhouse in the background) heats up in the sun, warms the air inside and convection creates a draft; another earth tube replaces the vacuum in the cellar.
Have you made an updated video about actually storing food in this?
How do I find the videos after this one?
Please document the completion of this project
What if the water table rises or there's flooding, will the perforated pipes ever draw water into the cellar?
I think the perforated pipe would be sloped away from the cellar and eventually drain in a low spot if there were one available. So it would also function as a drain to prevent flooding.
@@bountywoodsfarm8594 good call
Hi. Any update on this?
Your idea of basically free and mine are really different
Can you design a cellar that wont kill you and keep your veggies fresh without electricity?
i think a mini root cellar (like ones made with rain barrels or garbage cans) are even cheaper and ,since you cannot walk-in them, you are at less risk of gases harming you
i live in calgary, does any one know of a carpenter/engineer to help me construct a basement cold room. I would like to build a culvert passive root cellar outside but my small city lot does not have enough room.
Fenton Contracting will do it but he is in high demand.
Where is Fenton contracting located?
@@madelineduffin1352 Cochrane but he does most of his work in Calgary
Why do you recommend this carpenter?
I watched Dakota's video on designing a cold closet. That would fit in my basement
👍
seems easier to just cut the bottom of the tank out before installing it....
Lmao I love how 500 dollars is basically free. Yeeesh.
My thoughts exactly
Here is a storage crate DIY build that might be perfect for inside your root cellar! czcams.com/video/Hl8IFdLz9J8/video.html
show, don't tell.
Basically for free, i think $500 usd.. brother some of us live in other places on the planet, haha.
500 bucks = free?
$500 is "basically for free?"
If you have rotting vegetables in a root cellar then you are doing something wrong. You should adress the rotting vegetables, not the gases they produce.
Did you use concrete or wood floor joists for the cellar roof?
Would be a sweet pit for the RIGHTS OF MYTHRAS where a Bull is sacrificed above the worshipers... just saying best to keep your options open on this business venture.
$500 is not "basically for free". I love the concept but $500 is a lot of money for some people (especially those of us trying to have more food security). I'm not at all trying to be rude but just please understand that when you say that it makes everything you do seem unattainable for those who can't afford it.
It's nice to be able to refer to $500 as "free" and to casually speak of spending thousands of dollars as affordable and cost effective. Tells me more than I wanted to know about your target audience, and I'm saddened by it.
Hi Peter! Thank you for your comment. In consideration of the retail value of a tank like this while also keeping in mind the should-be cost of delivery, $500 is truly dirt cheep, and indeed, basically free. The additional resources required to support the construction of the tank are in fact quite affordable when considered holistically. Consider the savings if you are largely growing your own produce and you have space over the winter to store your root crops and preserves, not needing to spend money on fuel for travel and money on fresh produce over the winter that has been shipped an average of 2,000km to arrive at our grocery stores. The ongoing and long term energy savings through designing this root cellar to be heated + cooled passively. The peace of mind you feel knowing in the instance of supply chain disruption you, your family, and your community may have food security. I do agree with you, this root cellar could not be built for $0. If your budget is tight there are many great DIY root cellar designs out there to fit your needs that I would encourage you to learn more about.
@@VergePermaculture perspective is important. I have a friend who just spent $3500 on a 44" semi truck trailer in order to save his monthly storage costs. Hes investing in his own storage system. And can sell it whenever he wants to make the $3500 back
Aw Peter, you didn’t realize farming took actual resources and communism doesn’t work? Nobody will build a root cellar for you, if you don’t like a $500 plan go build one out of a cardboard box
I see you aren't involved in permaculture. That's sad. So is being frightened, angry and hateful. It's a terrible way to go through life.
@@VergePermaculture I understand all of that Rob. I guess you're just choosing to ignore my point. Not everyone has the resources you're taking for granted here. I expect you've heard some of the discussion that Permaculture is becoming a privileged white person's hobby. Talking about this kind of root cellar construction as being very affordable falls right in line with that criticism and that's probably working out pretty well as a business plan, but it's not very good for Permaculture as a movement to redesign the world.
Cool.