A solar air heater is one of the most efficient uses of the sun's rays. A solar air heater placed on a south wall during the winter can provide up to 30 percent of a family's home heating needs. Making a solar air heater can improve the energy-efficiency of a home. The only thing better than one solar air heater is two.
Instructions
1. Cut two 1 x 4-inch boards into 4-foot lengths and two into 8-foot lengths, using a circular saw.
2. Lay out the boards to make a box-shaped frame, 4 feet wide x 8 feet long. Use a screw gun and decking screws to assemble the frame, screwing the boards at the corners.
3. Mark two round circles on the plywood sheet, using a 2-pound coffee can as a guide. Locate one circle at the top right corner and one circle at the bottom right corner. These circles mark the intake and exhaust for the solar air heater.
4. Use a 3-inch hole saw to cut a hole in the center of each circle marked. The 3-inch hole serves as a pilot hole that will help in cutting the 6-inch circumference. Insert a jigsaw blade into the pilot hole and cut from the center out to the 6-inch lines marked.
5. Attach the 4 x 8 R-13 foam insulation panel to the back of the box frame with all-purpose caulk. Apply an ample amount of caulk to achieve an air-tight seal.
6. Secure the 4 x 8-foot sheet of plywood on top of the insulation panel. Attach the plywood firmly around the perimeter of the solar air box frame with a screw gun and drywall screws. Cut the insulation out around the intake and exhaust holes with a utility knife.
7. Flip the box over and spray-paint the insulation panel inside the box with flat black high-heat spray paint. Glossy paint will not achieve the same performance rate, because it will reflect the sun's rays.
8. Cut two 1 x 4-inch pieces of lumber 4 feet long. Use a 3-inch hole saw to drill 16 holes, spaced evenly, across each board. Make sure the holes line up from board to board. Spray-paint these boards, using the flat black spray paint. Insert the boards into the frame with the 1-inch width side facing up. Space the boards exactly 24 inches from the outer edges of the frame.
9. Insert 6-inch vent pipe flashing into the two 6-inch holes so the vents stick out the bottom. Cut two pieces of 24-inch-wide rolled tin with tin snips, 4 feet long, and attach them with drywall screws over the boxed-in area above the intake and exhaust. Paint this with black spray paint also.
10. Cut the top and bottom out of 250 soda cans, using a drill press. Leave the lip on the the top of the cans for caulk to be applied. Clean the cans during the process, and rough the outside paint using sandpaper.
11. Apply caulk to the top rim of the first can and stack a can on top of it. Proceed in this fashion until you have stacked 15 cans tall. Sixteen rows of soda cans are required to fill the solar air heater. Spray-paint each heat stack, using flat black high-temperature spray paint. Stand the heat stacks against a wall and allow them to dry for 24 hours. Once dry, insert each heat stack into the solar air heater box, fitting them against the 3-inch holes on top and bottom.
12. Apply a bead of caulk all around the top of the box rails. This bead of caulk will hold the glass and provide an air-tight seal. Sit the glass squarely on top of this. Place trim of your choice around the glass to prevent damage.
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