pop can heater

[Jim Asprey]

Hello;
I would like to mention a couple of things about solar air heaters.I made one with the 4 inch aluminum dryer vent and put pop cans inside the serpentine vent.It worked very well.(when sunny on cold days it would max out thermometer at 70 degrees).It made a difference in the house as far as the fce.coming on.The only problem was it wasn't as big as it should have been.This year i'm making it with 2 patio door glasses and i'm going to add a pop can one with it.

Also i'm concerned with using glue on the cans.At these kind of temps i think the glue could give off some unwanted fumes.I tried aluminum tape cut 1 inch wide.I joined the cans together,kept them tightely together and wound the tape around where they joined.
Just 1 turn of tape makes a very strong joint.I think i will try this on the pop can heater.

This is just something i want to share.I hope it helps someone out.

jim

[Joe Blake]

When you've finished, you might wish to post up some piccies. Sounds interesting.
:)
Joe

[Jim Asprey]

Hi joe;

When done i will post pics.I have a lot going on right now but when done i will be sure to post.


jim

[Lorena Mitchell]

Those work really well. you can save up to 30% on your heating.:)

[Ian Moriarty]

hi i to built a can heater. i was a bit sceptical at first but on testing it doing a tempreture reading and it melted the plastic thermostat.well then i knew it worked
from there i went on to see if it would cook a sausage. it now powers my workshop
and although i have not been though a winter yet so far im impressed with the theory.
living on the west coast of ireland.

thanks for listening ian

[Brian McGowan]

I have made several air heaters. My last one is made of a sheet of plywood for the back, 1.5" black packing foam material for the sides, black polyester felt stretched over a frame made of that drop ceiling corner material and a piece of 6mm double wall polycarbonate for the front glass. There is also a piece of 1 3/8 fiberboard insulation inside on the back with the shiney side facing the black felt so that anything that gets through the felt will get reflected onto the back of the felt. Last year I piped it into my living space in the computer room instead of the basement where I have been experimenting. I have a simple fan control circuit that turns on the fan anytime the box is hotter than the room and off when it's not. That is 12 volts and runs off my battery pack.
I left it uncovered this summer because I couldn't find anything waterproof and opaque that didn't cost a furtune and even with the intake open and a "chimney" on the output to enhance flow, it still cooked itself and shrunk the foam by more than an inch. I have another set of foam but I am debating between that and the rigid pink foam insulation. I don't know what I would use to glue the insulation together with. Contact cement works for the foam stuff.
Solar air heaters are relatively simple and no matter what style, seem to work really well. I like hearing about what others do and how they make out.

4th pic down at this site is the best I have right now.
http://home.comcast.net/~bigvid/

Brian

[Jim Asprey]

I have made several air heaters. My last one is made of a sheet of plywood for the back, 1.5" black packing foam material for the sides, black polyester felt stretched over a frame made of that drop ceiling corner material and a piece of 6mm double wall polycarbonate for the front glass. There is also a piece of 1 3/8 fiberboard insulation inside on the back with the shiney side facing the black felt so that anything that gets through the felt will get reflected onto the back of the felt. Last year I piped it into my living space in the computer room instead of the basement where I have been experimenting. I have a simple fan control circuit that turns on the fan anytime the box is hotter than the room and off when it's not. That is 12 volts and runs off my battery pack.
I left it uncovered this summer because I couldn't find anything waterproof and opaque that didn't cost a furtune and even with the intake open and a "chimney" on the output to enhance flow, it still cooked itself and shrunk the foam by more than an inch. I have another set of foam but I am debating between that and the rigid pink foam insulation. I don't know what I would use to glue the insulation together with. Contact cement works for the foam stuff.
Solar air heaters are relatively simple and no matter what style, seem to work really well. I like hearing about what others do and how they make out.

4th pic down at this site is the best I have right now.
http://home.comcast.net/~bigvid/

Brian
Hi Brian;
I'm going to try the white fiberglass insulation bats.The stuff is pretty well fireproof.It can be separated to any thickness you want.They are not expensive.I also melted the pink styrofoam.I am not going to use any caulking or glue.I just want a tight fit so nothing will move except for natural expansion and contraction.I'll try to get some pics soon.my wife has a lot of allergies so i don't want any fumes.I'm working on this now.I will keep posting.

jim

[Brian McGowan]

Jim,
I want to make sure I understand what you said. I think you said that you used that rigid pink styrofoam insulation in a solar air heater and it melted? I just want to make absolutely sure about this as that was an option I was considering.
Brian

[Jim Asprey]

Jim,
I want to make sure I understand what you said. I think you said that you used that rigid pink styrofoam insulation in a solar air heater and it melted? I just want to make absolutely sure about this as that was an option I was considering.
Brian

Hi brian.I meant the pink styrofoam.I left it exposed on a warm day to see how it would stand up and it couldn't take the heat.I'm now using the white fiberglass,it's fireproof and i don't think it will lose it's shape when it's hot.This is not written in stone.It's something i'm trying.I think it will work well.The Aluminum coated bubble wrap for hot water heaters is under the fiberglass to protect it from direct sunlight,it also melted when used with styrofoam.I have some pictures in an album.But i have to learn how to post them.Hope this helps.


jim