Hot Stone
 

Is there such a stone, or perhaps a block that remains hot after you remove it from a heat source?

IE; I want to be able to generate heat in a small area, just enough heat that the temperature is higher than the outside air by a few degrees, without using a flame.

Re: Hot Stone
 

coal.

Re: Hot Stone
 

Granite will probably be the best type of stone to use, as it can hold heat (and quite alot of it) for a long time (enough to cook a meal without a flame :))

Re: Hot Stone
 

Am so curious but I'll resist the urge to ask :)

Re: Hot Stone
 

My first thought was to heat up a rock in the oven. But on consideration I'm not sure if that's 100% safe. I'm wondering if the wrong sort of stone might shatter or even explode.

Maybe one of the microwaveable heat pads?

Re: Hot Stone
 

Depending on what you want to use it for I have a Microwave Granite Hot Plate similar to this one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/KWIK-WARMER-...6417982&sr=8-2

Re: Hot Stone
 

Ahh Granite, I never thought of that, that should do the trick.

And for those wondering......Its to generate condensation within a Polycarbonate frame.

I've read that you can collect up to 4 gallons of water via condensation, and it "Seems" as though this summer is going to be a record breaking heatwave, and I reckon they might do hosepipe bans.

I figured if I can collect condensed water at 4 gallons per night, I could still water my allotment, at least thats my theory.

Re: Hot Stone
 

4 gallons :eek: That's a very big amount to extract, and no doubt requires ideal laboratory type conditions. How big a polycarbonate frame are you expecting, the size of your allotment?

Re: Hot Stone
 

I dont know where I read it, I might be wrong, But even if extract 1 gallon, it will be enough, I figured I could make some modifications to a cold frame using plastic pipe, that way if i dont get 1 gallon i havent wasted my time, i still have a cold frame that i will use.

so about 4ft square.

Re: Hot Stone
 

How do you think Storage Heaters work ;)

Re: Hot Stone
 

An old trick I was taught in the RAF:

Dig a hole about a foot deep, part fill with foliage then place a cup in the centre. Cover the hole with plastic sheeting, place a small stone near the centre above the cup. Water from the foliage will evaporate, condense on the plastic and run down to the cup.

This can also be used on a sandy beach where you dig to the water table, so foliage isn't needed.

Polycarb-glazed greenhouses often get a lot of condensation inside as the plants transpire (?), but I've yet to figure out a way to collect it for reycling to the plants.

Re: Hot Stone
 

I was thinking of using some kind of drip system, by gluing a thin rubber tube to the polycarb lid and placing a drainage system below it that would drip into a large container, this could also work in my greenhouse for extra water.

i would have to do some drawings before i tried it, but in theory if it works and we do have a really bad summer to the point of 76 with water rations, at least we would have the water to feed the crops.

Re: Hot Stone
 

I'd just defy the ban personally. it's not like you live in the desert and someone would kill you if you didn't :)

Re: Hot Stone
 

No but I dont want to be slapped with a fine either, and besides that, in 76 they had to have taps in the road, they cut off supply to houses, so if that happens this year I couldnt defy the ban.

i'm not saying it will, im just going off what people are predicting.

Re: Hot Stone
 

You could always get a big watering can. the ban is just for hosepipes and sprinklers.

watering cans and buckets are excluded.

Re: Hot Stone
 

BW as well as the condensation route have you made sure that you have as many water butts as possible. We harvest roof water into 3 butts and have added an extra butt to harvest the water from our bathroom with an overflow top pipes from the clean water butts which act as a seep hoses to water the garden borders and patio planters.

Re: Hot Stone
 

I was going to say that but I wasn't sure how many twigs are available - and like you say - "cup". Enough to survive on but not gallons.

How's about you use the water from the water butt and fit a length of hosepipe to the tap, plug the free end, (leave the valve only slightly open) , bury it to the area you want to irrigate and pierce the area where you need the supply first.

Re: Hot Stone
 

I dont have a water butt as yet, but if we have a drought then wont the water butt dry up also?

Re: Hot Stone
 

Well - if it don't rain then it don't, and it seems to me that in a polytunnel you have to wonder where the condensation will come from: it's going to be the foliage and soil that's in there so it kind of defeats the object. You can get water butt covers which would help. :)

Re: Hot Stone
 

Yup they do run dry but we do get several weeks of water out of them when everyone else is complaining about a hose pipe ban and of course the butt that is filled from the Shower/bath/ basin in the bathroom keeps getting filled.

If you have the room you can daisy chain the butts and we currently have 2 extra butts waiting to be linked on to the garage butt. We have buried the butt next to the conservatory so that it it less of an eye sore and we are considering adding another next to it. The run off into the borders when it rains ensures that the ground that is shielded from a decent drenching when it rains gets a good watering and with the ground being damp we don't need to water as soon as the dry spells hit.

Re: Hot Stone
 

Brilliant idea. :tu:

Re: Hot Stone
 

And now this thread has appeared we will have the wettest summer ever...:p: