Solar on the cheap

[buddog]

I was building a solar panel for domestic hot water this spring. Unfortunatly hay bailing season was upon me. So I started looking for a quick fix. A trip to the local farm store and 6 rolls of black water pipe ,12 bucks a roll spread out on the back roof fixed the problem. A small 1/25 HP pump through my heater worked. On at daybreak off at dusk. It ain't rocket science and it isn't pretty but it works. I have plans for air conditioning on the cheap also if anyone is interested just ask.

[Etownlax]

[buddog]

[Bob Boyce]

I've done the black poly tubing coil trick for making hot water for taking showers. Garden hose works too but it usually makes the water stink of overheated hose

When I dump trash I pick up discarded old windows and old sliding glass doors. They make great cover glass for solar heating projects such as solar air warmers and solar water heaters. The price is right and the aluminum ends up going to a recycler to help with the cost of other materials.

Heat cycle air conditioning and refrigeration is very possible, just a bit on the large side to have much capacity. Look into the LP gas refrigerators for an example, where a pilot light supplies the heat energy. Replace the pilot light with solar heat energy.

COP > 1 is one of the great features of refrigerant based heat transfer, and if designed well can be a great low energy way to heat and cool. I had designed and built a water distiller that required just a couple hundreds watts to run (small water cooler compressor), yet put out as much distilled water as a 1500 watt unit that used a heating element to boil the water. And the output water was chilled to boot

Bob

[buddog]

[coffeyw]

[datapencil]

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