What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

I finally finished the solar heater for the chicken run. I added a solar powered little fan to pull it into the run a little faster. 22 degrees outside and it was putting out 62' air into the run. It's not tropical, but it might help take the edge off when we hit January.
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Nice! How did you find the plans for it?

 

[WthrLady]

Nice! How did you find the plans for it?

There aren't any. It's a concept. You use recycled items as much as you can and wing it to suit you. Look up soda can solar heater.
I don't have soda or beer cans so I used aluminum ducting.
The glass is actually plexiglass left over from a covid desk shield. Lumber,insulation,nails, and paint was left over from other projects.
I had to buy spray paint for the inside and the solar fan.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I've been saving cans. Don't have nearly enough yet.

 

[WthrLady]

I almost bought a few cases of the really cheap stuff at the store, but then settled for the ducting. Less work. No drilling, no caulking.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Sound like a good plan.

 

[akroberts1085]

I recycle my cans so I will buy some ducting. I will look into this for my girls after I get the other materials I need to just extend the coop, run and build them a mansion for their roost room.

 

[WthrLady]

I used 3 inch so I could use 2x4s to make the box and add insulation to that.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I used 3 inch so I could use 2x4s to make the box and add insulation to that.

I like the concept...

I do have power in my coop but a heater would be a safety issue. However, something like this is doable without the safety concern.

Did you watch the video of the guy who did this for his man cave, by chance? (https://www.treehugger.com/how-build-diy-solar-air-heater-old-soda-cans-4856770)

I would do the "flow" in reverse from what he did... I'd use the fan to pull air from the ceiling, pipe it through the cans/ducts to warm it and circulate it back to the room near the floor.

I'd only be using this in the winter so grabbing warmer air from the ceiling to be heated through the system would be more efficient because you'd already be a tad bit warmer to start. And pumping it out the bottom to slowly rise through the room so it disperses better...

Of course that's provided your fan is strong enough to suck in the air and also push it through the system to the bottom pipe.

 

[Molpet]

Dust on the fan when it sucks from a coop. Can ruin unless a sealed motor

 

[jerryse]

8* this morning and 23 now. Rain tomorrow starting at 11 AM then changed forecast to ice after midnight. 1/2 to 1 inch of rain predicted. That would be a lot of snow if it was colder.