Added: 3 years ago
From: matrixm777
Views: 72,349
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:
see all

All Comments (172)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • I don't believe it produces any toxins because the insides of the cans have been cleaned. Effort should be applied to making a good seal between each can, allowing the columns to be as close to air tight as can be. I've had mine running for about 4 years or so and have never noticed any adverse effects... only to the heating bills. :)

    I simply slide a cover over the panels during the off season and close the header openings inside. Thanks for watching...

  • Great project! I am interested in doing this project in the near future. Do you know if this type of heater produces any toxins in the air from the heating of the cans? I just want to make sure I'm not breathing in anything harmful because of this (which I am hoping is not the case b/c this seems like a great idea!!) Also, do you just cover this panel up, or take it down, in the summer? Thanks!!

  • Great vid and great idea. Keep up the good work!

  • very cool! Great narration too :) thanks!

  • What if you looped all the cans together to form one continues loop from with one opening at the input end, and one at the output end, allowing for higher temperatures as the air is passing up and down and around the whole loop. Might have to have a higher power fan, or make it out of coffee cans, but the principal is sound I think.

  • Very good job of showing the entire step by step process, if I had run into this video first it would saved me from watching dozens of lesser videos. Thank you!

  • "In this picture..." :D

  • BlackBody rules

  • @elxatwo I would be very interested in knowing how that works out for you. I believe if enough people put their heads together, we can design the most efficient heaters around... Keep in touch.

  • @elxatwo Very nice. What kind of temperature reading are you getting?

  • Philippine mahogany (luan or lauan) is different from most other mahoganies because it ISN'T a mahogany at all but any one of a large number of species that are lumped together and sold as Philippine mahogany. It is more grainy than mahogany and second, it does not take on a patina like mahoganies. This wood is widely used in cheap, thin, plywood, and on the outside of cheap hollow core doors. That name isactually more appropria tely spelled "lauan" .

  • @panthiere its not lauan its falcata

    

  • Excellent video!

  • Great work Sir.

  • This question has been asked 9812381293 times probably, but what if you make the holes in the cans some smaller, wouldn't that slow down the air and heat it up even moire?

  • @Biervrienden It would slow the air down and generate more heat, but the goal is to get the heated air inside the house at a faster exchange rate. The warmer the air is inside the house the easier it will be to heat with help from your panels. I hope my jibberish makes sense... :)

    Thanks for writing...

  • @matrixm777 Thanks for your quick response. I'm have almost enough cans to make my solar air heater. Love your videos!

  • @matrixm777 Check out richallenmusic's channel, the video on the "final thoughts". He made several of these using different materials. He didn't have to drill holes in the cans either and the performance was essentially the same.

  • Best video for building this solar air heater. Thanks!

  • Thank you very much

  • @bscfrnd1 Thank you...

  • Thanks for the very instructive video ,you help my a lot.

  • curious on the stats,,. what temps your getting, and whats the temp, outside at the time.. also how are you getting the heat into the house?

    is it natural convection ? or are you using a fan of any sort?

    if using a fan, is it solar powered ?

    i built me one. 9 rows, 11 cans high. using sliding glass door double pane glass.

    i got 180F with small solar powered fan. and insulated 4" duct hose.

    i just need to mount it now... comments welcome.

  • Outstanding ....i am heatup already ..

  • hey you on facebook I have pictures up! Im about done! if you are my facebook is don mew Im also working on a video too!

  • @twistedvisions68 I haven't been able to find you on facebook... I would like to see your work.

  • mat your video is fantastic, the clarity of explanation has got to be the best on you tube, I am going to make "your" panel, I thank you for your effort, and for posting.

    Would it be advantageous to use Low Emission glass on the panel, (that's what its called here in the U K,) it allows the Suns heat in , and reduces radiated heat from escaping to atmosphere.

    Keep posting mate , you know how to instruct.

    Kind regards.

    Tony.

  • @vallonia Thanks Tony...Low-E glass would probably work great. I'm just too cheap. :) I wouldn't be surprised if you get better performance out of yours with Low-E. Good luck with your build...

    matt

  • @matrixm777 Thinking off the top I would think even more efficiency is obtained by using dual panes. Maybe it would provide too much isolation to the heating chamber though? Might be worth a side by side test.

  • where did you get the glass I cant find anything that big around here!

  • @twistedvisions68 Almost any glass or window company should be able to have it cut to fit for you. I am fortunate enough to have a neighbor who repairs automotive glass (Wades Auto Glass) and he was able to order mine for me.

  • @matrixm777 sweet thanks I think Ill have to check into that here if there is one around. if not Ill have to stick with the plex for now love your vids keep up the good work thanks

  • @twistedvisions68 also I wounder if I apply a reflective film on the inside of the lexan if it will hold in the heat. say like a window tint? humm not sure if that would help or not

  • @twistedvisions68 Not sure if that would help, but you could try it out with some type of prototype... Good luck and let me know what you find.

  • @matrixm777 will do im working on the cans now.. beer cans are great pop cans suck haha later

  • @twistedvisions68 Ha!! Try to keep those rows straight. :D

  • Comment removed

  • Comment removed

  • what were you using for your glass? Lexan, plexiglass, or a huge piece of regular glass? lol

    This was an awesome project.

  • @qcages I used tempered glass. I believe it's able to hold in the heat better than the plexiglass products... An added bonus is regular glass will not frost over from sunlight exposure.

  • Nice Vid. how much was your green ninja?

  • @azn980980 Thanks... I think it was $4500 off the floor.

  • Thanks bunches for the inspiration and your humility our Savior! I wonder, the way you are generating heat via solar can we use your principal with the addition of glass beads or other non-porous storage method in the heat transfer box try placing glass marbles or some such things in the base of each can, they will not interfere with airflow for fast heat and yet when the aluminum cools they will be sitting there ready to yield and keep the warm air flowing??

  • @north45thguy Glass beads are a very good idea! I had originally considered small rocks but I wonder if glass beads would work better. Thanks for sharing your thoughts...

  • This is great. I am gearing up to make a couple of these myself. Are you running it without fans? I heard they work that way too, but would like to know for sure. Thanks for any input.

  • @bearhamo I am using thermostatically controlled fans. They use very little electricity and only turn on when you want them to. The panels will give heat without fans, but the fans will increase your air exchange dramatically.

  • Less Sugar, More BPA in the can! I wonder if the heat would activate the BPA fumes in the cans when the heater is on. Instead of eating the chemical, you can breathe it in a lot faster!

  • Thanks again .......you sure are a very capable guy ~FANTASTIC and quality workmanship

    Love your work xxx

  • @CHOCCYDAZZLE You're welcome and thank you for your kind words.

  • Great video; nice step-by-step instructions. I have a few quick ideas for you to consider for round 2: Consider using 1/4 inch polycarbonate (Lexan) instead of glass for protection from flying sticks on windy days. Also, instead of removing the top and bottoms of the cans, try cutting slits in the top at the opening, and punch holes in the bottom with an awe and reem out with a larger spike. This will leave the aluminum on the can to act as a heat fin for the air passing throught the cans.

  • @chuckebaker Thanks for the ideas, Chuck. Unfortunately both panels are already complete and functioning very well.

  • Thanks, I think I will build one this winter or at least get started...

  • Nice video thank you but on all the other vids they don't cut out a large hole both ens only one end, does it matter if you drill two large holes?

  • @queball147 It makes a huge difference... Two holes allow air exchange to take place. (CFM) Cubic Feet per Minute. The idea is to provide the heater enough air to heat and move into the house. The warmer the air is in the house, the easier it will be for the heater to heat that air. I hope this helped. Thanks for watching...

  • Hi there, do you think there are any advantages or disadvantages to building it as a 2x16 box versus a 4x8 box (so tall and narrow) ...since its the same amount of lumber? Also, assuming i have a decent blower, can I mount this horizontally (if that's the only space I have)? BTW- what area of the country do you live in...in New England, not sure how much heat will be produced(?)

  • @granitestatedave The only disadvantage that I can think of would be the size of the glass cover. A sheet that length would be more apt to break. Otherwise I believe everything would work the same; even if you mounted it horizontally. Just make sure you place the exhaust port at the highest corner.

    I live in North America where the winters can get to 30+ below wind chill and my panels will put out average temps of 140 degrees farenheight.

  • Oh, quick question - is there any reason this cannot be done on two stories?

  • @winspiff There is no reason I can think of, but I will say this: Heat rises naturally so installing a heat source on the 1st level should be good enough. Natural convection will do the rest.

  • I just want to commend you on your perspective and responses - particularly your humility and patience with others. // I have no experience with carpentry and this is is intimidating. I will try. My 1st level is one open room, about 1500 sq ft and over 9' ceilings. If I try to make two of these, I figure some of the heat will rise up the stairs. I have an efficient hydroair boiler for heat and HW. I'm hoping I can also do something affordable to preheat the water for that. Thank you!

  • @winspiff Thank you and good luck with your build...

  • I am not sure what the god and jesus tags have to do with your project.

    Since it has electric fans(even though they are solar powered) it is not passive.

    but those are minor points.

    It is the nicest solar box I have seen!

  • @bobo888bobo I always make sure to give credit where credit is due. I would be nothing without God and Jesus Christ. I'm glad you enjoyed the video...

  • @matrixm777 Nice to see someone gives God the glory these days, amen brother amen!

  • if you planing on making another solar heater like that, try "finning" the tops of the cans so that the airflow will travel in a cyclonic motion allowing more air to pass through your system and therefore more heat.... i have seen may ideas for this trype of system and what can i say they all seem really great.. maybe get into building this as a fulltime idea as you could very well sell these for at least $100 a piece for something that requires no maintenance..

  • good informative video. well done!

  • What is the bent metal on the bottom of the front of your solar heat panel for? It looks like a gutter but I can't think of why you would want to channel water there.

  • @jasperricca I think that's where he slides his summer covers into. I asked him and he say's he has metal roofing he cut to slide over for summer.

  • @jasperricca

    Sorry about my earlier response... I wasn't getting what you were talking about, but I understand now. wiboater4 was correct; Those are guide rails for the covers I slide on during the summer. Thanks wiboater4...

  • Great video and excellent craftsmanship.

  • I used the can opener on the tops as well and a 8 inch piece 1 1/2 inch pvc inside can then a 1 1/4 inch thin wall pipe (used for dog runs)with one end v cut and sharpened tape the flat end then push buy hand 1/2 way turn push through and the hole on the bottom is completed works well.Thanks for your tips!

  • Well I finished two 145 can panels,mounted them to my garage and they are working great. One hits 155 and the other limits the thermometer. I used botha pusher and a puller 86 cfm fan and a clickswitch running on 12 volts. My glazing is double pane glass from old patio doors. The garage averages 15 to 20 degrees warmer temps when I get home from work. Thanks Again!

  • That's great to hear! I thought about going with double pane glass, but I was too cheap. :)

    Congrats on your build...

  • Nice Video.  Very Descriptive.

  • Hi, I'm just about done with my panel, could you explain please , How do you hook up the fan , thermostat, and solar panel , I have the fan , what size of solar panel, is there a good site that would explain this , Thanks so much for your video, Can't wait to try my panel out!!

  • I didn't use a solar panel on mine. My local hardware store sells a "Register booster" that has a built in thermostat. All I had to do was place it over the exhaust port, plug it in and it does the rest.

    Watch my newer vids to see the register booster.

    Congrats on your build!!

  • Register booster" that has a built in thermostat. do you have a picture? or name and model number . would love to see this thanks

  • I think it's called "Suncourt", but all you have to do is watch my newer video and it will show you the booster and the box it came in.

    Thanks...

  • thank you very much . treally injoyed

  • i have used the same thing to exhaust extra heat from a furnace room. Look in the ductwork section at Lowes. they have fans that fit inside round duct work and should have thermostats as well

  • Thanks to take the time to reply, I really think these could really help alot of people ,to bad it has taken so long for this to catch on

  • I agree. I'm so glad I did it. Saves me hundreds of dollars every winter...

  • I think your box design and insulation procedure is the way to build this heater system then I plan on using alum. flashing to trim it so it is maintance free also use clear plate glass vs plastic is cost efective saveing money is the big part of this project.Thanks for all your tips

  • Theories no. 24 pcs pieces of light tinted and tempered glass 28"x76" yes. Just wondering why or if there is a reason no body has tried Thanks again

  • Thanks for posting your video I am wondering since dark colors attract heat how do you think a tinted glass would work

  • That's a really good question. I can remember having tinted windows on my car and they would get very hot in sunlight. My only concern would be preventing the sunlight from hitting the heat tubes...

    Any theories??

  • @matrixm777 In reply to beernchickens post Tinted glass is good only to keep the suns heat out of a space it is used to help the a/c keep the house or car cool if you put tinted glass on a solar pop can heater you might as well mount the box under a shade tree

  • This is the best "how to" of passive solar heating I have seen. Awesome work. I had a few questions, but your answers to other readers were great and I appreciate those responses.

    Another idea for some people; I'm going to a supermarket and hanging out at the can return for an hour or so. I don't drink much out of cans, so I'd rather pay someone the 5 cents per can and save them the hassle of sticky hands and waiting for someone to come empty a full return machine!

  • I am amazed at how simple this is and how well this works!!! I am in the process of building a solar panel and I'm wondering how in the world you glued the cans together? What did you use? I have tried various products but nothing seems to work well. Can you enlighten me please?

  • It's the most time consuming part of the build. A small bead of liquid nail caulking around both ends of the can. Stick'em together and let dry. Very strong stuff.

    I also applied a dab on the backside of some cans to help hold the column firmly in place.

  • Good vid I see that you cut out both ends of the cans. I think that you should have drilled some holes in each ends so that the cans could retain more heat and produce more tempature to the exhaust. Hey what do I know! Good that you shared this with all of us that will need it in the future.

  • I thought about that approach, but determined CFM is more important than how much heat I can get to build up in the panel itself.

    My panel temps have exceeded 200 degrees farenhieght before because the air is not moving. The faster we can heat the air in the home, the less work the panel will have to do because the inside air is warmer... if that makes sense.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts...

  • Your answers are always dead on right. If everyone had one of these units they would definately enjoy them and the money they will save. Not to mention the positive environmental impact. I think you would have a career in science my friend.

  • Thanks for the vote of confidence. :)

  • Super Job thanks for the ideas !

  • A really great video. I am going to follow your instructions but will leave one inch between can rows with reflective material behind and on the sides of the cans. I also will paint the entire can. I'll let you know how it goes. One question is how does the heat effect the fan motor. Any thoughts on a pusher motor. thanks again!

  • @MrPapaMichael A thought on your question of the fan. Heat usually shortens the life of most things, I would go with a inlet fan so the air would be cool going past the motor.

    Reflective surfaces may cause some energy to be reflected back out?

    Regardless it is all good, best of luck on your project

  • I agree with CTOL1. It will most likely extend the life of your electronics if you can keep them cool. If you use a motor at the bottom header, you might need your heat sensor at the top header to activate the fan.

    I haven't had any problems with my fans yet, but they are still very young.

    Happy New Year!!

  • Great video! Many thanks for sharing!

  • Hi. Thought the videos were fantastic. Just a couple questions. How many layers of cans?, most use one layer. What did you use for glass to cover the panel. What would the size of the frame be?

    Thanks.

    TESS

  • Hi Tess,

    I used one layer of cans as well. I used actual glass for my glazing as I believe it to be a better way to hold heat. The rough size of the panel is 4 by 8 feet.

    Thanks for watching...

  • nice video ! thanks for sharing!

  • nice craftsmanship there!!!

    i was curious as to why the foil on the insulation was painted black...

    thanks for the video!

  • In theory, it should draw more heat. I think it looks nicer too.

    Thanks for watching...

  • awesome

  • Nice design and build. Great video I am just starting my build it will be a hybrid of the can concept using aluminum sheeting and vaccum between sheeting and lexan curved panel.

  • I would enjoy seeing a video of your finished product. I'm very interested in finding the most cost effective and efficeint way to put these together. Let me know what kind of numbers you come up with.

    Thanks for watching...

  • This would not help as much with out direct sunlight, but if the panel was to track the sun. This could work better (maybe). Maybe having the all black surface for when the sun was not shining would be more beneficial (like cloudy days). Just another thought to throw at the already genius idea. Sorry was to long and had to post in two different post. Also out of order. Anyway Thanks again

  • Great minds think alike... :)

    My problem is the way my house is set up. I thought about that, but the way my basement is laid out, I would have to run a bunch of water line... I only have a half-basement so it would be expensive and I would loose heat due to the distance it would cover.

    I don't see any other reason why it wouldn't work.

  • Just wanted to thank you for making this video. Also had an idea for making this plan better. Let me know what you think. What if you were to leave more space between the cans and the insulation. Then a person could use mirrors in a v shape to direct the light to the backside of the cans.

  • Thanks for the compliment,

    I'm hoping the reflective surface from the foil-backed insulation does a little reflecting. I also know after the snow falls, it acts like a huge mirror on the ground so the panel really puts out the heat on those days.

    Mirrors behind the cans too would be scary and I think it's a doable idea. If not mirrors, maybe foil or something.

  • Thanks for the reply. Just had one more idea. What about combining water heating with the air heating? A person could weave copper line on top of the cans and paint it black. This way you could heat water. You might block the cans a little. The water would freeze in the lines in some areas. Just cut the water off and drain it in the Winter. Turn it on in the Summer and cut the air flow off. This way the project could be used year around. Good for a guy like me in Illinois. Thanks

  • hi

    very nice work

    i am just working on mine now and i am going to mount on the top a few solar cells to run a 6 volt fan so when the sun comes up the fan kicks in when it goes down it goes off .

    i am going to test it out if it works will let you know i have a few cells left over from the solar panels i am building

    i dont know if the 6 volt fan will give enough flow.

    have a great day

  • Thanks Dave,

    It sounds like you have a pretty good idea using the solar cells. I opted to go with a thermostat controlled fan just so I could pull all the heat out of the panel. Sometimes the sun will go behind clouds, but there is stil heat buildup in the panel.

    Hope it works great for you...

  • Sweet!! very well done.

    you know a solar panel (electric) would be somewhat automatic as the fan would not run till the sun was cranking. This will also work to some degree with just a thermal siphon concept without a fan if mounted low enough on the wall. Most transfer activity would come to a stop once darkness falls. How simple is that? A simple damper or conventional register with air stop could be added to your inlet/outlet as well. "just in case"

    BTW my '82 1100cc Goldwing gets 55mpg

  • Thanks Craig,

    I thought about the solar panel also. A guy could really set up a nice system. I'm working on a damper system too in hopes of stopping any cool air back flow at night.

    That's amazing getting 55 on a goldwing. I think the older bikes were built to get better mileage. I know the older ninjas get around 70mpg.

    Thanks for your thoughts...

  • hi, im new at this, and kinda nieve, but how does this wonk at nite, does it still keep your home warm all nite?

  • hi! what is your setup getting the heat to blow in your house?

  • I'm using something called a register booster I picked up at Menards. It has a built in thermostat that activates the fan.

  • I plan on building 3ft wide 4ft high. I have been pondering the volume of the cans, versus the cfm of the fan and the area of the headers .I wonder if they might be some formula for obtaining maximum heat with maximum air flow. Also wonder if its possible to pull too much air? and as a result of that, cool the rising air to fast ??? maybe i should just build it ,LOL.Just curious.

  • I know what you mean... I had many questions as well and just decided to do it. I don't think we can move the air too fast, but if you move it too slow, you won't get all the produced heat out.

    The neat thing is we are heating the warm air inside our homes. It will continue to circulate through the panel until it reaches the desired temp.

    I'm guessing the CFM is the key in concert with volume of cans.

    Let me know if you reach eureka!! :)

    Design improvements always welcome.

  • Thanks very much for your reply . I will be starting my heater next week may build 2 of them .One for the cabin and one for the shop. Thanks again for sharing . Very cool stuff.

  • Good luck with your build. I'm putting my

    2nd one together now so I plan to do a video with working numbers. I was pretty excited to see how the one lowered my heat bill and now I will have two pumping in that free heat.

    How big are you building??

  • What are the sizes for the headers top and bottom? Is there a certain size in regards to the size of the box??

  • The headers are the same size approximately 10-1/4 inch tall to allow room for 6 inch intake and exhaust. The size is only for convenience for working with the length of can rows and centering the main heat core within the frame itself.

  • LOL! nice moped

  • LOL!! Thanks... 55+ mpg. It goes with my energy efficient house.

  • Hi, have you started a solar hot water heater yet? Several of us are kind of waiting for you to lead the pack. I would like to add one to my present electric tank to assist . i think it's called a batch tank. Thanks Steve

  • I'm honored, but I haven't started on one yet. I plan to build a second solar air heater first to knock my heat bill down even lower.

    I'm looking at the batch tank as well. Keep me posted if you start a build and I will do the same.

    Thanks...

  • Great job on the heater . I am not sure how the header is constructed though can you help me out with it . Thanks again for sharing .I cant wait to built one for my 160 square ft cabin.

  • Glad to help. What questions do you have??

  • you can also do the same thing with a dryer for your laundry. A heat intake for the dryer itself & place a filter on a blower to feed the heat back into the can heater. Just an idea :p

  • Thanks

  • Great Video love to see the numbers test

  • Thanks rigger,

    I will be putting in the numbers in a follow-up video. They are great and have made a huge difference in my heating bills.

  • good job thank you

  • Hi, I notice you have a top and bottom can header. It looks like there is also a center header. Are the cans seperated here? If so why? Or is tis just a glass support? I have left my cans in long rows. Hope i didn't mess up. Thanks for the best vidio i have seen .

  • The center is only additional support for the collumns. It is optional so you haven't messed up, but make sure you leave a little room horizontaly for expansion when the temps drop.

    My can rows are too tight and I had a row pop out. I plan to correct it this fall.

  • Hey men you are a Super Genius. Great Jobs. Bye. Ivan from argentina.

  • Thanks Ivan...

  • this picture shows..... Great video though. Awesome idea.

  • Cool video. I'm looking forward to the video that shows how and where the heater is installed in your house to heat it up...

  • I would say instead of cans which ended up to alot of work. You could use a sheet of metal which had been folded "accordion"/"wave" shape

  • I would be willing to do anything that would be simpler, but I have yet to see anything work as efficiently as cans.

    Always open to improving on an idea.

  • You are awesome

  • Dude, awesome video! Thanks for the step by step instruction. I'm in the middle of several current projects, but will attempt one of these eventually!

  • Thanks bro...

  • Very cool and a well made no nonsense video... Question would black ABS pipe work?

  • Thanks Farmer,

    ABS would work, but it would take longer to heat up. On party cloudy days, you want as much heat as you can get and fast.

    Let me know if your build produces good numbers.

  • My comment on the other video should have been here. Great tutorial, hope to hear from you soon, Brian.

  • Matrixm777 Greetings from Colorado. I would like to send you a picture of my solar heater installed. If you are interested send me your email address. I used your video the most when i was constructing it, so i owe you a big thanks. I'm getting 155 F of FREE heat (on an overcast day).

  • Very cool (I mean hot). Welcome to free heat. I'll be in touch.

  • Thank you very much for this highly instructive video.

    Greetings from Germany

  • You are welcome...

  • Hi, i really enjoyed your video, great job. I am working on mine now. Do your cans rest on the insulation or is there a space between? Sides also? Distance from the face of cans to the inside of the glass. Should the cans fit snugly between the top and bottom header? Thanks

  • Thanks,

    My cans rest on the insulation.

    I didn't allow room on the sides, but I have to go in this year and correct that because they need a little room to move.

    The cans should fit snuggly between the headers.

    Good luck with your build. Keep us posted.

  • just thinking if the box (not the inside of thecans) wasmirror finshed and filled with some type of gas or liquid , maybe even the right amount of water moisture, that got super heated might that effect the can coil?

  • Interesting thought. At this point, I don't know of a better way to build one and keep the production cost low.

  • Good news...I finished my heater. The results are better than I expected, I was getting temperature readings of 152 F before the thermometer died. I used weatherstripping and lath sized wood strips to secure the Lexan down - works great. The PV powered 12 V DC computer fan is also working well, it's 4.5 " and has a 120 CFM output.

  • That's great! Those are great temps. I look forward to seeing the video.

    I installed a 6" fan on mine as well and it seems to be working great.

  • Has anyone tried using aluminum downspout? Its going to be easier than pop cans, but I'm scared its too thick. I think it prob. wont work because we all know nothing can be easy.

  • I think some have, but I don't know if they're getting the same temperature performance. Cost is a factor as well, but it depends on how much one is willing to invest to get the same results.

    Lol... It's true that nothing goes as easy as we think it should.

  • Check out member richallenmusic. He used cans inside of downspouts with good results.

  • What did you use to seal in the glass?

  • I used a standard clear cilicone window caulk. After setting the glass in place, I filled the small gap then put the front of the frame over that.

  • Nice work. I built a test one last summer just to see how well it would work. It was relatively simple, was 3x4 ft in size and heated the air from 74F to 196F in about 15 minutes in full Sun. I made a mistake in using regular black spray paint so it started coming off. I like the Simple Idea of just using a can opener!!! I overlooked that one and followed someone elses drilling 'em out plan.... not my idea of fun!

    Thanks for sharing and a great job on showing how this is done!

  • Sorry, I got my temps confused. 196F was the temp of the top can near the exit. The exhaust air temp was around 145F.

  • The can opener is much easier and I would've overlooked it myself if it wasn't for my brother.

    Sounds like you're getting good temps out of yours.

    Thanks for watching...

  • Thank you for all your responses - they're greatly appreciated. You're providing great information for do-it-yourselfers. These same systems are being sold commercially for over $2,900 (not installed).

  • Mine cost me about $250 so it sounds like I saved a little. I'm sure the commercial units are nice for those who want to save time.

  • I plan on using lexan with weather stripping (instead of silicone because it's less permanent), then screwing it down. I put a curve on both ends and the center support (I like the look of the curve and think it will give it added strength and rigidity. I'd like to put some kind of cover on the edges to dress them up...any ideas? What do you think caused your can "blowout"?

  • I like the curved look as well, but I don't think lexan performs as well as glass. I've had days when I didn't open my unit until later that the temps would reach over 200 degrees. Once open, it will average about 160.

    I struggled with trying to figure out how to cover the edges of curved glazing too. I would wonder the isles at the hardware store until something jumped out at me.

    Sorry I couldn't be more help with that.