solar water heater simple DIY project

a short video showing the small solar water heater i designed a couple of days ago. it consists of 136 feet of 1/2" black tubing. internal diameter is actually 3/5" (cost approx $10.00), 4 connector pieces (to connect the various pieces together and to connect it to the house (cost approx. $5.00)), and finally the 'y connector' so i could have the garden hose hooked up at the same time (cost approx $5.00). all purchased from home depot. total cost was approx. $20.00. all i did was coil 100 feet of the hose and attach it to a piece of plywood. after 30 minutes of sun the water temperature is about 130-133 degrees and after 60 to 90 minutes it can reach 150 degrees. the tubing can hold about 2 gallons of water at a time. if you drain and refill several times throughout the day you could easity get 10-15 gallons of hot water a day. of note: they call the tubing 1/2" but the actual internal diameter of the tubing is 3/5" (.6 inches). 100 feet of tubing holds 1.47 gallons and 136 feet of tubing holds approx. 2 gallons. home depot sells a 500 foot roll for about $35.00. that would hold 7.36 gallons of water. For extra pics and info. - click on the website link from my youtube channel page.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• solar
• hot
• water
• solar water heater
• solar hot water
• DiY solar water heater
• cheap solar water heater
• free hot water
• water heater
• free energy
• heat water with sun
• homemade solar water heater
• build a solar water heater
• diy
• go green
• free
• sun
• energy
• renewable
• alternative

[tractorman6406]

Any tricks on coiling the tubing as well as you did? I would like to go to 300'.

[desertsun02]

@tractorman6406 the only trick I know is to cut it into shorter sections and then connect the sections together. Try 100' foot sections. The piece that connects the tubing together only costs about 75 cents so it won't add much to the cost. I tried to coil up a single 500 foot length once. after 6 hours I gave up. it's nearly impossible. To see what someone did with 2000' of the tubing: go to a channel named "opn24hrs" and look for a video entitled "Hot Tub's Ready". guy made huge coils.

[aurelianporumb]

what you do in the winter?

do you still have hot water?

[desertsun02]

@aurelianporumb hi. I stop using it in the winter. I get hot water out of it until about the first week of November. I start using it again in March. I have a regular natural gas hot water heater at my house.

[shyboy2112]

Why did you choose to go with a round pattern of the collector?

[desertsun02]

@shyboy2112 it was just the easiest way to get the most tubing to fit in the smallest area.

[crazyking50]

@desersun02  what is 3/5"?? You mean 3/8" and (.375) not (.6 inches) , .6 inches Is 5/8"

[lanceehansen]

add a 55gal drum and a small pump

[parkert51]

great job, will be using this at the retreat!

[williebill123]

@tractorman6406 Heck, this is sold in coils...100' coils to be exact. Just get 3 of them and two couplers, 4 clamps and you're good to go.Stuff comes in larger dia. sizes as well and if you would get, say... 1 1/2" pipe you'd have LOTS of hot water. If you want it coiled tighter, just leave it out in the sun for a while.

[jleemabra]

If the average temperature in your area is 42 degrees in winter do you think you could still use it to make steam to heat a green house I just need it around 60 to 75 degrees

[callmeshane303]

@AdDiCtEdToWiNd

Why don't you fucking grow a brain and ASK what plastic it is, and then research on it yourself, instead of making utterly "dumb fuck" assertions?

]

[mrbr549]

Thanks for posting the video, even though I had to chuckle a little when I saw "your design" for heating water. Because this same design of using coiled tubing to heat water in the sun has been used many times over the years and to hear someone say they designed it now is kinda like hearing Al Gore say he invented the Internet. Don't take me wrong though, I'm not putting you down at all, because at least you are thinking, building, and trying to help people, so thumbs up!

[seaverable]

Hi,

Could you please explain, how does it connect to the hot water heater ? How does the tank in the house know to draw from this tubing? Just trying to understnad, how it works.