It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
Mar 21st 2010, 11:59 am
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2010
Location: Valencian Province
Posts: 346
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
What it says on the tin. How much longer can this go on? Lulled into a false sense of security by about two half days of sun and an increase of temperature, only for the skies to open bigtime AGAIN.
Computer other end of house from likely leaks. I'm going to check. I might be some time.
Computer other end of house from likely leaks. I'm going to check. I might be some time.
Mar 21st 2010, 5:36 pm
#17
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2009
Location: Alicante province
Posts: 5,753
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
I remember the hot summer of '94, when my neighbour and I vowed to dance in the streets when the rain's started. I was thinking of it a few minutes ago when I checked the terrace yet again but I needn't have bothered, the Dobe was still slumped in my armchair and didn't even come out to the door. It hasn't stopped all day.
I even got War and Peace off the shelf this morning.
I even got War and Peace off the shelf this morning.
Mar 21st 2010, 5:38 pm
#18
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Córdoba
Posts: 1,558
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
Hey, but it's spring and at least the rain is warm rain now. 
Mar 21st 2010, 6:05 pm
#19
¿Dónde estoy?
Joined: Jun 2004
Location: my paradise - Jávea
Posts: 13,330
Mar 21st 2010, 8:37 pm
#21
squeaky clean
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Spain 4th feb 08 - October 11, now flits batck and forth from sunny Worthing
Posts: 1,576
Mar 21st 2010, 8:46 pm
#22
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
Yes, everything has thermal mass. Even if a house is built out of thin brick and no insulation, it still has thermal mass.
The thermal mass can be described as how much heat it can absorb, while the degree of insulation determines how quickly that heat gets in or out.
Ours has a fairly high mass, but thin brick walls with no insulation, so in summer we always perform the dance of the windows. All night the windows are wide open, and we remove two of the insulating tiles in the suspended ceiling from above the bed. Then, as soon as we get up, all the windows are shut, and the doors kept tight shut all day. As we allow little or no sun to shine in thru windows etc, and we keep the hot air from blowing into the house and warming its core, by the end of the day the house still hasn't warmed up much, and we rush round as the sun goes down, opening all the windows again.
So far it's worked well enough that we don't need a/c.
The thermal mass can be described as how much heat it can absorb, while the degree of insulation determines how quickly that heat gets in or out.
Ours has a fairly high mass, but thin brick walls with no insulation, so in summer we always perform the dance of the windows. All night the windows are wide open, and we remove two of the insulating tiles in the suspended ceiling from above the bed. Then, as soon as we get up, all the windows are shut, and the doors kept tight shut all day. As we allow little or no sun to shine in thru windows etc, and we keep the hot air from blowing into the house and warming its core, by the end of the day the house still hasn't warmed up much, and we rush round as the sun goes down, opening all the windows again.
So far it's worked well enough that we don't need a/c.
Mar 21st 2010, 8:56 pm
#23
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
Yes, everything has thermal mass. Even if a house is built out of thin brick and no insulation, it still has thermal mass.
The thermal mass can be described as how much heat it can absorb, while the degree of insulation determines how quickly that heat gets in or out.
Ours has a fairly high mass, but thin brick walls with no insulation, so in summer we always perform the dance of the windows. All night the windows are wide open, and we remove two of the insulating tiles in the suspended ceiling from above the bed. Then, as soon as we get up, all the windows are shut, and the doors kept tight shut all day. As we allow little or no sun to shine in thru windows etc, and we keep the hot air from blowing into the house and warming its core, by the end of the day the house still hasn't warmed up much, and we rush round as the sun goes down, opening all the windows again.
So far it's worked well enough that we don't need a/c.
The thermal mass can be described as how much heat it can absorb, while the degree of insulation determines how quickly that heat gets in or out.
Ours has a fairly high mass, but thin brick walls with no insulation, so in summer we always perform the dance of the windows. All night the windows are wide open, and we remove two of the insulating tiles in the suspended ceiling from above the bed. Then, as soon as we get up, all the windows are shut, and the doors kept tight shut all day. As we allow little or no sun to shine in thru windows etc, and we keep the hot air from blowing into the house and warming its core, by the end of the day the house still hasn't warmed up much, and we rush round as the sun goes down, opening all the windows again.
So far it's worked well enough that we don't need a/c.
Dont believe in air-con.
Apart from the expense to run them,it simply makes it much harder to adjust when you do go outside.
Mar 21st 2010, 9:08 pm
#24
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
Much the same,except I stick at least one fan in an open window night time to pull the cool air in, as during hot spells its often very still with little air movement.
Dont believe in air-con.
Apart from the expense to run them,it simply makes it much harder to adjust when you do go outside.
Dont believe in air-con.
Apart from the expense to run them,it simply makes it much harder to adjust when you do go outside.
The huge problem with any system, solar power, whatever, is that the installation cost are so high that it takes forever to repay.
Mar 21st 2010, 9:16 pm
#25
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
Good point. I try not to use the fan even for that, as it all costs, and I am trying to keep our power bill from imitating the National Debt, but it would help. A friend uses a water sprinkler on the roof as soon as the sun goes down, and there are some devious tricks you can try with poly prop tubing and a solar reflector to radiate heat AWAY. If the solar mirror points away from trees, buildings and the like, then on cloudless nights, the pipe at the focus gets quite cold, I've read, and if that leads into your room, it can supply you with a slow stream of cold air.
The huge problem with any system, solar power, whatever, is that the installation cost are so high that it takes forever to repay.
The huge problem with any system, solar power, whatever, is that the installation cost are so high that it takes forever to repay.
The cost of buying and running a small fan in the window opening is miniscule, compared to buying and running aircon.
Its more akin to the the running cost of a lightbulb.
Mar 21st 2010, 9:19 pm
#26
Banned
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Vejer de la Fra., Cadiz
Posts: 7,653
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
You are quite right, a fan is a piddling cost, but like anything it does add up. Mind you compared to heating water and pumping the bl**dy stuff to the trees, you could probably run a fan 24/7 and never notice it......
With the ceiling tiles over the bed popped out, the roof space acts like a chimney, so it's not really a problem for us.
Mar 21st 2010, 9:26 pm
#27
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
True, but many a mickle makes a muckle. Or some twaddle like that.
You are quite right, a fan is a piddling cost, but like anything it does add up. Mind you compared to heating water and pumping the bl**dy stuff to the trees, you could probably run a fan 24/7 and never notice it......
With the ceiling tiles over the bed popped out, the roof space acts like a chimney, so it's not really a problem for us.
You are quite right, a fan is a piddling cost, but like anything it does add up. Mind you compared to heating water and pumping the bl**dy stuff to the trees, you could probably run a fan 24/7 and never notice it......
With the ceiling tiles over the bed popped out, the roof space acts like a chimney, so it's not really a problem for us.
Sorry,only joking...
Mar 21st 2010, 10:25 pm
#29
Yaaarp
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Trying to get the hell outta Spain!
Posts: 1,354
Re: It's raining, it's pouring; this is getting boring....
You'll have to move to La Costera. Brilliant weather for the last week ,today warm with damp mist but all the heavy rain this winter was mainly during the night and by ten o'clock in the morning bright sunshine. Apart from two days when the water in the hens' dishes froze the coldest would have been 4 degrees ealy morning rising to a maximum of 22%. My patio is lush and green I have never lost a plant since I've lived here.
I put on in a week ago and when I went to get it out this morning it was dead!
Yup, bloody raining here again
Mar 21st 2010, 10:53 pm
#30
On the road again.
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: On Top of the World
Posts: 17,507
