Homemade Solar Thermal Collector

Step 2 Refregerator Backing

Once you have collect all of the necessary tools and materials, the first challenge is to make the refrigerator backing appropriately fit the window frame. As the photograph shows, the refrigerator backing did not originally fit the size of the window. Wanting to have as much collector surface area as possible, I decided that I would modify the refrigerator backing.

The little wires that provided the backing with support had to be removed to make the metal tubing more flexible. This was the most tedious part of the project. If you can find a refrigerator backing that will fit into window frame that would make the project less time consuming but you would not have as much surface area for the water to pass through in the collector.

With an angle grinder I cut each row of the metal pieces. I then used pliers to remove each of the sections. Be careful as the metal pieces are sharp once cut and can easily hurt your hand.

With the package if steel wire, I then condensed the metal tubing to fit in the window frame. Use the steel wire as twist ties to hold the metal together.