This occurs because of absorption of radiant solar energy and the body heat of the birds within.If we had a perfect solar barrier,whatever it may be we would only have ambient air temp to deal with.We deal with that by venting which creates air flow and air volume of flow.
The movement of air has a cooling effect on the birds with in but the temp is still the same it just feels cooler.We notice it immediately on bare skin but would a feathered bird benefit with it's coat of feathers?This would be more effective if the air were cooler.The only way we can economically get that is by cooling the air by the use of water misters.
A couple of things to deal with that will help improve air volume/flow is a larger vent,up high and equal to or greater than the opening size of the entrance.If these vents were coupled together in a common solar chimney that had an adequate size and upward flow we will have done all we can do.
The same approach would be used in conjunction with solar barriers ,paint, reflectors etc.Yes its a battle and we can only do what we can.
A couple of questions Scott do you have any findings to give us from your temp studies and Joe can you share which of your venting methods is working the best for you.I also might ask how you determine what is the best ?
dick
Heat build up in housing,,,a fresh start.
I'm no expert but from reading a bit... someone here had designed a vent stack with 3/4 inch pvc for a t-14. i thought that if you did that on both sides of every house unit, except make sure the vertical is 2" off the wall, then clip on sheets of aluminum could be attached when it was time to keep the sun off either screw them onto the stack or whatever c clip or whatever.
That way you'd have a radient barrier two inches from the wall, kind of optimal, with plenty of air flow around it. I haven't thought it thru too carefully so I won't be hurt if you guys shoot holes thru the idea. I searched here for anything similar and I guess there must have been something like it. I just didn't find it. I know that too reflective and males will spend all day attacking. Is there any value to a white sheet of metal attached like this?
Bill
That way you'd have a radient barrier two inches from the wall, kind of optimal, with plenty of air flow around it. I haven't thought it thru too carefully so I won't be hurt if you guys shoot holes thru the idea. I searched here for anything similar and I guess there must have been something like it. I just didn't find it. I know that too reflective and males will spend all day attacking. Is there any value to a white sheet of metal attached like this?
Bill
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Guest
Good job Rick ,it would be even more effective if thechimney extended above the roof line and were larger in diameter to carry a greater volume of air.
dick
dick
I think Rick means he has an additional section, two feet long, that is black and has a T fitting on the top (rain proof). Looks like he just has a pvc cap on in the photo, probably during the cooler part of the season.
2010: two pair nested, 1 bird fledged.
2011: starlings/sparrows destroyed nests. I shut down the house early to save PM lives.
2012: new T-14 with SREH, & a Beeman R7. Four fledged this year.
2013: Destroyed many house sparrows, but fledged 21 PM's!
2011: starlings/sparrows destroyed nests. I shut down the house early to save PM lives.
2012: new T-14 with SREH, & a Beeman R7. Four fledged this year.
2013: Destroyed many house sparrows, but fledged 21 PM's!
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Guest
I went back and reread it and you are right ,,,,,,,now that really makes it not just good but excellent.The black will absorb solar heat and as we know heat rises thus creating a negative pressure at the cavity entrance and air flow thru the cavity up up and away, 
Good design.IMO thats about as good as it gets.
dick
Good design.IMO thats about as good as it gets.
dick
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Scott D.- La
- Posts: 823
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:35 am
- Location: Louisiana
Dick,
I have tried the solar chimney concept however, the result's were hard to judge. From a temperature prospective, it ran a degree hotter and actual airflow could not be measured. As I have posted before, our current equipment can handle the temperatures for the most part however, there are day's when the landlord may have to mist to help out. Healthy, well fed babies can tolerate the temps and will not require as much landlord assistance. If the situation is excessive heat and drought's combined with starvation due to a lack of insects, the situation can turn dire and the landlord may have to emergency feed, mist, rehab jumper's and pay very close attention or let nature take it's course.
I have also posted before how each location on a multi tiered system will yield different temperature reading's with WNW and North facing gourd's being the hottest. I have confirmed this over and over. A single round rack, the gourds can heat up differently than a multi tiered system.
Thick wood and heavily insulated aluminum houses do a good job in hot and cold conditions. There is room for improvement with several popular gourds and maybe we will see some re-design's in the future. Hopefully, 2012 will be kinder in regards to the summer's of the last couple years.
I have tried the solar chimney concept however, the result's were hard to judge. From a temperature prospective, it ran a degree hotter and actual airflow could not be measured. As I have posted before, our current equipment can handle the temperatures for the most part however, there are day's when the landlord may have to mist to help out. Healthy, well fed babies can tolerate the temps and will not require as much landlord assistance. If the situation is excessive heat and drought's combined with starvation due to a lack of insects, the situation can turn dire and the landlord may have to emergency feed, mist, rehab jumper's and pay very close attention or let nature take it's course.
I have also posted before how each location on a multi tiered system will yield different temperature reading's with WNW and North facing gourd's being the hottest. I have confirmed this over and over. A single round rack, the gourds can heat up differently than a multi tiered system.
Thick wood and heavily insulated aluminum houses do a good job in hot and cold conditions. There is room for improvement with several popular gourds and maybe we will see some re-design's in the future. Hopefully, 2012 will be kinder in regards to the summer's of the last couple years.
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Guest
Scott I agree wuith your findings but am a little perplexed about the WNW & N facing housing being hotter.......I think the prevailing winds may have something to do with that.Wind blowing directly into an entrance will lower the temp to eventually equalize with the ambient.The remaining factor of the heat buildup in the structure itself and its radient properties will naturally also affect the temp readings.
IMO,that is,,,,,,,,,,,,,
dick
IMO,that is,,,,,,,,,,,,,
dick
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Don Strickland
- Posts: 430
- Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:38 pm
- Location: Oklahoma/Shady Point
I modified my two 12 hole aluminum houses so they will hopefully be cooler.
I had about 6 jumpers last year and putting them back in the nest didn't do any good because they jumped again.
Don
I had about 6 jumpers last year and putting them back in the nest didn't do any good because they jumped again.
Don
Last edited by Don Strickland on Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
We were in the 50's today so I put the vent stacks on for a photo. I did up the size to 1" pvc on the two that are connected to the gourds facing southeast and southwest. The gourd facing northwest is shaded by the house untill late afternoon and the northeast has shade all afternoon.
The 1" vent keeps the Troyer horizontal gourd at a temp increase I'm ok with. It does create a draw when its hot out, just by getting close to the gourd entrance with smoke you can see how much!
Now I'm working on connecting a heater with a thermostat up to the vent system to pump heat in spring. The compartments are lined in cork and have wooden nest trays. Anyone have a idea what temp would be acceptable in spring??
Rick
The 1" vent keeps the Troyer horizontal gourd at a temp increase I'm ok with. It does create a draw when its hot out, just by getting close to the gourd entrance with smoke you can see how much!
Now I'm working on connecting a heater with a thermostat up to the vent system to pump heat in spring. The compartments are lined in cork and have wooden nest trays. Anyone have a idea what temp would be acceptable in spring??
Rick
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- vent stacks (Copy).jpg (32.78 KiB) Viewed 6121 times
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Guest
`Rick the size of the common header/vent pipe is your limiting factor.
Lets not talk numbers of flow or volume lets talk only the volume that can flow in the vent stack.It will be X and is an unknown ,then lets say the stack will allow 3X volume of flow/minute.The picture shows 3 housing units commoned to the stack,therefore the flow thru each house is 1/3X/minute.This easily shows that the vent stack really needs to be larger when it is common to more than one housing Unit.
I went back and looked at your photo of 3 units and noticed that the bottom "TEE" could be open or plugged. If it is open it then becomes a 4th contributer to the stack volume thus cutting down on the volume of air that will flow thru the houses.The flow would now be 1/4X/minute or 3/4 X vs 1X.
dick
Lets not talk numbers of flow or volume lets talk only the volume that can flow in the vent stack.It will be X and is an unknown ,then lets say the stack will allow 3X volume of flow/minute.The picture shows 3 housing units commoned to the stack,therefore the flow thru each house is 1/3X/minute.This easily shows that the vent stack really needs to be larger when it is common to more than one housing Unit.
I went back and looked at your photo of 3 units and noticed that the bottom "TEE" could be open or plugged. If it is open it then becomes a 4th contributer to the stack volume thus cutting down on the volume of air that will flow thru the houses.The flow would now be 1/4X/minute or 3/4 X vs 1X.
dick
Last edited by Guest on Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:30 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Scott D.- La
- Posts: 823
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 8:35 am
- Location: Louisiana
Dick,
As I am sure your aware, the sun rises in the East and set's in the West
Anyway, as the sun rises throughout the day it get's more intense as the day progresses and the angles change with the highest temps recorded from 3.00 to 5.30 pm. The day's grow longer and hotter as Summer progresses. The wind, humidity, and clouds also play a big factor. People may think when we have high humidities and it feel's miserable to us, it's the same for the bird's however, the opposite is true. It's the low humidities and dry air under those high pressure domes when people have had the most problems with their bird's especially, if it's combined with droughts and lack of insects. The babies literally dry out and crave water as witnessed with misting. I have seen days with heat indexes up to 115 degree's with 90% humidity which is miserable to me however, the gourd temps are in the safe range.This is constant and has been recorded on a daily basis many times. Knowing this, gives me the knowledge to know exactly which gourds are going to be the hottest and the babies at the most risk. The landlord would benefit greatly by using the Data logger's and knowing this information and why the investment into these logger's might be considered as standard equipment for the PM landlord who is concerned by the heat as you can know what temp's to expect from each cavity and where to pay the most attention. It would also be expected that different states, sites, could experience the reading's differently although I would expect similar finding's. Until someone does the test, it's a unknown.
As I am sure your aware, the sun rises in the East and set's in the West
Anyway, as the sun rises throughout the day it get's more intense as the day progresses and the angles change with the highest temps recorded from 3.00 to 5.30 pm. The day's grow longer and hotter as Summer progresses. The wind, humidity, and clouds also play a big factor. People may think when we have high humidities and it feel's miserable to us, it's the same for the bird's however, the opposite is true. It's the low humidities and dry air under those high pressure domes when people have had the most problems with their bird's especially, if it's combined with droughts and lack of insects. The babies literally dry out and crave water as witnessed with misting. I have seen days with heat indexes up to 115 degree's with 90% humidity which is miserable to me however, the gourd temps are in the safe range.This is constant and has been recorded on a daily basis many times. Knowing this, gives me the knowledge to know exactly which gourds are going to be the hottest and the babies at the most risk. The landlord would benefit greatly by using the Data logger's and knowing this information and why the investment into these logger's might be considered as standard equipment for the PM landlord who is concerned by the heat as you can know what temp's to expect from each cavity and where to pay the most attention. It would also be expected that different states, sites, could experience the reading's differently although I would expect similar finding's. Until someone does the test, it's a unknown.