Attempting To Make A Solar Heater For Ethan's Room

[@johnlord8337]

If you have any extra aluminum gutter down spouts, cut them up, spray black, and vertically put into the solar box with gutter stays and staples ... with 2 inches spacing at the tops and bottoms. Leaving the reflective radiant barrier will heat up these black metal tubes, heating up the air inside the tubes, but also around them. Otherwise, doing an industrial solar box, all that aluminum sheeting you had for the goat cabin, you could buff and shine it mirror shiny. Cut and install into the box for a true solar reflective cooking oven box. Using this with the black tubing, and you will have more than enough heat into the house, and have open room doors pushing all the hot air around the house. You need to have a cycle of airflow, and you only have the single exhaust (with fan) system. There needs to be a floor exhaust from the room down to the bottom of the solar box, so that you get real air flowing.

[@CorsairTrainers]

Cool idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@johnwyman6331]

Ok, enough people already commented on trying to heat cold outside air instead of warmer room air. Although I agree with them, I won't push it any more. I'd like to have you remember the temperature you had with insulation (before it melted). I want to suggest using foil faced, high temp "isocyanurate" insulation. I've seen it in big box hardware stores sometimes. It is what is used in commercially built air, and water heating panels. If you can keep the air from losing heat while flowing against the inside of the glazing, it will give a performance boost. Aluminum gutters sealed at the ends with headers may work well for that. One last thing, try to get your airflow in the panel, and the room to enter at one corner and exit at the farthest corner (kitty corner) for better balanced airflow. Oh, and Have Fun!

[@chuckcole3010]

Awsome job Tommy. Growing up in Spikane er used plastic on the windows, it still allowed light to come in but kept alit of the cold out.

[@chuckcole3010]

Spokane

[@polycat7670]

I have built two panels for solar heating. Be aware that as you improve the output air above 90, you risk the plastic fan melting. I used galvanized fans at the discharge. Also, I used snap disk for my heating switch with a thermostat. The snap disk will cut off the power if the panel is not warm/hot enough.

[@andrewsarles3520]

At 57 degrees we don't have our heat on in Michigan! I understand warmer climates. I just wish it was 57 degrees here?

[@FixItYerself]

Nice work! I hope the paint worked out well and any fumes dissipated.

[@AnAlaskaHomestead]

A little blink 182 intro. 👍 Cool build.

[@lmast41]

I think its great, and looks great!!

[@mikestone9129]

I'm afraid the hardware cloth holes will be to big. Might want to use regular screen.

[@Ebacherville]

Doesn't work if your sucking in 50 degree air to get 85 degree air.... you need to circulate already warmed air from inside.. 30 degree rise is huge if your started with 80 degree air.. its like compounding interest.

[@singleman1986]

@Ebacherville.......Agreed. 30 years in the sheet metal trade. A/C and heat works best with recirc. 100% outside air ain't gonna cut it.

[@cindyb814]

Have you considered an additional inside solar heater to place in a window ?

[@reneebrown5598]

The plastic down spout will melt over time or get brittle and crumble.

[@nursecopywriter]

I saw the same video! Making one for our greenhouse

[@gregorydavis3799]

I've watched a ton of videos and put a lot of thought into this (unrealized).... Just a thought and nothing more.....maybe take strips of tin roofing for your solar media inside your framed box? cut them and paint them in heat resistant black paint and then mount them inside. they may hold temp a lot better than screen? by no means criticizing....just wanted to offer a different point of view. you definitely need to insulate the ducting as well....you will lose a ton of temp without it.

[@23Michael23]

Nice 3 to 4 hours a day of free heat sounds good to me.

[@robdob5640]

Tommy, A for effort, but what are the holes on the bottom of the box for ? and what are they doing ?

[@b1g1lz]

In order to blow air into the house you have to suck it from somewhere as it is impossible to suck from a sealed box. Would probably be more efficient if it was to draw air from the room and increase the heat rather than try and heat the colder air from outside.

[@robdob5640]

@@b1g1lz thanks, I knew that, I was just trying to get someone else to notice it.

[@singleman1986]

Even a 30 or 40 degree rise would be sufficient if the fan was pulling from the ROOM instead of from outside. JMHO.

[@heavenhelpus6624]

Like any system of forced air flow, you need an intake, & and exhaust vents. You want the intake at the bottom for cold air, from inside the house, with air flow pulling upward inside the heat exchanger, and the exhaust blowing out the top inside the house. Put the fan at the bottom, inside the house blowing into the heat exchanger, and there will be no problem with over heated fans. Also it is most effective if it faces south. Watch this link kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYSWhmVrhNh4atk which shows you,

[@dbcrn859]

Makes no sense to try to heat cold outside air when the inside air is a warmer point at which to start.

[@groundprepper4946]

put dividers inside like a maze so air travels back and forth on its way up...just saying

[@deanmagnuson2993]

Why don’t. You show how it made