The power of poop!!!

IrishAbroad · Fri Jul 08, 2005 11:37 am

Ok, nothing new or ground breaking here but I thought I'd mention it.

Last year I wanted hot water up at my land so I thought I'd make use of my horses by-product - poo

We have, as does every horse owner, a dung heap. And it gets hot. Very hot.

So I went to the local scrapyard and bought 3 old (but sound) lorry (truck for the benefit of our trans-atlantic members) radiators, connected them together, piles the poop on top and, after a couple of days to let the poop start fermenting again, connected it to the tap.

And out the other end hot water!!! About 40degrees ish.

I guess the same could be done with a compost heap!?!?

We all know of the Irish love for dung heap alcohol stills - same principle really (and for the benefit of Customs/Duanne - no I don't!!!)

Anyone else use the power of poop?

Muddypause · Post: # 4938Post **Muddypause** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 1:29 pm

That's brilliant. Wouldn't do for continuous supply, but for that situation that's really well worked out.

I read an old Victorian gardening book where they talked of heaping horse manure around garden frames to heat them.

IrishAbroad · Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:07 pm

Well, as has happened to me many times, the heat generated from the poop is enough to set it alight if the heap is big enough

So be warned, don't pile to close to the house/shed etc

Stinks anyway

ina · Post: # 4951Post **ina** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 7:59 pm

Ever thought of a household-size biogas system? They have the advantage that they don't stink, and you get gas out of it - which you can use for cooking (even if some people are a bit squeamish about using poop-power for preparing food!) And the resulting stuff is still good fertiliser.

They work very well in warmer climates, thousands have been built in rural areas in Asia and Africa, but they are ok in cooler weather, too. We had one at the university in Germany. I remember an underground "container" for the waste (household waste and muck), probably insulated somehow. Can't remember how they emptied it, once fermentation was over. I've had a look on the web for some plans, but haven't been lucky yet - does anybody know where to find more information?

Ina

lurker.... · Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:01 am

Related News...

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/ ... y/Cow_Powe

Guest · Post: # 4960Post **Guest** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 11:02 am

Sorry... something chewed up the URL....

Here we go again...

Funny that in a poop related post , only the (a)r(se) was missing.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/ ... /Cow_Power

ina · Post: # 4962Post **ina** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 5:34 pm

Thanks for that link, lurker - that's my dream of total self-sufficiency! And no dependency on sun or wind, either. As long as the livestock produces enough shite... Admittedly, not so good for urban self-sufficiency.

But I suppose various planning, environment and other departments will have something to say about thousands of methane filled balloons going up all over the countryside.

Ina

Lyds · Post: # 5104Post **Lyds** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 8:07 pm

Fantastic!

I dont suppose I'll ever get enough from 6 hens though.

Millymollymandy · Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:02 am

Ooh I dunno, chickens poo so much. Does anything else poo in its sleep?

flowers-v-spuds · Wed Jan 04, 2006 4:16 am

On the same topic of poop. I noticed that when I used to just have a small garden/yard with not a lot of life in it, when the cats pooped on the bit soil it would be home to worms - i swear the garden went from very few worms to loads of them over the years. I know cats are not supposed to be a gardeners best friend, but it was almost like i had a wormery going.

I'd love a good use for cats poop as i have an endless supply of it

wulf · Post: # 8362Post **wulf** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 7:36 am

I'd be a little cautious about cat poo - coming from a carnivourous diet, there could still be some nasties lurking in it. Anyway, I've found that, since I started taking time to be nice to the cats that visit my garden, they've seemed to stop using it as a litter box!

Wulf

Andy Hamilton · Wed Jan 04, 2006 10:49 am

It always amazes me when I read what some of our members get up to, thats pretty amazing. There is a bit in the John seymore book about fuel from waste, a chicken can generate enough waste to power half a kettle a day, a human three quaters. So thats three cups of tea a day from your chickens lyds!

Did not mention sheep though Ina in the book, although the pig can generate enough for 5 kettles a day. Thats a hell of a lot of shi.....

wulf · Post: # 8365Post **wulf** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 11:10 am

How does the book suggest turning the aforementioned waste products into a useable form of energy? You can't just stick a plug in it!

Wulf

Andy Hamilton · Wed Jan 04, 2006 12:19 pm

The waste is mixed to a slurry poured into a holding holding tank daily, where a gravity takes it into a digester when the valve is turned on. This digester is insulated with straw or other insulating material. There is a stirrer inside it to keep from clogging up.

Any overflow goes into the slurry collector.

The process takes 14 - 35 days and the gas bubbles up and is syphoned through a delivery line to the gas holder. Then I guess the gas holder is used for your own gas supply. The left over slurry is can be used for fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. The only trouble it seems is the possible explosions.