Solar Heater (Fan Boosted)
Intro: Solar Heater (Fan Boosted)
I have a problem and that is that it is winter in New Zealand and because it gets so cold the monthly power bill can be very expensive. Up to $500.00 sometimes.
This started me thinking about the sun and the heat it makes, so I started looking.
It had to be cheep or free. When I saw OhMikes instructable it inspiried me to try my own
I used old fly screens I had lying around and in place of his foil, I re-used aluminium plates from the printing company I work at.
I painted one joined plate gloss black to absorb the suns heat and another plate for the back pannel.
I got it up and running and found it did not have enough air transferring through it so I added a solar panel I just happened to have been given about 10 years ago and a cooling fan from an old photocopier.
The only new thing I had to get which also cost nothing was a meter of shrink wrap which was left on the end of a roll in the packaging dept at work.
It is now heating my kids bedroom in the day time very well and is creating a good flow of warm dry air.
My power bill is now down to $250.00 per month so I think the problem is solved for me and my family.
Thanks OhMike.
This started me thinking about the sun and the heat it makes, so I started looking.
It had to be cheep or free. When I saw OhMikes instructable it inspiried me to try my own
I used old fly screens I had lying around and in place of his foil, I re-used aluminium plates from the printing company I work at.
I painted one joined plate gloss black to absorb the suns heat and another plate for the back pannel.
I got it up and running and found it did not have enough air transferring through it so I added a solar panel I just happened to have been given about 10 years ago and a cooling fan from an old photocopier.
The only new thing I had to get which also cost nothing was a meter of shrink wrap which was left on the end of a roll in the packaging dept at work.
It is now heating my kids bedroom in the day time very well and is creating a good flow of warm dry air.
My power bill is now down to $250.00 per month so I think the problem is solved for me and my family.
Thanks OhMike.
STEP 1:
I assembled the heater using my own materials. I think everything is different to the instructable that inspired this.
This is a shot of it outside leaning on the Geodesic dome I made today.
This is a shot of it outside leaning on the Geodesic dome I made today.
STEP 2: Boosted With a 24V Fan
I discovered I was not getting enough air transferring through it so I added a paddle fan I had retrieved from an old photocopier I was given.
As you can see I spared no expense with everything held together with book binding tape.
I hope this inspires someone to give it a try.
The bedroom of my 2 young children is quite a bit warmer than it would normally be during the day in winter which means we don't have to run an electric heater in the day time.
As you can see I spared no expense with everything held together with book binding tape.
I hope this inspires someone to give it a try.
The bedroom of my 2 young children is quite a bit warmer than it would normally be during the day in winter which means we don't have to run an electric heater in the day time.
2 Comments
ntense99 9 years ago
Pretty cool man! Another in-window mount solar heater like mine! I like how you used a solar panel to push the fan - i just wired mine to the electrical system of my home :( Here is my setup if u r interested:
https://diybarrelstoveoutdoorfurnace.wordpress.com/2014/12/28/diy-window-mount-solar-air-heater-presentation/
Xolin 11 years ago