My Very First Solar Heater Attempt
I did it! Well Sort of....
I attempted to make my very own solar heater...and it came out, fairly well, especially if you knew how Uncoordinated I am!! LOL I mean if you give me a PC, I can make it walk to the kitchen and fix you a sandwich!! BUT anything outside the PC world, I am a complete GREEN Banana!!
But here we go..I did attempt it..and this blog, is the Stu Process, which is NOT the way most knowledgeable folks would do it..so with that in mind... I first had to go buy everything...since I'm not the construction guy or hobbyist I had absolutely nothing!
OK once it was all said and done, I guess I've got about $50 bucks of odds and ends here..stinking Styrofoam cost me $14 a sheet..cut it in a way, I can get 2 more heaters out of it..I guess that's not too bad.
It took me, what seemed like a week, to get this thing together, again not a PC, it's all green to me. The hardest part, for me, was getting the box together, when it comes to cutting Styrofoam, me and Styrofoam don't get along. But after awhile I did get kinda get the hang of it. I put my sides on, use the handyman's secret weapon duct tape (thanks Rich Allen), I did use the high temp mortar to seal everything up, cut the chicken wire to make the input and outlet ports. Also, laid the cans in (no cutting, no gluing, no special pattern, there to fill up the box. I tried to lay in some more cut chicken wire, to help hold the cans in. I put some eXtra screws in to help secure the chicken wire. I then got out my high temp black paint, and sprayed everything black, sprayed the walls, spray everything I could get to black! Then, I put more high temp mortar on the outer edge of the box, and laid the glass on top. I then, used the duct tape again, to seal the window to the box. I then I was ready for a test...so I set the box up on it's side ..when
MY CANS MOVED! I guess I didn't have them in there, as tight as I thought...so you see one can that has almost made a 180! And there are some others that did a smaller turn, but not like that one that seems to be glowing! Well, it's not a good day to test, the sun was in and out all day long, but I did get one decent test! BTW, that's NOT a break in the upper corner (at first I thought so too) but it's the reflection of my elbow, when taking the picture..! Sorry! See the TREE!
I am in hot pursuit of a new "cleaner" thermometer, this one is as old as the hills! We've been living here 14+ years and it was here before we were. Soooooo.......the below temps are with a small window of sun, of about 10 to 15 minutes..that's it!
This is a brand new thermometer! But it's NOT exactly what I wanted. It doesn't start til 130!! What a RIP! So, this evening, I went searching!! And it took a long time, to find one that I wanted. I wanted one that starts at Zero! (Doesn't that make sense!!) I found one at Kmart, $12.99!! 13$ for a stinking thermometer!! I still can't believe it!! That's seems to be, 1000% over priced!! OK..yes I did hand it over.!!
I attempted to make my very own solar heater...and it came out, fairly well, especially if you knew how Uncoordinated I am!! LOL I mean if you give me a PC, I can make it walk to the kitchen and fix you a sandwich!! BUT anything outside the PC world, I am a complete GREEN Banana!!
But here we go..I did attempt it..and this blog, is the Stu Process, which is NOT the way most knowledgeable folks would do it..so with that in mind... I first had to go buy everything...since I'm not the construction guy or hobbyist I had absolutely nothing!
OK once it was all said and done, I guess I've got about $50 bucks of odds and ends here..stinking Styrofoam cost me $14 a sheet..cut it in a way, I can get 2 more heaters out of it..I guess that's not too bad.
It took me, what seemed like a week, to get this thing together, again not a PC, it's all green to me. The hardest part, for me, was getting the box together, when it comes to cutting Styrofoam, me and Styrofoam don't get along. But after awhile I did get kinda get the hang of it. I put my sides on, use the handyman's secret weapon duct tape (thanks Rich Allen), I did use the high temp mortar to seal everything up, cut the chicken wire to make the input and outlet ports. Also, laid the cans in (no cutting, no gluing, no special pattern, there to fill up the box. I tried to lay in some more cut chicken wire, to help hold the cans in. I put some eXtra screws in to help secure the chicken wire. I then got out my high temp black paint, and sprayed everything black, sprayed the walls, spray everything I could get to black! Then, I put more high temp mortar on the outer edge of the box, and laid the glass on top. I then, used the duct tape again, to seal the window to the box. I then I was ready for a test...so I set the box up on it's side ..when
MY CANS MOVED! I guess I didn't have them in there, as tight as I thought...so you see one can that has almost made a 180! And there are some others that did a smaller turn, but not like that one that seems to be glowing! Well, it's not a good day to test, the sun was in and out all day long, but I did get one decent test! BTW, that's NOT a break in the upper corner (at first I thought so too) but it's the reflection of my elbow, when taking the picture..! Sorry! See the TREE!
I am in hot pursuit of a new "cleaner" thermometer, this one is as old as the hills! We've been living here 14+ years and it was here before we were. Soooooo.......the below temps are with a small window of sun, of about 10 to 15 minutes..that's it!
This is a brand new thermometer! But it's NOT exactly what I wanted. It doesn't start til 130!! What a RIP! So, this evening, I went searching!! And it took a long time, to find one that I wanted. I wanted one that starts at Zero! (Doesn't that make sense!!) I found one at Kmart, $12.99!! 13$ for a stinking thermometer!! I still can't believe it!! That's seems to be, 1000% over priced!! OK..yes I did hand it over.!!
