Simple Outdoor Solar Heater
Robert Jacobi’s simple outdoor solar collector consists of a 5-ft. long by 3-ft. wide wooden box with a slanted metal roof. A 46-in. long by 20-in. wide window skylight fits into an opening cut into the roof. A pair of insulated 4-in. dryer vent pipes run from the box into the house. One pipe takes in air from the basement’s cold air return. A small 6-in. dia. fan is connected to the other pipe and blows the heated air into the house’s front room. A thermostat is hooked to the fan.
“Even when the temperature gets down to 20 degrees the collector will raise the indoor temperature 6 to 8 degrees,” says Jacobi. “This unit doesn’t work in temperatures below zero because the sun’s angle is too low, so I use it mainly starting in mid-February. When the weather warms up enough that I no longer need heat, I use a Styrofoam sheet to cover the window and hold it down with bungie cords.
“I painted the metal roof black to help melt snow. I’ve never had to brush any snow off the unit.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert E. Jacobi, 5562 S. State Hwy. 97, Athens, Wis. 54411 (ph 715 257-1017).
Click here to download page story appeared in.
Click here to read entire issue
Simple Outdoor Solar Heater BUILDINGS Miscellaneous Robert Jacobi’s simple outdoor solar collector consists of a 5-ft long by 3-ft wide wooden box with a slanted metal roof A 46-in long by 20-in wide window skylight fits into an opening cut into the roof A pair of insulated 4-in dryer vent pipes run from the box into the house One pipe takes in air from the basement’s cold air return A small 6-in dia fan is connected to the other pipe and blows the heated air into the house’s front room A thermostat is hooked to the fan “Even when the temperature gets down to 20 degrees the collector will raise the indoor temperature 6 to 8 degrees ” says Jacobi “This unit doesn’t work in temperatures below zero because the sun’s angle is too low so I use it mainly starting in mid-February When the weather warms up enough that I no longer need heat I use a Styrofoam sheet to cover the window and hold it down with bungie cords “I painted the metal roof black to help melt snow I’ve never had to brush any snow off the unit ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Robert E Jacobi 5562 S State Hwy 97 Athens Wis 54411 ph 715 257-1017
To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click
here to register with your account number.
