Solar Heat

[stovebolts]

I've been looking at Solar Heat for several months now and it really looks easy and cheap to build. A guy down the road from me has three solar heaters that he's built and they basically heat his entire house during the winter as long as the sun is out.

I figure that I can build a portable solar heater for around $35 dollars that resembles the ones that use can's, except I'll use downspout and some Z-Channel to use as baffles. The guy down the road from me uses pvc pipe to plumb it into his house, and he's made a custom, insulated window insert with an intake and return line to the solar heater so at night, you can just cap it off, or if it gets too hot, you can just cap it off.

How about anyone else? Has anyone else played with solar heaters?

 

[handy]

I would be interested in this as well. As of now we heat our house with our wood burning stove and it keeps the house plenty warm...as long as someone is home. However, if I have to go to town for the day, or work or anything, I come home to a very cold house indeed.

We've talked about installing a regular heater, but the cost would be quite a bit and it would push up the electric bill which is high enough, thank you. Solar heating sounds like a very good alternative because we get plenty of sun on our house.

Do you have any graphics to share, Jeff? Or links to "how-to" sites?

hmmmm, something to Google!

 

[stovebolts]

Hi Handy!

Here are two drawing I just put together. hey, I'm not a graphics designer so be easy on me LOL!

[attachment=1:3jz7iszr]solar heater.jpg[/attachment:3jz7iszr]

This unit will sit outside your window at a slight slant and pointed toward the south. You'll have to build a wooden box about 6' tall by about 8- inches deep and I'm guessing just over three feet wide. Below is another picture of a box that will mount into your window and you'll plumb pvc pipe from the solar heater to the window insert.

I say the solar heater is about 6 feet because the tubes inside are downspout. I havn't done the math yet for all the details and demetions, but Downspout comes in 10 foot sections, so you'll cut them in half. You'll want about 5-6 inches of open air space below and above the downspout. Place the downspout about a half inch from each other. Downspout is about 4 inches wide so one cut in half used twice = 9 inches when you add in the 1/2 inch gap. Four would be 36 inches.

So, it will take 37 inches inside the box (That's adding 1/2 inch to both end pieces). Now then, you'll want to double insulate the box with that half inch foam board from Home Depot, so you'll want to factor that in as well as the thickness of the boards you use.

You'll want to get some L metal that will act as a baffle on both ends of the downspout. (See drawing). When your done putting it all together including your 2 inch pvc input and output connections, you'll want to paint everything flat black and then put a piece of double insulated glass over it, or a single piece of plexi glass from Home Depot. ;)

[attachment=0:3jz7iszr]box.jpg[/attachment:3jz7iszr]

Here is the box you'll mount in your window. It's basically the length of your window and it's about 5 - 6 inches thick. It has two pieces of pvc going through it and it's insulated ;) Both pieces of PVC stick out from each end 3 inches or so. On the inside of the house, you can cap the ends if it gets too hot, or at night when cold air would come in.

On the outside of the box, you'll plumb one (w/ 2 inch pvc pipe) to the intake and the other to the output. This way is cycles warm air from inside your house to to be re-heated.

I was told not to insulate the pvc pipes, but to just paint them black. The guy down the road from me designed this and said that leaving the pvc exposed to the cold helps with the natural convection and actually makes the air circulate faster, so you don't even need a fan to get the air moving, it's all natural, and once you've built it, you've got free heat!

 

[stovebolts]

Here is a solar water heater made with copper pipe that I'm going to adapt and build for our farm animals so I don't have to run a tank heater as much in the winter.

The picture posted looks like it's a fully connected grid, but the one I'm going to make will be more like a snake where it starts here, and ends there.

Also, instead of having it an open system, I'm going to make it a closed system with a small solar water pump and I'll fill it with anti-freeze so it won't freeze in the winter. In the summer / fall, I can make it an open system and circulate the water in our hot tube too

It would mount in the same type box as the solar air heater

[attachment=0:1vuvf0xx]solar water heater.jpg[/attachment:1vuvf0xx]

Here is the full diagram from where this picture came from.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/uploaded ... -01pic.jpg

 

[handy]

Thanks Jeff. I'll have Steve look at these.

 

[stovebolts]

I can give you the number for the guy who designed this if you want it. He's a teacher and has his own class on Solar use. He also gives seminars in Mi about Solar. I'd love to go to one of his classes!

When I went to his house to talk to him about his solar heaters, he had one out and disconnected. Sorry if my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I know the day I went there it was moderatly overcast and below 60. That means that his unit was taking in -60 degree air and when I put my hand over the output, hot air was blowing pretty good. He had a thermometer and I want to say that the air was like somewhere around 160. Like I said, I'm a bit fuzzy, but I know it was really hot and I couldn't keep my hand there very long. He said that on a clear sunny day even in the single digits, his solar heater was putting out heat above 100 degrees... and he had almost 10 feet of pvc exposed without insulation. Not bad, and his box was only about 5 foot high ;)

 

[handy]

OK, I'm a girl, so now for the most important part:

What's the "curb appeal" of these things? I mean, are they OK looking or do they look like something that would accessorize with old appliances and trucks on cement blocks?

 

[stovebolts]

LOL

Well, imagine a solid black rectangle next to your house at a slight slant with some pvc pipe running into your window...

It's either going to complement your existing decor or... at least your saving lots of money each month, don't have to burn as much wood and can take them down and store them the rest of the year :yes

Honestly though, the guy I'm stealing the idea from has a very, very nice old house that's well kept with beautiful foliage here and there. Honestly, yes, they caught my eye, but I don't think they were an eye sore.

 

[stovebolts]

Ohh, and I almost forgot. He only had about an inch between the face of the downspout and the plexiglass. Hey, I told you I wasn't a graphics designer

 

[Vic C.]

One suggestion people, use a PVC alternative conduit if you can!

 

[Sparkey]

Another suggestion? Make free and major modifications to your design and get it copyrighted.
Wouldn't hurt my eye to see a brother enriched while all mankind is benefited, ya know?
I like Handy's suggestion to make it pretty and "styling" as ya go too.

~Sparrow

Wow, tha's one styling thang on that there house!

 

[stovebolts]

Hi Sparrow,
Well, I'll see if I can stop off at this guy's house Sunday after church and see if he'll let me take a couple of photos to post on the internet. Do you know how much money it costs to get something copyrighted? Besides, this should be free to the public :yes

Hey Vic, what would an alternative for pvc be? I'm up for ideas.

 

[kimberlyb0112]

oh wow.. just reading this forum makes my head hurt.. haha all this "science" talk is confusing lol

When I get married someday, I hope my husband knows how to do all this stuff lol..

it will definitely be left up to him :D

 

[Vic C.]

Hi Sparrow,
Well, I'll see if I can stop off at this guy's house Sunday after church and see if he'll let me take a couple of photos to post on the internet. Do you know how much money it costs to get something copyrighted? Besides, this should be free to the public :yes

Hey Vic, what would an alternative for pvc be? I'm up for ideas.

http://www.pvcinformation.org/links/index.php?catid=2

 

[Sparkey]

Inventing 101
Do I need a patent, trademark, or copyright?
By Mary Bellis, About.com
http://inventors.about.com/od/firststeps/a/inventing101.htm


The cost? It's not much - just talking copyright here - to protect your intellectual property. You automatically have "book copyright" for any original writings (but not derivative works) and this also applies to any pictures you take. It's the "patent" process that is very expensive and complex and getting a trademark is difficult too but easier. Copyrights are the easiest of all.

Again, if the Lord desires to bless you? Seek Him (not me) to know - not saying you haven't, just trying to argue a couple future, possible, bucks into the pocket of a brother. Did you say the other person is also a Christian? Lol - now even more I'm thinking copyright -- again to protect the rights of your ideas ( your combined intellectual property ). Who knows? Maybe another Christian with know-how will wish to join in and you could find agreement with him/her also? I waive the customary 10% for my goodwill and free contribution here. If you like, and it seems good in your sight, and if I have contributed anything of value? Repay with prayer for me and my loved ones -- when next you appear before Him whom I love, a quick "Sparrow loves you, Lord" is all I ask.

~Sparrow

'Tis da love-a' da moolah not da moolah itself 'dat is de eeevil. :2cents