Free Hot Water from Compost Wheelie Bin

SHTFPreparedness may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

Compost piles do a great job of breaking down our organic waste and keeping our trash cans on the curb lighter with the benefits of organic matter to mix into our gardens. Although it does awesome things for our green footprint, it can do even more than you had originally thought.

Free Hot Water from Compost Wheelie Bin - Compost can reach a core temperature of 70 degrees Centigrade. Conventional Hot Water systems are thermostatically set to heat the water to around 65 – 70 degrees centigrade. So at its peak this system will create very hot water for free.

Image Credit: David van Mill via Flickr

Temperatures in your compost heap can reach in excess of 150° Fahrenheit (70°+ Celsius). Residential hot water heaters are typically set to heat your water to around 150-160° Fahrenheit (65-70° Celsius). So you can generate hot water for free using this system!

Even though this DIY idea is a little more complicated than your average garden undertaking, we think it’s worth the mention for those who are looking for a challenge this summer. Your goal is to harness the methane created by the decomposing of your compost.

Free Hot Water from Compost Wheelie Bin