Experiments in Heat Loss

Words that Architects Use: CONDENSATION is what the fog on the windows is called. It's water droplets that come from moist air. INFILTRATION means air leakage in a house that lets cold air in and warm air out -- because air from the outdoors "filters in" to a house.

 

	Experiment 1 In Experiment 1, you are measuring the BASE CASE. That means that you will find out the basic way your Energy House works that you can compare all the future experiments to. The Steps: 1. Make the house model. For this experiment, don't cut out any windows. 2. Fill the can with hot water, place it in the house and put on the ceiling. The can of hot water is the furnace of the Energy House. It heats up the inside of the house, and you measure how long it takes for the Energy House to get cold again. Remember, always use the same temperature water at the start of each experiment, and fill the can with exactly the same amount of water each time. Then, decide if you're going to check the temperature every 15 minutes or 20 minutes. It doesn't matter which, but once you choose then you need to always do it the same way for all the experiments. Otherwise when you graph your results, it won't make much sense 3. Graph the temperatures. To learn about making a graph, click here.
	Experiment 2 Experiment 2 makes the Energy House more realistic, because no house is without windows! But windows do lose heat. Compare to experiment 1. The Steps: Cut window and door openings. Remember to leave a hinge for the door; don't cut all the way around. Cut one set of plastic windows and tape them in place. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. Keep the door closed. Put the thermometer in. place the "bulb" part of the thermometer inside the Energy House, and keep the part with the numbers out where you easily can read them. Graph the temperatures, and compare them to Experiment 1. Things to Notice: Did the windows fog up? If they did, why do you think they did?
	Experiment 3 Another unrealistic situation -- a house with no windows! But to make a point, which is that insulation saves heat. The Steps: Cut insulation panels for the walls and ceiling, but don't cut out the windows yet. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. Graph the temperatures, and compare them to Experiment Things to Notice: Did the Energy House stay warmer longer? Do you think insulation stops heat from getting our of the house, or just slows it down?
	Experiment 4 Now the Energy House is getting more realistic. This experiment is good to compare to the next one. The Steps: Cut window and door openings into the insulation. Then put insulation back in. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. Keep the door closed. Graph the temperatures. Things to Notice: Did the windows fog up this time? Did the heat stay in longer?
	Experiment 5 This experiment shows an important thing -- air insulates! The Steps: Cut out a second set of plastic windows and tape them to the inside of the insulation. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. Keep the door closed. Graph the temperatures. Things to Notice: Compare your graph of this experiment to Experiment 3 and Experiment 4. Which keeps heat in longer? Did the windows fog up this time? How much? Why do you think there's a difference? The air inside the double-pane windows is still, not moving or blowing through. Do you think these windows would insulate as well if air WAS blowing through?
	Experiment 6 What happens to all the heat in your house when somebody leaves the door open? The Steps: Cut a hole in the roof and ceiling insulation for the chimney. You can make the chimney by rolling up a piece of paper, or using the tube from a roll of paper towels, or something similar. Make it a snug fit, (and save the plug of insulation to replace when the experiment is over!) Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. This time leave the door open a little. Graph the temperatures. Things to Notice: Did the windows fog up this time? What effect does having some air moving through have on the Energy House?
	Experiement 7 Heavy curtains add another insulating air space. They must seal tightly however to create a still pocket of air. The Steps: Cut out the cloth curtains, big enough to completely cover the windows and overlap onto the wall. Use the push-pins to fasten them tightly against the windows. Place the hot water 'furnace' and measure the temperature drop. Keep the door closed. Graph the temperatures. Things to Notice: Compare this experiment to Experiment 5. Do the curtains make a difference for holding in heat?

 

 

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