solar heater made from cans beer soda etc

[Chanireland]

great forum been reading away fair play and respekt to all !


Have been looking at these for a while now, they seem very popular in Canada wondering has anyone in this part of the world any experience with them.
seems like you need sun. but still work when its cold.
easy cheep diy project out or recyclables   no plumbing necessary
if you google about some people seem to have had some amazing results.   

There is alot of info on soda can solar heaters around particularly on the tube, but have-not seen much discussion on them  just peoples own experiments wondered  if any one on here had made /tested/ experience with them. in Ireland or Uk regions. I have a cottage west  Ireland and was thinking roof mounted  with ducts and  blowers but possibly to much heat in summer and  vertical mount on walls would be  superior but seen as i plan on conservatory on front when  finished inside roof is free space...

a how to with good pictures translated from Bulgarian?
http://www.freeweb.hu/napenergia/gyak/szp/sztgyi_en.htm

some vids about them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRZvAAqz ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXYaO596 ... re=related

thanks

[billi]

Hello and welcome

definitely a good idea and would have worked fine , this sunny winter we had here in Ireland 

there are others here with more expertise  then me  , search for " cola panel "

Perhaps with the low sun in winter having it attached to the housewall is a good idea , and easy to shade in summer


All the best from the South-West

Billi

[daftlad]

http://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6899.0.html

ta ta

[rogeriko]

It would be a lot quicker to make it out of that flexible aluminum stretchy pipe that they use for cooker hoods and ductwork. Save time from all that messing around with beer cans and having a hangover for a month just to keep warm.

[dhaslam]

It is the old story with solar heating.   If it is sunny and you have south facing windows  plus good insulation  then you don't need any heat (except for hot water of course).   However if you can store the heat even for a few days then it can be very useful.   For winter heat you do need a very big collection area, something like  10% of the floor area of the house.     

[Chanireland]

wow you guys are quick,
yeh was very bright winter here in Leitrim, i up a mountain and seem to sit above the fog in  bright sun and wind but no turbines yet...
but the mist and  rain  i cant avoid..


10% well that isnt much if your house is small and and you are using nearly free materials and you happen to have the luxury of free time...
10% floor area i presume this is  with current (regs) levels of insulation.
actually now i think bout it surly you would need more like 50% as isnt 10% standard in norm house for escape ventilation light etc..

i always thought the old storys were the best and then started to try and bring an old stone (building) story to new levels and you end up with a heat sink... and i suppose a bendy story .

like the idea of reusing stuff especially if it is perfect so think will stay away from the flexible aluminum stretchy pipe although looks like some people have had success.

covering walls not very pretty but if  it keeps the  edge of the cold and dont have to scramble around on the roof making a mess good... leaves space for water  panels..

i actually wouldn't worry about over heating in the summer there is always windows and after spending the last couple of winters near the equator 30c or even a little more i can handle/like it hot, ice rum and ginger. Nice
roll on summer...

thanks will have a look about on the  cola panel thread

have to say  some of you guys get very busy with your projects nice work,
THANKS
from Leitrim

[billi]

covering walls not very pretty but if  it keeps the  edge of the cold and dont have to scramble around on the roof making a mess good... leaves space for water  panels..

Many people here think that old houses were just stone without lime render in former times (cause the lime came off), so many like the idea of just pointing the stone (that is not too good in some cases )

So i thought , if people like the plain stone walls , why not ! And clean the stones and cover the south with glass with a 100 mm gap to the wall , like the "trombe wall " idea .

So you are weather protected , still stone work is exposed , better insulated and harvest heat

Billi

[dhaslam]

In Ireland outbuildings were often cut stone but the dwelling house would be rubble walls and plastered, usually a smooth finish.    Unfortunately a lot of the  old houses are  pebble-dashed  which makes them look a bit drab.     My parents house had cut stone  downstairs but that was probably because it was originally built as a school.     

[Chanireland]

they call pointing gold plating round hear...

will be glassing front ie south of cottage hove found all the windows from a brand new dublin apartment double glassed tougned glass big pannels out of  a skip 
but for the roof lean to style about 2 mt any ideas poly  carbonate mid  price very noisy i think?
glass double glassing toughened expensive and heavy..
corrugated fiber reinforced pvc stuff cheep (but not insulated prob not the best fro a solar conservatory.
another idea was roof and insulate it and put in some  velux  style window every  meter or sow 14 mt total front??
as i have a tin roof  roofing is cheep any great ways of insulating corigated pvc or whatever it is (like secont layer under rafters. or polycarbonate ceiling....
less over heat in summer still work in winter, BUT less light through the windows in winter, but i do have  sky light in  each room still needs light though...

been using lime plaster and did some hemp lime internaly on as gable good stuff but it dosnt like the damp. I havent sorted the mess of a wall on the outside sucking in  water.....
Cant wait to get plumbing and put that giant doublended bath in the conservatory, few bottles of whatever she fancies. 
hopefully this decade

[Baz]

Although a good gimmic this design is technically rather poor. After collecting the heat the cans expose a larger area to the air hence cooling by convection than would a flat membrane made from kitchen foil stretched ove a frame.

[billi]

...... But one or the most efficient of the shelf solar air collector uses some sort of a tube system as well 

billi

[dhaslam]

Although a good gimmic this design is technically rather poor. After collecting the heat the cans expose a larger area to the air hence cooling by convection than would a flat membrane made from kitchen foil stretched ove a frame.

I presume that the foil would need to be  painted black or else it would just reflect the sun.     I was planning on using heavier metal sheeting as the  heated surface but  foil would be a lot less expensive.     

[daftlad]

Although a good gimmic this design is technically rather poor. After collecting the heat the cans expose a larger area to the air hence cooling by convection than would a flat membrane made from kitchen foil stretched ove a frame.

I would have thought the increased surface area would help by allowing more heat absorption? 
The big problem I have is the glass, Ideally a big toughened double glazed unit would seem the best option until you get a quote for a unit 6 foot long by 4 foot wide, does anyone have any ideas for a suitable alternative to glass? I was thinking of that placcy stuff you make conservatory roofs out of.
ta ta

[Chanireland]

as a black fiol that is heat resistant ther is a product they use in film lighting  called black wrap,  they use it to control light  wrap it ourond to create effects some of it infact most of there lights are very hot 200w upto 20k plus.. it is mat black and great as it disappears as it it as stated mat  black hears a link
http://www.filmandvideolighting.com/blstforo12.html

actually looking at it  closer is made from aluminum and is 12in by 50 ft 21 dollar very heat resistant have a look could be useful. it is really easy to shape about 6 times as thick as baking foil holds its shape even  with  heat  black both sides.

i have some ends  of rolls in the shed could test any quick ideas?
 

[Chanireland]

the  placy stuff that is flat on top and under side of conservatories is usually polycarbonate, can  get it  twin wall triple wall al are insulating and cheaper than glass but you cant see the  moon through it when you lying in the bath with a hot whisky.
the single layer corrugated like the she roofs is pvc and something els but not insulated but possible to make a  diy type of double wall possibly..
alot of eco cheep builders in the middle if  not sure where use it with for sky lights in cheep build when they use corogated  roofing and dont insulat it  just staple clear sheet of  clear plastic to underside of rafters...
polly  carb has the accessory's and is made for this  propose hhhhh