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LumberJack
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2011 01:09am
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It took awhile but I managed to piece together 5 videos that completely explains how to build a great looking Solar Heater from soda cans.
These guys have accomplished something amazing and you'd be proud to have it mounted on your home. One guy I know built attached his Solar Pannels to his garage doors and it looks great.
If saving $$$ heating your cabin or garage than this is something you might want to consider- Talk about your recycling program :-)
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turkeyhunter
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# Posted: 27 Mar 2011 08:58am
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wheres the video????????
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Pookie
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2011 03:02pm
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Go to YouTube and search for passive solar heater, pop can heater, or soda can heater. There are loads of videos. A couple are so simple, lightweight and inexpensive, I am going to make a couple for my southern windows to use next year. Most of them are mounted outside the house and use electric fans. You really don't need either if you have south-facing windows. The ones made of fiberglass insulation board can be placed inside, up against the window and will naturally circulate the house air - cold in from the bottom, hot out the top. They weigh very little and you can just take them off the window sill when the sun goes down.
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 28 Mar 2011 05:30pm
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i am liking this idea.cheap and sounds do-able!
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Denver Dave
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# Posted: 17 Sep 2011 12:58pm
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I did a 2 ft by 2 ft foam board, took beer (and pop) cans, punched holes in the bottom, painted them black, laid them down on the foam board, wrapped in window shrink plastic, punched holes in the top and bottom of the plastic.
Set out on a sunny, but cold winter day in Colorado. Measured the air coming out of the top at 180 degrees with a cooking thermometer. Hot enough that I stopped because I was afraid that the board might catch on fire.
The air was hot, but not that much air. If pushed more air through the temperature would be lower. Still would like to find a fire resistant, well insulated mounting. Like the light weight of the foam board.
This winter planning on trying a 2 ft x 8 ft version. Have a clear plastic corregated roof panel which I plan on wrapping again with plastic for 2 layers.
My first test produced heat on cold day with sun. Does not do anything on cloudy days, unlike solar PV which still produces some electricity on cloudy days.
Thought this was my idea, but many videos on Youtube. Here is one to get you started:
Some of these beer can heaters are elaborate, others are low tech. Some videos suggest, extra work does not help that much:
http://youtu.be/R9bBnRQWRro
Oh here's one without beer cans - might be easier:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wadOQ4MjaKw
Here's a low tech version
http://youtu.be/XsF9RvVxFc4
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Bzzzzzt
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# Posted: 11 Oct 2011 09:43pm
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Ok, THIS is an awesome idea. Gonna build one of these and play with it here at the house. Cabin is too far in the woods to do any good with it I'm afraid though. After I get it put together at the house and get it working I'll take it down there and try it and see.
Thanks to the original poster for bringing this idea up!
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 11 Oct 2011 11:31pm
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I built one three weeks ago. Heard about it here. 2 x 3 ft inside dia. out of 3/4 cabinet plywood scraps and 3/16 polycarbonate plexiglass. 49 beer cans and leftover blackstove paint. For the bottom intake and top discharge only cut a 2 1/8 in. hole. I put it outside with a 55 degree temp. and within 20 minutes it was kickin' out 194 degrees! (after that the clouds rolled in and spoiled my fun with the sun experiment !) anyway, it definetly is worth experimenting with. Check out the you tube videos ! I work at a custom fabrication shop and brought it in to show the other guys....they all were amazed. I put my digital meat thermometer in the outlet, and guys kept disapearing from the shop to check the progress. They would come back in the shop and say " 180 degreees ..... 190 degrees ... holy !@#$ ... I cant believe it"
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Bzzzzzt
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# Posted: 12 Oct 2011 06:06pm - Edited by: Bzzzzzt
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I got my box built and got my cans collected today. Used some 1x4 scraps I had laying about and bought some plexiglass and some of that corrugated backing from Lowes as well as some caulk. I have my caulking gun at the cabin (4 hr drive) and needed some screws for down there anyhow, so I bought a cheap caulk gun and some screws that would work for both projects. I only spent $79 and $20 of that was the screws, most of which will be for the cabin. I only used 8 in the heater. I lined the back with aluminum foil even though I didn't see that in any of the videos I watched. Cant complete the thing tonight due to other obligations but I'm pretty sure I can finish it tomorrow. This really looks like a hot idea!
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concretefire
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# Posted: 28 Oct 2011 03:26am
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I like it, but what none of those youtube vids I saw showed was how efficient these things are at keeping X amount of space 'warm' for X amount of time when the sun goes down.
I'm looking at a 20x20 cabin and this seems great for the day in winter or at least a good step in the right direction for daytime, but what about night? And I assume it depends on the insulation I would use, the location of the cabin, (NC) etc...etc... I could see this working.
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