Simple Thoughts "Free Solar Heat"

[hughezee]

would it work better if you put oil in the cans?

[derekthegreatgonzo]

why is nobody hooking these up to where they are sucking warm air out from the home,heating it and sending it back into the home?

[matrixm777]

@derekthegreatgonzo That is what they are designed to do. The heat panels circulate the existing warm air from the inside of the home...pulling it into the panel through the bottom header which is then heated to temperatures exceeding 130 degrees. This design is sealed so it doesn't pull in winter air from outside. It will only circulate the existing air from in the home making it very comfortable and efficient. I hope this helps...

[beepenbopper]

I had first seen your solar heater videos months ago and have been thinking (and saving to buy tools & supplies), but now it's finally coming together...

I wanted to ask what did you do to weatherize your heater? Waterproof stain/paint? Siding?

Thanks.

-Adam-

[matrixm777]

@beepenbopper Thanks for the mail, Adam. I used an alluminum flashing to cover the outer casing and I made sure to caulk the seems as well. It works great!!

[Garynoles]

Good vid. I also like the vid prior where you built this. Looks great! It does look professional with the white alumn. trim you used. What kind of rim is that? I am going to build one to heat my unheated basement! Did you use a fan or just passive? Thanks!

[matrixm777]

@Garynoles Thanks Gary. I used a standard aluminum flashing that comes in a roll. I am using a fan instead of passive. I found that a fan will exchange the heated air much faster. All the best on your build.

[Garynoles]

@matrixm777 Thanks. If I want to mount mine on the roof, would you recommend mounting it vertical just like you have on the wall or horozontal like I've seen others do? The possibility of an advantage of heat rising up on a tall one rather than traveling sideways on a side to side one, etc. Your thoughts... Thanks again!! --Gary

[matrixm777]

@Garynoles I don't know if it would matter... As long as you have a way to push or pull the air through and into your home. I would think sideways would be easier to move the air through, but 6 on one, half a dozen the other.

matt

[Garynoles]

@matrixm777 I just realized (duh) that mounting it sideways will allow for the sun to stay on the collector for a longer time as it passes by, going the full length of the collector. Final question: some vids say use it to supplement heating the main part of the house that you use the most, others say heat room(s) that do not already get as much heat. I have a cold bedroom that needs it. Our main living area has a fireplace and I'm afraid the heat produced will get sucked up the chimney.......

[wvharley78]

I'll start off saying sorry but I'm new 2 this. How does this work for night time here where I live at it get cold at night in the winter and K1 fuel is at 3.50 a gallon I need to do something soon thanks for your time

[matrixm777]

@wvharley78 Unfortunately, this style of solar heater only works during days when the sun is shining. It is only designed to be a suplemental heat source and not your main heat source.

All the best...

[Clicklc1500]

I'm making one now. My concern is that, in my first test I got over 125 degrees out of it putting 35 degrees in. I left the silver backed isulation unpainted and only painted the cans black.

I took it apart to fix a few things with it and noticed that the silver backing was coming away from the styrofoam. It almost looks like the styro was melting a little. Have you noticed and issues with yours?

Thanks, Click

[matrixm777]

@Clicklc1500 I have not noticed that problem with mine. I did not paint behind my cans either, but they seem to be holding up okay.

I took mine apart 2 years ago to make some adjustments and everything looked normal. Good luck in your build...

[UNIVERSITYHI]

Cleanest looking installation for this kind of system I have seen yet. Good job!

[matrixm777]

@UNIVERSITYHI Thank you...

[UNIVERSITYHI]

@matrixm777 You're so welcome. Your unit looks all "retaily" to coin a word. Anytime anyone does anything well it is an inspiration to all of us!

[northernwelder]

In the summer do you just plug the intake and exhaust holes to prevent overheating in your house?

[matrixm777]

@northernwelder No. I have covers placed over the outside and that turns them completely off.

[kelsam2]

LOVE THIS---YOU SHOULD CONTINUE WITH UPDATES! Going to use one to heat my backyard chicken coop!

[matrixm777]

@kelsam2 Very cool. Updates are available in my other vids. Thanks for watching...

[kelsam2]

LOVE THIS---YOU SHOULD CONTINUE WITH UPDATES!

[joseney21]

by the way great video and installation, probably one of, if not the best i've seen!!!

THANK YOU!!!

[joseney21]

if you want, you can still use this in the summer time hooked up to a solar oven for cooking. I haven't tried this but i will when i make mine. you can connect it to a smaller box to vent all the hot air (slow), temps may reach up into the 300's. cook for a few hours and you great food with your dual purpose/season solar heater

it is a little harder for this configuration if you have a wall/roof mounted unit

[matrixm777]

@joseney21 Thanks for the comments...Good ideas.

[onesojourner]

I am working on my solar heater over the next few days and I have a few questions for you.

Did you have any fume issues with the silicon?

What kind of flashing did you use around it? it turned out looking really great.

[matrixm777]

@onesojourner I didn't have much of an issue with fumes. I soaked all the cans in a cleaning solution and rinsed thoroughly. I kept the caulking lines clean and void of excessive amounts. Any remaining odor was quickly baked off in the sun's 200+ temps after installation.

The flashing I used is standard house trim flashing. It comes in rolls at any hardware store.

Thanks for watching and good luck with your build!

[tinajenkins56]

hey great idea but what do you do in the summer remove or cover it up or what because it seems it would still be heating the house when in summer you want your house cool!

[matrixm777]

@tinajenkins56 I just slide a cover on the front and it shuts them down for the season.

[demofactory]

Your installation looks great. Thanks for sharing with us!

[jackooboy1]

Do you cover the panel during the summer?

[matrixm777]

Yes, I built a slide rail for both panels so I can slide a cover over them. You can see the slide rail in my newer video...

[a1boywonder]

i grind the tops with a bench grinder it;s fast !

[qsk2pc602]

need alot of cans and man that is alot cans. i am going to offer twice or more market value to your local can picker upper man.i bet he will deliver them to me.i picked up i guess a 100 as i drove them. dangerous and time eater another idea for you and your fans.the glass and the cans are the biggest promlems.

[qsk2pc602]

i found a window and glass door shop in my town that when they replace a window or door they place the old stuff out back for folks to take, so it does not fill there dumpster up.there is a idea for a supply of glass in you towns. win win.if not ask them to save it for you....when i talk green its about the green i keep in my pocket.

[matrixm777]

That is a great idea!!

[ragratt]

no way. lol, this is great!

[zekeicestorm]

Hi, great show! It gives the most info I've found so far. Did you use hi temp foil backed board or basic foil back foam board? Thanks.

[matrixm777]

I believe it's just a standard foil backed foam board.

Thanks for watching...

[rickbar123]

nice work

[fullspeed300]

Well i posted to you i was building 1 and now its done. 4x8, 240 cans, 15 rows, 16 high, 2 80cfm fans.

Installed last sat. Last 3 days good sun but cool outside. One word awsome. Good heat and way better than expected.

When i first saw these things i thought, yay right.

Well i`m glad i took the big step and hope it keeps producing good heat when -10c out.

To be honest my wife thought i was nuts and wasnt keen at all about it.

Well now thats its built shes impressed (enjoys free heat).

[matrixm777]

Way to go!! Thanks for sharing your results. I'm glad the wife's happy too... That is very important. You should see a huge difference in your heating bills soon.

Happy New Year!!

ps. I want to see a video.

[rayofminneapolis]

cool. does it stay warm in sub freezing weather?

[matrixm777]

It sure does. I've installed a second unit, same size and so far they have been able to maintain an average indoor house temp of 72 degrees without help from the gas furnace. It all depends on how sunny it is too.

[rayofminneapolis]

This is great! I'm excited about building my first one. So, to be sure, your saying that even when it is below freezing outside, a reasonable temp can be maintained inside? We get pretty cold in Minnesota. I'm thinking of making one of these for my small RV. I figure a small space is easier to heat.

[matrixm777]

Yes, it can. Just make sure it's well insulated and sealed so no cold air can sneak in through the headers.

If I remember right, it was not uncommon for me to see output temps exceding 160 degrees when it was well below freezing outside.

Right now, both units are averaging 130 degrees each.

[jvlad14]

This has probably been asked already, but whats the square footage of your house? Or the area which is being heated by the TAP? And if you have any ideas on this for large scale use, like the pattern of how it heats, how quickly it heats, etc., that would be great!

[matrixm777]

If I remember correctly, I think it's about 1100 square feet. I don't have any idea for large scale use other than I don't think a person can make one too big. If you have more heat than you can bare, you can always open a window. :)

I'm in the process of determining the BTU and plan to put out another video soon.

[Zeladane]

in the summer how do you stop it from still heating up your home?

[matrixm777]

The sun is much higher in the summer so it doesn't produce as much heat. To completely stop the production of all heat, I installed a cover to close it off during the summer months.

Watch for my update video this month.

[dramaqueen665665]

John here- I 'd like to know, if you used finnes to direct the are in a more circular fasion, as the air rose throuth the cans?

[matrixm777]

Hey John,

I didn't go with fins. Hot air rises anyway so I opted to avoid the extra work. This panel puts out average temps exceeding 160 degrees farenheit so it has been working great for me.

[17hmr243]

any problems from ur locale council on building codes ect or they green who cares people

[matrixm777]

No problems yet...

[chrissilocke84]

Hi, I just have to repeat, what has been posted before - Very good job, and also a very nice tutorial.

I´m just finishing medschool and want to build my own ecofriendly house, as soon as I know where I´m doing residency.

Watching your video, I was wondering (or maybe I didn´t understand it, I´m german) how you were glueing the cans together. Did you use a hot glue pistol? Doesn´t the high temperature affect the glue?

Thx Chriss

[matrixm777]

Thxs Chriss,

I used a cilicone caulk to seal the cans together. I recommend finding something able to withstand high heat.

I'm planning to build a second one this fall so I'll be sure to post a video giving some solid numbers.

[melanoficus]

Very neat workmanship!

Do you think that you could try using corrugated roof sheeting as a simpler option instead of the soda cans? It would save alot of drilling, can-opening etc.

I realize that its not as attractive an option as using trash cans, but certainly would make it a lot less work to build. Also being sheet metal steel, not aluminium it wouldnt have the same conducting properties . . . but maybe it would still work well. One could put up a whole wall of the stuff . . .

[matrixm777]

I thought about the steel option, but I believe the cans respond quicker to the sunlight... You can hold an empty pop can in your hand and it will change to your temp within 2 or 3 seconds.

It would be great to get some numbers from a unit built with the sheeting to see how it performs. I'm all about making things easier.

Thanks...

[BasementBen]

You did a great job on your heater, It will be very profitable. One thing I wondered about was, are there any fumes from the sealant and caulk that comes inside the home? Thanks,

[matrixm777]

Thanks Ben,

The inside of the columns should be sealed from the inside of the box for the most part. I haven't had any issues with fumes. When I assembled it, I made sure everything was dry before putting the glass in place.

180 degree temps seem to neutralize any remaining odors in short time.

[jasoncozad]

This is probably one of the best passive solar projects that I have seen on youtube for the average person. I have two questions. Do you have the panel rigged to shut down during the summer to eliminate heat gain during the warm months? Have you considered putting an exterior vent at the top in addition to the interior vent so that you can use the heat of the sum to pull warm air out the south wall and cooler air in from somewhere on the norht of your house?

[matrixm777]

Thanks jason,

I don't have it rigged to shut down in the summer yet, but the sun is considerably higher during the summer months and won't shine directly on the panel. I hope to build a cover for it this fall or winter.

The exterior vent sounds good. Didn't think of that. I have a smaller home so the temps are pretty easy to manage.

[matrixm777]

I have heard of them...

Pretty pricey, but for those who don't have the time or skills to put one together, it's a great option.

MIne cost about $250.

[justinschroeder01]

Even in relation to the back of your house, the sun still comes up in the East and goes down in the West. =)

[timfoss445]

Great install! The cleanest I have seen so far. Have you had any problem with the luan in the back? I cant see that being good in the elements but would use it if I could get away with it...Did you cover it or seal it? Thanks!

[matrixm777]

Thanks Tim,

No problems at all with luan. It is not exposed to the elements because it's covered by two layers of insulation and secured against the house.

I installed it like the back of a book shelf... light weight, but firm enough to hold the shape of the frame.

I recommend it...

[matrixm777]

Thanks w4f20,

Good luck with your build. I look forward to seeing a video of your finished product.

[fullspeed300]

Well done. Looks excellent too. Ive started collecting cans and wil have one built for fall. I showed my dad your videos and he wants to build one for his house also. Thank you for your straight forward details.

[matrixm777]

Thanks fullspeed,

I'm hoping to build a second one to put beside the first.

The one has worked so well last winter, I want to pump in the heated air from two units to really warm the house up into the night.

Good luck with your builds...

[matrixm777]

I am using a register booster from my local hardware store. It has a thermostat built right in and when the temp rises, the fan kicks on, moving the heated air into the house.

It just plugs into the wall.

Thanks for watching.

[matrixm777]

I think it would be more difficult to make work, but it would still produce heat. Pop/beer cans are also much thinner, allowing the heat to pass through easier and faster.

[dedicated2excel]

Hey thanks for the info. I'm in the process of making one as well, I wondered if you installed a shut off valve for the summer seasons. I'm also trying to think of other ways to use the solar heater during the summer seasons, I'll get back to you if I have any ideas on that, once again great video.

[matrixm777]

Thanks dedicated2excel,

I'm planning to put a cover over the panel to prevent heat from building up.

I look forward to hearing back from you if you think of other ideas.

[321ozzy]

Thank YOU for sharing your simple, but great ideas. Here in mexico I see a lot of potential for these kind of heat supplies.

In winter it is too cold inside. This will change for me : - )

[michaelrp88]

Awesome job on the video and panel!!!! I thought of water pipes interleaved with the cans but it would have to be a closed system with antifreeze. I think its a good idea but I opted out of doing it mainly because I didn't feel it would heat both air and water well as each medium would compete for available BTUs. I may take my test panel apart and retrofit to test. I will post any results. Drilling the cans left a nice lip for RTV. No mess on the outside. Paint wont stick to RTV.

[matrixm777]

Thanks,

You raise a valid point about water pipes in the unit. Winter nights can get pretty cold and freezing could be a huge problem...

[matrixm777]

Thanks Nigel,

I thought about running water pipe through the center of the can tubes too. It's a good idea and I think it would work. Hot water and air from one unit.

[rustyman351]

Does this box get too hot in the summer and have to be removed or covered? Would be nice to be able to stick a solar cell over the heater in the summer to help with a/c bills.

[matrixm777]

The sun is higher in the sky during the summer months so the box does not generate heat as in the winter, but I will cover anyway.

I'm hoping to build solar cells this year too...

[matrixm777]

Thanks... I thought about using dryer duct. It would make the building process so much easier.

My recent heat bill was $60 less than a comparable home. Not bad, but I would like that to be better.

[worriedmn]

Nice job. I have 2 of them going now and on 20 degree days my house gets to 65 and it is only January! Mine are made with flat metal though, not cans. One is passive, one of them is on a thermostat and small bath fan.

[matrixm777]

Thanks worriedmn. I'm thinking about adding a second one myself. This one is able to maintain 68 to 70 on most sunny days, but last week it was -5 and it was struggling to keep the house at 63.

I hope you make a video of your design.

[Sirquack1]

Hey man, that is my sun, you can't use that in your video... :) Just kidding Matrix, some people are rediculous, happy NEW YEAR man..

[matrixm777]

Happy New Year Sirquack1... Thanks for making me laugh.

[twinadultclub]

How do you turn off the heat in the summer? Just cover the panel?

[matrixm777]

That's it...

Thanks for watching.

[my2cents0]

Welcome back,keep up the good work!

[matrixm777]

Thanks for your support. Merry Christmas!

[matrixm777]

How's your panel coming? I'm anxious to see your next video...