Water in Bottles
Jan. 22nd, 2010 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helwenWell, I was lazy or something this fall, and so I didn't get around to filling the glass bottles with water until today. What glass bottles you say? Well, they are all sorts -- old soda and water bottles, a few wine and ale bottles, a couple of sparkling cider ones, and one champagne bottle.
Anyone who's left a glass in sunlight for long enough knows how hot it can get. Water in the glass helps retain the acquired heat longer. I put these bottles in the windows during the winter, the east and south windows in the kitchen, and the three most southerly facing windows in the living room.
The optimal color for water-filled containers, for the purpose of passive solar heating, is flat black. Well.... only three of them are black -- I decoupaged them with some cool-looking dark papers. The rest are either too interesting as they are, or I haven't gotten around to doing anything with them yet. Although I think brown and dark green do pretty well. I have a Two Druids Solstice Ale bottle from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
nq3x -- excellent stuff, and sorry I am that the brewers went away. Then there's the bottle from An Dubhageainn, with the sexy St. Pauli Girl Duck on the label :D I have some classic soda bottles from Coke, Pepsi, Hires, and Squirt -- back in the "old days" they used to paint the labels on, instead of using paper or plastic sleeves. And who knew Poland Spring used to come in glass? Their bottle has their name as part of the glass mold itself.
I'm not sure how effective they are, but I imagine they contribute a little heat, and since I don't have them capped, a little moisture too. Not much, since the openings are so small, but seeing as I have around 20 bottles on the sills, it contributes some. I suppose I could get corks for them, but I haven't gotten around to it.
They're nice to have for the emergency aspect too -- we have other sources of water, but if push came to shove, I have some extra water for dishwashing, watering the plants, etc.
As the weather warms up later this year, I'll start using them up watering the plants, and then put them away until next autumn, so they aren't collecting heat during the height of summer ;)
They don't take up a huge amount of space since I can stash small groups of bottles here and there.
And, they're kinda neat looking, and add a little extra color and interest during the long white and grey days and nights of winter :)
Anyone who's left a glass in sunlight for long enough knows how hot it can get. Water in the glass helps retain the acquired heat longer. I put these bottles in the windows during the winter, the east and south windows in the kitchen, and the three most southerly facing windows in the living room.
The optimal color for water-filled containers, for the purpose of passive solar heating, is flat black. Well.... only three of them are black -- I decoupaged them with some cool-looking dark papers. The rest are either too interesting as they are, or I haven't gotten around to doing anything with them yet. Although I think brown and dark green do pretty well. I have a Two Druids Solstice Ale bottle from
nq3x -- excellent stuff, and sorry I am that the brewers went away. Then there's the bottle from An Dubhageainn, with the sexy St. Pauli Girl Duck on the label :D I have some classic soda bottles from Coke, Pepsi, Hires, and Squirt -- back in the "old days" they used to paint the labels on, instead of using paper or plastic sleeves. And who knew Poland Spring used to come in glass? Their bottle has their name as part of the glass mold itself.I'm not sure how effective they are, but I imagine they contribute a little heat, and since I don't have them capped, a little moisture too. Not much, since the openings are so small, but seeing as I have around 20 bottles on the sills, it contributes some. I suppose I could get corks for them, but I haven't gotten around to it.
They're nice to have for the emergency aspect too -- we have other sources of water, but if push came to shove, I have some extra water for dishwashing, watering the plants, etc.
As the weather warms up later this year, I'll start using them up watering the plants, and then put them away until next autumn, so they aren't collecting heat during the height of summer ;)
They don't take up a huge amount of space since I can stash small groups of bottles here and there.
And, they're kinda neat looking, and add a little extra color and interest during the long white and grey days and nights of winter :)
