Building a Solar Can Heater (Window unit)

[galegregory97comcast]

tell me about the fan

[nx2overide]

@galegregory97comcast i was just using a small computer fan ran off a wall wort power supply 2 watts dc.

[mat2dong]

@nx2overide, thanks! I think I may give this a try over next winter:)

[trailKING651]

You are the only person I've seen yet that has offset his inlet and outlet holes. Good job

[Abby6786]

I like the video but what is the product name of that little fan? What is it called exactly? thank you

[mat2dong]

Great video man! I'm not sure where you live but in winder does the unit produce the same heat in the winter as in this video? Keeping it in full sun both in winter and summer.

[nx2overide]

@mat2dong yes it does i build a huge unit to replace this one though works great.. im producing on average 150 degree heat during the day off the large unit.. the house is cozy!

[msguit]

i appreciate your quick response. it would be nice to have a video of the electrical aspect as i and others are novices at it. i'm going to sound dumb here. doesn't the adapter need power? i understand now how the fan is working thru the adapter but guess i didn't know they had self-powering adapters. is it something you can get at radio shack? i bought 2 little fans for the fins & motors and was going to use solar cells but if i can use adapters i'd go that way.

thanks for your help.

[msguit]

i'm looking to make one myself, just curious what u r using to power your fan? i see a red wire but i can't see where it goes and i don't see any solar cells anywhere to power it. would appreciate if you could let me know, its starting to get colder here where i live (by Canada) so the sooner i get started the better.

great job by the way.

[nx2overide]

@msguit Im using a 12 volt DC adapter i bought just clipped off the tip and shrink wrapped the wire together using wire sleeves. Its a 12 volt fan.. i did the same thing on my larger sliding glass door unit.. i just finished a huge model im using a large 12 volt fan powered via solar panels. ill be uploading that video next week.

[WORRO01]

Hey buddy,,,I've been wanting to make one of these too...OK now that it is winter, how is this one working out for you? IM very curious.

Thanks! And Thumbs up to you!!~John

[nx2overide]

@WORRO01 actually it does pretty good for keeping the bed room nice and warm.. i am fixing to upload a new video of it in action on a semi cloudy day. i just finished a larger unit and am finalizing my last one.

[WORRO01]

@nx2overide Thanks for the reply. IM gonna sub, you have some good video's!

Take care~John

[215alessio]

I notice this is an old project. I am courius on your giant version!

[asdasdasdasdasdas98]

also mount it vertically with the exhaust at the top, convection will help the air flow and heat the air more efficiently.

[djpaulk]

nice!!!

[preparedchipmunk]

I suggest making your inlet hole larger. Usually temp tests are taken from the outlet. If you push air in you are more efficient because cooler air is denser, you could simply turn the fan over so it is pushing instead of pulling

[nx2overide]

@preparedchipmunk rock on.. thanks for the tips.any tips on this stuff will help me out .. i know very little about this stuff.. I'm working on building a big version of this now and hopefully it will be a lot better as I'm going to have a little more room between the cans and the glass too :)

[the1969info]

Hi, just a word of caution, I have seen many videos where the plexiglass wasn't far enough from the cans to keep from melting, I believe it was suggested you need to have a space of at least 6 inches from the cans to the plexiglass to avoid warpage. Good luck on your bigger model.

[saintcarp]

cool furnace bro, im building 1 for a greenhouse, but i am placing the fan on the cold aair side pushing the cold air in, hopefully this will extend the life f the fan.

satanicnetwork guy, grow up u frikkin idiot. satanisim, please man, u frikkin gayboi

[nx2overide]

@saintcarp push air.. now thats an idea.. im building another unit so i may try that! Thanks!!

[BloodyPaperclip]

are you sure that is capable of heating an entire house?

[nx2overide]

@BloodyPaperclip not somthing this small.. it will only heat a room.

[TheBootscooter222]

@nx2overide does the heat last through the night?? if not how long after the sun goes down do you have to turn on auxillary heat?

[enjoythesilence29]

Bloody love it, I need one of those.

[nx2overide]

@enjoythesilence29 U can build one i got the plans off line I just made a smaller version for a window unit style..

[TheBootscooter222]

@nx2overide in the winter, how much heat remains after the sun goes down?

[nx2overide]

@TheBootscooter222 with this small unit after the sun goes down its acourding to how cold it is outside.. my heat is automatic so i just kicks in when it needs to.. a unit like this is only for 1 room a larger unit can heat multiple rooms but both only suplement during the day.

[thesatanicnetwork]

One thing that saved me about 30 bucks a month in Arizona summer,was to relocate the water heater to the side of the house that the sun hits. i guess you have the opposite problem. I think it is harder and more difficult and expensive to cool than heat?

[thesatanicnetwork]

Solar can heater? Why the hell would I want to warm up my beer?? lol joking

[nx2overide]

@thesatanicnetwork you can keep your weed in there..lol

[thesatanicnetwork]

@nx2overide I keep my weed duck taped to that place between your nutz and asshole,dank shit? lol

[thehilitereel]

If you could build an outside wood burning furnace would you use it?

[thehilitereel]

@thehilitereel wood**

[nx2overide]

@thehilitereel yep if i could do that i would use it :) free is free hehe

[miglegtr]

so cool

[Ishkiia]

this is awesome... great vid as usual sweetie. I have book marked this and the site you gave... I would like to try this just for fun as well.  I'll be back to see the answers to some of the questions already asked. Much love and hugs to you.

[Katfellow]

Cool.  Can't wait to see how it goes

[mettanc]

ok, so this is a heater, and the fan will blow the air from where? i see the fan blowing inside, but does it blow into the room? or is it radiant heat?

[nx2overide]

@mettanc air is pulled in from within the house though one hole. The cans are heated by the sun in a sealed compartment the air travels though the cans and is warmed and then pushed back in the house by the fan. As the fan sucks the hot air out more air enters the cans and is heated up.

[thesatanicnetwork]

@nx2overide WTF? Dumb it down Einstein ....you be talking green peace thermo dynamics and shit?!?

[williambigbadman]

Thats soooo F'ed up... you know I live in Florida... why the hell would I want to know that... unless I am on the "run" and have to hide out up north... then I'm set! I'll have heat in the winter in my hideout.... thanks!!!!!

[BrittanyNicole1990]

that's so cool. your really creative in all your solar things you have :P lol if that makes sense xD

[TikaFo]

So just for my personal info, can I heat a cheese sandwhich with the air that comes out of this? I mean, microwaves are so lame and expensive..and I'd just like to heat my cheese sandwhich with hot air. This will do the trick right? It doubles as a grill?

[nx2overide]

@TikaFo na i dont think it will fully melt the cheese in a timly manor, but you can get a cheep acetylene torch.. they melt the cheese just fine!

[chrisbogdan]

great idea... simple and effective

[WorldOfBryan]

awesome

[mybigimagination]

Dude, you are mr fix it now! :-)  Nice!

[MapexRG]

so it absorbs a bunch of hot air and then then a fan blows it into the house? how would it work during the winter with no sun out?

[nx2overide]

@MapexRG yep pretty much.. and no, it will only work during the day because it need the sun heat up the cans.. but my thing is with a large enough unit you could heat several rooms in a house in the winter during the day.

[wormholer693]

That's fascinating.  What state do you live in? I'm in Scotland so it get's pretty cold and cloudy during the winter, would such a thing still be worth while?

[nx2overide]

@wormholer693 I live in the states in south carolina.. it gets really cold here too.. and yep yep it is a worthwild thing to build. i am going to build a giant version of this probubly about the size of a doorway... i figure if u make it with 2 chambers it would double heat the air.

[SEECH7]

@wormholer693 i used to have one similar

and i live in cornwall yeah it still works but inly during the day even on cloudy days it still absorbs light

or ours did