solar heat from pop cans...

[rhetoric]

I'm building one now for my coop. It will hang out the window and we are far enough north that it can be perpendicular to the wall. I just haven't figured out why you need the cans. You can buy that foil backed foam and paint it black. I don't get the advantage of sending the air through the tubes. You don't want thermal mass in the window -- you want it in the coop. Now if it's true that the outer rim of the can provides a layer of "insulation" to keep some of the heat from going back out the window, but I can't see that compensating for the lack of "indirectly" heating the air. But then, what do I know about physics. Somebody on another cite said the foil will peal off of the foam in time, but I'm not sure why any kind of flat metal or aluminum (or copper) collector wouldn't work just as well. I've seen lots of these w/ the cans, but no explanation.

By the way, my pilot project collector/heater ( a simple double pane window I got for free w/ the foil foam) measured 46 degree air coming in and registered 120 coming out the top! Those will be some hot chicks....when the sun is shining.

 

[HennysMom]

I'm with Rhet on this one - why the need for the cans? Also, in looking at both designs - no ones answered one question I have in using the cans...

HOW does the fresh air get in? I see on the huge one (the one w/out plexiglass but made with the window pane) that the bottom is completely enclosed, including the 2 in. air gap - but on the other design, there appears to be a hose at the bottom...maybe...

So - exactly how are you getting that fresh air in and expelling the carbons so you dont poison yourself or your birds??

That being said - the same issue would still exist for a window unit not using cans also...right?? I'm thinking like a heat pump unit - SOMEHOW fresh air has to come in to expell the bad gases...
Or am I the only one that thinks that way?

I'd love to have hubby do this for both the garage and the coop (girls currently have a ceramic heating bulb on) so this would definately help - and the garage - well we run a little electric heater or the kerosene one and it definately adds up!

 

[the1much]

quote from site,,"after the paint was dry I drilled a large hole in both ends with a 3" hole saw"

thats how the fresh air gets in
the cans are used because they will heat the air in them quicker then the air space would heat up without. air in a little space will heat up faster then air in a bigger space.

 

[HennysMom]

but how does it get past the barrier at the bottom that covers the cans - i.e, how does the fresh air get into the cans if they are fastend to that barrier? I'm looking at this and maybe I'm not seeing it the way its showing it in the photos. It looks like the glass it tight against it and the 2 inch barrier at the bottom is right up against the glass..

 

[Guitartists]

I'm very interested in this but I am not able to wrap my brain around it... this kind of thing was never my strength.

I see from the links how it's built.... but how best to utilize it??? Obviously it is only going to work when the sun is nice and bright...right? We don't get a lot of sunlight here in the winter

But I would like to maybe add something like this for those days when we do. I too would love to know how to utilize this for keeping water from freezing.... I don't have any electricity where my coop is and am still scrambling to find a good solution. If this could be incorporated, even better!

Do you have to have electricity to force the air from the panel??? Or with a hose will it move itself through and out?

 

[the1much]

OK make sure you leave at least 2 inches at both ends to allow airflow.

In the photo below I made a divider using plastic from one of those signs you see littering up the side of the roads. I am not sure how this will handle the heat but I guess time will tell.
The dividers perpouse is to force the hot air to travel through the cans and not the top of the cans.
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[the1much]

the air goes down into the 2 inch space,, and out the hole

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

This looks like a great idea! I wonder if I could make it movable so if I want some heat in the shed, I can use it there. If I want some heat in the barn, I could move it there, etc.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
you need the electric for the fan to suck the air out,, thats why he went and got a cheap solar panel.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
make sure it isnt too big to carry, and you could take it anywhere