DIY Mini Solar Electric Hot Water Heater - Cheap emergency hot water!

[@dadgyver4753]

Great video, I'm probably going to try to do the same using an old cooler to add some insulation.

[@solarpoweredge]

Thanks a lot! I hope it helps some folks. Good idea using a cooler. That's going to hold heat extremely well. I have styrofoam wrap and sheets, it just goes right around a plastic tote. Even a blanket would work in an emergency. In a long term disaster, morale cracks when you can't have a hot shower. Rigging up a portable tank is what I call cheap insurance.

[@dropedlow33]

great video as all way love to learn as much as i can ty u so much for takeing your time out to make these vids for us

[@solarpoweredge]

Thanks brother, makes my day, glad you enjoy them :) more on the way

[@Deviiie]

I really love solar power hance why I ran into your channel, my only issue is I only got two 100W panels running into a 100A Acid battery which almost always full lol, so I was looking for heating ideas that involves 12V because where I live we basically get 4 hours of electricity in 24 hours. Maybe when and if I ever upgrade my setup to more than 200W I'll revisit your videos:). Thanks

[@solarpoweredge]

Hi, me too :) Solar is so useful and I'm always looking for new applications for it. 200w solar, can be used for heating. 1) There are 12v / 150w standard hot water heater elements. And smaller ones made for coffee. Could burn off excess solar into one of those. 2) Check out the videos below, that is my 100w solar panels powering 100-300w of PTC elements. Even one panel can run them. Works great, pretty safe (shouldn't leave unattended though), and they give extra supplemental heating. Getting them balanced on the panel voltage can be tricky, but worth the effort. Hope this information helps :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6nKeoF8nNaIpas kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXyWkJ-IiNOniMU

[@Deviiie]

@@solarpoweredge what a legend! I'll be watching and learning. Thanks!

[@solarpoweredge]

Welcome.... glad you're here, thanks for watching :)

[@sedevacantist1]

I watched a video on heating water directly from a SP with a mismatched element and the outcome was terribly inefficient. If memory serves, it had something to do with a voltage drop restricting amps. Perhaps you could give it a think and make a video, thanks.

[@solarpoweredge]

Hello, below are some videos where I talk about DC PV resistive load impedance matching in detail. Hope they will address your request, if not let me know and I'll see what I can do. Note the procedure and principles are the same for both HWH and space heaters. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnqxaHqwoZWZnsk kzbin.info/www/bejne/laOcmZ1tnLqYjKs

[@sedevacantist1]

@@solarpoweredge Thanks, really appreciate that.

[@solarpoweredge]

NP!

[@vet137]

I was thinking why not use a heater core from car and then a dc fan in back of it. Was thinking how the car has water and antifreeze in it and you almost never have to add water but look at the heat you get out of it? So if possible I want to rig a 300 watt dc element into a system like that using a water pump that can handle hot water then go straight from solar panel to the element. does any of that make sense?

[@solarpoweredge]

Right on, make sense to me. This would allow you to collect heat in a water tank, then control distribution rate. In fact a lot of old houses use an oil-fired boiler and radiators. Your idea is the high-tech solar equivalent. Of course we can't expect 300W to heat an entire house, but the concept scales up pretty well. The element shown here probably would have boiled the water if I left it on. It was scaled down for ease of demonstration. I have other water containers for actual use. A 55 gallon drum or 330 gallon IBC tote works a lot better and holds a lot of heat. Just gotta use some kind of thermostat, or make sure it can't boil!

[@OFFGRID_Trucker]

I bought a 12v 300w DC heating element and a temp sensor from Missouri wind and solar. I've yet to install it. I don't have an 1" 1\4 wrench or socket. I've got a Trina 400w panel to use and summer's coming. It's raining today but when the sun came out earlier, I saw just over 1140w from my solar system. ps. I'm in my '28 RV.

[@solarpoweredge]

@OFFGRID_Trucker Right on... that should heat some water very well. I want to make a bigger HWH when my health is back in order. I think 10-20 gallons. I might even use a string of diodes to track the solar panel. Already tested that method and it works so well!

[@whitelfner4582]

You might add that you don't need a 48 volt element... Heating elements are pure resistance, your home 3600-watt 240 heating element will run at 1/4 the power at 120 volts, or 900 watts, at 60 volts 225 watts.... AC or DC doesn't matter. At 120 volts AC you can use the thermostat in your water heater at 1/4 it's rated output at 240 volts. DON'T try this with DC, DC has the ability to arc and will destroy your thermostat.

[@solarpoweredge]

Hi, good information. Btw I have the DC rated HWH thermostat too but figured I won't leave this thing unattended.

[@whitelfner4582]

@@solarpoweredge Likely purchased through Missouri Wind and Sun/solar or their quasi related eBay company out of Springfield MO? They wouldn't give me any specs on it, max wattage etc. I tried getting info multiple ways from them, had no success.

[@solarpoweredge]

Probably, I remember ordering on Ebay a few years back. Its ~4 ohms. Probably made in some factory in CN I would guess.