Ideally it needs mounting on some sort of 'clock' mechanism that will turn it throughout the day to constantly face the sun although I guess that would make it a hell of a lot more complicated.
Gorgeous set up. Question! How are you shutting a system like this down for the summertime? Seems an easy way to turn a house into an oven when it's 80-100 outside. And with the angle, which you mentioned shifting (ideally to line up with the winter incidence angle, I'm guessing): might that allow for switching the house in and outtake ducts, hot from top of heater down a duct to the floor, cold pulling the air from the ceiling down the bottom of the panel?
As far as angling the unit goes. Would it not be better to have more rows of popcans, with fewer stacked. That way, when you angle it, it does not stick out as far from the shop.
Fan: An axial fan blowing into a duct is not as efficient as a fan sucking air out of a duct. This is because of the swirling of the air caused by rotation of the fan. Then again, this swirling might be good for air distribution inside the unit.
Anyway, this method looks like the way to go! Low Cost. Recycling,GOOD!
The concept is sound, but I can't help but notice a common problem in the design, and that is the air intake and output are backwards, To heat a room the fastest way possible is to have the air intake on the top and the heat duct at the bottom, Hot air rises and therefore heats the whole room as it rises, by putting the hot air duct at the top you just have hot air at the roof line and cool air at the floor, by switching the ducts you will have a nice and even temp throughout the room.
Just asking. Why make the return at the bottom and register at top for heat?
Since heat rises, would it not be more efficient to put the fan at the top to let the heat out at the floor heating the entire room evenly? Thats all I am wondering.
Not 200 CFM. 4" outlet is about 50 CFM max. If that's a 4x8 & the inlet 55 F like the meter said & outlet reached 155 F, then heat out would have been more than the Sun can give. 4x8=3 m^2 sun is 3,000 Watts max. 200 CFM*(155-55)/3 * (528 R)/(460 R + 155 F) = 5,700 Watts claimed. The outlet looked like 50 CFM which would be 1,500 Watts. The box is about 65% eff, which is 1,500/0.65 = 2300 W sun. Reflect mirror into a window instead for 85% efficiency. Heliostats are better. I'm working on one
@johnnnyreb51 I second this, i watched this vid back when you first posted it. I was thinking maybe make the air circulate back and forth, from top to bottom (from one side to the other) to create more distance from the intake to the exhaust that it would pick up more heat. I will inevitably try it that way and when i do ill post another comment.
Great job !!!! very nice . Hey just a thought what if there was a way to take a Tracking motor from a telescope and hook it up to your panel some how so that the panel would track the sun all day i mean all you have to do with telescopes is enter your zip code and they will pretty much follow anything you want to look at.
I've thought to add power with mirrors to my solar heater as well. :) Especially after i saw some solar cooking equipments which were made of satellite dishes. :D
I allready got one quit big dish for free and i'm going to cover it with aluminum foil at first just to see if it has any effect.
Later i might upgrade it with more reflecting mylar foil. And perhaps creating stand for real glass mirrors and point it to heater -or through windows which would work as well.. .
....shoulder season (spring or fall). I am currently building a heater with 3 double pane sliding glass door panels and I intend to use a two speed fan. This will be secured to the side of the house on approximately 60deg angle.
How has your heater worked at zero or below? I am currently building a similar heater but was wondering how it will perform when the temps really drop. I have been led to believe this type of heat source only works well in the shoulder season ( spi
@madjamfree I think some people have tried that and it has worked pretty good. Try it and if it blow 200 cfm at 130 150 degrees...it will be working perfect
I would stick with single glaze, it's cheaper and allows more sun to get to the cans. I like your explanation of the winter passive solar angle advantage. I was wondering if you could increase the heat by placing the mirror behind the cans? If not you could always place the mirror above the newly angled panel. It would get it off the ground and still keep it out of harms way. Love the project. Thank you for sharing.
I wonder how it would work if you made 3-4 of these panels that measure 3x3 and stack them side by side with air from one passing out the top to the bottom of the one beside it and so on. This would make a lower profile to help with areas that you may not want it to be seen (front of house) and if you have 4 of these...that's 12' of column that the air has to travel. Iwould think it would work great but don't know. Anybody tried this?
@PhotoNika With this kind of system as the air cools it drops and is pulled to floor level and is recirculated back into the inlet and recirculated back to the top and outlet into the room. Hope that helps your understanding.
simply amazing man...it finished out nice and isn't an eye sore on the wall at all...good work.. i think it's time i give it a shot here in my garage just to see how it goes.thanks for the inspiration..so if you'll excuse me i have some beer to start drinkin' . THIS BUDS FOR YOU ! cheers
I think that its vertical assembly efficiency can be greatly improved by the mirror aperture as a solar oven ... just my idea ... but otherwise excellent work ...
It would be great if you could get the collector to automatically follow the sun across the sky or have a mirror follow the sun across the sky to reflect to the heater collector. That would be somewhat costly and would take up much more space. If the collector moved you would then have to insulate the connector hoses as well. - I enjoyed your videos and my thought exercise. The beer hasn't killed all my brain cells, YET.
Nice vids snowshredder, good job you did building the heater. A thought I've had while looking at these... what if you doubled the glass (2 layers) similar to what the newer windows have? My thinking is it would make a superior insulation layer above the cans.
Have you considered swapping the intake and output holes. Since Heat rises you should put the out put on the bottom. Just a thought. Love the video though.
nice setup, can you mount it on a hinge system that way you can create the angles needed for the sun. You have a sealed tube coming in so put the box on a some kind of static pivot/hinge system. put feet on the bottom of the box that will allow you to move it out to get max sun during the winter months. You can prob run another hose to the bottom of the box from the house so you are using warmer air from the house to heat back up (faster to heat warm air than cold)
Could you add a fernel lens over the cans to magnify the light? Or maybe a parabolic mirror could beam concentrated UV light at the collector? Just thinking outloud.... Maybe a dish collector could get you to 160
@madcyborg I attempted this with one that i built. If you can find them cheap enough they help, just don't allow them to come in to focus on the cans, it will burn a hole through the cans.
@madcyborg I attempted this with one that i built. If you can find fresnel lenses cheap enough they help, just don't allow them to come in to focus on the cans, it will burn a hole through the cans.
Have you installed a dust filter on the intake? It may improve effiency over the long run. Dustbuildup inside the cans me reduce airflow eventually.
Also you could replace the mirror with a small pond, requiring less maintenance etcetera. Of coarse a real mirror will reflect more light.
If you route the can stacks in series in a horizontal direction you may create a higher temperature differential. Off coarse that may not be as efficient, as higher temperature will leak more through insulation
All you need to do is add some length to your pipes going into the walls and pull out the bottom of your panel till you get it adjusted right. Then you wont need a mirror.
Hi From sunny NOT england, Nice vids and it looks like you live in a sweet area, I would rig mirrors but also have you considered a frensel lense or maybe some parabolic mirrors, they're expensive but they kick out crazy heat maybe too much heat. You could also make a large section like a dish angled upwards to hit your heater from all angles all day long shaped like a big C concave pointing slightly upwards and make it out of the mirror plastic you can get roughly 95% reflectivit
@outofthisswirled I have seen the mirrors and lenses your talking about. If you don't know what your doing, (which I do not) I think they could be a tad dangerous. Todays high was 32 degrees and the shop was 58, which really isn't to bad. If I wanted to increase the shop temp I will just add a 2nd heater
@zsnowshredder You know more than me friend, and I agree re the lenses and the parabolic mirrors, if I ever get one of these made I will post and let you know, so you can see what you made me go and do, A bet the free heat never felt so good. Cheers Have A Good One, Peace - al
dudue thats cool, i been on the tube all day searching all kinds of solar powered stuff and man, i feel like i just been iluminated with a whole new world, i saw a video that says the sun provides the earth in one hour with enough energy to last it a years consumption, isnt that amazing imagine what new age we are going to step into man imagine ben frank would be so proud f us today hu?
You should run thin copper tubing inside the cans containing oil. As it heats through the day It will hold heat for night use. You could at least get 3 hours of minor heat from the tubing.
In my testing i found also that the more air i blow through the box temperature also will drop. Its a fine balance between the two. I'm using a automotive hvac blower motor with multiple speed settings. on over cast days i use the #1 speed setting to keep the heater on before the snap disk shuts down. partly cloudy days #2 setting and full sun #3 and #4 settings. Really cranks it out. Great info thanks for sharing
Eh Shredder, searching for info: Just finished mine, tested it yesterday but inside didnt get above 100* (My thermostat starts @ 100 - 300 but nothing registered inside) How far from the glass are your cans? Mine = 2" . Also, is there a major downer to NOT installing any aluminum infront of the top & bottom air chambers? I just left mine covered with the glass with nothing behind it, so one an look through the glass & see the 4" vent hole in the back. I checked for leaks, None!
@vpbubbies Not hitting 100???? Disconect the theromostat and stick a thermometer in the exhaust tube (see video 2) and run it to see what temps you are producing.
Shredder, thanks for your time) No fan hooked up yet, just sitting in the sun passivly, my thermometer is installed behind the glass, all be it; at the bottom of the can area, just above the intake area. Had I put it higher it should of read higher temps, (hindsight!), but I still thought it would read something?? I can feel warmer air comming out @ the top, but not "HOT" by any stretch. Im going to drill a small hole & insert another thermometer nearer the top of the can area & see what happens
@sok8888 Styrofoam insulation starts to melt at 212 degees, hottest I have seen the heater get in the "mounted position" is about 150. In addition to that, it's lined with foil backed tape.(watch vdeo 1 & 2) I would love to see the heater you built with fiberglass.
If you mount the panel to the wall with some very heavy duty hinges at the top part of the panel...you can pull the bottom up and prop it on some sticks. You can even use hydraulics or an electric arm or something with a timer to angle the panel for optimized light absorption.
That's around 5.8 kW, I think. Not as much heat as a house heater, but maybe 4X the heat of a space heater. Pretty good deal, considering it's (almost) free!
I would think the lost 30 degrees came more from the increase in CFM. Your air is being pushed through faster and is not having as much time to heat up. As you stated, a mirror only gained you roughly 13 degrees. Would adding a mirror not be similar to the angle of the sun in performance? Either way, this is a great concept...and I see myself building one in the near future. Just got to start saving cans I suppose.
@jtalton626 Watch the video one more time. I tested with the 200 cfm fan befor mounting. Watch part 2 video, the box hit 175 degrees with the smaller fan.
I have seen some with fans and without. and some using outside air ( obviously not in the winter) going indoors. Wouldnt heating the air cause an automatic airflow? and better to use a ceiling fan to circulate the air inside? can still use the solar panels for electricity. How many people have found decent solar energy storage systems? Also you can probably mount ur mirror on the bottom of the heater. I have seen some use closet mirrors which have backing, for this.
Cutting fins can easily be avoided by creative hole placement on the ends of the cans..so instead of fin cutting...you cut holes in the ends of the cans. Sort of like lug nuts on a tire config...5 holes...then the next can has 5 holes....but you align the cans "off" each other at about 5 to 10 degrees...which would naturally force the air to swirl...rather than doing all that labour cutting.
Great project! That,s alot of work. Without any electric heaters in there, how high does the temperature go in winter on a sunny day? I was a bit confused by that thermometer.
I'm sure someone else has probably mentioned this, but why not mount it on the roof. That would give you the angle necessary to capture more sunlight.
You could also experiment with using a large Fresnel lens 6" to 12" outside of the box to focus the sunlight onto the cans.
Have you considered running copper pipe through each stack of cans and flowing water through the pipe and back into the shop? It could serve 2 purposes... Air & Water Heater.
@HHO4ALL Fresnel lens dont really have heating applications...since the sun only outputs per sq meter what it outputs. A 1 sq meter fresnel lens captures the same amount a solar air heater would. Stacking them actually would REDUCE the power a heater would receive...due to losing light transmission through the lens...which only gets worse since that same reduced light still would have to travel through the lens of the solar heater.
I have not read all the comments so I don't know all that is said....
I'm a backyard astronomer. Astrophotographers have what is called a "barn door mount" where the camera mount will track the stars. This is done with two pieces of wood, a hinge on one side, a threaded rod through one bord, a stepper motor turning the rod a set number of times a minute pushing the other board. Overly simple calculations. Use a modified version and track the sun with the heater.
my suggestion if it helps would be an adjustment in mounting with perhaps a bracket that would enable you to pull the box out away from its stationary position and allow you to position it more to achieve more sun. That and a parabolic mirror vs a regular one that you could mount on to the top of your design. :)
my suggestion if it helps would be an adjustment in mounting with perhaps a bracket that would enable you to pull the box out away from its stationary position and allow you to position it more to achieve more sun. That and a parabolic mirror vs a regular one that you could mount on to the top of your design. :)
@pervezak Reflectors are truly meant for cooking...to increase the heat simply put 4 of these on a house...all working together would equilibriate the air in the house and most likely would even need "house" heat to sustain temps. There's no law saying you can't have an entire south facing wall covered in these.
One mistake! Don't line the box with insulation board. Run 3/4 inch strips around edge and then fill with salt or sand. After the sun goes down you will still have heat for awhile.
@jobillfleetwood Good idea if the unit is being built "in place", but it would be too heavy to mount otherwise...there's other methods of storing that heat that I'll share once I get my unit built...it's really awesome that's how excited I am about it.
@jawbraeka Yo...still collecting crap to build it...but will be more than happy to share the specs once it's done...my biggest problem is metal corrosion right now...copper don't like aluminum...
@jawbraeka Then again once I got my prototype built and try to make a business of it...corrosion won't be a pronlem since I'll be trying for custom built radiators with long fins...the build will be a matter of a day or to vs. monekying around with individual pieces of metal or baffles. Time vs. Money. should be a better trade off.
why not mount a fresnal lens over the face of it to the point where it is WARM but no HOT ie magnifying the sun... seems perfectly logical... try getting two lenses if you cant find one big one.... heat will be pumping in no time..... or point a parabolic mirror at it through the lenses.
@jawbraeka I'd say mount a cheap walmart mirror at the base of the unit...just make a small sliding groove for it with some nylon screws to secure it...just keep it at a 90 degree angle...or it could have a hinge with a lock to be able to manuver it through the seasons.
@magicyte i was thinging also a cheap winder from a window so you can MANUALLY set the angle all day everyday..... as i hear from a few sources there is specific angle to run solar equipment at an optimum without a mirror and i did watch the 1st n 2nd parts for construction... what about lining the back with aluminium foil so any lost energy is "bounced" back out ???
@jawbraeka well I know of ways to make a solar unit and I have it concluded it to be the most efficient unit ever designed so far...it might cost around $700 to build...but the heat will be so high I might have to use tempered glass....;)...don't wanna let out my secrets yet...but just think about what makes the earth warm and you'll be getting warmer...
@jawbraeka I'd think a window crank would be too weak...but making a pivot is super easy...just by the high guage steel bars from any good supplier..the ones with the slot and make a heavy duty pivot. very easy actually.
@jawbraeka I think the simplest thing is what I'm going to do. Make a slot along the bottom of the unit and have a mirror slide out from it...slap a brace under it and you'll get whatever rays you're missing that way...without the hassle of adjusting the angle.
@magicyte yeah your probably right magicyte try with the steel bars as this would be more stable and also hold for prevailing wind conditions lol... also a seperate idea for maybe a slight design modification would be to line the back with either an old mirror or insulation paper to reflect the heat to the other side of the cans by leaving a 1-2cm gap between where the cans would be mounted to possibly produce even more heat again adding to an already great design...
@jawbraeka Yeah but you gotta be careful not to reflect the light back out through the face...maybe use thin mirrors along the inner outside edge aimed at the metal at roughly 40 degrees..................but that might be so little of a gain it might not be worth it. I think the biggest challenge is what I'm doing.....making sure my unit gets full coverage of insulation is a bitch.
@jawbraeka Basically my problem is that I'm combining oil tubes through the center of the cans that stretch the entire length of the unit. I've done some tests on oil and figured out it really stays hot for a long time. So that's my secret...lol. But I know it will even give heat a few hours after the sun has set. Oil has great heat retention.
@jawbraeka If this prototype works out I won't be using cans...since I might actually start a business from it...and at that point I'm thinking of getting custom made 4x8 shallow oil pans to replace the cans and what not. With that design all the heat would be forced go go under the oil pan all the way fro the cold air in to hot out. It even eliminates the need for seperate compartments for the air in/out
@magicyte can you do an updated video of the design please as i would love to see this also :D great work and keep it up... also check GreenPowerScience channel as they have wicked ideas about generating new forms of energy and maybe even show them this
Get another sheet of plastic(so you don't screwup your setup) and stick a few of the RV "focusing plastic" no idea what the name of this stuff is but you see it on old RV's in the back window.
Simple sheets of this type of reflective/focusing plastics should be more than enough to correct/redirect light from a few inches. If you can find the name of the type of plastic you should be able to buy a sheet that will fit that for $20'ish.
@DD826. good idea and i have just finished cutting up all my cans two days ago and washing them (this took one whole day for me btw, lol) and i was just going to see what a nylon stocking over the intake pipe would be like as a kind of filter.
What about building reflectors around it with galvanized aluminium, like they do with solar ovens? Solar ovens can potentially get up to 300-400 degrees in direct sun. This is what I'm going to try.
@svr962 Don't. Plexi or acrylic will melt under those temps. You better have glass before you try for those temps. It just can't be done with clear acrylic at 300 or more. warping WILL occur. Stick with glass. 2 panes...spaced 1" apart for insulation.
Not slow the air down, swirl the air through the cans to collect the heat from the surface of the black cans. Picture a little tornado inside, sucking the heat off the walls of the cans.
@DD826 You have to "swirl" cut the cans if you "suck" the air from the hot air out. But if you "blow" the air through the unit from the cold air in...the air is forced to travel over every inch of metal...thus eliminating the need for special cutting...it's the only thing that "cansolair" has done right. Otherwise cansolair is a major rip off.
I built a small one of these(@ 6'x3') without a fan I wasn't even able to heat a small room in the fall. Once winter is over I will try it with small solar powered fan.
You don't need the fans. They actually cool the air down. If you leave it without you'll have an increase in heat. Hot air rises so as the cans heat up the air will move upwards naturally causing a vacuum at the intake and heating your house more. It will take a little more time but the overall temp will go up and you'll have an excellent passive heater.
You are right, the smaller the fan the higher the temp, but you can NOT heat a building with no air flow. Imagine a central heating system with no blower, it simply won't work.
@zsnowshredder I'm thinking of using a 50cfm bath fan...always good for continuous running...and cheap enough not to care when it blows..lol. I also think the reason youre not gettng better heat is because you drilled out the bottoms of the cans completely...those holes should be much smaller. Maybe 1/2" or so. Air will still flow..and heat will be greater.
@rathor1622 Yeah...that's why I was mentioning to another guy about forcing the air through the unit through the cold air in...rather than sucking the air from the hot air out. Sucking causes directional flow...while blowing the air causes multidirectional through the cans...only slightly less air movement...but full circulation.
There is a You Tube Video of a solar heater with a mirror tilted by sun tracker, but it used lineal actuators. So not real cheap. Also have to be careful with mirrors creating a fire hazard.
Thanks for mentioning box angle, i also found this very very important. my install is not mounted to the house so i can adjust for low sun angle. I used a formula for solar panel winter sun angle for my box. My location requires a 36 degree tilt. And you hit the nail on the head when you said 30 degree temp loss, thats what i seen when the box is vertical. I didn't understand why until i asked myself what did i do different this time and what changed. Nice work!
I've got a couple questions. First of all, I assume this works from solar radiation and not convection, so does this work well when the outside temp is low? Does it work better when the outside temp hi higher? Finally, do you have a thermostat to keep from blowing cold air into your shop if it is too overcast to heat the air yet enough to power the solar fan? Thanks. I'm thinking of building one of these for my Grandma to help her out with heating costs.
It is the only source of heat. When it's 30 outside, it's about 55 inside by noon. Grass is called "play field", same stuff as sports teams use.... love it!
Watch the video one more time. "It's a CD technology solar attic fan". Just google it, they are 149 dollars on Amazon or you can call the company direct at 408-982-0990
If you switch the fan to the top will you get the same results? Because since heat rises and your vent into the building is at the top wouldnt you feel the heat more with the vent closer to the floor?
Watch the video one more time, the air is being sucked in from the bottom and blowing out the top. Since heat rises as it goes through the heater it works very well
You are absolutely correct. And if you fixed mirrors to it and made it track if would do even better, but it's all in what you want to spend and what it looks like. It's when you start to tilt panels away from the wall and do the mirror and tracking thing it looses simplicity and curb appeal. That's just my oppinion. Heck, it all works for free heat, what's not to like right?
Looks like you've done a great job though. That panel looks good flat mounted on that log cabin style wall.
you might have lost the 30 F just by switching the fans if the air has drag in the box or slower fan it has more time to heat up between entering and exiting the box. but i doubt the whole 30F is due to the fan relocating it would have made an impact. nice video though.
If you listen to my video, I tested the CD technology fan before I mounted the unit. The little fan I used for the 1st test was 175 degrees. The CD tech fan was 155 degrees with the box at an angel towards the sun. Once it was mounted it was 121.
nice..like my first one..now u can build a 12-18" wide angled (like 10 degress or leaning slightly away from the colloctors flat surface.."picture frame covered with mylar or aluminum tape..to reflect more light onto the collector on mine i installed flexible duct like dryer vent hose..then the collector is on door hinges at the top and at the bottom i put a 12v linear actuator..u know like a power car antenna but stronger, like a power tilt! peace michael.
How about using a really strong adjustable mounting brackett that people use for big screen tv's on walls - to mount the heater on the outside of the home, so as to angle it toward the sun? the intake and output pipes could easily be made from flexible pvc piping so as to allow for the units movement and still put out the heat unhindered?
i love how everyone keeps contributing their own little extra ideas here and there to these great designs , it just shows what we (humans) can accomplish if we all work together. keep up the good work and keep sharing your ideas!!! thanks
It's a very attractive design! Perhaps the top edge could be a piano hinge mount for strength and flexability then the lower edge can be moved in or out according to the angle of the suns rays as the seasons change.
Hey there I built one of these with 50 cans to see how it works and it works pretty good. Do you or anyone know if there is a certain amount of cans for certain sq ft to heat?
Good Question! Will 50 cans work as well as 200. To get the answer you need to find a 200 cfm fan and hook it up to YOUR heater box. While facing directly at the sun what is your exhaust temp?? 204 cans produces about 155 degrees with 200 cfm going through it. Let me know
A couple quick thoughts ... with 10" of mirror on the sides and 20" on the bottom, all on hinges (adjustable) ... should increase the heat quite a bit. The cold air intake could be at a 90 on inside wall so the suction is closer to the ground pulling out the colder air. In the summer months you could use the hot air as a siphon and pull in cool air from a 10' loop underground (geothermal cooling))
Did you make any exhaust holes that you can open in the summer to let the heat out or are you concerned about it? I just built my panel using semi rigid dryer vent tubes but it has air leakage from the tubes and also the box so I know it will perform better when I get it sealed correctly also I painted the frame tan to match the house when I should have just painted it Black. I am using a furnace fan on high I don't know what the cfm is but the exhaust hit 117 F. temp went from 68-70 in 75 Min
Because it is mounted on a South facing wall it will not get much sun in the summer months. (the sun changes it position) I guess I could put a cover over it if is generating to much heat in the summer months.
Maby mount the mirror on a piece of plywood for rigidity and safety. Maby put it on some kind of stand, and adjustable angles. Another option is mount it on plywood and have that hinged to or near the collector bottom so that it can swing out as needed with some mechanism or cables so that the overhead sun can be reflected directly to the collector.
if you mounting it facing the sun as you say to gain the 30" back, if you fix it in a set position you will lose heat depending on the time of year as the sun is higher or lower depending on the time of year. it may be a good idea to hinge the top of the panel and use some kind of flex pipe to allow for movement. then if you make some kind of device to move the base of the panel to the sun. maybe a winding car jack for example for ease of adjestment. ( the scisor type)
Very nice. May be to increase the power of your panel you can install in the back of it some mirrors (inside) this way light will be reflected. Fot that some hard drive mirrors are good but the best are old cd or mirrors (number 1). Hope this will help and congratulations again for your sharing of experiences.
Hi, the temp. drop you mention, isn't due to the higher airflow trough the panel? I can not imagine it is though the angle. For PV panels yes, but for heat I am not sure. The mirror idea though is an option I will consider as well.
No. Once I got my 200 cfm fan, I tested it while it was leaning up against the shop. It was angled towards the sun, it blew 155 degrees. Then I mounted it on the flat wall (same 200 cfm fan) and it blew 121-125 degrees. Same amount of air flow--lower tempature.
You may be thinking of the old fan I was using (50-80 cfm) which blew 175.
How many watts is your solar panel?
mag7mm1 1 day ago
Ideally it needs mounting on some sort of 'clock' mechanism that will turn it throughout the day to constantly face the sun although I guess that would make it a hell of a lot more complicated.
peterjol 3 days ago
"CD Technology Solar Attic fan " just google it
zsnowshredder 4 days ago
Hey, just subscribed! Where did you get your attic fan?
hendrixnut 5 days ago
Gorgeous set up. Question! How are you shutting a system like this down for the summertime? Seems an easy way to turn a house into an oven when it's 80-100 outside. And with the angle, which you mentioned shifting (ideally to line up with the winter incidence angle, I'm guessing): might that allow for switching the house in and outtake ducts, hot from top of heater down a duct to the floor, cold pulling the air from the ceiling down the bottom of the panel?
aspiringbodhisattva 1 week ago
a sun tracker is quite easy to make, there's loads of video's here/ open source
RaveSlave 1 week ago
As far as angling the unit goes. Would it not be better to have more rows of popcans, with fewer stacked. That way, when you angle it, it does not stick out as far from the shop.
Fan: An axial fan blowing into a duct is not as efficient as a fan sucking air out of a duct. This is because of the swirling of the air caused by rotation of the fan. Then again, this swirling might be good for air distribution inside the unit.
Anyway, this method looks like the way to go! Low Cost. Recycling,GOOD!
jackpontiac52 2 weeks ago
how hard would it be to make the unit itself adjustable to account for the angle of the sun and different times of the cold season?
thiscreepingmalaise 1 month ago
The concept is sound, but I can't help but notice a common problem in the design, and that is the air intake and output are backwards, To heat a room the fastest way possible is to have the air intake on the top and the heat duct at the bottom, Hot air rises and therefore heats the whole room as it rises, by putting the hot air duct at the top you just have hot air at the roof line and cool air at the floor, by switching the ducts you will have a nice and even temp throughout the room.
frog6418 1 month ago
muy bueno mi amigo...berry good my friend... saludos de mexico
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interested! sdo what about winter time when we get long cloudy days? i suppose nightime wont be working? awsome idea though
jettastreetracer 2 months ago
Just asking. Why make the return at the bottom and register at top for heat?
Since heat rises, would it not be more efficient to put the fan at the top to let the heat out at the floor heating the entire room evenly? Thats all I am wondering.
joedog158 2 months ago in playlist More videos from zsnowshredder
Not 200 CFM. 4" outlet is about 50 CFM max. If that's a 4x8 & the inlet 55 F like the meter said & outlet reached 155 F, then heat out would have been more than the Sun can give. 4x8=3 m^2 sun is 3,000 Watts max. 200 CFM*(155-55)/3 * (528 R)/(460 R + 155 F) = 5,700 Watts claimed. The outlet looked like 50 CFM which would be 1,500 Watts. The box is about 65% eff, which is 1,500/0.65 = 2300 W sun. Reflect mirror into a window instead for 85% efficiency. Heliostats are better. I'm working on one
HudsonKnowsEconomics 2 months ago
If you slow down the air flow you will absorb more heat.
johnnnyreb51 3 months ago in playlist More videos from zsnowshredder
@johnnnyreb51 I second this, i watched this vid back when you first posted it. I was thinking maybe make the air circulate back and forth, from top to bottom (from one side to the other) to create more distance from the intake to the exhaust that it would pick up more heat. I will inevitably try it that way and when i do ill post another comment.
obeyance 3 months ago
Hi Nice solar heater. What thickness Plexi / Lexan did you use?
soarr 4 months ago
this is badass. congratulations and thanks for sharing. wish you were my neighbor to learn how to do this. i'll add to my shed...
RFWUSA 4 months ago
@RFWUSA Just look for part 1 & 2 on my youtube channel and it will show you how to build it.
zsnowshredder 4 months ago
Great job !!!! very nice . Hey just a thought what if there was a way to take a Tracking motor from a telescope and hook it up to your panel some how so that the panel would track the sun all day i mean all you have to do with telescopes is enter your zip code and they will pretty much follow anything you want to look at.
1973l82 4 months ago
I've thought to add power with mirrors to my solar heater as well. :) Especially after i saw some solar cooking equipments which were made of satellite dishes. :D
I allready got one quit big dish for free and i'm going to cover it with aluminum foil at first just to see if it has any effect.
Later i might upgrade it with more reflecting mylar foil. And perhaps creating stand for real glass mirrors and point it to heater -or through windows which would work as well.. .
Tri3Dr 4 months ago
....shoulder season (spring or fall). I am currently building a heater with 3 double pane sliding glass door panels and I intend to use a two speed fan. This will be secured to the side of the house on approximately 60deg angle.
EnviroMiner3 4 months ago
How has your heater worked at zero or below? I am currently building a similar heater but was wondering how it will perform when the temps really drop. I have been led to believe this type of heat source only works well in the shoulder season ( spi
EnviroMiner3 4 months ago
I'm going to make one but using thermo glass (double glaze). do you think that would work?
madjamfree 5 months ago
@madjamfree I think some people have tried that and it has worked pretty good. Try it and if it blow 200 cfm at 130 150 degrees...it will be working perfect
zsnowshredder 5 months ago
I would stick with single glaze, it's cheaper and allows more sun to get to the cans. I like your explanation of the winter passive solar angle advantage. I was wondering if you could increase the heat by placing the mirror behind the cans? If not you could always place the mirror above the newly angled panel. It would get it off the ground and still keep it out of harms way. Love the project. Thank you for sharing.
questofbeing 2 months ago
1:25 That's what she said...
CaliforniaCarpenter7 5 months ago
I wonder how it would work if you made 3-4 of these panels that measure 3x3 and stack them side by side with air from one passing out the top to the bottom of the one beside it and so on. This would make a lower profile to help with areas that you may not want it to be seen (front of house) and if you have 4 of these...that's 12' of column that the air has to travel. Iwould think it would work great but don't know. Anybody tried this?
bluesbiscuit 5 months ago
why blow the hot air at your ceiling? wouldnt it make more sense to route it down to floor level?
PhotoNika 5 months ago
@PhotoNika With this kind of system as the air cools it drops and is pulled to floor level and is recirculated back into the inlet and recirculated back to the top and outlet into the room. Hope that helps your understanding.
ilovejesus4evr 5 months ago
can you put a mirror at the bottom and side that faces away from the sun to help
boltaction87 5 months ago
Good effort! Did you angle it by using legs by any chance in the end?
downfader2 6 months ago
simply amazing man...it finished out nice and isn't an eye sore on the wall at all...good work.. i think it's time i give it a shot here in my garage just to see how it goes.thanks for the inspiration..so if you'll excuse me i have some beer to start drinkin' . THIS BUDS FOR YOU ! cheers
vewdew3 8 months ago
you have really green grass with snow... haha Thanks for the videos they are all great.....
multiviper 8 months ago
You know that you can go online and purchase a solar panel or a device that will follow the sun as it moves all through out the day.
and at the end of the day it resets facing the east waiting for the new day.
Yayakills 8 months ago
I like your videos! I'm gonna make my own
Biervrienden 9 months ago
I think that its vertical assembly efficiency can be greatly improved by the mirror aperture as a solar oven ... just my idea ... but otherwise excellent work ...
sebazajla 9 months ago
awesome dude :)
usmanrauf86 9 months ago
Any chance of getting your list of items, plans, etc., to replicate this myself?
rjc071 9 months ago
the evo 8 parked in the garage made the video 10x cooler....
djsqueeze2001 10 months ago
@djsqueeze2001 Good eye, I love my EVO 8
zsnowshredder 9 months ago
It would be great if you could get the collector to automatically follow the sun across the sky or have a mirror follow the sun across the sky to reflect to the heater collector. That would be somewhat costly and would take up much more space. If the collector moved you would then have to insulate the connector hoses as well. - I enjoyed your videos and my thought exercise. The beer hasn't killed all my brain cells, YET.
specialks1953 10 months ago
What kind of fan is that?
aofnyc 10 months ago
@aofnyc Whatch the video again it's a CD Technology solar attic fan.....just google it.
zsnowshredder 10 months ago
@zsnowshredder hello from .... where you put the fun ??? inside the box or into the house ???
geochoros 4 months ago
Nice vids snowshredder, good job you did building the heater. A thought I've had while looking at these... what if you doubled the glass (2 layers) similar to what the newer windows have? My thinking is it would make a superior insulation layer above the cans.
FlyinBrian777 11 months ago
What part of the world are you in? I want to try something similar in MA.
Great video! Very helpful!
solarcollective 11 months ago 2
@solarcollective CO
zsnowshredder 11 months ago
Have you considered swapping the intake and output holes. Since Heat rises you should put the out put on the bottom. Just a thought. Love the video though.
jrowe2488 11 months ago
Great video, lots of good information. I used a lot of your information when building my own solar furnace. Thanks for taking the time to share!
GrumpyMadman 11 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
have a look at my uploads for some solar creations. (all for sale!)
SolarTrinkets 1 year ago
HAs anybody built a combo solar heat system? Using the cans and maybe copper tubing to heat water and air in the same casing?
apunkfromatl 1 year ago
make sort of a metallic frame on the heater. it acts as a net for more sun rays
chickenpoper 1 year ago
nice setup, can you mount it on a hinge system that way you can create the angles needed for the sun. You have a sealed tube coming in so put the box on a some kind of static pivot/hinge system. put feet on the bottom of the box that will allow you to move it out to get max sun during the winter months. You can prob run another hose to the bottom of the box from the house so you are using warmer air from the house to heat back up (faster to heat warm air than cold)
YYZutuber 1 year ago
Could you add a fernel lens over the cans to magnify the light? Or maybe a parabolic mirror could beam concentrated UV light at the collector? Just thinking outloud.... Maybe a dish collector could get you to 160
madcyborg 1 year ago
@madcyborg I attempted this with one that i built. If you can find them cheap enough they help, just don't allow them to come in to focus on the cans, it will burn a hole through the cans.
deliriousami 1 year ago
@madcyborg I attempted this with one that i built. If you can find fresnel lenses cheap enough they help, just don't allow them to come in to focus on the cans, it will burn a hole through the cans.
deliriousami 1 year ago
Comment removed
1978smartass 1 year ago
Have you installed a dust filter on the intake? It may improve effiency over the long run. Dustbuildup inside the cans me reduce airflow eventually.
Also you could replace the mirror with a small pond, requiring less maintenance etcetera. Of coarse a real mirror will reflect more light.
If you route the can stacks in series in a horizontal direction you may create a higher temperature differential. Off coarse that may not be as efficient, as higher temperature will leak more through insulation
1978smartass 1 year ago
All you need to do is add some length to your pipes going into the walls and pull out the bottom of your panel till you get it adjusted right. Then you wont need a mirror.
ApostleRon 1 year ago
you are Awesome!!!
alfayed1991 1 year ago
@alfayed1991 I only feel awsome when it's sunny out!
zsnowshredder 1 year ago 2
Also, I recommend adding a layer of black soundproofing to cover the cans for added insulation and for appearance.
trentnelson 1 year ago
Hi From sunny NOT england, Nice vids and it looks like you live in a sweet area, I would rig mirrors but also have you considered a frensel lense or maybe some parabolic mirrors, they're expensive but they kick out crazy heat maybe too much heat. You could also make a large section like a dish angled upwards to hit your heater from all angles all day long shaped like a big C concave pointing slightly upwards and make it out of the mirror plastic you can get roughly 95% reflectivit
outofthisswirled 1 year ago
@outofthisswirled I have seen the mirrors and lenses your talking about. If you don't know what your doing, (which I do not) I think they could be a tad dangerous. Todays high was 32 degrees and the shop was 58, which really isn't to bad. If I wanted to increase the shop temp I will just add a 2nd heater
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
@zsnowshredder You know more than me friend, and I agree re the lenses and the parabolic mirrors, if I ever get one of these made I will post and let you know, so you can see what you made me go and do, A bet the free heat never felt so good. Cheers Have A Good One, Peace - al
outofthisswirled 1 year ago
dudue thats cool, i been on the tube all day searching all kinds of solar powered stuff and man, i feel like i just been iluminated with a whole new world, i saw a video that says the sun provides the earth in one hour with enough energy to last it a years consumption, isnt that amazing imagine what new age we are going to step into man imagine ben frank would be so proud f us today hu?
kankunkid 1 year ago
You should run thin copper tubing inside the cans containing oil. As it heats through the day It will hold heat for night use. You could at least get 3 hours of minor heat from the tubing.
wingnut4427 1 year ago
In my testing i found also that the more air i blow through the box temperature also will drop. Its a fine balance between the two. I'm using a automotive hvac blower motor with multiple speed settings. on over cast days i use the #1 speed setting to keep the heater on before the snap disk shuts down. partly cloudy days #2 setting and full sun #3 and #4 settings. Really cranks it out. Great info thanks for sharing
water4fuelh20 1 year ago
Eh Shredder, searching for info: Just finished mine, tested it yesterday but inside didnt get above 100* (My thermostat starts @ 100 - 300 but nothing registered inside) How far from the glass are your cans? Mine = 2" . Also, is there a major downer to NOT installing any aluminum infront of the top & bottom air chambers? I just left mine covered with the glass with nothing behind it, so one an look through the glass & see the 4" vent hole in the back. I checked for leaks, None!
vpbubbies 1 year ago
@vpbubbies Not hitting 100???? Disconect the theromostat and stick a thermometer in the exhaust tube (see video 2) and run it to see what temps you are producing.
How many CFM is your fan?
How much insulation did you use in your box???
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
Shredder, thanks for your time) No fan hooked up yet, just sitting in the sun passivly, my thermometer is installed behind the glass, all be it; at the bottom of the can area, just above the intake area. Had I put it higher it should of read higher temps, (hindsight!), but I still thought it would read something?? I can feel warmer air comming out @ the top, but not "HOT" by any stretch. Im going to drill a small hole & insert another thermometer nearer the top of the can area & see what happens
vpbubbies 1 year ago
Hot air melting the foam insulation = cancer.
I would suggest fiberglass, which has higher melting point.
sok8888 1 year ago
@sok8888 Styrofoam insulation starts to melt at 212 degees, hottest I have seen the heater get in the "mounted position" is about 150. In addition to that, it's lined with foil backed tape.(watch vdeo 1 & 2) I would love to see the heater you built with fiberglass.
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
Awesome! How did you connect the cans together?
If you mount the panel to the wall with some very heavy duty hinges at the top part of the panel...you can pull the bottom up and prop it on some sticks. You can even use hydraulics or an electric arm or something with a timer to angle the panel for optimized light absorption.
dodoinurpants 1 year ago
@dodoinurpants That is one hell of an idea..i love it.
souleeze 1 year ago
@dodoinurpants thats some real good info
kankunkid 1 year ago
That's around 5.8 kW, I think. Not as much heat as a house heater, but maybe 4X the heat of a space heater. Pretty good deal, considering it's (almost) free!
sac78008 1 year ago
Great video, lots of info! I particularly like your attention to details. I'm subbing now.
mrbr549 1 year ago
@mrbr549 Thanks!
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
What elevation is your shop at?
ondfritz2 1 year ago
@ondfritz2 Shop is at 8,100 elevation, you can learn more about our place if you google wyatt west ranch
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
@ondfritz2 Shop is at 8,100 elevation, you can learn more about our place if you google "wyatt west ranch"
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
I would think the lost 30 degrees came more from the increase in CFM. Your air is being pushed through faster and is not having as much time to heat up. As you stated, a mirror only gained you roughly 13 degrees. Would adding a mirror not be similar to the angle of the sun in performance? Either way, this is a great concept...and I see myself building one in the near future. Just got to start saving cans I suppose.
jtalton626 1 year ago
@jtalton626 Watch the video one more time. I tested with the 200 cfm fan befor mounting. Watch part 2 video, the box hit 175 degrees with the smaller fan.
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
I have seen some with fans and without. and some using outside air ( obviously not in the winter) going indoors. Wouldnt heating the air cause an automatic airflow? and better to use a ceiling fan to circulate the air inside? can still use the solar panels for electricity. How many people have found decent solar energy storage systems? Also you can probably mount ur mirror on the bottom of the heater. I have seen some use closet mirrors which have backing, for this.
zeineguy 1 year ago
Cutting fins can easily be avoided by creative hole placement on the ends of the cans..so instead of fin cutting...you cut holes in the ends of the cans. Sort of like lug nuts on a tire config...5 holes...then the next can has 5 holes....but you align the cans "off" each other at about 5 to 10 degrees...which would naturally force the air to swirl...rather than doing all that labour cutting.
magicyte 1 year ago
Great project! That,s alot of work. Without any electric heaters in there, how high does the temperature go in winter on a sunny day? I was a bit confused by that thermometer.
poploco 1 year ago
@poploco When its 30 degrees outside it gets about 55 degrees inside. Thermometer is the temp coming out of the heater & inside temp of the garage
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
I'm sure someone else has probably mentioned this, but why not mount it on the roof. That would give you the angle necessary to capture more sunlight.
You could also experiment with using a large Fresnel lens 6" to 12" outside of the box to focus the sunlight onto the cans.
Have you considered running copper pipe through each stack of cans and flowing water through the pipe and back into the shop? It could serve 2 purposes... Air & Water Heater.
HHO4ALL 1 year ago
@HHO4ALL Fresnel lens dont really have heating applications...since the sun only outputs per sq meter what it outputs. A 1 sq meter fresnel lens captures the same amount a solar air heater would. Stacking them actually would REDUCE the power a heater would receive...due to losing light transmission through the lens...which only gets worse since that same reduced light still would have to travel through the lens of the solar heater.
magicyte 1 year ago
It that your House? I love it! Where do you live?
Bobster986 1 year ago
What happens at night?
c9ari 1 year ago
I have not read all the comments so I don't know all that is said....
I'm a backyard astronomer. Astrophotographers have what is called a "barn door mount" where the camera mount will track the stars. This is done with two pieces of wood, a hinge on one side, a threaded rod through one bord, a stepper motor turning the rod a set number of times a minute pushing the other board. Overly simple calculations. Use a modified version and track the sun with the heater.
radioastronomer01 1 year ago
my suggestion if it helps would be an adjustment in mounting with perhaps a bracket that would enable you to pull the box out away from its stationary position and allow you to position it more to achieve more sun. That and a parabolic mirror vs a regular one that you could mount on to the top of your design. :)
nprgonline 1 year ago
my suggestion if it helps would be an adjustment in mounting with perhaps a bracket that would enable you to pull the box out away from its stationary position and allow you to position it more to achieve more sun. That and a parabolic mirror vs a regular one that you could mount on to the top of your design. :)
nprgonline 1 year ago
Put some reflectors,like the ones in solar cooking ovens.Tht should increase the heat gain.
pervezak 1 year ago
@pervezak Reflectors are truly meant for cooking...to increase the heat simply put 4 of these on a house...all working together would equilibriate the air in the house and most likely would even need "house" heat to sustain temps. There's no law saying you can't have an entire south facing wall covered in these.
magicyte 1 year ago
One mistake! Don't line the box with insulation board. Run 3/4 inch strips around edge and then fill with salt or sand. After the sun goes down you will still have heat for awhile.
jobillfleetwood 1 year ago
@jobillfleetwood Good idea if the unit is being built "in place", but it would be too heavy to mount otherwise...there's other methods of storing that heat that I'll share once I get my unit built...it's really awesome that's how excited I am about it.
magicyte 1 year ago
also the oil tubes was a great idea insulate them and you could actually store this for night time use also.... once again great thinking.
jawbraeka 1 year ago
@jawbraeka Yo...still collecting crap to build it...but will be more than happy to share the specs once it's done...my biggest problem is metal corrosion right now...copper don't like aluminum...
magicyte 1 year ago
@jawbraeka Then again once I got my prototype built and try to make a business of it...corrosion won't be a pronlem since I'll be trying for custom built radiators with long fins...the build will be a matter of a day or to vs. monekying around with individual pieces of metal or baffles. Time vs. Money. should be a better trade off.
magicyte 1 year ago
OK, I see. You're drawing from inside the shop.
GetMeThere1 1 year ago
Sorry, I'm not clear on one thing: are you pulling air from you house to "re-heat" or are you pulling fresh air from outside?
GetMeThere1 1 year ago
why not mount a fresnal lens over the face of it to the point where it is WARM but no HOT ie magnifying the sun... seems perfectly logical... try getting two lenses if you cant find one big one.... heat will be pumping in no time..... or point a parabolic mirror at it through the lenses.
i don't know just some ideas.
jawbraeka 1 year ago
@jawbraeka I'd say mount a cheap walmart mirror at the base of the unit...just make a small sliding groove for it with some nylon screws to secure it...just keep it at a 90 degree angle...or it could have a hinge with a lock to be able to manuver it through the seasons.
magicyte 1 year ago
@magicyte i was thinging also a cheap winder from a window so you can MANUALLY set the angle all day everyday..... as i hear from a few sources there is specific angle to run solar equipment at an optimum without a mirror and i did watch the 1st n 2nd parts for construction... what about lining the back with aluminium foil so any lost energy is "bounced" back out ???
jawbraeka 1 year ago
@jawbraeka well I know of ways to make a solar unit and I have it concluded it to be the most efficient unit ever designed so far...it might cost around $700 to build...but the heat will be so high I might have to use tempered glass....;)...don't wanna let out my secrets yet...but just think about what makes the earth warm and you'll be getting warmer...
magicyte 1 year ago
@jawbraeka I'd think a window crank would be too weak...but making a pivot is super easy...just by the high guage steel bars from any good supplier..the ones with the slot and make a heavy duty pivot. very easy actually.
magicyte 1 year ago
@jawbraeka I think the simplest thing is what I'm going to do. Make a slot along the bottom of the unit and have a mirror slide out from it...slap a brace under it and you'll get whatever rays you're missing that way...without the hassle of adjusting the angle.
magicyte 1 year ago
@magicyte yeah your probably right magicyte try with the steel bars as this would be more stable and also hold for prevailing wind conditions lol... also a seperate idea for maybe a slight design modification would be to line the back with either an old mirror or insulation paper to reflect the heat to the other side of the cans by leaving a 1-2cm gap between where the cans would be mounted to possibly produce even more heat again adding to an already great design...
jawbraeka 1 year ago
@jawbraeka Yeah but you gotta be careful not to reflect the light back out through the face...maybe use thin mirrors along the inner outside edge aimed at the metal at roughly 40 degrees..................but that might be so little of a gain it might not be worth it. I think the biggest challenge is what I'm doing.....making sure my unit gets full coverage of insulation is a bitch.
magicyte 1 year ago
@jawbraeka Basically my problem is that I'm combining oil tubes through the center of the cans that stretch the entire length of the unit. I've done some tests on oil and figured out it really stays hot for a long time. So that's my secret...lol. But I know it will even give heat a few hours after the sun has set. Oil has great heat retention.
magicyte 1 year ago
@jawbraeka If this prototype works out I won't be using cans...since I might actually start a business from it...and at that point I'm thinking of getting custom made 4x8 shallow oil pans to replace the cans and what not. With that design all the heat would be forced go go under the oil pan all the way fro the cold air in to hot out. It even eliminates the need for seperate compartments for the air in/out
magicyte 1 year ago
@magicyte can you do an updated video of the design please as i would love to see this also :D great work and keep it up... also check GreenPowerScience channel as they have wicked ideas about generating new forms of energy and maybe even show them this
jawbraeka 1 year ago
Only a small tilt should be noticeable. You may build a small shelf under it, and pull it slightly out at the base.
But then again, it should also look nice.:-)
Remember that this is "free energy", if your system has a low efficiancy, it's still a lot more than nothing.
Duboisi 1 year ago
where did you buy the solar panel and the fan?
woud it be wise to adjust the speed of the fan with a thermostat?
cabocacaboca 1 year ago
Get another sheet of plastic(so you don't screwup your setup) and stick a few of the RV "focusing plastic" no idea what the name of this stuff is but you see it on old RV's in the back window.
Simple sheets of this type of reflective/focusing plastics should be more than enough to correct/redirect light from a few inches. If you can find the name of the type of plastic you should be able to buy a sheet that will fit that for $20'ish.
Excellent work, looks great.
azis1100 1 year ago
@DD826. good idea and i have just finished cutting up all my cans two days ago and washing them (this took one whole day for me btw, lol) and i was just going to see what a nylon stocking over the intake pipe would be like as a kind of filter.
trje246 1 year ago
What about building reflectors around it with galvanized aluminium, like they do with solar ovens? Solar ovens can potentially get up to 300-400 degrees in direct sun. This is what I'm going to try.
svr962 1 year ago
I meant anodized aluminum, not galvanized.
svr962 1 year ago
@svr962 Don't. Plexi or acrylic will melt under those temps. You better have glass before you try for those temps. It just can't be done with clear acrylic at 300 or more. warping WILL occur. Stick with glass. 2 panes...spaced 1" apart for insulation.
magicyte 1 year ago
What do you do with it during the summer months?
humourcar 1 year ago
Sun is overhead, barely hits it in the summer. In winter the sun travels across the southern sky and it hits the heater box
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
What if you mount an angled mirror on each side of the box to account for the sun's angle.I don't know if it would help but it's an idea.
greg38555 2 years ago
I like it. I am always interested in building this kinda stuff.
evifj 2 years ago
why not install a filter on the intake fan and filter the air at the same time?
DD826 2 years ago
I don't get it. some people are cutting 'fins" into the cans to slow down the air and now you are putting a larger fan to speed up the flow?
DD826 2 years ago
Not slow the air down, swirl the air through the cans to collect the heat from the surface of the black cans. Picture a little tornado inside, sucking the heat off the walls of the cans.
zsnowshredder 1 year ago
@DD826 You have to "swirl" cut the cans if you "suck" the air from the hot air out. But if you "blow" the air through the unit from the cold air in...the air is forced to travel over every inch of metal...thus eliminating the need for special cutting...it's the only thing that "cansolair" has done right. Otherwise cansolair is a major rip off.
magicyte 1 year ago
find someone with a old 50 plus inch old tv with fernel lens and mount strait to the glass on this it will collect more sun and make more heat
theonethatgoofs 2 years ago
love my heater..
mostvideosolar 2 years ago
I built a small one of these(@ 6'x3') without a fan I wasn't even able to heat a small room in the fall. Once winter is over I will try it with small solar powered fan.
EricDalnas 2 years ago
That looks great!
loismustdietonight 2 years ago
You don't need the fans. They actually cool the air down. If you leave it without you'll have an increase in heat. Hot air rises so as the cans heat up the air will move upwards naturally causing a vacuum at the intake and heating your house more. It will take a little more time but the overall temp will go up and you'll have an excellent passive heater.
rathor1622 2 years ago
You are right, the smaller the fan the higher the temp, but you can NOT heat a building with no air flow. Imagine a central heating system with no blower, it simply won't work.
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
Ahh but do to the air and technical stuff you actually wouldn't have to have a fan if your system was correct, due to the air rising.
ccoasterdesigner 2 years ago
@zsnowshredder I'm thinking of using a 50cfm bath fan...always good for continuous running...and cheap enough not to care when it blows..lol. I also think the reason youre not gettng better heat is because you drilled out the bottoms of the cans completely...those holes should be much smaller. Maybe 1/2" or so. Air will still flow..and heat will be greater.
magicyte 1 year ago
@rathor1622 Yeah...that's why I was mentioning to another guy about forcing the air through the unit through the cold air in...rather than sucking the air from the hot air out. Sucking causes directional flow...while blowing the air causes multidirectional through the cans...only slightly less air movement...but full circulation.
magicyte 1 year ago
There is a You Tube Video of a solar heater with a mirror tilted by sun tracker, but it used lineal actuators. So not real cheap. Also have to be careful with mirrors creating a fire hazard.
wiboater4 2 years ago
The mirror idea was very simple, yet very clever, good one, never thought of that!!
basilenglish 2 years ago
Thanks for mentioning box angle, i also found this very very important. my install is not mounted to the house so i can adjust for low sun angle. I used a formula for solar panel winter sun angle for my box. My location requires a 36 degree tilt. And you hit the nail on the head when you said 30 degree temp loss, thats what i seen when the box is vertical. I didn't understand why until i asked myself what did i do different this time and what changed. Nice work!
water4fuelh20 2 years ago
I've got a couple questions. First of all, I assume this works from solar radiation and not convection, so does this work well when the outside temp is low? Does it work better when the outside temp hi higher? Finally, do you have a thermostat to keep from blowing cold air into your shop if it is too overcast to heat the air yet enough to power the solar fan? Thanks. I'm thinking of building one of these for my Grandma to help her out with heating costs.
catfish4975 2 years ago
Very nice box. I've built one almost the same size but I haven't installed it yet. I'll post a video for you in a few weeks.
AlcoholLevel 2 years ago
is that your only heat source in your shop? another note..your grass looks like astro-turf
Discophreak 2 years ago
It is the only source of heat. When it's 30 outside, it's about 55 inside by noon. Grass is called "play field", same stuff as sports teams use.... love it!
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
zsnow?,,, how much did you pay for the attic fan, and could you tell me where you bought it from ?...thanks
kchedville 2 years ago
Watch the video one more time. "It's a CD technology solar attic fan". Just google it, they are 149 dollars on Amazon or you can call the company direct at 408-982-0990
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
Thanks for the Reply Z....
kchedville 2 years ago
so, what happens when its raining, and or snowing, no sun, or even at late night.. cant heat anything at night.
danratsnapnames 2 years ago
If you switch the fan to the top will you get the same results? Because since heat rises and your vent into the building is at the top wouldnt you feel the heat more with the vent closer to the floor?
spratt024 2 years ago
Watch the video one more time, the air is being sucked in from the bottom and blowing out the top. Since heat rises as it goes through the heater it works very well
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
I think you would get better results by mounting it perpendicular to the incoming rays of the sun. you'll get lots of heat. :)
hughheckler 2 years ago
Hi,
Great system! So the fins you cut into the cans considerably slow down the air flow?
Also, you're probably going to change the angle of the panel, right, to line it up with the sun better?
Thanks for the great ideas.
Bill
whughey42 2 years ago
Rather than using mirrors that need adjusting, just make another panel w/ fan. That would increase your heat and airflow in the room by 100%
STARFIRESOLAR 2 years ago
You are correct, but my point was if the box faces directly at the sun, it creates alot more heat. Mounting it flat on the wall makes less heat
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
You are absolutely correct. And if you fixed mirrors to it and made it track if would do even better, but it's all in what you want to spend and what it looks like. It's when you start to tilt panels away from the wall and do the mirror and tracking thing it looses simplicity and curb appeal. That's just my oppinion. Heck, it all works for free heat, what's not to like right?
Looks like you've done a great job though. That panel looks good flat mounted on that log cabin style wall.
STARFIRESOLAR 2 years ago
you might have lost the 30 F just by switching the fans if the air has drag in the box or slower fan it has more time to heat up between entering and exiting the box. but i doubt the whole 30F is due to the fan relocating it would have made an impact. nice video though.
rayullrich 2 years ago
If you listen to my video, I tested the CD technology fan before I mounted the unit. The little fan I used for the 1st test was 175 degrees. The CD tech fan was 155 degrees with the box at an angel towards the sun. Once it was mounted it was 121.
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
nice..like my first one..now u can build a 12-18" wide angled (like 10 degress or leaning slightly away from the colloctors flat surface.."picture frame covered with mylar or aluminum tape..to reflect more light onto the collector on mine i installed flexible duct like dryer vent hose..then the collector is on door hinges at the top and at the bottom i put a 12v linear actuator..u know like a power car antenna but stronger, like a power tilt! peace michael.
RadiancePower 2 years ago
How about using a really strong adjustable mounting brackett that people use for big screen tv's on walls - to mount the heater on the outside of the home, so as to angle it toward the sun? the intake and output pipes could easily be made from flexible pvc piping so as to allow for the units movement and still put out the heat unhindered?
wrightylaaad 2 years ago
i love how everyone keeps contributing their own little extra ideas here and there to these great designs , it just shows what we (humans) can accomplish if we all work together. keep up the good work and keep sharing your ideas!!! thanks
wrightylaaad 2 years ago
It's a very attractive design! Perhaps the top edge could be a piano hinge mount for strength and flexability then the lower edge can be moved in or out according to the angle of the suns rays as the seasons change.
thanks for posting
gaiagale 2 years ago
Hey there I built one of these with 50 cans to see how it works and it works pretty good. Do you or anyone know if there is a certain amount of cans for certain sq ft to heat?
changecollector101 2 years ago
Good Question! Will 50 cans work as well as 200. To get the answer you need to find a 200 cfm fan and hook it up to YOUR heater box. While facing directly at the sun what is your exhaust temp?? 204 cans produces about 155 degrees with 200 cfm going through it. Let me know
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
Cool project brother )
A couple quick thoughts ... with 10" of mirror on the sides and 20" on the bottom, all on hinges (adjustable) ... should increase the heat quite a bit. The cold air intake could be at a 90 on inside wall so the suction is closer to the ground pulling out the colder air. In the summer months you could use the hot air as a siphon and pull in cool air from a 10' loop underground (geothermal cooling))
Anyways, keep up the good work !!
Peace Love Light Truth
; -)
(- ;
PrayingforCommunity 2 years ago
Did you make any exhaust holes that you can open in the summer to let the heat out or are you concerned about it? I just built my panel using semi rigid dryer vent tubes but it has air leakage from the tubes and also the box so I know it will perform better when I get it sealed correctly also I painted the frame tan to match the house when I should have just painted it Black. I am using a furnace fan on high I don't know what the cfm is but the exhaust hit 117 F. temp went from 68-70 in 75 Min
challenger1111111 2 years ago
Because it is mounted on a South facing wall it will not get much sun in the summer months. (the sun changes it position) I guess I could put a cover over it if is generating to much heat in the summer months.
zsnowshredder 2 years ago
hey i built one of these too it works great i am plaesed with the results i really injoy your videos. check out mine just click my name.
thimpsy
thimpsy 2 years ago
Maby mount the mirror on a piece of plywood for rigidity and safety. Maby put it on some kind of stand, and adjustable angles. Another option is mount it on plywood and have that hinged to or near the collector bottom so that it can swing out as needed with some mechanism or cables so that the overhead sun can be reflected directly to the collector.
trailkeeper 2 years ago
Technically, you can just about double the output heat if the mirror reflection is as large as the collector.
trailkeeper 2 years ago
if you mounting it facing the sun as you say to gain the 30" back, if you fix it in a set position you will lose heat depending on the time of year as the sun is higher or lower depending on the time of year. it may be a good idea to hinge the top of the panel and use some kind of flex pipe to allow for movement. then if you make some kind of device to move the base of the panel to the sun. maybe a winding car jack for example for ease of adjestment. ( the scisor type)
lea1mercian 2 years ago
Very nice. May be to increase the power of your panel you can install in the back of it some mirrors (inside) this way light will be reflected. Fot that some hard drive mirrors are good but the best are old cd or mirrors (number 1). Hope this will help and congratulations again for your sharing of experiences.
chrisleblay 2 years ago
Hi, the temp. drop you mention, isn't due to the higher airflow trough the panel? I can not imagine it is though the angle. For PV panels yes, but for heat I am not sure. The mirror idea though is an option I will consider as well.
Regards
Tony (The Netherlands)
mabtka 2 years ago
No. Once I got my 200 cfm fan, I tested it while it was leaning up against the shop. It was angled towards the sun, it blew 155 degrees. Then I mounted it on the flat wall (same 200 cfm fan) and it blew 121-125 degrees. Same amount of air flow--lower tempature.
You may be thinking of the old fan I was using (50-80 cfm) which blew 175.
zsnowshredder 2 years ago