Solar Air Heater! - The "Screen Absorber" Solar Air Heater! - Easy DIY (full instructions)
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- Опубликовано: 2 ноя 2014
- Homemade Solar Air Heater! - The "Screen Absorber" Solar Air Heater!. Easy DIY. Produces temps near 140F (with outdoor air in the mid 40's). design of collector is similar to the steel can/aluminum can solar air heater but uses a "screen absorber plate" instead of the cans. video is a full tutorial with step by step instructions. how it works: outside air enters the collector at the bottom through several entrance vents. it then raises up through the collector (passing over, under and through the screen absorber plate along the way. when it reaches the top it's pulled out by a small fan through an exit vent. bottom piece of internal frame acts as a baffle which helps to spread out the airflow. short list of item sizes/dimensions: outer frame: One (1x4) cut down into Two 33 3/4" pieces and Two 20 1/4" pieces. inner frame: One (2x2) cut down into Two 26" pieces and Two 15" pieces. glass (plexi-Glas) used is 20" by 32" (always build your collector around the glass you have available). dimension of backing 33 3/4" by 21 3/4". hardware used: Twelve #8 3/4" wood screws for the backing. Eight #8 1 3/4" wood screws for the outer frame. Four #12 2 1/2" wood screws for the internal frame. vent tube is a 3" dryer hose (expands up to 8 feet). collector is painted with flat black paint. seal up the collector appropriately to match your local climate conditions (using weather stripping, caulk etc.). final thoughts... experiments suggest that a "dual layer" screen absorber plate works the best (single layer and triple layers of screen tend to produce slightly lower temps). *i recommend keeping the entrance vent "cutouts". those can be reinserted to adjust airflow (which could potentially raise/lower output temps - will do additional experiments). i experimented with putting the screen absorber at an angle inside collector but angling it did not produce higher temps. (*note that using no screen at all (just a black box) will significantly reduce output temps - they dropped down an average of 20-30F (couldn't get above 109.5F without the screen assembly)
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I love your videos! They've been helpful during 20 degree temps without power & water.
The simple ideas often provide great energy savings. Thanks for sharing.
Nicely done! Having a solar powered fan really helps solar air heaters.
We tracked the efficiency of our solar air heaters (though different design), and achieved savings of between 100 to 300 kWh’s energy saved, per winter month, even during most of the winter, in the Olympia, WA area.
The only time we kept the vents closed (not using the panels) was for about a 2-week period that included between Christmas & New Year’s. That translated into saving approx. between $20 to $50 USD per winter month, off our electric heat bill. We used those for close to 10 years, at a rental house, booted through a small, south-facing window.
Meaningful savings!
Good job and nice video. We started using a variant of this about 20 years ago with a 4' x 8' rectangle of 1 x 6 pine and a 6" wide raceway inside. Back was 1/4 or 3/8 plywood and all matte black inside. Used a 1/4" plexiglass front and (usually) an external fan. You could heat an entire 2 room workshop easily on a 60% Duty Cycle. Switched to DC motor about 10 years back when affordable solar cells arrived. We made our own panels then but pre-made are WAY easier. Using these for wood drying kilns now.
Thank you very much for your explanations and your techniques used to make your solar furnace! I want to do one and I will certainly take some of your ideas!
very well done. I'll be doing the same thing. We just built a 40'x60' by 12 foot tall pole building. The entire 40 foot wall will be converted and used for heating. It faces due south with no trees. It 'should' keep the entire building nice and comfy on the coldest days here in Michigan. I'll post videos once I begin building, also.
I enjoy your approach to creating useful energy saving devices and I share your sense of inventiveness with similar projects of my own. I thought I'd maybe add to your screen concept by suggesting the use of black aluminum soffit material instead of the mesh material. It is rigid, easy to work with and will reach temperatures of 150+ degrees in only a few minutes of exposure to sunlight. it also weighs next to nothing and is very cheap and readily available. it does not need the internal frame so it saves on material costs too.
Keep up the good work and thx for sharing
That is a good idea! I'm going to check into it.
@@johnshilling2221 to jest świetna idea
Enjoyed watching the construction & seeing the finished product, works great well done & thank you for sharing.
Good job. I put the insulating sheet in between the plywood and the frame - it saves space and make the box air tight as well.
What a great idea! Air is so much easier to handle than water! The overall circuit needs to be analyzed and optimized, but what you have shown us is a giant first step.
I can see this being used in air/air and air/water applications. I really like the lack of sensitive and fragile components in the collection stream.
This REALLY lends itself well to heating structures using thermal mass. This could be used to heat a greenhouse that uses water or rock heat storage.
For home use, the furniture and walls and supplemental heat storage components of the system could absorb heat during the day and release their energy during the night.
Yours is a ROCK SOLID concept that every home could use. BRAVO!!!
The immediate application I see for this technology is for greenhouse heating systems. This cheap source of heat energy could be integrated into greenhouse designs that employ thermal mass storage.
It is unobvious but this technology can also work in reverse. It could radiate heat energy into the night sky. A thermal mass could be cooled at night to be used during the day. This could be an extremely effective air conditioner in a low-humidity desert setting. And all you need is a low-technology, simple, fan.
Thanks for posting this video. Very helpful to see one built. I was thinking that if you pulled the hot air out the back panel so it had to pass through both screens the efficiency might be a bit higher. Since the glass has the worst insulation factor, keeping the hot air away from the glass should help achieve higher temps. I have also seen that small ribs on the back plate break up the boundary layer (slow air flow) and can help transfer more heat to the air. Nice job.
Nice Work... it is people like you that inspire me to go and create a new life. Thank You !!!
I just love human ingenuity! And FREE HEAT!!!
Thank you so much for taking out the time to make this tutorial.
Cheers m8
thank you for sharing this video, this will improve my solar heater more.. great job.
I am in the midst of trying this project out! Thanks for the inspiration!
Just think about how many of these have been built from your channel. They will still be working in 30 years. The energy savings are amazing over time. !:- )
5:13 You're lucky. Mom never let me saw into the direction of the living room shag carpeting, for any of my projects!
Living room / workshop, kinda like my place.
I LOVE this simple, straight-forward concept! The one thing I'd change is I'd duct the room air into the inlet of the collector so I'm not having to heat frigid air from outside. One could mount a couple return ducts and the supply right into a sheet of plywood clamped in a window. Insulate the ducts and the plywood and you'd be good to go! Use a simple thermostat to turn the thing off if the supply air got too cool due to clouds, etc.
Actually adding heated air from the outside creates a baloon of air (positive prrssure) lowering the ability of drafts of cold air around doors and windows from coming in
Really good instructions!! Very clear. Appreciated. Thanks
thanks for this video I can start my winter project now..
Thanks for sharing your design.. I cant wait to build my own too..
After viewing this, I decided to build the screen absorber 2x4 feet, much easier to build than the hassle with the pop cans, and appears to be more efficient. Mine blew air at 158 degrees consistently on a sunny summer day. I put one of those wireless remote temperature stations inside so I can monitor the temperature from my couch:)I used an alumimum screen.One thing I did different was that I tilted the screen, so that it touched the glass on the top of the box and touched the back panel on the bottom of the box. That way the air has to travel up through the screen. I didn't use any cardboard or any other insulation, instead I put a sheet of aluminum on the back panel. I tried solar panels, but they just didn't put out much power and weren't consistant and can only power lame fans. So I just found an old plug in 12 volt adapter and got a SilenX fan from Amazon for 9 dollars, it blows much more air than a normal computer fan. I plan to run mine inside my house in the winter up next to my patio door window. Thanks for the video.
thank you, this video proves that solar power is awesomely reliable....
Early spring is still cold so this thing will be very useful.. I better start building one for the winter..
I really like your videos,. Keep them coming.
Excellent video. One of the best "how to's" I have viewed.
hi and thanks 👍😎
I am making mine from an old hot water heater as I have been told they work well. You can find old panels at the new panel shops as the installers of new panels often keep the better old ones. I took as many as I wanted for free and some of them would probably still heat water at the same time as heating a room.
Will be quite interested to see the comparison of the two type of solar heaters! Design and materials with high heat transfer coefficients definitely increase the output. I might even try putting small drill holes in the bottom of the inner wood frame to increase flow to see what would happen.
You do very nice work.
Good job ! Way better than most videos I’ve seen so far, good instructions, keep them coming
The fan CFM means a lot. It speaks volumes for how much air was heated to those temps. You use outside air, this means air exchange. Some buildings are very tight and must have ventilation inlet/outlets just to run a bathroom ceiling fan or the furnace. This would create a positive pressure on a building and may require other modifications.
Parabéns pelo canal, seus vídeos são muito legais! merece muito reconhecimento!
Very nice job!
Awesome project!
Great experiment in construction a passive solar heater. Low to no cost. Labor very little. As with a car or van if you enclose the box the heat will rise. And yes blowing cold air in from the bottom will increase life of your fan.
That's nice. Keep up the great work
Just had another Idea, using it in a ice fishing shack on a bright sunny day on the lake instead of the sun flower heater.
Well done, thank you
There is a new type of metal blinds (here in Canada called Krumpers Solar Blinds) that you can install on the sunny side of your house and they create lots of heat. I saw this at a house convention and planing to buy such blinds. Currently using regular dark brown curtains and they produce 100 F -tested -in the sunniest and very cold day at -15C temp. I think the metal wire mesh curtains can produce even more heat.I saw some at the mall where they heat big gallery rooms they produce enormous heat.
Looks good. Nice job!
I can't wait to see the comparison. I'm thinking the can version will produce more heat but not sure if adds enough to make it worth doing over the screen version. Thanks for the vid(s).
We really need to know the air flow rate in order to judge the performance of any solar collector. The difference between inlet and outlet air temperature is dependent on 2 things; the air flow rate and how much solar energy in watts is captured. If you put a higher flow fan in there you will get a smaller increase in temperature but you still won't know how much energy you have captured. Or the tin can collector might slow the air down more and then your air flow will be lower and you still won't know which collector is better. In order to measure the watts of energy captured you will take this collector out of the sunlight and put a heat source inside the collector (a 100 watt light bulb will do) and then turn on the fan and measure the difference in air temperature between inlet and outlet. Compare that to your increase when the collector is in the sun and you will have the wattage of your solar heater. For example if your air temperature rise when the collector is in the sun is 80 degrees while the temperature rise is 20 degrees with the 100 watt light bulb then you know that you have a 400 watt solar collector (100 watts x 80/20). Remember to wait a while before making your measurement of outlet temperature because it takes time for everything to warm up and get stable.
This seems to be missing from every video of this type. The concept of temperature vs energy is so important to understanding the usefulness of these types of projects.
@@matthewwilson4592 why do we need to know the how much energy is captured, if it's being used just for heating purposes? I'm looking into natural ways to heat my home to lower gas bills, and want to make sure I do it right.
@@matthewwilson4592 użyteczność to ocieplenie pomieszczenia kosztem prawie zerowym , po co to teiretyziwanie
His last video used an 80cfm fan and he told us the outlet and ambient temperatures. I calculated the output to be around 1kw/m2 which is about what the sun irradiates the earth at noon on the equator. In other words these things are useful. But we need this data each time to compare designs.
Nice video. Thanks!
if you made the internal frame from aluminum and stuck some mylar reflective film inside the edges and back of the main box it would make even more heat. You could even rip the central frame with a saw and add another layer of screen. Lots of options. Well done!
Great--- waiting on your comparison--- Till I build one !!!
Terry O'Rourke hi there. solar heater comparison video is now posted. :)
great invention and appears to work fantastically. I going to attempt to build one to fit on my French door that is fixed(doesn't open). I'll use your design but I will caulk all the corners and the back cover within as well as a fully painted black surface inside the box but I think I'm going to add asphalt shingles to the inside, back cover to hopefully absorb more heat. I also will probably use some sort of reflective surface outside, mounted to my adjacent deck to point more sunlight towards the French door's glass. I want to be able to control the temperature as well, in case it becomes unbearably too hot, so I will build some sort of window blind system on the outer door to control the amount of sunlight entering the box. Thanks for the concept idea and step by step video desertsun02
Nice work!!
looks simple enough...good job
i've come up with another cool improment idea: what about putting black stones like crushed lava stones or crushed black slate or black gravel stones behind the glas... it will slow down but still allow air movement through the bedding and might provide a huge surface for heat generartion.... another good thing about it could be, that this could hold the temprature for a while if a cloud blocks the sunlight or after sunset....
Awesome video, thank you man!
Nice workshop Man!!
Right on !!! I dig this !!!
Good job!!
Hi. Thank you for this!! We'll make a mini dehydrator :)
That's a great idea!
Вентилятор можно без электро питания, на неодимовых магнитах сделать! Отличная работа!
What a great and unique idea. I am excited that it works. I wonder how crumpled screen would work?
Liked the idea of using cardboard for internal insulation. Using double pane glass on the front would be more effective over time. And having the motor on the bottom (as hot air rises) might make the motor last longer. But over all not bad at all.
great for a greenhouse as supplemental heat
When the sun is out greenhouses do not require extra heat.
i like your videos. i will buold this in france i will setup a video of my result two
Using the oldest trick in the Book. using books as clamps. Knowledge is power
I guess if it works with water it should work with air also. Not bad, you could argue that more layers of absorbent screens might even better. The formfactor is interresting, wonder if you have a narrow chamber 2 meters long might heat up the air better. Also having a labyrinth inside your design to channel the air through narrow passages. Great innovation.
Good show . Was wondering how I might tackle that problem . Thanks
P.S. There are misters at the hardware store . . . one in three of the bottom holes ? Post another one and let us know .
Very interesting. I like the flexible duct idea which leads me to another idea for something bigger, as easy to build, and less materials to purchase... just imagine what you can do with an old clothes dryer, freezer or refrigerator? You already have insulation and a box. With good ducting you can use convection current for airflow and eliminate the need for the fan.
I think u may be onto something good with the frige idea
@@wadelitchfield1614 p
My Friend in Idaho heated a huge home with convection and a glass green house arching to her patio door. There was a vent at the bottom and top that looked like a regular heat vent. In the winter they lit a very small wood stove inside the greenhouse.
@@lindamoses3697 ppl ok please
Классный меховой верстак)
Nice set up.
thanks ✔
Thank you soooo much! 🌹
Really useful, great, thank you.
Great idea
Cool you pre-drilled the screw holes. Good idea. If you used old hose coiled up and painted black or used copper tubbing lining the entire inside you would have more stable output . Also using old aluminum frame windows works great and keeps the heat in more .What you didn't show was temps outside at that time which key to knowing what to expect from this design . Also put the fan on the inboard side and have a plenum feeding fresh air in . Electric fans don't like excessive heat .The bearings get dried out and fail. If using an inboard fan have it weather proofed and prescreening . The most effective way to get heat is to heat up mass and draw from the heat .Mass acts as a storage for the heat which is more stable than warm air from a painted surface alone . Also putting insulation around the ducting would be a good idea as well . All in all I think its a good proof of heat potential in a basic form . Using acrylic sheeting also further reduces heat loss or doubling up on glass and wrapping insulation on the outer perimeter of the box . I saw this basic design in a homesteading book written in the early 1970s .Tons of cool stuff to do and great heating and energy ideas such as passive solar heating like this one and radiant heat from the floors like the Romans did . There's energy potential all around us to be used if we would be smarter about how we utilize that potential .
royalspin What is the name of the book you are speaking of? Please and thank you.
royalspin Are you saying that the intake should be powered and not passive? If so, are you suggesting that with your heat concern with the bearings, the fan should be external on the intake?
@@bsrpython257 - I believe he was referring to have the fan on the cold side (intake) to reduce heat stress. Pretty much like applying a water pump on the cold side in solar water heaters.
Amazing thank you for showing us how to build it I'm seriously thinking about it I wonder if I could heat a the cabin with two extra rooms with it maybe using a solar heater for each room? There is no way to let it run down off the solo on your roof is it?
Thank you so much
It is nice some computer fans can be used with solar panels to drive the air.
I was brainstorming the potential of an internal model- as our windows already have 1 sheet of screen on half of it, if i add another sheet of screen and fix it behind it, and a small solar fan at the top, pointing downward to push the warm air towards my desk where I work, would this work, or just create shade? Therefor I would need to block half the window with black coreflute (which is ok as half the window reflects on my laptop anyway)to create the "heat" .... I'm going to try...
I could use this size for my apartment room.. this solar heater can save me big on my monthly bill..
Build it to fit inside the roof rafters area to collect heat from the roof, using fans to circulate the warmed air into the existing AC ducting.
Grate job.
the carpet man! the carpet!!!! (married life)
HAHAHA! I was thinking the same!!
@@Milanesa2010 me too lol oh no, not the carpet!
rental house
Lol I thought that too 🤷♀️
That was my 1st thought, he's either single or his wife's next project is new carpet
Great job! My first solar can heater was a failure. Even though I used high heat sealant for the cans, once it got super hot inside the box the cans shifted and I could never get them to stay together.
I’m liking this screen concept. Thanks Eva
Would sticking the cans together witj ductape be an option?
@@gregoryverhulst4907 i think better option is aluminium tape, its better for heat than duct tape.
If you had a better insulation, do you think it would improve your heat value coming out of the box?
Can you show how you attach the glass and keep it in place? It would also be beneficial if you'd list make and model of your fans and solar panels.
This is a good beginning, now we just gotta UPGRADE
Thank you for sharing this.
What's the point of this? You could let a lot more thermal energy into your house by just... opening your curtains.
Even upscaled, this thing would be completely useless on a cold day (which is typically when you want warm air). You'd be drawing in cold air from outside into a poorly-insulated box, and then pumping that slightly-less-cold air into your well-insulated house. Again, you'd be better off just opening your curtains and letting the sun shine in through your well-insulated windows.
Very nice
Thanks
very very good
...but you still need to bend that conduit to be useful. this is a great idea that shows good working principles. heat rises and for every meter of ducting you lose temp. what would make this more efficient would be to have these collectors below the floor of the room you are heating.
My kinda guy! Gettin' all the good out of those tennis shoes , huh? LOL I have several pairs just like them (actually , far worse ) but I can't seem to let 'em go ! Great video !
i can't seem to let them go either. i have several newer styles now but this old pair still has a sole so....
We are wanting to make solar heaters for our new greenhouse this winter. You didn't show how you attached the solar panel. Do you have more specific instructions that we could follow? I have spent hours searching to find an easy DIY and happened to come across your today and it seems like it would be a good option for us. Thank you!
Sorry but 4.44 it was Ted mosby lol. great video though man really cool design and build. plan on doing a slightly smaller one to keep my ants warm through winter with minimal cost
good jop.i love it
Simplifying design, you might raise the entire box to match the bottom edge of window with an open slot equal to window opening allows the air to flow into the house without a pipe. Convection will move the air. Drawing air from under the house will recycle interior air. Aluminum screen might be a good heat sink painted black. Also could be spray cleaned.
Thank you
I’m going to use this for my greenhouse
nice! lots of people i know have done that with good results ✔
I am about to put one of these together and curious about connecting one up to a cold frame garden box. I guess just direct the vent from the top to a cold frame next to it and have it end up buried in some stones (thermal mass) Would be great to add a thermostat for when the temp gets too warm inside.... Also trying to figure out a way to place the who unit INSIDE the cold frame as to not heat unconditioned air... Would love any thoughts you guys might have...
Insulation on your exhaust tube will increase your temp output !
I live in a condo, will have to make a heat absorber that can sit inside on window sill, south windows. Please advise on the best way to build such. Thank you!!!!
Pretty hot! it would be interesting to know how many BTUs it puts out for the size of the unit. One BTU (British Thermal Unit) is needed to heat 1 cubic foot of water one degree. If you know the BTU output you can size your panel to heat the living area intended.
Couple questions: What is the best way to translate the "outdoor heat" to "indoor heat?" I can build the box but am not able to bring the heat to the inside without tearing down an outside wall or window. I am trying an indoor application as a first project to overcome this issue but would like my next project to be larger and outdoor. I'm a greenie on using solar power. Can you provide a source for both the fan and the solar panel, and what size does it have to be to drive the fan? Your video shows glass panels. Did you use glass or plexiglass? Thanks for sharing your pioneering efforts.
Wow this dude is even cheaper (thrifty) than I am.👍😂👌
Have you ever tried to use rigid foam with heat reflective film on it for insulation, shouldn’t cost much more and I wonder how much hotter the air would be?