Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411180025
SECTION: HOMES PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES DULLEY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Building an inexpensive do-it-yourself water-type solar collector (circulates water instead of air) is your best choice. You can build a basic solar collector for less than $100 using some scrap materials.
As your budget allows, you can purchase or build additional collectors.
Water-type collectors are effective for heating water, swimming pools and your house air. This provides year-round utility bills savings for a quick payback. Water is also a natural energy storage medium to maintain even heat throughout the night in the winter.
If you can replace a kitchen faucet, you should be able to build your own solar collector. With simple plumbing and several water valves, the solar-heated water can be switched from your water heater to your furnace in seconds. All the materials are available at most hardware stores.
In fall and spring, use it to heat your swimming pool. Also, if your pool gets too warm in the summer, operate it at night to solar cool the water.
Some designs, called thermosiphoning, do not require a pump to circulate the water. By locating a storage tank above the collector, the solar-heated water (hot water is less dense) naturally flows up to the tank.
The simplest water-type collector is basically a shallow insulated box with a clear cover. Water is heated by the sun as it flows through pipes inside the box. Mount your "homemade" unit on the ground near your house instead of on the roof. This provides easy access for keeping the glass top clean.
Make the collector box frame from 2x6 pressure-treated lumber. Cover the bottom of the frame with plywood to form the shallow box. Lay fiberglass insulation batts in the bottom of the box. This blocks heat loss out the back of the collector. Use clear acrylic plastic or glass for the top.
Run small copper pipes, painted flat black, vertically in the collector. Attach the bottom and top ends to larger horizontal pipes. The water flows in the bottom, heats up under the sun and flows out the top. For more efficiency, make and solder flat copper fins to the copper collector pipes.
There are many new super efficient collector that can be purchased and installed in your system. One of the most efficient designs uses evacuated heat pipe tubes. These insulate like a Thermos bottle for efficiency.
Write for Utility Bills Update No. 776 showing do-it-yourself instructions, illustrations, plumbing diagram, and materials list for making this solar collector and a list of 15 high efficiency collector manufacturers. Please include $2.00 and a self-addressed envelope.
James Dulley, the Roanoke Times & World-News, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244
Q: My house has a hot water heating system with fin-tube baseboard radiators. Is it worth going to the trouble to remove the covers so I can thoroughly clean the fins?
A: You should go to the trouble of removing the covers. Do it once before the beginning of the heating season and again in mid winter. If you have a long hair dog or cat, or older carpeting (gives off more fibers), three annual cleanings would be best.
Dusty radiator fins reduce efficiency and heat output for several reasons. Dust impedes the natural air flow through the fins. Dust also forms an insulating barrier on the fins and reduces heat transfer to the air.
by CNB