Boomzilla's Journey (ongoing)

[leonski]

HUGE percetage of humanity lives within maybe 50 to 75 miles of a 'coast'........
The humidity alone would kill me. I was thru all that but Mercifully missed all hurricanes when I spent
until maybe '72 or so IN Florida. Tampa / St. Pete was sweltering. Power outages were too common
and if you are frightened of lightning? You either get over it, go nuts, or MOVE somewhere else....

I don't think I need AC more than 4 to 5 months a year...and even than I can manipulate windows to cool
without big power consumption. House is a little warm right now. I opened the right windows and put
a fan blowing 'IN'. cooling nicely. I'll shut the fan off when I retire, in a few hours.....

To reach maximum strength? Give any cement pours 28 days before use....AND spray the new pour down
while it hardens......ask your cement pro about that.....And know requirements of slab for new genset.
Probably 4", but might be 6" where ramsets go?

[Boomzilla]

When I grew up, all our houses had “attic fans.” These large fans would draw huge amounts of air through any room in the house with windows open. It wasn’t as comfortable as air conditioning because the fan didn’t lower humidity, but it was marginally adequate. Those seem to have passed from common use, but were an affordable and effective alternative to AC.

[Zombie]

Oct 14, 2024 5:43:20 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

When I grew up, all our houses had “attic fans.” These large fans would draw huge amounts of air through any room in the house with windows open. It wasn’t as comfortable as air conditioning because the fan didn’t lower humidity, but it was marginally adequate. Those seem to have passed from common use, but were an affordable and effective alternative to AC.

We had the newer version of that in my last house. “Quiet Cool” wasn’t really quiet but actually worked quite well when used right. Crack a couple of windows a couple of inches and fire it up. Creates such a vacuum it draws the cooler air in and forces the hot air out through the attic. Couldn’t really use it in the middle of the day but running it 6 hours or so in the evening cooled our good-sized house (3700 sq ft) down in no time. Certainly saved on the electric bill. We had solar as well (required in Kali on new home builds). I only had it because we had to. I wasn’t a fan then and I’m still not now. So glad my new house in Texas doesn’t require it. 

[leonski]

First? The solar people I spoke with last week will only do solar WITH a battery system.....I don't know what the law or building codes say.

A decade or so ago, I needed to do something in the overhead. I cracked the 'hatch' at the end of the hall. UPDRAFT was considerable and cooling
while standing in the opening. Overhead was 120f or Higher. House was warm but certainly only 80f or so........

An attic fan ON A TIMER and with 3 speeds.......so you could put it on 'low' and run all night......and shut off automatically.....just after dawn.....

But you must be careful NOT to run when the AC is in play......a total waste of energy...

My house is a single level and only about 1/3 the size of what Zombie speaks to.....so may be a slightly easier problem for a fan to handle....??

[Zombie]

Oct 14, 2024 14:42:50 GMT -5 leonski said:

First? The solar people I spoke with last week will only do solar WITH a battery system.....I don't know what the law or building codes say.

A decade or so ago, I needed to do something in the overhead. I cracked the 'hatch' at the end of the hall. UPDRAFT was considerable and cooling
while standing in the opening. Overhead was 120f or Higher. House was warm but certainly only 80f or so........

An attic fan ON A TIMER and with 3 speeds.......so you could put it on 'low' and run all night......and shut off automatically.....just after dawn.....

But you must be careful NOT to run when the AC is in play......a total waste of energy...

My house is a single level and only about 1/3 the size of what Zombie speaks to.....so may be a slightly easier problem for a fan to handle....??

The Quiet Cool that we had had no problem at all cooling the house down. Our house was two stories so of course upstairs got pretty toasty in the summer.  It does work quite well when used properly. When we first moved in a bunch of neighbors complained that it didn’t work. They were running it mid day with all the windows closed and the AC cranked. Yeah, no. Once I told them about cracking a couple of windows and turning off the AC they loved it. Certainly does save on the utility bill vs. running AC all the time. The trick is to only open a couple windows (1 up, 1 down) and not too much. And, run it when the outside temp is close to what your desired indoor temp should be. It’s OK to be a few degrees off  (80 outside, want 75 inside) because as that vacuum is sucking the air in it’s also cooling it a bit. It’s crazy how much suction it creates with a window open 2 inches. Ours had a wall switch with several modes. If I remember correctly it had 1, 4, 8 hour run times and a manual on/off. But, I’m not sure why they call it “quiet” because it’s not. It’s quite loud. They’ve got their headquarters in Temecula (CA). I know Leonski knows where that’s at but many don’t. Basically northeast of San Diego maybe 45-50 miles. I might, at some point, consider one (or similar) in the new house. . 

[Boomzilla]

A ceiling fan can be a boon in relatively dry climates - but with 100 degrees Fahrenheit AND 100% humidity, it just isn’t feasible.

[leonski]

Oct 14, 2024 21:00:27 GMT -5 Boomzilla said:

A ceiling fan can be a boon in relatively dry climates - but with 100 degrees Fahrenheit AND 100% humidity, it just isn’t feasible.

Works that way with SWAMP COOLERS, too......High relative humidity means slower evaporation.      In Phoenix with Very Low humidity?   works the wonder.
In Florida during a rainy summer?   Not so much...

I have a ceiling fan in LR.     Really helps winter AND summer.   But I think the OP was concerned with an ATTIC fan......which I think may help.    
If I could push 120f air OUT of my attic and suck IN much cooler air?     That's the ticket.


Some places where Swamp Coolers and attic fans helped have changed.     Palm Springs CA now puts down thousands of gallons of water 
daily keeping golf courses Green.....and ends up raising humidity for the entire region......Some of those less active approaches now are null.

[leonski]

Just out of curiosity, I looked at SOLATUBE attic fans.....These are small, solar powered units so once in and sealed, you should be good. 2 options. Thermostat on / off. On at 85f / off at 65f. The other option is some
additional solar panel size for the smaller unit.
Disadvantage? Not rated for CFM, but rather they give Wattage....Which to me is a red flag. And once the sun goes down? Unit shuts off regardless of attic temp. I'd LIKE to see a small battery add-on......I don't know fan voltage,
but additional battery capacity adding up to an additional 3 hours 'on' after insufficient sun sounds like a good place to start. Problem? How much cooking in a 120f attic can ANY battery technology take? That's hotter than
even under the hood of a moving car....and the reason I pop the hood on my car when I pull into garage after running my errands.....

Price not given.......But that means Too Much $$

[Boomzilla]

I’ve spoken extensively (very) to roofers, utility people, energy conservation experts and others over the years about powered vs. passive attic ventilation. The (strong) consensus is that in our climate, powered attic ventilators are a waste of money. Provided that:

1. You have sufficient vent ports in your roof overhangs for air to enter, and
2. You have a combination of ridge vents and passive turbines for air to exit

There is NO temperature advantage to be gained by powered ventilators - they’re a waste of money and electricity.

These conclusions are specific to Louisiana’s climate and may not be universal.

[leonski]

I wonder if the result would change going from your 'Tropical' type climate to my more Mediterranean??

In the 90s at my house is always at lower humidities. We have something called 'Santa Ana Winds' which
come out of the desert and DOWNslope to the coast..... We seldom get Hot Rain. I was housesitting in
Palm Springs when a massive thunder and lightning storm blew thru. Over an inch of rain in about an hour....
and 3 flash/bang lighning strikes.....which put all 3 within a couple blocks...That was in summer.
The Indians would live down hill at the 'springs' (which they still own) in winter and move up the hill in summer.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Ana_winds

an interesting read.

[Boomzilla]

In Louisiana, people used to construct "portable houses" made of cypress logs (think Lincoln logs on a full-sized scale). At the end of Winter (before the Spring floods of the Mississippi River), owners would disassemble their houses & load them onto wagons. Then they'd move far enough away from the riverbank that the floods wouldn't threaten them & reassemble the houses (no floors on these - they sat on the ground). After the Spring floods receded on the river, the houses were taken down & reassembled on the riverbank to take advantage of cooler breezes from the water during the Summer.

To avoid snakes and alligators, the sleeping platforms were always elevated. To prevent heat, smoke, and fires, the kitchen buildings were always away from the houses & barns.

Cyprus was used because it doesn't rot. You can still recover cypress logs that have been under water for decades (called "sunkers") and mill them into usable lumber. The only damage to cypress trees comes from insects that like to bore into the aromatic cypress wood. Cypress planks with insect holes through them are called "pecky" cypress.

Most of the cypress swamps have disappeared over the centuries, but we still have a full cypress swamp left called the "Atchafalaya spillway." It's an Indian word... Cypress wood is now as dear as American walnut.

[leonski]

Just as an example? In San Diego city proper, you have Old Town......Where you can see how homes were built here in the 18th and 19th century. Huge, thick Adobe walls....
A Ceramic container full of water, in the shade of the eaves, provided cooled drinking water. Homes in a series of connected rooms around a central courtyard.
By mid-late 1800s? We'd all recognize the type of construction, still common today..

While it wasn't Cypress? I friend of mine lived out in one of the Indian reservations inland. He had a beautiful LOG HOME. During some bad fires in the southland a decade or so
ago, the whole thing was ashed. Ever seen a completely melted auto, including the aluminum wheels?

And to top it off? NO fire insurance possible where they lived......

If I thought I had to 'avoid snakes and alligators'? I move somewhere else. I'll bet you have 4 or 5 different kinds of venomous snake....not counting the 3 or 4 sub-species of
rattler......

[Boomzilla]

Oct 15, 2024 23:33:42 GMT -5 leonski said:

...If I thought I had to 'avoid snakes and alligators'? I move somewhere else. I'll bet you have 4 or 5 different kinds of venomous snake....not counting the 3 or 4 sub-species of rattler......

At least we're not as bad as Australia - Alligators are kitty cats compared to crocodiles! And Australia has more types of venomous snakes than anywhere else in the world (so far as I know)...

Although fires can be a problem here, the more common threat is floods. An inch or more of rain per hour is not unusual. And hurricanes aren't going away; Louisiana is tied with Florida for the most in an average year.

That said, right now, it's 60-degrees and sunny in Baton Rouge with a light breeze.

[leonski]

Big Salties ARE a major predator. I think there are also New World Crocs....The American Crocodile.....which ranges down into central and south America.
Mid-60s here....but overcast. I missed the Comet last night from over at the high point in the park AND the night before down at the pier......
Clouds rolled in and that was THAT.
Florida NOW has aggressive populations of Boa, Python and some kind of awful fish......I'll bet the Rock Python (maybe worst of 'em all?) makes it to
YOUR end of the woods in a decade.

The very localized beast I don't want to ever encounter would be the Komodo Dragon......An aggressive Lizard....I've seen 'em at the zoo. Periodically,
a visitor comes up missing and you may find a hat or shoe.......

You guys are rich in venomous reptiles. 2 kinds of Coral Snake, 3 Rattlers than follow it up with Water Moccasin and a Copperhead.
I wonder how many people get bit each year? And how many get bit just reaching under a table out in the Garage......
I watch 'Aussie Snake Wranglers' for about 3 minutes at a time. Whole thing creeps me out.....How can ANYBODY be calm with a deadly snake crawling
around in the overhead of the garage?

Sorry, no 'woodsie' hiking for ME in Louisiana. I'm careful when hiking. If I night hike? I stay to the center of the trail and wear a headlamp......with a red lamp,
to preserve my night vision. No stepping OVER fallen logs. No brush busting. I typically carry a walking stick.....
The ONLY rattler I really fear is 'not from around here' and that would be the Mojave Green, which is said to have an attitude problem.... We have large numbers of Rabbits
to provide munchies as well as Coyotes (timid, usually). I haven't heard the Peacocks from north of me in a year or more. I HAD a Coyote living upslope from me.
Neighbors spotted it many times and even got a good photo. Wife spotted him one evening while coming home from her moms house about 10pm.....He was standing in the
middle of the street!

[Boomzilla]

Many formerly “wild” animals have adapted to urban environments quite well, thank you. In my subdivision, that backs up to a water source (bayou fed from a lake) we’ve encountered eagles, hawks, owls, buzzards, alligators, turtles, snakes, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, rats, deer, feral dogs & cats, armadillos, raccoons, opossums (that like to make nests under the hood of my car in the Spring), and, at least once, something that might have been a wildcat. I’ve not found the critters to be aggressive toward me. I take a “live and let live” attitude unless animals get in the house or car. Over the years, I’ve had to extract one water snake from inside the house and two families of opossums from under the hood. Is what it is.

[leonski]

Agreed 100% about 'adaptation'. We have several Hawks on the slope. Crows? Our adopted Coyote (absent now for a month). And our local Owls....

You should just HEAR the Crows when they 'argue' with a Hawk...And I've seen a Hawk do a Swoop / Dive trying to snag some dinner, but miss......

Around here? Someone will make a mistake and allow their pet bird (usually a parrot, but other, as well) to escape. I understand there is a colony of
these ExPet (good joke, no?) birds around here.
I was walking the back fireroad of a park near here and saw a small crowd staring up a tree and spraying WATER up from a hose. I was told the family
bird had gotten out and didn't WANT to come back IN......I wished the luck but right or wrong, I gave the bird 24 hours before becoming part of the food chain...

I'm not even going into the insects and lizards. Except for the Preying Mantis which I see around here periodically.......I'm just glad they are only a few grams
since if they went half-a-pound, they'd kill your cats out in the backyard....

[leonski]

Late News? An entire Family of Coyotes has decided to make the slope a new home.
I think they GOT something tonight maybe 2300. LOTS of yipping / barking and such for
about 3 minutes. I fielded a couple texts from neighbors as far down as 5 houses.......and
they pulled their old dogs IN.....while a another neighbors sensor light went ON.....in back.

With the rabbit population soaring, I don't doubt for a second this was 'inevitable'......
I can' only hope that as food supply dwindles or is 'eaten', that they go BACK across the
street to the park where they belong....

[klinemj]

We hear coyotes back in our woods fairly often, and we have some local red tailed hawks that hunt our property. So, we listen before letting cats outside. The hawk's sound is unmistakable, as is the coyote's.

I've been camping a few times and heard large groups of coyotes in the distance, and one time they were clearly getting closer. Then ended up going past our campsite with about 20 feet. I was in my tent trying to go to sleep, and I wasn't worried about them at all. It was pretty cool. On the other hand, when camping and hearing a mountain lion near by tent did cause me to lose some sleep. Better than a bear, but still...!

Mark

[leonski]

kline? You got acres or at least live rural / with land, right? I've got a suburban lot with a large slope as part of my back yard. the slope belongs to
a dozen homes in a row......so any wildlife has a reasonable 'range'. Our Crows argue with the resident Hawk.....
I'm not particularly worried about the Coyotes.
My BIG beef is with Raccoons. They have killed the neighbors chickens. And are simply ballsy and CAN be passive / aggressive........
I had some buddies who lived country a couple decades ago and racoons would Raid the trash. Owner went out with a 9mm. I told him that
for Raccoons? He was WAY under Caliber.....
A couple decades ago....WAY before I married? I was up in San Gorgonio Wilderness. I went in at Angeles Oaks....far western edge of wilderness and
went up the trail toward the ridge. I had spotted a place I wanted to explore and so made camp and settled in. About Zero-Dark-Thirty, I was woke up
by a DEER running thru, followed by a big cat. Later, as the rain started, I broke camp and made it back to my car right at Dawn....I hung out and put some
Beethoven on the poor car stereo. Nothing like the 9th Symphony out in the middle of nowwhere.....

And San Gorgonio DID have Bears.....I've seen 'em a couple times. Once while coming around a blind curve a small one was surprised and took off like a shot.
Years before, I saw a mother and cub.....both heading for the Horizon. Heart Bar State Park called him 'The Sunday Morning Bear'.....

Ever SEEN a Hawk Fight?   I came around a corner on a local dirt road I have used as a 'passthru' in the past and in the MIDDLE of the road were a pair of 'em 
having a conversation....to a finish.   And up in the air, you very Infrequently see birds buzzing another......I don't think any other bird likes crows......

[klinemj]

Oct 20, 2024 15:22:17 GMT -5 leonski said:

kline? You got acres or at least live rural / with land, right?

Yes - I live northwest of Cincinnati on 6 acres in a part of our county that's mostly agricultural. In our township, most have to have at least 5 acres (we have 6) with a minimum of 200' of road frontage to build a house. Our property is 6 acres with over 50% wooded. We could only have less property (as small as 3 acres) if we were on a specific type of side-road the owners support - which is rare. Behind us and across from us are several hundred land-locked acres...until zoning is changed, nothing will be built there.

We have a lot of rabbits, deer, hawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, coyotes, owls, an occasional fox, and more birds than I can name.

I have seen a hawk fight AND an in-flight fight between hawks and other birds. Fun to watch! I once saw a turkey vulture and owl nearly collide mid-air over our back woods.

My encounters with bears and mountain lions have been when away from my house camping in various places. I am happy to not have them locally, but they are close.

Mark