I think I might have to make a few of these. 1 for the coops, 1 or 2 for the house... I mean, if it's free heat, why the heck not use it, right?, and 1 for the clothes dryer that decided it didn't want to heat up any more. I might just make a dryer box to hang clothes in and set it on my driveway with one of those pushing hot air into it to dry them.
solar heat from pop cans...
- Thread starter Anny
- Start date
Well, my mom's DH is laid off and likes projects... so I got him building me on in exchange for a case of "cans" LOL I'll let you know how it works out
This is going to be on my list as well.
Seems to me you could get around the electric problem with a cheap solar powered fan - I saw one at the hardware store the other day. Then the fan would also only go on when there was sun so you'd only be moving air into the space when it's being heated up...
Have to look at that too.
The tubes might make the heat exchange better by providing turbulence through the exchange... not sure but in combustion problems air turbulence is generally a factor.
Just more random thoughts on it.
Sounds like a winter workshop project to me!
Seems to me you could get around the electric problem with a cheap solar powered fan - I saw one at the hardware store the other day. Then the fan would also only go on when there was sun so you'd only be moving air into the space when it's being heated up...
The tubes might make the heat exchange better by providing turbulence through the exchange... not sure but in combustion problems air turbulence is generally a factor.
Just more random thoughts on it.
Sounds like a winter workshop project to me!
I think this is a wonder idea and I am going to see if it works. I am goning greener and greener all the time. I do not like giving the utilities com. my money.
www.builditsolar.com is the best database resource on the web. Excellent plans and such. I only wish the forum were as spectacular as this one -- in fact, it doesn't have one. Look under solar heater, space.
It converts solar radiation into heat so, in fact, it DOES work when the sky is overcast, because radiation penetrates clouds. Ever gotten a sunburn on a cloudy day?! But you're right -- certainly not as well when it's sunny. I've noticed that around here on the most bitter cold days, it tends to be sunny. At night?
You don't need a fan. It will help, but you don't need it. If you are just building the window box kind the hot air will "thermosyphon." In other words, the hot air in the box will rise into the coop and that will therefore suck the cooler air back into the collectorl. The window box style heaters are split down the middle w/ the cool air entering the bottom of the window, running down the bottom of the collector, getting pulled onto the top (sunny) side of the collector, heated, and then vented back through the same window. Now if you're trying to heat a massive area, a fan will help, but you're not trying to cook the birds -- just take the edge off -- right?
You don't want "thermal mass" (rocks, metal, soapstone, etc.) INSIDE the collector -- you want it inside the coop. So put a box of rocks where the heat enters your coop and those rocks will radiate the heat gently for a few hours. Water also works to store heat.
I still don't buy that the cans are doing a thing. Once that energy enters the glass and hits the flat black metal of the collector, that energy is converted to heat. Mash the cans flat, nail them to the back of the collector, paint them black, and now the air is being heated. You can buy commercial solar collectors and they don't have cans or tubes -- just a box. If you had double pane glass (I do) it would be fine. But again, I have no expertise -- just trying to think this through. I'll try and post a picture of my pilot window
here.
(here you can see the top and the hole in the foam/foil board) It's just taped on)
(and here, if you tip your head sideways, is the back. When I adapt this for the coop I'll make another "layer" on the back (nicely insulated) so air from the coop can enter the holes on the bottom and get heated to the top)
By the way, I was getting over a 60 degree increase, from cold outside air to heated top -- in the coop the warmed air will continue to warm and soon the chickens will be drinking tropical drinks and doing the limbo under the roosts.
It converts solar radiation into heat so, in fact, it DOES work when the sky is overcast, because radiation penetrates clouds. Ever gotten a sunburn on a cloudy day?! But you're right -- certainly not as well when it's sunny. I've noticed that around here on the most bitter cold days, it tends to be sunny. At night?
You don't need a fan. It will help, but you don't need it. If you are just building the window box kind the hot air will "thermosyphon." In other words, the hot air in the box will rise into the coop and that will therefore suck the cooler air back into the collectorl. The window box style heaters are split down the middle w/ the cool air entering the bottom of the window, running down the bottom of the collector, getting pulled onto the top (sunny) side of the collector, heated, and then vented back through the same window. Now if you're trying to heat a massive area, a fan will help, but you're not trying to cook the birds -- just take the edge off -- right?
You don't want "thermal mass" (rocks, metal, soapstone, etc.) INSIDE the collector -- you want it inside the coop. So put a box of rocks where the heat enters your coop and those rocks will radiate the heat gently for a few hours. Water also works to store heat.
I still don't buy that the cans are doing a thing. Once that energy enters the glass and hits the flat black metal of the collector, that energy is converted to heat. Mash the cans flat, nail them to the back of the collector, paint them black, and now the air is being heated. You can buy commercial solar collectors and they don't have cans or tubes -- just a box. If you had double pane glass (I do) it would be fine. But again, I have no expertise -- just trying to think this through. I'll try and post a picture of my pilot window
here.
(here you can see the top and the hole in the foam/foil board) It's just taped on)
(and here, if you tip your head sideways, is the back. When I adapt this for the coop I'll make another "layer" on the back (nicely insulated) so air from the coop can enter the holes on the bottom and get heated to the top)
By the way, I was getting over a 60 degree increase, from cold outside air to heated top -- in the coop the warmed air will continue to warm and soon the chickens will be drinking tropical drinks and doing the limbo under the roosts.
Rhetoric...fascinating....information!! I'm going to try one of the cardboard ones on my window in the coop...have the kids chart temps for a few days. Then I'll make a permanent one and I'm thinking of moving my rain barrel indoors with a nice pvc pipe and funnel thru the roof for catching rain/snow...and for providing the chickens with a constant water source and distilled New England water for my soap...and using the barrel as the radiator for the solar collector/heater!!
Awesome thread...I'm thoroughly enjoying this!
Awesome thread...I'm thoroughly enjoying this!
Last edited:
Please do post pics of your water setup when done
I need to find a good long term solution to frozen water
Quote:
I just checked my specs for the 'garden' rain barrel I own....it isn't supposed to be used for drinking water.
Maybe I can use is for run off from one that I could make that would be safe for water for chickens.
I just checked my specs for the 'garden' rain barrel I own....it isn't supposed to be used for drinking water.
I'm not going to claim to understand any of this but am going to study it and see if my old brain can get a grip on it eventually-- I did have one idea though.. Could you attach the whole thing to a cheap dolly (hand truck) so you could move it to follow the sun. You might have to rig up some kind of prop or rod on the back to get it at the right angle when you set it up? . I am going to subscribe to this thread so I can keep up with all the new posts-- But if I subscribe to any more threads my old computer may blow the heck up!!!
I LOVE BYC MORE EVERY DAY!!!!
Wayne
Wayne
rhetoric
Yesterday 5:10 pm
didn't what to repost ur whole thread but,
from what I take from ur design u have a fram ( made of wood ? x? measurement ) with a double sided glass ( front and back side )
looks like u have one hole in the bottom of the back glass panel going into the building or ??????? and a hole ( where for the out side air ) or is it that u have a hole in the back panel on top coming from the build or ??????? so I thinking heats rises up so heats up the enclose panel and exits from the bottom hole and reture back in from the top hole .
but the 100,000 question is it from the barn /building or what - or is it from the outside air .......
get what I'm trying to figure out
I know heat raises so the inlet would be on the bottom , but what about the outlet or is it the inlet of fresh air or the inlet of re coil air from the barn / coop/ or what ever . get what I'm trying to say
thanks AL.
Yesterday 5:10 pm
didn't what to repost ur whole thread but,
from what I take from ur design u have a fram ( made of wood ? x? measurement ) with a double sided glass ( front and back side )
looks like u have one hole in the bottom of the back glass panel going into the building or ??????? and a hole ( where for the out side air ) or is it that u have a hole in the back panel on top coming from the build or ??????? so I thinking heats rises up so heats up the enclose panel and exits from the bottom hole and reture back in from the top hole .
but the 100,000 question is it from the barn /building or what - or is it from the outside air .......
get what I'm trying to figure out
I know heat raises so the inlet would be on the bottom , but what about the outlet or is it the inlet of fresh air or the inlet of re coil air from the barn / coop/ or what ever . get what I'm trying to say
thanks AL.
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