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Post by perthprepper on Oct 18, 2016 23:57:06 GMT 10
Ok this is a very specific question, but has anyone with accessible space under their house tested how hot it gets in summer? My place is fairly small so storage is a bit of an issue. I'm thinking about putting some food under the house but obviously I don't want it to spoil. I'm thinking it'd be cooler down there than in the house itself, but my place has barely passable aircon so that's no great achievement. I've already got bottled water stashed down there as it's pretty dark.
I'm in a one-storey fibro/wood floorboard place in Perth, where summer temps peak in the mid-40s. There's about a metre of space under the house and I can crawl in from the garage.
If no-one's done this, I'll get a thermometer which records max temperature and see how it goes this summer. If it climbs above 30 I'm thinking that limits the options a bit. My guess is it's probably ok for the dry carbs like rice/couscous but perhaps not practical for tinned foods.
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shinester
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Post by shinester on Oct 19, 2016 0:04:25 GMT 10
Can't give you a specific reading.
I would guess as hot as it is in the shade if there's air flow, which inevitable there would be. A 'root cellar' perhaps a buried esky, would offer some reduced temperatures.
In terms of storage, I've had tinned food in the roof for 3 years before. It won't spoil in the cans, as they're sterile if sealed, what it will do is degrade quicker. That is nutritional qualities, color, taste. Still safe to eat.
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Post by Peter on Oct 19, 2016 19:49:06 GMT 10
I do know that the lower floor of a 2 storey house is cooler than the upper floor, and the roofspace is hotter than either. By this reckoning, it's reasonable to assume that the crawlspace would be the coolest part of all. BUT depending on where in Perth you are, is dampness going to be a problem? Some areas have VERY high groundwater levels. As Shiney mentioned, airflow is also a consideration.
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Post by ziggysdad on Oct 19, 2016 21:35:48 GMT 10
Queenslanders are built off the ground for a number of reasons, one of which is that families used to congregate under the house in the heat of the day because it is significantly cooler under the house and it facilitates breezes.
I have a partially finished downstairs and it stays significantly cooler in the summer.
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Post by perthprepper on Oct 19, 2016 23:01:40 GMT 10
The trade-off to the lower=cooler hypothesis is the air movement that shinester mentioned. It's just a question of where that means the temperature lands. Might actually be hotter than inside. I'll get a thermometer and until I'm comfortable I can stash other things down there, it'll be just dry carbs and sealed water. Will report back if I find anything interesting (other than spiders)
Dampness won't be a problem at my current house, but that's a good point to consider if/when we move....
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token
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Post by token on Oct 21, 2016 8:45:51 GMT 10
Its a good point and it would be interesting to get a reading outside vs underneath to compare. on one of my homes ive got concrete stumps and its not enclosed, but atm with snakes and the heat coming in, the poultry and cats and whatever else get under there, so id have to box in a section to keep em out. I reckon it would be significantly cooler though.
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Post by PlanZ on Oct 21, 2016 17:01:49 GMT 10
Great question and I have a similar situation. I actually have heaps of under floor space which I'd like to make use of. I'm wondering if it might even be cooler than the in-the-shade temp due to the coolness of the earth below.
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ygidorp
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Post by ygidorp on Oct 26, 2016 13:35:43 GMT 10
I don't have a specific answer with regards to a number for the temperature. What I can confirm though is that it is always cooler than the habitable space above, having crawled under several houses in the peak of summer. That's why I have several buckets of grains and beans in mylar/O2 absorbers stored in my house subfloor.
That said, one challenge I'm facing is that the annual termite treatment means it gets sprayed routinely. As buckets increase in number, there will be a limiting number that can be comfortably moved every year prior to treatment.
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Post by Peter on Oct 26, 2016 21:52:51 GMT 10
Okay, let's look at testing this methodically...
Does anyone know of a device which measures - and records - temperatures in various areas? I'm thinking a weather station would do the trick, but I don't really want to shell out on a number of them (ie attic, upstairs, downstairs, floorspace, etc). Would it be difficult to get hold of a thermometer that connects to a PC to record temps? I've often though this would be a good way to measure various areas around the house for food storage, fermentation, etc.
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ygidorp
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Post by ygidorp on Oct 26, 2016 22:17:37 GMT 10
Surely a few $1 thermometers off eBay would do the trick? One in roof space, one in the middle of the house, one in the subfloor?
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Post by perthprepper on Oct 26, 2016 22:22:55 GMT 10
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token
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Post by token on Oct 26, 2016 22:29:44 GMT 10
im looking at checking temps out my way in summer as it gets hot and dry. stay tuned
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Post by ziggysdad on Oct 27, 2016 8:03:23 GMT 10
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