Home made solar works don't be fooled

[DigitalDreams]

I have a friend who has a better built home with comparable square footage who installed a corn furnace 2 years ago.

Another who installed a pellet stove both have spent more to heat so far this year than I have.

I have a 20 year old + miller fuel oil tweaked by me and 2 four by 8 hot air solars on the old heat sieve here and have spent less than either of them.

I believe it was mark who said heat seeks cold.

Well its true as far as I can tell,I have saved more money this year from just the two panels and a little leak finding (aka) door skirts-window seals than it cost me to build the panels.

Believe it or not I am on a yearly budget plan for my fuel oil and they contacted me to say I should reduce my budget payment by half as I have a massive surplus built up in the account because finally , had to top of the fuel tank again.

Now I know I say I'm frugal that is kind of a joke I like it 70 degrees in the house and by having the panels on the house working during the day when it is sunny and a occasional fire in the insert fireplace these few sub zero days after dark before we hit the sack,we just had, I finally went through a 5/8 tank of fuel oil we always top of at 3/8 point.

Now normally before the panels,we went through 5/8 of a tank about every 5 to 6 weeks and that was much warmer winters than this one has been,but with the panels and plugs that has stretched to almost 9 to 11 weeks plus or minus.

Just remember electric prices don't fluctuate as much as corn-pellets
or any other carbon based fuels in most areas.

And solar panels usually run small efficient if not totally free solar fans and in the case of mine ,which uses 120 volt fans and dampers even the cost of running them has not raised my bill enough to be able to tell weather, it is the fact I leave a lot of lights on all the time or the solar panel fan.

My panel is a little different than the one mark has posted here but
if you build two of those, I guarantee you will reduce your fuel costs greatly unless you live somewhere where it is dark 6 months out of the year in that case may I suggest geo thermal in your igloo.

[Yanita]

Hi,

Could you post some pics of your solar set up?

Yanita

[Jim from Canada]

pics would be great!

Jim

[DigitalDreams]

Pictures posted to my album.

The tube panel is not as pretty as as the other one , but actually just as, if not more efficient.

[DigitalDreams]

Just a add on note: If you look at the pics you will notice the overhang of the house keep in mind this is a 1973 Artcraft mobile home which had, a galvanized metal roof with nada for insulating value and no over hang.

I added the overhang and insulated between the old galvanized roof,and the roof over about 2 years ago ,and a foot of eave both stopped water problems from gutters overflowing and cooled the house down substantially in the dead heat of summer.

In years before you needed to kick on the air by 10 am or the house was a sweat box by 4 pm.

By adding insulation and white metal roof not only did I qualify for the energy rebate for the roof that year but the house is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Last year we didn't even kick in the air more than 3 times all summer and coolest of all no more mopping them seams every year with roofing compound to keep roof from leaking.

And believe me on a 30 year old double wide there was plenty of leak points.

[flcruising]

It's hard to tell from the small picture, but how is your panel constructed? It looks like you used round dryer type hose? How many feet in the panel, and how did you attach it inside?

Do you have any construction pics?

[DigitalDreams]

Yes it is the heavy duty aluminum dryer tube with a sleeve at each joint and aluminum tape on the outside of each joint.Then painted matte black.

There is eight 8foot tubes stretched to length in there for a total of 64 feet.

I used it because of the spiral ridges as I researched, it and also remember mark mentioning turbulence causes it to grab more heat off the heat sink (aka) the dryer tube.

I found that by making the air go 64 feet through ribbing I get 127 degree average heat out for the 67 degree average air it takes in from the house. Net gain 60 degrees and if the sun is out it will kick in about 10 minutes after the sun hits it and runs as long as the sun is directly on it all day long at that temp.

Tho I do need to cut a couple of trees down if I want to get about 2 more hours of heat out of it because a tree and my front deck shadow that one and the other one ,causing the west panel to kick in a hour later than the east one and the east one to kick out a hour before the west one.

Between the two They run on a sunny day about 8 hours.I hope to build two more externally mounted on a shed that has heat storage.

Antifreeze filled drums (eco safe antifreeze),buried in a rock bin and be able to heat the house about 12 hours or more per day.

Currently the two working panels are 74.48 square foot of surface, and I don't remember the ratio , that they say you should use for each square foot of floor space.

But I think I am close to it ,and with the next two and heat storage.

I know I will be well over it , but I trimmed those figures back a little , because I'm sure the bloke that come up with them probably doesn't live in a 35 year old double wide.

[flcruising]

Did you insulate the back of the panel? How did you attach to the hose to the panel inside? IOW, what's holding the hose in place?

Sorry for all the questions, but the design is just what I've been wanting to use.

I got inspired with this originally - http://h1.ripway.com/glensolar/GlensSolarHeater.htm

But what I want is to leave a couple inches of space between the runs of duct and possibly use a silver mylar behind them to reflect sun on the back side of the hose. Seems like it would be more efficient since there would be less elbows (restrictions). But how then would I hold the hose in place if they aren't tightly together?

Also, how much velocity (cfm) do you get out of yours?

Thanks,

[keetchie]

hi, when your doing the inside of the box is there tin on the inside then painted black ,and what did you use for the top glass.

[DigitalDreams]

List of Materials starting with Backing just how I build it:

1/2 a/c grade plywood back.

2 x 8 actually 7 1/4 salvaged from glass packing crates 24 lin ft.

Ply screwed to 2 x 8 frame, layer of high temp silicone in case of gapping.

Then lined back and sides of box with 2 inch Polyisocyanurate non gassing foam which has aluminum foiling both sides.Could
probably use 1 inch but I always over do things.

Then cut holes for 4 inch back draft dampers with 4 inch aluminum
90 degree elbows attached to them-flanging on backdraft damper acts as seal for holes on back of box but siliconed them also.

Inserted snap switch for panel end of thermostat control in hole in
exhaust elbow I had drilled and sealed between it and pipe with
high temp silicone.

Drilled hole for wiring from snap switch ,connected it and sealed around and in hole.
Note:snap switch was 90/130 ordered from Mark!

Connected 64 feet of 4 inch heavy duty drier tube end to end sealing each joint with aluminum tape used inserts at joins to prevent collapsing when taping.

Painted inside of box and drier tube matte black with high temp paint. Used barbaque black on 1st panel -theromax solar panel
paint on second one haven't notice much difference other than
price of paint.

Let paint cure suggested time then glued tubing into panel with spray adhesive that said on can good for bonding aluminum to
aluminum.

Touched up any spots I missed with paint.

Layer of high temp silicone ran around top of frame.

4 x 8 1/4 inch tempered low iron glass laid on panel.

Strip of 1/4 inch sealing rubber (mine was the stuff they use between double pane glass)laid around perimeter of glass.

Frame made from 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 3/16 angle holes drilled in
wood side every 6 inch.

Frame laid over glass and pressed down as I screwed it on.

Painted it brown,back also to match trim theme (may change that to white to match house) paint got from hazardous waste recycling center.

Mounted to house and tubed in through wall with insulated ducting(used insulated flex on second one dues to longer runs)

Hooked up 1500 cfm blower motor to switch in panel and thermostat.

Set thermostat to 5 degrees warmer than house hold thermostat
and the rest is history.

Note:Thermostat I used was 240 Volt Electric baseboard heater
type purchase at Home Depot slight over kill but then I'm know for that.

[flcruising]

1500 CFM !! ??? Is that through 1 panel?

WOW! You really overdo things don't you!

I bet that booger is LOUD.

Thanks for describing.

I never thought of the baseboard heater thermostat, that's a good way of doing it.

How much do you think it cost you per panel? I've priced glass, and anything that big is hundreds of $ollars.

[DigitalDreams]

1500 cfm yes through one panel you may not realize but most high end computer cpu fans are actually 70 to 90 cfm which is fine for slow continues output but as long as the panel does not cool enough to shut down due to air flow through it which mine doesn't you are fine.

I used what I had without having to buy fans and I had extra fans from setting up our ceramic kiln exhaust system so it was what got used.

Yes its a little louder than some but no more noisy than the furnace blower when it kicks in or my cpu fan on my dual core when it is running full blast.

That big of a fan may be to big for a reduced size version of my panel or a flat plate panel such as the one mark built,you use whats cheap and learn from there.There I am sure experts in the field that could tell you exact cfm to use but the real pro's do't like to give up secrets easily,cuts into their profit.

As for the glass you can use dual pane from patio doors salvaged as they are fairly large and also have you looked for a glass manufacturer in your area, they sell their blemished products at about 50 percent of new costs and blemish's can be so small
you need a expert to find them. Blemish glass can be a dimple or wave in the glass so fine you wouldn't notice and neither will the sunlight but they can't sell it as perfect by their standards.

I happened to have a friend that works for a glass company that does commercial glass in fact the glass I got is throw away from the new freedom tower which was the job they were doing when I got the glass.

[DigitalDreams]

Oh forgot to answer last question using glass from friend cost me 60 dollars for four 4 x 8 sheets, add 2 inch foam I had to buy 2, sheets if panel smaller could probably get by with one sheet,cost 50.47 a sheet and tubing good buy at menards and fleet farm 4.98 a 8 foot section for a cost of around 50 bucks misc aluminum tape and silicone and ply wood sheet for back.

Total cost 264.54 could have reduced that by using salvaged tempered glass , cheaper foam,and salvaged plywood ect.

Cost of your panel will be cost of the items you can't beg,borrow(forever) or steal(hopefully)you don't use this one.

So cost is relative to how much good junk you tend to accumulate.

[Dean3]

A few years ago My sister wanted one of thost boxes removed from Her place,I think it was a factory made one,larger than 4'x8' I think,metal and plexiglass. It needed new glass and there were no tubes in it. I thought about hauling it home and revamping it but just removed and junked it,,,*now* I find out they work! Shoot.

Dean

[DigitalDreams]

Ya you are not the only one.

Must have passed up half a dozen over the years some in good condition at auctions and ect ,just because fuel was cheap and never realized how much they would save me.

Bet you don't pass up the next one you see cheap.