Can you make it a multipass if you use gutters for headers and cap it every 2 downspouts. Would a multipass be to hard for a fan to push it out? Just wondering if it's worth trying as I am going to make I fit it in the inside of my window. It is 68 inches London and about 25 inches high.
Man, that's awesome. The two problems I'm trying to solve now (as I build my first one) are cheap plastic (Home Depot 0.093 plexi 3x4 feet was almost $40) and residual heat storage.
In your test are you pushing the intake air through the panel or is the air stagnant ? I was just thinking the outlet air temp would drop some due to the incoming cold air, but I like what you've done here. I'm working towards building my own Solar Pop can Panel soon. Yours is the most efficient that I've seen. =)
Thanks for showing me your video. I could not see the whole design (I need to now airflow rate), but it appears you need higher airflow to get more heat out. Watts out = CFM*(F out - F in) / 3. Higher CFM brings temps down which makes it more efficient by losing less heat out of the window of the box.
Looks like this one worked the best of all! Did U ever put this to use on your house? Would like to see some vid of that. Thanx for sharing your talents! :-)
Love it! You should put in the footage from 6:54 right at the beginning for just a bit because it gives a clear picture of what it is we are about to learn how to do.
Do you do anything to control the high temp of air produced, or does the 200 deg +/- air mix with colder air to make a comfortable temp, or do you have some type of thermostat to open & close a vent or turn a fan on/off so the temp in the home doesn't get too high? Also, I noticed that your other designs are straight up & down and this one was angled. I bet if you matched the angle so that the glass was perpendicular to the angle of the sun, it might even be a little more efficient. NICE JOB!
@hootiemcgrudy2 hi yes angled your heater works better also mine fan cuts on at about 110 and if it has sun will stay around 100 degrees i dont get full sun so i dont know how good it would work
I am starting to gather the items needed to make this heater.I have watched most of your vids and will hit them all soon.I have a question.With an exact copy of this heater will it actually heat a room during the day? Will it save me money on my heat .I plan on doing alot of what you are doing in your vids.Do you have any statistical data showing your savings per month ?You and your Vids are awesome !You got me hooked now.
Would using a thicker peice of metal in a few places in the box and sticking magnifying glass on the outside up the temp a few degrees? Thanks for the Vids btw! really helpful info!
Sweet, I've watched a few other vids on building these pop can heaters, & I just ran across your video. Nice job! I'm sold! Going to build my can heater soon!!!
Question: How much space does this heat? Our house faces South, which is ideal. However only affects the living room and family room. All bedrooms and kicthen are on the back side. How do you suggest we handle that? Thank you for your efforts...they're paying off for all of us!
Question: How much space does this heat? Our house faces South, which is ideal. However only affects the living room and family room. All bedrooms and kicthen are on the back side. How do you suggest we handle that? Thank you for your efforts...they're paying off for all of us!
Fucking hell!!!! Literally,... hahahah!! I so glad I wathched the whole video, because at begining the process didn't look very neat at all,.. Congratulations. I'm right now starting to build my heater. I will follow the advice of not cutting a big hole on the top of the can. Have you already estimated the volume of hot air you per minute? Well done buddy,.. Cheers from Chile,..
@JMEBF -- in the search box up top, type in Fearlessthinker (all as one word). Almost all of the videos that pop up as a result of the search are by Fearlessthinker. Hope that helps.
220 degrees sounds like a lot, but you cant heat your house with hot air that stays in the collector. What temp does it hold when you pump X CFM through? What sort of BTU output do you get?
Interesting how governments, energy corporations and media dare not promote such videos, but instead just raise an eye brow. The more people who help each other being more self sufficient, the more we all prove that humanity not only exists it's also thriving and evolving for the betterment and greater good. Great video.
Wow!, works great! Creative design too! Did you hook up a fan to circulate the air when you mounted it at your house, or are you relying on convection only? 220 is hot!
how many cans did you use? my class and i are trying to build one of these but we cant seem to really get it but after watching this i think i could do it so thanks for sharing :) and do you have a video on how to build that thingy behind the box of cans like all the piping and vents and what not.
Rich Great Job. Just a few questions though. Where did you get the down spouts? What was the total cost to make this one? I am going to be building a cabin and thinking about making the whole south/west facing wall (except for windows) a built into the wall solar furnace/heater.
@UGotMalk I dont have a link off hand, it is different for different brands. I am sure you can do a google about insulation and temps. If you do make one I would use the stuff that has the foil on one side, or use mylar to line the insulation.
I've worked with EBay some months but I didn't have much success... Then I found a method in ez-casino(dot)com, it's very cool, I'm making around $60 a day with it.
would it still work if you got rid of the cans all together? and just had the downspouts ???????????in your test at the of the vid, did you have any circulation happening, or was it just sitting there?
Thanks for proving what I've been telling others. Slow the airflow...use thick material...not just wafer thin pop cans. Thicker material equals heat storage...and since it's hooked to the house...it's impossible to "lose" heat. More material...more heat. More sq feet of heater, more heat. Nice job dude. Too bad yours costs quite a bit to become automated...but overall the collector is very good. Very dense.
This works so well that i'm starting to worry about that wood warping or being a fire hazard! haha. Oh, i had one question about the down spouts. What do you use to seal the ends of the pop cans with the down spouts? I can imagine that most sealers would melt at temps of over 200.
@qcages i just used that high heat morter also i used fire stop in the big downspout heater its a red color check out my loose can heater vids a lot less work
@mrphotomanTIM hi yes im in cross lanes wv check out my loose can heater test they work just as good and have better air flow and are very easy to make if i was going to build one now would make a large loose can type and maybe add a little sand to each can good luck keep me posted rich allen
@Rockit8 yes i made a few of these i was trying different things watch some of my other vids the loose can heaters seem to work the best and are easy to make after all its what temps you get that matters rich
@arbutusage hi i think that should work i was going to try to add sand to the loose can heaters i made just dont have time right now we have a new baby in the house all my free time im sleeping now..... if you try it let me know how it works rich
This is sweet, i have almost finish one of these heaters and was thinking why can't you use tinfoil painted black hung in the middle of the box. Its aluminum and its thin so it would heat up faster. what do you think?
I checked all the floor vents in my house and the hot air that comes out is about 130 degrees f. It seems to me that if you were to add a second intake and exhoust vent(open the other end of your headers) that you could double your air flow and the air temprature should still be high enough to keep you comfortable while the sun is shining. Give it some thought...
Great video, love the detail and the actual how-to instead of pictures of a final product. Hey I am confused about one thing, though. Why bother with the cans in the downspouts? Do they just give you more surface area to contact the air and transfer heat as it passes through?
lol..i love watchin your progressions...hey Rich ..watch my soon to be video on using these for water heaters..yeah! water..oh and thanks..i always thought i was the only one who thought the F in degrees was for "Freakin" lol.
It's good you made the distrubution chamber / header as part of the collector surface rather than waste valuable box space and glass for collecting energy.
Have you heard about the paint made with ceramics developed by NASA? They say it almost completely stops heat transfer through its surface. (90%infrared, 85%UV) I have used a variation of it on my RV roof. I wonder how much it would increase the heater's efficiency? Search for "ceramic paint additive". Thanks for the great video!
hi the sun for me in dec / jan is to low because of the trees/hill but feb is high enough we have had 1 sunny day the heater did cut on and ran 118 degrees for a while NEED SUN STILL WAITING
@richallenmusic Great Video, I have 3 long windows on the South side of my house 5' 1/2 ft long by 23 " wide. Could I simply insert the alumininum down spouts into the window, cover with an aluminum cover. Would this create too much heat in the winter and break the seals in my windows. I have one window that has a broken seal anyway, but would it be a fire hazard. For the summer I would take it out. It seems almost a natural for me, to do this. What do you think? Thank you
@military911search hi im sure it would work fine i have no windows that get good sun to test out you might want to try a loose can type they seem to work just as good and are very light check out my video on cheap easy heater good luck rich
the unit your watching has a snapdisc that turns a fan on when temp is 110 and off at 90 degrees to heat your house you need lots of sun and a few good size units
walls and roof are not the best. the best is a angle for the latatude for the best heat.i wish i could show the chart but dont know were i saw it now 4.here in north america the south wall gets the most sun for more hrs. per day.i think ?? it tracks the northern angle over head down under. may be wrong there.hope this helps you.i have one there great. picking up cans again for the second one.put your vids up here
the sun is so low in the winter angle of roof is not right unless its almost straight up you want to watch the sun you get and the winter and mount the units where they will get the most sun
What a fantastic concept, you've done a great job with ur solar furnace.
I saw some guy in the US selling them for $3000 each.
I've got a couple of questions?
1. I live in Australia and based on your best unit , which pumps out 220 F the conversion into celcius means that it is about 100 C, is that correct based on your calculations?
2. Why do you mesure the outside temp in the shade?
if you ck the temp in the sun its nmot correct.hope you dont mind the re i know you were not asking me.have a great mate down under.for wes in the US.
Rich, great job on the videos! Im thinking of making a solar heater for my garage, but i live up in illinois and im worried about what would happen when it snows... i would think it would render the heater useless, but im wondering if you have done some tests or could do some test to that effect?
hi rich i think he was talking about the outside thermometer. they go nuts in the sun. i have to look at your vids a couple time a week.your getting the best results on you tube. sorry i re for you here.the trees are a problem for your hobbie, but that area your in is beautiful.gotta love that shade in the summer.
i love the video nice work.that will help me save more money :) thanks for all the good infomation about solar heaters and the low cost is nice that makes it so anyone can make one of these solar heaters and save money and the videa of snap disc was very good all so you covered all the componets so the average guy or woman can make a solar heater
thanks for all the great vids keep up the good work
220 degrees on the meat thermometer!! The roast is well done! Jethro, make certain you use flat black paint rather than a gloss or semi-gloss so there is absolutely no sunlight reflection.
I dont get why people want to slow the air down? If you want to slow the flow, then get a weaker fan. Dont put air restrictions to slow it down, your just making your motor work harder.
I dont think you need alot off mass. the aluminum just xfers the heat to the air, doesnt matter how thick it is. Only reason its good is b/c it holds the heat and acts like a heat storage system.
Why go through the trouble of pop cans,? Cant you just use a flat or corrugated aluminum sheet?
Hay Rich been following your vids I like your ideas on the down spout heater . How did you close the open end of your headers and what sealent did you use ?
Wow, cool vid!!! Why screw around with the cans inside downspout? When the fan comes on how much does the temp drop and will it get to a stabilized temp as long as the sun is out for continuous flow?
On your downspout heater, I made two, one with the tops of the cans cut out and one with them left in, The one with the cans with the tops left in is 20 degrees hotter with a fan running than the one with tops cut out. about the same airflow from each.
cool this heater got the highest temp so far and so much less work but sun is to low for mine to work right now because of the trees cant wait till sun moves up so i can check it out
hey im in the 4 grade and im thinkin about making one of these for the science fair so do i need a mini fan and do i need insulation or just foil and can i make it smaller
I began two scaled down window units that someone else up North is finishing. We cut the tops off several other cans and ran them through a metal paint tube crimper and will sleeve them onto the cans (cut side of can and lay it open to run through crimper). The units are designed in an upside down "L"; they will rest on the window sill on a second floor, with the bottom angled out, and the backside empty area will be loaded with scrap aluminum to hold residual heat longer. Hoping for the best!
I love the set up using the down spouts. did you put them in with the flat side facing out? I was thinking that the reason the pop cans work so well is the round can has more surface. I am going to build mine with the corner of the down spout facing forward. will have to see how it works.
Excellent temp results. Like to see experimenting. You said you wanted to slow airflow by not cutting the topsides of the cans out. My question is.. won't this restrict airflow and make the fan work harder and struggle to pull air through the unit and in turn reduce volume of heated air and efficiency? I believe it was you who uses batteries to power your fans. This may put a bigger draw on your battery. Did you notice air flow differences from your first heater with the bigger holes?
the collumns are so short on this one there are only 5 cans inside top and buttom are cut out so just 3 have the tops still on i shot a hair dryer from one end to test had good flow instantly seem to work good im useing a small transformer on this one i like trying new stuff
i did not seal bottoms theres air inside the glass thats why i leave the bottom of the downspouts open so when the air starts moving the air inside the glass is sucked up too this is the best heat temp ive got so far without doing all that other stuff im still in test mode trying different things
I just got the materials to build one out of downspouts. I think I am going to try and seal both ends. I think the dead air space probably would insulate from cold better in the winter. I have 2 of the consolair style I just built. I did use foil tape to connect the cans. It works ok but is time consuming. I clamped some 2 in angle iron down to make a v then lay the tape over it and lay the can on it and rotate the cans. to tape them. Very good videos on what to do , Thanks!
Would cutting slits in the pop can holes create a better vortex effect, creating a better flow? (seen it on other designs)
About what number of cans would produce enough heat to heat almost the entire home? Seen 1000 can designs.
My older brother and I made a smaller one based on your fifth design. We just want the most efficient and effective heater. Don't care if it costs a little bit more to make a better one.
hi im no expert still in test mode but i think the more mass you have the more heat the downspouts seem to hold heat better with the popcans i wish i got better sun so many trees here thats why i built / tested my last one off site where there was full sun let me know what temps you guys get thanks rich
Best one yet Rich, keep up the good work. I am working on mine and using 3X4 downspout for the headers with (4 total) 4" dia. holes for input/output. With the snap disc, anything above 115 degrees will be vented into the heating space. Hope the fan stays on all the time. Volume of heated air is what I and all of us should be after!
I just thought of an idea that might improve on these. If you used a flat piece of tin with the 2 1/8 inch holes drilled through it. You could install it at the top of the can header run it out the side thru a slot in the case. then you could slide it back and forth to increase or decrease the speed of airflow thru your cans.
I really like your videos and am working on my first pop can & downspout heater. Do you think there would be any benefits to painting the cans black before inserting into the downspot?
Thanks rich...glad to see you and I are on the same page. Now i gotta go build one that hits 250! Hell, It seems like just yesterday i hit 210...lol.
Thanks for all your friendly competiton and support, we truelly are pioneers in a science that died long ago. Did you see my video on my mobile trailor?
I am thinking about making this same unit, but changing out the wood to cedar at the core to give a more natural cedar scent to it. Do you smell any of the paint or aluminum in the process? Could we use a connector like a radiator and run it through the length of a room? Hmmm this is fascinating!
Another question: While I think the downspouts are great.. I don't want to spent the $ and it would add a bunch to the cost. hence, HOW CRITICAL is getting the cans sealed??... Im having a hard time and there are LOTS of 'cracks' or spaces in between the cans (despite my best efforts to get them sealed..I don't have access to free downspouts. Yours thoughts please !!!!.
Rich, I noticed your using "treated lumber"... Hmmm! Great for outdoors etc but INSIDE of the box???? Are you concerned about all that Cecium, arsnick and other STUFF that is suppose to be bad for you? Please just be careful... Hehe... We need you around to post more videos and would hate to hear your unable to work on your stuff cause you poisoned yourself with that high heat
Im using a 120 V fan with with an adjustable (reistate) to control fan speed... it allows me to control tenp blowing out of box and into room. Again, the "EFFECT" will depend on house insulation, angle of sun, air flow, room size etc. Hence things like "temp out of the heater' is relative to all these things... The KEY seems to be the balance of all these factors
Yes that's good Rich. But you don't have much flow going on there. I bet if you had a thermometer inside under the glass it would even be hotter than that. Probably get to about 350F.
The thing is that you need to have some flow other than thermal siphon or it's not going to be as efficient.
When you start a good airflow thru there that temperature is going to drop. To keep the flow rate and temperature high, just use more collector area.
ive built one with a sheet of mobile home aluminum siding....i insulated my box and built a maze to channel the air ...its been very effective and less labor intensive....
You are on the right track. It's not that the airflow needs baffled or slowed down. The best heat exchange at any temperature or flowrate will be the collector that exposes the most heated surface area to the air.
Does the heater have to do placed outside? Or can it be placed in a window?
gamerglass 2 weeks ago
Can you make it a multipass if you use gutters for headers and cap it every 2 downspouts. Would a multipass be to hard for a fan to push it out? Just wondering if it's worth trying as I am going to make I fit it in the inside of my window. It is 68 inches London and about 25 inches high.
yamaman1974 1 month ago
Man, that's awesome. The two problems I'm trying to solve now (as I build my first one) are cheap plastic (Home Depot 0.093 plexi 3x4 feet was almost $40) and residual heat storage.
madwilliamflint 1 month ago in playlist More videos from richallenmusic
Yea that plexi is a rip off you could use thick plastic @madwilliamflint watch my final thoughts vid. Good luck rich
richallenmusic 1 month ago
In your test are you pushing the intake air through the panel or is the air stagnant ? I was just thinking the outlet air temp would drop some due to the incoming cold air, but I like what you've done here. I'm working towards building my own Solar Pop can Panel soon. Yours is the most efficient that I've seen. =)
PerryFan66 3 months ago
if you have long columns do you think it would get the same as short columns?
kiladadeo 4 months ago
Thanks for showing me your video. I could not see the whole design (I need to now airflow rate), but it appears you need higher airflow to get more heat out. Watts out = CFM*(F out - F in) / 3. Higher CFM brings temps down which makes it more efficient by losing less heat out of the window of the box.
HudsonKnowsEconomics 4 months ago
hi rich did you close the other 2 holes or leave them open
kiladadeo 4 months ago
Looks like this one worked the best of all! Did U ever put this to use on your house? Would like to see some vid of that. Thanx for sharing your talents! :-)
SirJoey2112 6 months ago
You sir are brilliant! Excellent video! Thanks for sharing~!
mcrtabbahugs 6 months ago
Love it! You should put in the footage from 6:54 right at the beginning for just a bit because it gives a clear picture of what it is we are about to learn how to do.
wonderming1 7 months ago
Do you do anything to control the high temp of air produced, or does the 200 deg +/- air mix with colder air to make a comfortable temp, or do you have some type of thermostat to open & close a vent or turn a fan on/off so the temp in the home doesn't get too high? Also, I noticed that your other designs are straight up & down and this one was angled. I bet if you matched the angle so that the glass was perpendicular to the angle of the sun, it might even be a little more efficient. NICE JOB!
hootiemcgrudy2 8 months ago
@hootiemcgrudy2 hi yes angled your heater works better also mine fan cuts on at about 110 and if it has sun will stay around 100 degrees i dont get full sun so i dont know how good it would work
richallenmusic 7 months ago
I am linking this video to my blog. I really admire your work and ingenuity.
dontlikenumbers 8 months ago
this guy has it figured out, nice one
animalnt 9 months ago
What do you do when it isn't a sunny day or during the night?
ssj7warrior 10 months ago
great video..:-)
UGotMalk 11 months ago
can you use steel cans
MrJosiah2004 1 year ago
Hi Rich, What store did you buy the glass from for $5? I want to see if they have a store like that where I live.
Thanks!
solarguyable 1 year ago
I am starting to gather the items needed to make this heater.I have watched most of your vids and will hit them all soon.I have a question.With an exact copy of this heater will it actually heat a room during the day? Will it save me money on my heat .I plan on doing alot of what you are doing in your vids.Do you have any statistical data showing your savings per month ?You and your Vids are awesome !You got me hooked now.
BaylorTank 1 year ago
Would using a thicker peice of metal in a few places in the box and sticking magnifying glass on the outside up the temp a few degrees? Thanks for the Vids btw! really helpful info!
xupd48tb1 1 year ago
Sweet, I've watched a few other vids on building these pop can heaters, & I just ran across your video. Nice job! I'm sold! Going to build my can heater soon!!!
tkd4zgqg 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Question: How much space does this heat? Our house faces South, which is ideal. However only affects the living room and family room. All bedrooms and kicthen are on the back side. How do you suggest we handle that? Thank you for your efforts...they're paying off for all of us!
aslhandz1 1 year ago
Question: How much space does this heat? Our house faces South, which is ideal. However only affects the living room and family room. All bedrooms and kicthen are on the back side. How do you suggest we handle that? Thank you for your efforts...they're paying off for all of us!
aslhandz1 1 year ago
Fucking hell!!!! Literally,... hahahah!! I so glad I wathched the whole video, because at begining the process didn't look very neat at all,.. Congratulations. I'm right now starting to build my heater. I will follow the advice of not cutting a big hole on the top of the can. Have you already estimated the volume of hot air you per minute? Well done buddy,.. Cheers from Chile,..
JMEBF 1 year ago
@JMEBF check out fearlessthinker video on heater #s
richallenmusic 1 year ago
Man,. I couldn't find fearlessthinker video,.. could you please give me the link? Thanks
JMEBF 1 year ago
@JMEBF -- in the search box up top, type in Fearlessthinker (all as one word). Almost all of the videos that pop up as a result of the search are by Fearlessthinker. Hope that helps.
cantecleer 1 year ago
AWESOME! will the cold air get sucked in and no fans needed?
osamabinsmokin 1 year ago
220 degrees sounds like a lot, but you cant heat your house with hot air that stays in the collector. What temp does it hold when you pump X CFM through? What sort of BTU output do you get?
I like your idea of using downspouts, however!
VAspeed3 1 year ago
@VAspeed3 check out fearlessthinker video
richallenmusic 1 year ago
dude that is so cool
cajun872 1 year ago
DUDE that ROCK'S !!!! Thanx !
Sextioneight 1 year ago
Interesting how governments, energy corporations and media dare not promote such videos, but instead just raise an eye brow. The more people who help each other being more self sufficient, the more we all prove that humanity not only exists it's also thriving and evolving for the betterment and greater good. Great video.
COAKD1 1 year ago 8
@COAKD1 THANKS
richallenmusic 1 year ago
Wow!, works great! Creative design too! Did you hook up a fan to circulate the air when you mounted it at your house, or are you relying on convection only? 220 is hot!
lad18913290 1 year ago
i am making one of these for a school project and was wondering what were the lengths of the downspouts you used
TheDUDESonFIRE 1 year ago
how many cans did you use? my class and i are trying to build one of these but we cant seem to really get it but after watching this i think i could do it so thanks for sharing :) and do you have a video on how to build that thingy behind the box of cans like all the piping and vents and what not.
etday05 1 year ago
Rich Great Job. Just a few questions though. Where did you get the down spouts? What was the total cost to make this one? I am going to be building a cabin and thinking about making the whole south/west facing wall (except for windows) a built into the wall solar furnace/heater.
bxrbrfdude 1 year ago
you do realize that if the temp in that box reaches 220 the insulation used in it will give off cancer causing fumes right?
defiythelie 1 year ago
@defiythelie wheres info on this..i want to make sure before making one myself..i would of never thought about this..but its possibe that your right
UGotMalk 11 months ago
@UGotMalk I dont have a link off hand, it is different for different brands. I am sure you can do a google about insulation and temps. If you do make one I would use the stuff that has the foil on one side, or use mylar to line the insulation.
defiythelie 11 months ago
@defiythelie ok i google and see what i can find..i will use the foil kind just to be safe
UGotMalk 11 months ago
I've worked with EBay some months but I didn't have much success... Then I found a method in ez-casino(dot)com, it's very cool, I'm making around $60 a day with it.
tainaVangrsrp 1 year ago
would it still work if you got rid of the cans all together? and just had the downspouts ???????????in your test at the of the vid, did you have any circulation happening, or was it just sitting there?
terrancelueckgen 1 year ago
would it still work if you got rid of the cans all together? and just had the downspouts ???????????
terrancelueckgen 1 year ago
Instead of cutting the sides of the top can, leave it closed and fill in around with sand or salt. That should help retain heat longer.
oppy1984 1 year ago
@oppy1984 great idea..sand sounds good to use
UGotMalk 11 months ago
Thanks for proving what I've been telling others. Slow the airflow...use thick material...not just wafer thin pop cans. Thicker material equals heat storage...and since it's hooked to the house...it's impossible to "lose" heat. More material...more heat. More sq feet of heater, more heat. Nice job dude. Too bad yours costs quite a bit to become automated...but overall the collector is very good. Very dense.
magicyte 1 year ago
funny
SOWHATIMADEIT 1 year ago
This works so well that i'm starting to worry about that wood warping or being a fire hazard! haha. Oh, i had one question about the down spouts. What do you use to seal the ends of the pop cans with the down spouts? I can imagine that most sealers would melt at temps of over 200.
Thanks for the awesome videos!
qcages 1 year ago
@qcages i just used that high heat morter also i used fire stop in the big downspout heater its a red color check out my loose can heater vids a lot less work
richallenmusic 1 year ago
Are you in WV? This is great, I hope to build one in the next few weeks. Thanks for the info!
mrphotomanTIM 1 year ago
@mrphotomanTIM hi yes im in cross lanes wv check out my loose can heater test they work just as good and have better air flow and are very easy to make if i was going to build one now would make a large loose can type and maybe add a little sand to each can good luck keep me posted rich allen
richallenmusic 1 year ago
Why put the pop cans inside the downspout. Wouldn't it work just as well with the pop cans exposed directly. How does he downspout help?
Rockit8 1 year ago
@Rockit8 yes i made a few of these i was trying different things watch some of my other vids the loose can heaters seem to work the best and are easy to make after all its what temps you get that matters rich
richallenmusic 1 year ago
@richallenmusic I'm curious why you need the pop cans inside the downspouts? Do you think it would work with just the downspouts plumbed in?
Great vid. I want to build one of these soon.
KasinH 1 year ago
thanks for all this info...what about filling the void between the cans and downspout with sand?
arbutusage 1 year ago
@arbutusage hi i think that should work i was going to try to add sand to the loose can heaters i made just dont have time right now we have a new baby in the house all my free time im sleeping now..... if you try it let me know how it works rich
richallenmusic 1 year ago
Comment removed
arbutusage 1 year ago
This is sweet, i have almost finish one of these heaters and was thinking why can't you use tinfoil painted black hung in the middle of the box. Its aluminum and its thin so it would heat up faster. what do you think?
Lordwilliamofyork 1 year ago
@Lordwilliamofyork hi go for it i think any thing will work as long as its metal good luck rich
richallenmusic 1 year ago
I checked all the floor vents in my house and the hot air that comes out is about 130 degrees f. It seems to me that if you were to add a second intake and exhoust vent(open the other end of your headers) that you could double your air flow and the air temprature should still be high enough to keep you comfortable while the sun is shining. Give it some thought...
chburnett2 1 year ago
Hi Rich,
is this the best design that you have come up with so far? I am very impressed and plan to build one based on your design in this video
Ulai777 1 year ago
Great video, love the detail and the actual how-to instead of pictures of a final product. Hey I am confused about one thing, though. Why bother with the cans in the downspouts? Do they just give you more surface area to contact the air and transfer heat as it passes through?
striderz69 1 year ago
lol..i love watchin your progressions...hey Rich ..watch my soon to be video on using these for water heaters..yeah! water..oh and thanks..i always thought i was the only one who thought the F in degrees was for "Freakin" lol.
britepipe 1 year ago
It's good you made the distrubution chamber / header as part of the collector surface rather than waste valuable box space and glass for collecting energy.
trailkeeper 1 year ago
Have you heard about the paint made with ceramics developed by NASA? They say it almost completely stops heat transfer through its surface. (90%infrared, 85%UV) I have used a variation of it on my RV roof. I wonder how much it would increase the heater's efficiency? Search for "ceramic paint additive". Thanks for the great video!
hydrohobby 1 year ago
wouldn't the aluminum gutter work by its self, and not need the cans. I don't know it is just an idea.
buckkill 1 year ago
holy crap O_O you freaking rock!
nativeninja1734 1 year ago
amazing. I just wonder if you can use a regular glass to cover it or it must be heat resistant!
iranian11 1 year ago
Keep up the good work. Thanks for all the outside the box thinking!!
383Venom 2 years ago
rich, my heater is done thanks to you. pushing out 140 degree air with not much sun.
what do you do with the heater in the spring/summer? do you just disconnect it or do you cover it somehow?
powaqua 2 years ago
i live in the woods once the leaves come out no sun but you might want to disconnect or something great to hear your heaters doing good
richallenmusic 2 years ago
anywhere i can find a wiring schematic on the snap disc and fans
TOPCOPPER509 2 years ago
hi i have a video on that to check it out
richallenmusic 2 years ago
im ready for a update!
qsk2pc602 2 years ago
hi the sun for me in dec / jan is to low because of the trees/hill but feb is high enough we have had 1 sunny day the heater did cut on and ran 118 degrees for a while NEED SUN STILL WAITING
richallenmusic 2 years ago
@richallenmusic Great Video, I have 3 long windows on the South side of my house 5' 1/2 ft long by 23 " wide. Could I simply insert the alumininum down spouts into the window, cover with an aluminum cover. Would this create too much heat in the winter and break the seals in my windows. I have one window that has a broken seal anyway, but would it be a fire hazard. For the summer I would take it out. It seems almost a natural for me, to do this. What do you think? Thank you
military911search 1 year ago
@military911search hi im sure it would work fine i have no windows that get good sun to test out you might want to try a loose can type they seem to work just as good and are very light check out my video on cheap easy heater good luck rich
richallenmusic 1 year ago
Rich you kick some major azz. One question for you, any difference between using glass and plexi besides price?
greedigreek 2 years ago
seem to work the same
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Great modification on the idea with the downspouts. What brand of thermometer did you use (the non-digital one)? Thanks.
unclecp 2 years ago
it just a cheap oven thermometer
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Rich...the thermo snap switch...where did you get it and do you have a part number for it?
oldgunny98 2 years ago
thats cool man! Pepsi heater co.
MrChickendog 2 years ago
hi rich what did u use to seal the top part of the down spout thanks
hd1200cs 2 years ago
i used something call fire stop but silcone will work fine
richallenmusic 2 years ago
thanks again, awesome. thanks for showing all the steps.
burb72 2 years ago
5.Have you built a unit that doesn't use aluminum cans and just uses the down pipes, I think it might work just aswell?
6.Have u built a unit that is connected to a thermostat in the house that auto matically turns the fan on or off based on a preset temp.
7. I'm building a new house and are trying to heat a 1200 ft2 home, any ideas on how many units i might need?
I've got lots more questions but thats enough for now.
dabela1972 2 years ago
the unit your watching has a snapdisc that turns a fan on when temp is 110 and off at 90 degrees to heat your house you need lots of sun and a few good size units
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Some more Questions
3.All the videos on youtube i've seen from every one, only mount these units on outside walls, why wouldn't you mount them on the roof?
4. If you had a choice for a south or west facing wall, which would you choose and why?
dabela1972 2 years ago
walls and roof are not the best. the best is a angle for the latatude for the best heat.i wish i could show the chart but dont know were i saw it now 4.here in north america the south wall gets the most sun for more hrs. per day.i think ?? it tracks the northern angle over head down under. may be wrong there.hope this helps you.i have one there great. picking up cans again for the second one.put your vids up here
qsk2pc602 2 years ago
the sun is so low in the winter angle of roof is not right unless its almost straight up you want to watch the sun you get and the winter and mount the units where they will get the most sun
richallenmusic 2 years ago
What a fantastic concept, you've done a great job with ur solar furnace.
I saw some guy in the US selling them for $3000 each.
I've got a couple of questions?
1. I live in Australia and based on your best unit , which pumps out 220 F the conversion into celcius means that it is about 100 C, is that correct based on your calculations?
2. Why do you mesure the outside temp in the shade?
Thanks for all ur great work.
Dave
dabela1972 2 years ago
if you ck the temp in the sun its nmot correct.hope you dont mind the re i know you were not asking me.have a great mate down under.for wes in the US.
qsk2pc602 2 years ago
that 220 temp was in full sun when you add a fan temp will drop as air is pushed
i dont get good sun because of trees and hills
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Rich, great job on the videos! Im thinking of making a solar heater for my garage, but i live up in illinois and im worried about what would happen when it snows... i would think it would render the heater useless, but im wondering if you have done some tests or could do some test to that effect?
mashtdi 2 years ago
wow great job think i may try your idea but think home owners might like the look of the cans only one better but nice work.
kidevo 2 years ago
hi rich i think he was talking about the outside thermometer. they go nuts in the sun. i have to look at your vids a couple time a week.your getting the best results on you tube. sorry i re for you here.the trees are a problem for your hobbie, but that area your in is beautiful.gotta love that shade in the summer.
qsk2pc602 2 years ago
i love the video nice work.that will help me save more money :) thanks for all the good infomation about solar heaters and the low cost is nice that makes it so anyone can make one of these solar heaters and save money and the videa of snap disc was very good all so you covered all the componets so the average guy or woman can make a solar heater
thanks for all the great vids keep up the good work
marty
iwantosavemoney 2 years ago
Really great video !!! Thanx !!!
johnnylifeson 2 years ago
220 degrees on the meat thermometer!! The roast is well done! Jethro, make certain you use flat black paint rather than a gloss or semi-gloss so there is absolutely no sunlight reflection.
jumpinjojo 2 years ago
I dont get why people want to slow the air down? If you want to slow the flow, then get a weaker fan. Dont put air restrictions to slow it down, your just making your motor work harder.
I dont think you need alot off mass. the aluminum just xfers the heat to the air, doesnt matter how thick it is. Only reason its good is b/c it holds the heat and acts like a heat storage system.
Why go through the trouble of pop cans,? Cant you just use a flat or corrugated aluminum sheet?
treborly 2 years ago
Hay Rich been following your vids I like your ideas on the down spout heater . How did you close the open end of your headers and what sealent did you use ?
spliceral 2 years ago
just used the foam and silcone
richallenmusic 2 years ago
@richallenmusic hello what are the measurements of your box that was getting you over 220 degrees and how many cans , down spouts, did you use thanks
hd1200cs 2 years ago
Wow, cool vid!!! Why screw around with the cans inside downspout? When the fan comes on how much does the temp drop and will it get to a stabilized temp as long as the sun is out for continuous flow?
599891 2 years ago
Awesome idea using the guttering. Dude is cookin. May have to try that with my next one, Got to get the wind turbine done first.
natedogg1026 2 years ago
thanks working on a wind turbine too i like your set up
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Did you tested with co2 gas,
fill you box with CO2 gas and which should not leak to to room air. It will increase the temperature
Vashdevt 2 years ago
Are you using a fan, in the 220 degree video?
jgorman1000 2 years ago
hi did not have a fan hooked up
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Thanx Rich for the inspiration!
urbanfirth 2 years ago
On your downspout heater, I made two, one with the tops of the cans cut out and one with them left in, The one with the cans with the tops left in is 20 degrees hotter with a fan running than the one with tops cut out. about the same airflow from each.
wiboater4 2 years ago
cool this heater got the highest temp so far and so much less work but sun is to low for mine to work right now because of the trees cant wait till sun moves up so i can check it out
richallenmusic 2 years ago
antoher nice vid richallen... at 2:47 watch out for cord
hobguy7996 2 years ago
thanks Rich!! I'm building one just like it!!!
gileadbalm 2 years ago
hey im in the 4 grade and im thinkin about making one of these for the science fair so do i need a mini fan and do i need insulation or just foil and can i make it smaller
XxnickheroxX 2 years ago
You drink too much soda! :D. That aside, a very informational video. Thanks!
vsanjay85 2 years ago
is there a way to make this scaled down possibly
TheDesertGardener 2 years ago
I began two scaled down window units that someone else up North is finishing. We cut the tops off several other cans and ran them through a metal paint tube crimper and will sleeve them onto the cans (cut side of can and lay it open to run through crimper). The units are designed in an upside down "L"; they will rest on the window sill on a second floor, with the bottom angled out, and the backside empty area will be loaded with scrap aluminum to hold residual heat longer. Hoping for the best!
lsmith254 2 years ago
I can only say, OMG.
Thats amazing Rich.
You sure know how to adhance your designs.
Keep it up.
Up to 300°. hehe
Greetings from Belgium
Erik
rikkiesix 2 years ago
Hey Rich,
Have you had any problems with the insulation melting or breaking down in any way?
peckshadow 2 years ago
no none but i dont get full sun filtered by the trees so i cant say i use the foil backed kind so it reflects heat back
richallenmusic 2 years ago
I have been waiting for your latest and greatest and just letting you know I was by no means diappointed. Thanks for sharing your ideas and research!
JeffJetisoned 2 years ago
I love the set up using the down spouts. did you put them in with the flat side facing out? I was thinking that the reason the pop cans work so well is the round can has more surface. I am going to build mine with the corner of the down spout facing forward. will have to see how it works.
mrdlg2u 2 years ago
yes the flat side is facing out
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Rich, Great work, I am building one based on your design.
My question is to your double panel hook up; Did that increase the heat out put?
peckshadow 2 years ago
Excellent temp results. Like to see experimenting. You said you wanted to slow airflow by not cutting the topsides of the cans out. My question is.. won't this restrict airflow and make the fan work harder and struggle to pull air through the unit and in turn reduce volume of heated air and efficiency? I believe it was you who uses batteries to power your fans. This may put a bigger draw on your battery. Did you notice air flow differences from your first heater with the bigger holes?
Discophreak 2 years ago
the collumns are so short on this one there are only 5 cans inside top and buttom are cut out so just 3 have the tops still on i shot a hair dryer from one end to test had good flow instantly seem to work good im useing a small transformer on this one i like trying new stuff
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Do you seal up the downspout on the bottom end too or leave it open around the bottom can? open would let air leak in around the glass area.
wiboater4 2 years ago
i did not seal bottoms theres air inside the glass thats why i leave the bottom of the downspouts open so when the air starts moving the air inside the glass is sucked up too this is the best heat temp ive got so far without doing all that other stuff im still in test mode trying different things
richallenmusic 2 years ago
I just got the materials to build one out of downspouts. I think I am going to try and seal both ends. I think the dead air space probably would insulate from cold better in the winter. I have 2 of the consolair style I just built. I did use foil tape to connect the cans. It works ok but is time consuming. I clamped some 2 in angle iron down to make a v then lay the tape over it and lay the can on it and rotate the cans. to tape them. Very good videos on what to do , Thanks!
wiboater4 2 years ago
Would double pane windows work better?
Would a long vertical heater work better as a passive heater (not requiring a fan)?
Would drilling bigger holes in the cans work better?
What kind of caulk or glue did you use? R7?
Is longer or wider frame better?
How do you deal with condensation?
You put the input/output at opposite ends, would central input/output holes work better? Better equal flow?
Do you use some type of heat storage (i.e. water or fire bricks) to heat at night?
Wood box or metalbox?
lerketl 2 years ago
Which would be better, wood or metal box?
Would cutting slits in the pop can holes create a better vortex effect, creating a better flow? (seen it on other designs)
About what number of cans would produce enough heat to heat almost the entire home? Seen 1000 can designs.
My older brother and I made a smaller one based on your fifth design. We just want the most efficient and effective heater. Don't care if it costs a little bit more to make a better one.
Thank you for posting the videos.
lerketl 2 years ago
hi im no expert still in test mode but i think the more mass you have the more heat the downspouts seem to hold heat better with the popcans i wish i got better sun so many trees here thats why i built / tested my last one off site where there was full sun let me know what temps you guys get thanks rich
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Hi I Love This Video, I have a question. How many of these Heaters do you have? I am going to try to make one of these before the winter comes
AtvProjects 2 years ago
Best one yet Rich, keep up the good work. I am working on mine and using 3X4 downspout for the headers with (4 total) 4" dia. holes for input/output. With the snap disc, anything above 115 degrees will be vented into the heating space. Hope the fan stays on all the time. Volume of heated air is what I and all of us should be after!
Weyyne 2 years ago
Be nice to see the flow rates and rise from inlet temps
Love these Videos, thanks so much
CTOL1 2 years ago
I just thought of an idea that might improve on these. If you used a flat piece of tin with the 2 1/8 inch holes drilled through it. You could install it at the top of the can header run it out the side thru a slot in the case. then you could slide it back and forth to increase or decrease the speed of airflow thru your cans.
wiboater4 2 years ago
amazing! Thanks for this Rish!
mcgenetics 2 years ago
Hi Rich,
I really like your videos and am working on my first pop can & downspout heater. Do you think there would be any benefits to painting the cans black before inserting into the downspot?
Thanks.
rentman1225 2 years ago
hi i dont think that will matter but you could try it
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Well I have looked at many of these.
I think yours is the winner also the detail is good and the useful tips on wiring etc.
Will I make one?
Just drank my first 2 cans of beer (LOL)
Malc in Spain
mtismee 2 years ago
THATS A START!!!!!!!!!!!
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Whats the point of putting the cans in the pipe?
Why not just use the gutter pipes?
phantomcharger 2 years ago
the cans help slow the air down plus gives more mass for heating , but you can make them anyway you want i found this works good for me
richallenmusic 2 years ago
very cool.
rentman1225 2 years ago
Thanks rich...glad to see you and I are on the same page. Now i gotta go build one that hits 250! Hell, It seems like just yesterday i hit 210...lol.
Thanks for all your friendly competiton and support, we truelly are pioneers in a science that died long ago. Did you see my video on my mobile trailor?
Justn
justinmy300z 2 years ago
Very nice! Good job Rich. I'm building this!
jab0805 2 years ago
Thanks for allowing my response video...I really like your heater and am going to do a similar one myself..it looks awesome.
ken
centervilletn 2 years ago
your welcome keep building rich
richallenmusic 2 years ago
I am thinking about making this same unit, but changing out the wood to cedar at the core to give a more natural cedar scent to it. Do you smell any of the paint or aluminum in the process? Could we use a connector like a radiator and run it through the length of a room? Hmmm this is fascinating!
LARC0 2 years ago
that sound like a cool ideal there is a smell at first thats why i test before installing but after that no smell
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Another question: While I think the downspouts are great.. I don't want to spent the $ and it would add a bunch to the cost. hence, HOW CRITICAL is getting the cans sealed??... Im having a hard time and there are LOTS of 'cracks' or spaces in between the cans (despite my best efforts to get them sealed..I don't have access to free downspouts. Yours thoughts please !!!!.
joshua4511111 2 years ago
i collected downspouts over the summer you might want to try alumimun tape i think that would work
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Rich, I noticed your using "treated lumber"... Hmmm! Great for outdoors etc but INSIDE of the box???? Are you concerned about all that Cecium, arsnick and other STUFF that is suppose to be bad for you? Please just be careful... Hehe... We need you around to post more videos and would hate to hear your unable to work on your stuff cause you poisoned yourself with that high heat
joshua4511111 2 years ago
the lumber is covered by the insulation which is reflecking the heat + i dont have a full back piece just enought to hold the box together
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Im using a 120 V fan with with an adjustable (reistate) to control fan speed... it allows me to control tenp blowing out of box and into room. Again, the "EFFECT" will depend on house insulation, angle of sun, air flow, room size etc. Hence things like "temp out of the heater' is relative to all these things... The KEY seems to be the balance of all these factors
joshua4511111 2 years ago
Yes that's good Rich. But you don't have much flow going on there. I bet if you had a thermometer inside under the glass it would even be hotter than that. Probably get to about 350F.
The thing is that you need to have some flow other than thermal siphon or it's not going to be as efficient.
When you start a good airflow thru there that temperature is going to drop. To keep the flow rate and temperature high, just use more collector area.
That is a good video! Thanks for sharing!
STARFIRESOLAR 2 years ago
thanks it will have a fan on it when i mount it not just siphon will be using a 12 volt fan &snapdisc
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Two thumbs up, my friend! This is the best home built soda pop can heater I've seen on YouTube. Hi from sunny FL
mrbuki77 2 years ago
ive built one with a sheet of mobile home aluminum siding....i insulated my box and built a maze to channel the air ...its been very effective and less labor intensive....
centervilletn 2 years ago
hey rich...great video...ive been thinking about the down spout...how but putting alum pot scrubbers inside them to baffle the air/
centervilletn 2 years ago
i think that would work good
richallenmusic 2 years ago
You are on the right track. It's not that the airflow needs baffled or slowed down. The best heat exchange at any temperature or flowrate will be the collector that exposes the most heated surface area to the air.
STARFIRESOLAR 2 years ago
Kick Ass !! way to go Rich !
scanlonized 2 years ago
hank you for putting this video on i am thinking about makeing this same ont but how much does the gutter stuff cost and how many cans did you use?
iamkaven 2 years ago
downspouts are about 10 dollars a piece for 10 foot section i only used 105 cans on this one
richallenmusic 2 years ago
where did you get all the cans like did you just bye em all ass drinks or did you get em from a recycle place?
iamkaven 2 years ago