SOLAR HEATERS FINAL THOUGHTS RICH ALLEN

IVE MADE ABOUT 9 OR 10 OF THESE HEATERS AND I FOUND YOU DONT NEED TO GLUE CANS TOGETHER OR HAVE HEADERS TO MAKE HEAT YOU JUST NEED A BOX WITH OPENING IN THE TOP AND BOTTOM FILL IT WITH SOME KIND OF METAL TO COLLECT HEAT AND COVER IT WITH PLASTIC OR GLASS THATS ALL YOU NEED ALSO I DONT FEEL YOU NEED TO HOOK UP COLD AIR RETURN FROM YOUR HOUSE JUST USE THE FRESH AIR THAT WAY THERES NO BACK FLOW AT NITE if you watch all my pop can heater videos you will see the different ones ive made and tested you can judge for yourself good luck rich

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• SOLAR
• HEATER
• POP
• CAN
• FURNANCE
• SUN
• POWER
• GREEN
• RICH
• ALLEN

[ammob1]

Anybody have any thoughts on increasing the depth of the box? ie Use 2x6's or 2x8's around it and just increase the cubic space of the hot air? On greenpowerscience they used a temp gauge on a dark colored car in the sun the inside temp was around 155 F. That is a ton of cubic heat add a fan and move it around.

[richallenmusic]

@ammob1 ive used 2x6 on my big downspout heater people are making all sizes of boxs the bigger the box the more air you heat and move

[N8Dogg1002]

I couldn't agree more Rich. Some metal in an insulated box covered in glass with an in and out is allya need. Pop cans are too much work.

[richallenmusic]

@N8Dogg1002 the pop cans work great if you just set them in the box i got 180 degrees like that watch my video the cheapest easy heater

[Fearlessthinker]

... next thing I expect to see is you walking around naked in the sun after spraying yourself with flat black paint. LOL.

[richallenmusic]

@Fearlessthinker O NO YOU MUST HAVE A HIDDEN CAMERA IN MY YARD!!!!!!!!!!!

[kingofthebrittains]

@richallenmusic Hey Rich, thanks for the videos! I'm all about freaky cheap technology, so I have some ideas for you. Check out solarcooking (dot) org and the Capturing Heat pdf from weblife (dot) org. for more ideas, b/c a couple cardboard & foil reflector panels would triple your efficiency. Also check out richsoil (dot) com, aprovecho (dot) net technology section and any Permaculture websites, they usually have lots of cool appropriate technology links. Cheers!

[kingofthebrittains]

@marauderhd You could use the heat from a compost pile or passive geothermal loop to keep a constant temp. See growingpower (dot) org and look up "compost heat" and "geothermal loop systems" for more. Also see "Earth Sheltered Solar Greenhouse" on YT, Mike Oehler uses a trench to move cold air out of the GH.

[Imachowderhead]

you should build these and sell them, id buy one.

[Redshift21]

@Redshift21 Oh and one last one

7. plastic is prone to UV damage while glass and pop cans aren't.

if you've ever seen what happens to plastic bags left out in the sunlight then you will know what I mean

[Redshift21]

Here's my thoughts on why pop cans are a god idea.

1. they are free and plentiful

2. they are made from aluminum which conducts heat FAST!

3. they add a little thermal mass which means they stay hotter longer

4. they slow down the air flow just enough to pick up the most heat

5. they are light weight which makes it easier to mount the box on a wall or roof

6. their shape makes for a larger area to catch solar heat on.

well that is all I could think of, hope it helps

[HudsonKnowsEconomics]

You're not thinking big enough. Use 4x8 insulation boards backing (see my video). Then add 5 length-wise baffles so a channel snakes back and forth 5 times. Cover with black trash bag plastic (it's so thin it will transfer heat well) then use painters sheet plastic or greenhouse plastic on top as the window. 4" deep, and use a 6" or 8" duct fan capable of at least 100 CFM to keep the temps low (lower box temp means HIGHER efficiency and more heat transfer) Watts = CFM*(F in - F out) / 3

[2JobsStillPoorUSA]

@ammob1 You could use interior door jam. It measures like 1/2 x 5.5 inches. 

[2JobsStillPoorUSA]

@richallenmusic ha ha ha... that made me spew coffee.

[marauderhd]

We are needing to find a way to heat our Greenhouse. This would be great for during the day. But what about at night. How can you retain the heat?

[Dot0011]

how do the these heaters compare to the downspout heater, thanks mike