Soda Can Solar Space heater

This is a basic "how to" on creating your own soda can space heater. Several videos can be found on the net, but none of them really provide a step by step guide. I put this entire unit together with about 10 total hours of actual labor. If you have a source of cans, lumber, and a old double paned window (preferably), you can assembly one of these yourself.

Required Materials

• 1 window, 46.5 " L x 23 " W (recycled/freecycle, double paned)

o The selection of the window will dictate the number of cans required for the array.

• For this size window, the number of soda/beer cans required is 72.

• 4 x (1 x 6) boards (not pine or poplar).

• Board Insulation

• Great stuff foam insulation

• 2 x 2.5 inch vents (bottom intake vents)

• 1 x 3 inch vent (top)

• 3 x 4" squares of screen material

• Metal Duct Tape (for can assembly and final sealing)

• 1/4" plyboard (for the back of the box) in this case the measurement is 2'x4'

• Black spray enamel (about 2 cans is sufficient for a 72 can array and painting the box. )

• 3 v computer fan.

• 3 v solar cell (s).

• screws

• brad nails

Required Tools

• Screw Gun

• Tin Snips

• Brad Nail Gun

• 2 and 5/8 inch hole bore drill bit.

• Hand saw or Circular saw

• Jig Saw

• Clamps

• Square

• Tape measure

• Pencil

Step 1: Cans and Manifold

Step 1

Consume beverages. Yes, you have to drink all the beers/sodas to make this heater, though alternatively, you could collect them. Whatever the method, it is important that the cans are in fairly good condition, free from dents, cracks, or tears.

After you’ve collected the requisite amount of cans, you should sand the surfaces of the cans, both to remove the paint with sandpaper and to roughen the surface so as to make the paint adhere more easily to the can.

The cans are needed to assemble the metal heating tubes. The cans will be assembled end to end, so punch a hole into the bottom. Use the punched hole to make a series of cuts with the tin snips to create a baffle between each can. Also, cut or break the pop tops off the cans to make stacking better.

Step 2

Once the cans are sanded, the array must be planned. Place cans side by side along the bottom board, leaving a small space between each can. Draw the outline of the cans on the bottom board to make the first manifold. Provide enough space from each edge to make sure the board will not break when drilling the can-sized holes. Use the 2 5/8 inch hole drill bit. Use metal tape to shore up the borders between the can holes as the drill will likely create thin walls between each can hole.

While you are drilling, you can drill the holes for the vents. The top of the box will house the single 3" vent. The 2 smaller vents go in the bottom of the box. You can set a square of screen material over the holes before you press the vents in, which will help to keep insects out of the heater when it is finished.

Step 2: Can Towers and Box Construction

Step 3.

Once the bottom manifold is correct, use it as a template for the top manifold and create the box necessary to hold the window. Be sure to match the pattern left to right so that the can tubes line up and run straight within the window box.

Using the 1 x 6 boards, create the frame from the box for the window. Measure the boards to ensure that the window will fit snuggly within the frame. Once framed, screw the plyboard to the back of the box. Spraypaint the interior of the box with the black enamel paint, and cut in the insulation board necessary to fit the box. Be sure to leave enough space at the top of the box to create an air chamber into which the manifold will vent. The cans can now be assembled into tubes.

Step 4.

Each can tube should be the same number in height. For this window example, each of the eight can tubes will be 9 cans in height. Use the metal duct tape to assemble the cans into 9 can tube towers. Paint the can assemblies with black enamel paint. Make sure that the cans do not go all the way to the top or the bottom, a small chamber should exist on the top and bottom of the manifold to collect and exhaust the air.

Step 3: Final Assembly and Testing

Step 5

With the can tubes put together, you can now progress to final assembly. Carefully fit the painted, taped can tubes through the bottom manifold into the top manifold. Special caution should be taken in this step as rough handling will break the tape seals in the can tubes. Final assembly should have both the top and bottom boards holes drilled and vents installed.

Ensure to test the assembly for effective heating before finishing the insulation and sealing the system.

Step 4: Sealing, Insulation, and Clamping

Step 6

After testing the final assembly, you can now finish the box.

Install the top vent and bottom vents into the pre-drilled holes.

Seal the insulation and cracks with the Great Stuff foam insulation. Be sparing with this insulation as over application will cause too much expansion and could damage your cans. Put beads of the great stuff foam insulation on the face of the boards, to act as a glue for the window. Then use two sets of clamps to set the window into place. Using the metal duct tape, seal the window into place, and seal any cracks or edges around the outside of the box.

Step 5: Solar Powered Fan

Step 7

Create a solar vent fan that will assist in drawing hot air out of the solar heating assembly. Cut the computer board fitting from the computer fan, and splice with the solar cell (like wire colors). Use black electrical tape to finish the splicing. Place the solar fan just above the top vent, with some spacers that will allow the fan to spin freely.

Ensure to affix the solar cell to the front of the unit so that when the sun hits it the fan will engage.

The more direct sunlight the unit gets, the more efficiently it will operate, and the more free heat you can pump into your space be it your home, your green house or your man-cave.

Good luck!!

Step 6: Further Refinements

after a few years of sporadic service, it was the time to use this unit outdoors for a more permanent purpose. a coat of weatherproof paint and some ducting coupled with the old computer fan housed within a waterproof unit and all of it typed into my chicken coop. the unit is made to face south to take advantage of the winter sunlight. I taken some great stuff foam insulation and made sure that it was nice and tight inside. during the day the chicks will get a nice push roughly 35 degrees centigrade air to keep them a little more comfortable in the winter.