I really enjoyed your reverse engineering/explanation way of presenting the project. Understanding the whole helps one follow as you cover the details.
I made my own version of this years ago, with plywood and 2x6" sides and gutter downspouts as the heat sink, it worked really well. However, it was as heavy as the pyramids and the wood rotted, and the black paint stink never went away and it's long gone sadly. I was getting 140°.blowing in my house and I miss not having it, especially now! THIS design is the Cadillac of them all, light weight, insulated, and no paint smell, it's brilliant as can be. Thanks so much for your design and tutorial, it’s so appreciated. 💕👍
I have made several heaters like these and could suggest a few things that I would do different to get efficiency up to 60-70%. Increase air flow to reduce exit temperature to around 100 deg F. Use 6" ducts and set fan ON temperature to 80 Deg. You are trying to heat your house and not the great out doors. Insulate ducting to at least R15. I used 2x8" galvanized exterior frame (special order) with 2" insulation all around and 3/16" painted plywood on the back side. I am looking at a 20 year life span. Clean exterior oily galvanized surfaces and paint the exterior black. The outside frame will heat up an slow exterior heat losses. The use of foam gaskets is very problematic. If the foam gasket reaches 180 Deg. it will turn to mush. Use high temp silicone gasket. Apply talc powder to the top surface of any gasket so parts can be separated at a later date. Otherwise it's like separating bubble gum. I mounted the collector to a pivot on the south facing roof overhang and swing it out to 30 Deg. in the winter and back to vertical during the summer due to the expected high wind load. I built a double pass screened collector with the entry and exit ducts on the collector bottom. I have to remove the ducting during non-heating season. You did an excellent job with project description!
Thank you, Pianoman K, I have used both 4" and 6" and yes, more air flow w/ 6". Depending on distance from fan-to-plenum, both sizes are available. I did use the 6" AC Infinity Fan Controller, but reduced down to 4". I also agree on insulating the duct well and for more permanent installs, yeah, I would also keep the tube covered. Instead of needing to paint the exterior, I use off-the-shelf finished drip-edge that is black. Yes, it does heat up but I haven't ever compared it to a non-black exterior, although one of my readers built two units and ordered the drip edge in a lighter color that matched his house. He also had about 40' of run from the units to the register and he was getting about 140° at the register. The foam gaskets I used have lasted without really any signs of wear for around 12 years, and I agree that they wouldn't do well if allowed to get too hot, however, I believe perhaps because they're exposed to the outside temperatures, this doesn't allow them to get that hot. (an experiment is in order!). In the next build, I'd not be apposed to using a high temp gasket as long as it has enough squish to seal well. I'll look for it. Love the talc idea! I appreciate your input and I love any ideas to make this design more efficient and long-lasting. Great stuff, thanks again!
Looks like a great design. I have also seen these made using screen material to capture solar energy and I wonder which produces more heat. Screen material is cheap but there are no baffles to elongate the heating path. Also how necessary is the caulking and rubber gasket material? If it's not air tight it might lose a little heat but not a great loss. If it isn't waterproof it would soon evaporate any water that found its way inside. Just thinking how to minimize the cost.
The gasket seals as well as protects the polycarbonate panel. The cost of the caulk & gasket is very minimal. The caulk not only seals the plenum, but it strengthens it and keeps the materials from moving around causing damage to the foam foil. Screens are an entirely different design. I have addressed this in other comments. This design offers a sealed plenum whereas a screen allows outside air to intermingle and pass through the screen. I designed this heater to stand the test of time and I have repaired more screens than I care to remember. So no screens. I agree with you that any moisture inside the unit will evaporate. Thanks for your great questions!
Thank you! Yes, I will have more videos coming on this soon. I'm planning a horizontal layout for a lower profile, less wind factor, and ease of placement.
Hi Mike, as materials across the board have all been rising, the best way to calculate it all up is to go to www.diy-solar-heater.com/tools-materials-list as I have all the materials with their links with prices. For the heater unit itself, I paid around $300 last time I purchased everything and the mounting frame was another $200 or so with all the hardware. The AC INFINITY Fan and controller together are around $170 as of today. I hope this helps!
Eric, I can only find one inch not three quarter inch foam board. Would that extra 1/4" more interfere with the fit of everything or do you think I could get away with it? This design rocks, it's insanely clever and lightweight. My own design years ago with plywood and 2x6's worked well but was insanely heavy and rotted. I always dreamed of something this good and now it can become a reality.
I have not had the time to run such tests. I assume most solar air heaters put out similar temps and that data is out there. I read a government document stating that the flat panel solar collectors are the most efficient. Having a good fan and controller optimizes the flow rate to get a nice output. The link to the fan and controller I use is on the Tools & Materials list found in the video description. Thanks for your comment! Please subscribe!
I dig the concept. IMHO a few diagrams would make the construction easier to follow than repeatedly using terms like “short side top back” etc. I’m not trying to be overly critical. I appreciate the tips in building the project but sometimes I find too many details can be more confusing than a simple explanation of a concept along with the general construction and materials used. That said, it’s a great idea. Thanks for posting your project.
Hey I appreciate ya! And yes, I thought about the terms I used in my explanations and "short side and top back" etc. were used to not confuse. I also try to teach to my verbal learners as well as my visual learners by providing both. Thanks for you comments. I hope you build yours soon!
@@DIYPrimitive I’m not ready to build one yet…I’m still living in Florida. I’m gathering ideas for when I move to the high desert. Hoping to take advantage of as much passive solar as possible. In addition to other heat sources, I’m thinking a device like this one could be used to move hot air and circulate it through some kind of thermal mass under my bed. Charge the mass in the daytime and let it radiate to keep me toasty at night. So many years of Florida weather has turned me into a hot-house flower. I’m looking forward to getting out of the hot, humid swamp and into the mountains. I just need to mitigate the shock until I can build a tolerance to cold weather. I think my cat would appreciate a nice warm bed every night too.
That's awesome! My windup shaver, carpet sweeper, and windup toothbrush (preordered) aren't electric either Who knows, maybe someday self luminous materials will provide adequate lighting? Anyway... What lattitude is this? And how much heat (if any) is left over for the house at night?
I definitely use an electric toothbrush and will never go back, lol. Plug in Rochester, Minnesota for latitude. There are ways to heat up materials such as bricks, water, etc. during the day so they can release heat for some duration once the sun goes down. This is very similar to how ETS heaters heat up bricks during off peak hours with electricity and bricks stay hot after the heater is turned off a during peak hours. But the main benefit is going to come during sunny days.
To me it looks like the steel profile frame (the interior one) is redundant, and in this particular structure (in this vid) the steel profile will act as a heat bridge and will cool the interior of the panel effectively. #fail This whole panel c(/sh)ould be built from 2" foam insulation sheet instead, with the roof flashing on the outside, and no metal thermal bridges (all of interior enveloped in foam insulation). So, more insulation, eliminate thermal bridging. Also the internal baffles would be best made of this foam insulation. Also the duct work need to be insulated afaics. Also, the front glass should be double or triple layer to improve the efficiency. With glazing that allows most of IR inside. Might be just plain clear glazing, with or without mylar sheet facing inwards. Still even with this optimization of the transmission of thermal radiation into the box, and minimization of the radiative loss, I do wonder if the thermal net gain will overshoot the thermal losses from the total system. But then, I am skeptical if the overall efficiency of air convection solar thermal panel will ever be very good, or nowhere near as good as to warrant punching two 8 inch holes in an outer wall. Here that would only leak heat out during dark of the winter when you need it most. What I think might work best is solar thermal panel behind a window.
Thank you for your comments. The steel stud frame you are referring to is not redundant and is there for strength and rigidity of the unit. The heat-bridging is very minimal in this design. Internal steel baffles are also strengthening and support the frontal metal sheeting and will not fall apart as I could see with using foam in its place. Yes, ductwork should be insulated as in the examples I provide on the website. Frontal "glass" is not glass, rather it is dual-walled polycarbonate. It both provides R-value and is 200 times the strength of glass, and very light weight, and readily-available in 4'x8' sheets. Glass is not and would be high cost for this size. I advise in the book that I recommend a window rather than going through a wall where possible. Also, I'd not use 8" holes, but 6" more likely. Yes, we can go nuts and strive for 100% heat retention, however, cost, size, weight, time, etc. all play a role in any design. This unit is for supplemental heating and expecting more is unrealistic for any solar design. What we know is that this unit performs very well in getting extremely hot at over 240 degrees F with a straightforward easy-to-build method that requires no wood, saws or glass and minimal tools. I hope this helps. Thanks again!
Sorry, you may have caught me between servers! Here's that TOOLS&MATERIALS link sites.google.com/view/diy-solar-heatercom/tools-materials-list?authuser=0
hm-- I'm excited to do this, but all of the quick cutting away and rapid edits (where some important bits are unfinished, or cut out) -- makes this harder to follow than I was hoping it would be. :\
Let me know what section you are needing clarification. Also, be sure to read the guide as it goes through every step in greater detail. www.diy-solar-heater.com/read-the-guide
have you considered pop riveting the metal as opposed to screws for a more permanent assembly, cheaper and quicker than sheet metal screws in most cases
In my original book, I used pop rivets for the baffles and sheet metal frame corners. However, these are more difficult to use for the average Joe, are also hard to remove if needed. So, I opted to use just one size screws for the entire assembly to simplify. Also, these screws will not come out. We used them in industry and never had a problem, even with high vibration. But go ahead and use them if you prefer. Thank you for your comment!
Oh ya I'd pick screws for sure. If not this project, some project requires being taken apart for some reason (repair, getting modded, who knows) by me or future owner. I stay away from permanent assembly for anything DIY.
The tests I did last winter at -11F resulted in temperatures above 250F. This winter I plan on using a digital thermometer as the temps are too high for the one I used. I have found that the air inside the unit heats up even if I allow outside freezing air to run through. It works amazingly well. The fan and controller worked great.
Is humidity and moisture ever an issue with this kind of setup? I've seen lots of videos with air heaters like this but no one talks about moisture issues. Could you make a video about this topic for this system?
@@brandonsorgdrager2859 I haven’t tested moisture nor have I experienced issues with it. One thing I am considering however, is that one could provide a drain at the bottom back of the unit which would allow any water to drain out the bottom. This would be more so from what conditions from rain more than anything. I may explore this in the future but as for now, I haven’t seen any issues with it unless you’re home itself is high in moisture contact itself. Remember the unit is simply recycling the air from the inner living space at the coolest level possible and cycling it through to be heated and returned to the living space.
@@ericlatocki7588 Thanks. Re reading my comment, maybe condensation would be more appropriate. Warm moist air from inside meeting the cold metal surface of the vent tends to cause condensation which would mean water would build up in the tube over time maybe? But with constant airflow maybe it would evaporate quick enough not to be an issue.
I think you mean why not use Plexiglass. Polycarbonate has fluted air chambers in it and adds R value. Also, it doesn't yellow or crack, it's almost got a rubbery texture that flexes. It is also 200 times the strength of glass. It's super light weight, you can cut it, screw and drill through it without it cracking. It comes in 4'x8' sheets and is also much less expensive than plexiglass. I love polycarbonate!
![DIY Solar Air Heater | Step-by-Step Building Guide [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VhhJt-ZzRwI/mqdefault.jpg)
![DIY Solar Air Heater | Step-by-Step Building Guide [Part 1]](/img/tr.png)
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
I really enjoyed your reverse engineering/explanation way of presenting the project. Understanding the whole helps one follow as you cover the details.
Glad it was helpful! Keep me posted on your project!
I made my own version of this years ago, with plywood and 2x6" sides and gutter downspouts as the heat sink, it worked really well. However, it was as heavy as the pyramids and the wood rotted, and the black paint stink never went away and it's long gone sadly. I was getting 140°.blowing in my house and I miss not having it, especially now! THIS design is the Cadillac of them all, light weight, insulated, and no paint smell, it's brilliant as can be. Thanks so much for your design and tutorial, it’s so appreciated. 💕👍
Thank you, Paul! I appreciate your complements and am so glad you like my design. Please do share your results!
I have made several heaters like these and could suggest a few things that I would do different to get efficiency up to 60-70%. Increase air flow to reduce exit temperature to around 100 deg F. Use 6" ducts and set fan ON temperature to 80 Deg. You are trying to heat your house and not the great out doors. Insulate ducting to at least R15.
I used 2x8" galvanized exterior frame (special order) with 2" insulation all around and 3/16" painted plywood on the back side. I am looking at a 20 year life span. Clean exterior oily galvanized surfaces and paint the exterior black. The outside frame will heat up an slow exterior heat losses. The use of foam gaskets is very problematic. If the foam gasket reaches 180 Deg. it will turn to mush. Use high temp silicone gasket. Apply talc powder to the top surface of any gasket so parts can be separated at a later date. Otherwise it's like separating bubble gum. I mounted the collector to a pivot on the south facing roof overhang and swing it out to 30 Deg. in the winter and back to vertical during the summer due to the expected high wind load. I built a double pass screened collector with the entry and exit ducts on the collector bottom. I have to remove the ducting during non-heating season. You did an excellent job with project description!
Thank you, Pianoman K,
I have used both 4" and 6" and yes, more air flow w/ 6". Depending on distance from fan-to-plenum, both sizes are available. I did use the 6" AC Infinity Fan Controller, but reduced down to 4". I also agree on insulating the duct well and for more permanent installs, yeah, I would also keep the tube covered.
Instead of needing to paint the exterior, I use off-the-shelf finished drip-edge that is black. Yes, it does heat up but I haven't ever compared it to a non-black exterior, although one of my readers built two units and ordered the drip edge in a lighter color that matched his house. He also had about 40' of run from the units to the register and he was getting about 140° at the register.
The foam gaskets I used have lasted without really any signs of wear for around 12 years, and I agree that they wouldn't do well if allowed to get too hot, however, I believe perhaps because they're exposed to the outside temperatures, this doesn't allow them to get that hot. (an experiment is in order!). In the next build, I'd not be apposed to using a high temp gasket as long as it has enough squish to seal well. I'll look for it. Love the talc idea! I appreciate your input and I love any ideas to make this design more efficient and long-lasting. Great stuff, thanks again!
Im looking at building abunch of smaller ones to keep my plants warmer in the winter. I never knew these existed until i looked up solar heater lol
Hey I'd love to see them! You can pretty easily make them 4'x4'.
Looks like a great design. I have also seen these made using screen material to capture solar energy and I wonder which produces more heat. Screen material is cheap but there are no baffles to elongate the heating path. Also how necessary is the caulking and rubber gasket material? If it's not air tight it might lose a little heat but not a great loss. If it isn't waterproof it would soon evaporate any water that found its way inside. Just thinking how to minimize the cost.
The gasket seals as well as protects the polycarbonate panel. The cost of the caulk & gasket is very minimal. The caulk not only seals the plenum, but it strengthens it and keeps the materials from moving around causing damage to the foam foil. Screens are an entirely different design. I have addressed this in other comments. This design offers a sealed plenum whereas a screen allows outside air to intermingle and pass through the screen. I designed this heater to stand the test of time and I have repaired more screens than I care to remember. So no screens. I agree with you that any moisture inside the unit will evaporate. Thanks for your great questions!
Very cool! Need an update!
Thank you! Yes, I will have more videos coming on this soon. I'm planning a horizontal layout for a lower profile, less wind factor, and ease of placement.
Hey, great videos. I was wondering if it isn't too presumptuous a question, how much would you say roughly the whole things cost in materials?
Hi Mike, as materials across the board have all been rising, the best way to calculate it all up is to go to www.diy-solar-heater.com/tools-materials-list as I have all the materials with their links with prices. For the heater unit itself, I paid around $300 last time I purchased everything and the mounting frame was another $200 or so with all the hardware. The AC INFINITY Fan and controller together are around $170 as of today. I hope this helps!
Good ideas there.
Eric, I can only find one inch not three quarter inch foam board. Would that extra 1/4" more interfere with the fit of everything or do you think I could get away with it? This design rocks, it's insanely clever and lightweight. My own design years ago with plywood and 2x6's worked well but was insanely heavy and rotted. I always dreamed of something this good and now it can become a reality.
Hi Paul, Sorry for the delayed reply. 1" should be fine.
Do you have any idea of the BTUs it produces? Thanks
I do not. What I do know is that it produces heated air at the point of leaving the unit at over 240 degrees F.
Neat design. Do you have any specs as far as Delta T at a certain CFM?
I have not had the time to run such tests. I assume most solar air heaters put out similar temps and that data is out there. I read a government document stating that the flat panel solar collectors are the most efficient. Having a good fan and controller optimizes the flow rate to get a nice output. The link to the fan and controller I use is on the Tools & Materials list found in the video description. Thanks for your comment! Please subscribe!
I dig the concept. IMHO a few diagrams would make the construction easier to follow than repeatedly using terms like “short side top back” etc. I’m not trying to be overly critical. I appreciate the tips in building the project but sometimes I find too many details can be more confusing than a simple explanation of a concept along with the general construction and materials used. That said, it’s a great idea. Thanks for posting your project.
Hey I appreciate ya! And yes, I thought about the terms I used in my explanations and "short side and top back" etc. were used to not confuse. I also try to teach to my verbal learners as well as my visual learners by providing both. Thanks for you comments. I hope you build yours soon!
@@DIYPrimitive I’m not ready to build one yet…I’m still living in Florida. I’m gathering ideas for when I move to the high desert. Hoping to take advantage of as much passive solar as possible. In addition to other heat sources, I’m thinking a device like this one could be used to move hot air and circulate it through some kind of thermal mass under my bed. Charge the mass in the daytime and let it radiate to keep me toasty at night.
So many years of Florida weather has turned me into a hot-house flower. I’m looking forward to getting out of the hot, humid swamp and into the mountains. I just need to mitigate the shock until I can build a tolerance to cold weather. I think my cat would appreciate a nice warm bed every night too.
That's awesome!
My windup shaver, carpet sweeper, and windup toothbrush (preordered) aren't electric either
Who knows, maybe someday self luminous materials will provide adequate lighting?
Anyway...
What lattitude is this? And how much heat (if any) is left over for the house at night?
I definitely use an electric toothbrush and will never go back, lol. Plug in Rochester, Minnesota for latitude. There are ways to heat up materials such as bricks, water, etc. during the day so they can release heat for some duration once the sun goes down. This is very similar to how ETS heaters heat up bricks during off peak hours with electricity and bricks stay hot after the heater is turned off a during peak hours. But the main benefit is going to come during sunny days.
To me it looks like the steel profile frame (the interior one) is redundant, and in this particular structure (in this vid) the steel profile will act as a heat bridge and will cool the interior of the panel effectively. #fail
This whole panel c(/sh)ould be built from 2" foam insulation sheet instead, with the roof flashing on the outside, and no metal thermal bridges (all of interior enveloped in foam insulation). So, more insulation, eliminate thermal bridging. Also the internal baffles would be best made of this foam insulation. Also the duct work need to be insulated afaics.
Also, the front glass should be double or triple layer to improve the efficiency. With glazing that allows most of IR inside. Might be just plain clear glazing, with or without mylar sheet facing inwards. Still even with this optimization of the transmission of thermal radiation into the box, and minimization of the radiative loss, I do wonder if the thermal net gain will overshoot the thermal losses from the total system.
But then, I am skeptical if the overall efficiency of air convection solar thermal panel will ever be very good, or nowhere near as good as to warrant punching two 8 inch holes in an outer wall. Here that would only leak heat out during dark of the winter when you need it most. What I think might work best is solar thermal panel behind a window.
Thank you for your comments.
The steel stud frame you are referring to is not redundant and is there for strength and rigidity of the unit.
The heat-bridging is very minimal in this design.
Internal steel baffles are also strengthening and support the frontal metal sheeting and will not fall apart as I could see with using foam in its place.
Yes, ductwork should be insulated as in the examples I provide on the website.
Frontal "glass" is not glass, rather it is dual-walled polycarbonate. It both provides R-value and is 200 times the strength of glass, and very light weight, and readily-available in 4'x8' sheets. Glass is not and would be high cost for this size.
I advise in the book that I recommend a window rather than going through a wall where possible. Also, I'd not use 8" holes, but 6" more likely.
Yes, we can go nuts and strive for 100% heat retention, however, cost, size, weight, time, etc. all play a role in any design. This unit is for supplemental heating and expecting more is unrealistic for any solar design.
What we know is that this unit performs very well in getting extremely hot at over 240 degrees F with a straightforward easy-to-build method that requires no wood, saws or glass and minimal tools.
I hope this helps. Thanks again!
Have you taken down your page for the links building guide & complete material list? Says page is not there.
Sorry, you may have caught me between servers! Here's that TOOLS&MATERIALS link sites.google.com/view/diy-solar-heatercom/tools-materials-list?authuser=0
@@DIYPrimitive it still says page is not there 🙅♀
Sorry, technical difficulties! Here you go.... sites.google.com/view/diy-solar-heatercom/tools-materials-list?authuser=0
hm-- I'm excited to do this, but all of the quick cutting away and rapid edits (where some important bits are unfinished, or cut out) -- makes this harder to follow than I was hoping it would be. :\
Let me know what section you are needing clarification. Also, be sure to read the guide as it goes through every step in greater detail. www.diy-solar-heater.com/read-the-guide
have you considered pop riveting the metal as opposed to screws for a more permanent assembly, cheaper and quicker than sheet metal screws in most cases
In my original book, I used pop rivets for the baffles and sheet metal frame corners. However, these are more difficult to use for the average Joe, are also hard to remove if needed. So, I opted to use just one size screws for the entire assembly to simplify. Also, these screws will not come out. We used them in industry and never had a problem, even with high vibration. But go ahead and use them if you prefer. Thank you for your comment!
Oh ya I'd pick screws for sure. If not this project, some project requires being taken apart for some reason (repair, getting modded, who knows) by me or future owner. I stay away from permanent assembly for anything DIY.
This is an brilliant design, I’m worried the whole thing will get so hot it will melt!
Thanks, Peter. It does get very hot, but not enough to melt the materials.
Be sure to come over to Discord for more pictures of the latest install. New video will follow after temps drop. discord.gg/Ae6WQeM78P
How did it work?
The tests I did last winter at -11F resulted in temperatures above 250F. This winter I plan on using a digital thermometer as the temps are too high for the one I used. I have found that the air inside the unit heats up even if I allow outside freezing air to run through. It works amazingly well. The fan and controller worked great.
Is humidity and moisture ever an issue with this kind of setup? I've seen lots of videos with air heaters like this but no one talks about moisture issues. Could you make a video about this topic for this system?
@@brandonsorgdrager2859 I haven’t tested moisture nor have I experienced issues with it. One thing I am considering however, is that one could provide a drain at the bottom back of the unit which would allow any water to drain out the bottom. This would be more so from what conditions from rain more than anything. I may explore this in the future but as for now, I haven’t seen any issues with it unless you’re home itself is high in moisture contact itself. Remember the unit is simply recycling the air from the inner living space at the coolest level possible and cycling it through to be heated and returned to the living space.
@@ericlatocki7588 Thanks. Re reading my comment, maybe condensation would be more appropriate. Warm moist air from inside meeting the cold metal surface of the vent tends to cause condensation which would mean water would build up in the tube over time maybe? But with constant airflow maybe it would evaporate quick enough not to be an issue.
@@brandonsorgdrager2859 Yes, the airflow keeps it free from moisture as far as we've experienced.
Why not use "plain" transparent plexiglass ?
I think you mean why not use Plexiglass. Polycarbonate has fluted air chambers in it and adds R value. Also, it doesn't yellow or crack, it's almost got a rubbery texture that flexes. It is also 200 times the strength of glass. It's super light weight, you can cut it, screw and drill through it without it cracking. It comes in 4'x8' sheets and is also much less expensive than plexiglass. I love polycarbonate!
@@DIYPrimitive Exactely, It is what I wanted to say: plexiglass, I'll correct my post, Thank You.