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Greetings folks -- thank you for allowing me to join your community.
I hope that I can leave here more than I take --
In this day and age it seems everyone has to put a disclaimer up to protect themselves.
Well my day is long gone where a handshake was a contract and good sense was the order of the day and common sense was as rare as teeth in a worm.
Here's mine -- I am not responsible for all the stupid in the world. If someone says they can fly a pig - it is up to me to decide whether or not it is safe to jump off the top of the Empire State Blg. on the back of a warthog holding an umbrella.
If you don't use tinsnips when you wear gloves -- carry a sheet of glass without help -- or if you light your cigarette while you are on sentry in the powder room then do your part in keeping the world safe, and just stay home.
And I am not responsible for the things that happen in nature that destroy whatever it is you or I am making or hope to make.
A lot of good information here as to what the home tinkerer is up to. And believe me I will no doubt be considering a lot of it.
Myself I have built a flat panel air to air using a fan out of a cloths dryer. Which to my understanding turns it into an active solar heater. I am not sure of all the correct terminology -- and I don not get offended when someone corrects me.
I thought long and hard about the pop can -- glass tube -- and whatever else was on the go five years back.
And I ended up using the roofing/or siding metal. The names that I am familiar with for this product is Rainbow Rib, Tough Rib and there is more. Comes in many colours, colour is not important you are going to paint it anyway.
The metal sheeting reduces the labour, doesn't break easy and forms automatically the air chambers needed for the passage of air.
All you have to do if you are using two sheets is turn them facing each other. Instant chamber.
The fan was a simple item to obtain. Went to the local recycle yard -- and simply asked them if I could salvage a fan off one of the many cloths dryers that were sitting there. Permission granted--no charge.
Glass -- another easy item to obtain. Dual pane is best especially here in the tropics of Manitoba Canada.
Those further south may do well with single pane.
Framework was wood I won't do that again, wood cracks in time and air leaks develop. I may consider 3/4 inch plywood -- or will gladly consider any advice offered here.
Back to metal -- most lumber yards that order this stuff in comes with what is called cover sheets. These are the sheets of metal the manufacturer uses on each side to protect the shipment. Usually it is a different colour than they customers original order. Once again , colour does not matter here , but what you may find out you can obtain this metal at a greatly reduced cost.
Controller -- the item I used was a Honeywell probe that came out of an old oil furnace plenum. It has a mercury vial which turns the system on and off.
The mercury vial has to be removed and replaced in reverse. Caution -- key word here is "Mercury" (see disclaimer)
The reason I have used it -- quite simple -- it is/was well made (when quality was still in fashion) , accurate, has an easily adjustable differential and it keeps the Mercury out of the landfill. It is at least fifty years -- and it will outlive me.
Nothing is sweeter when you are trying to find material for a home project than hearing someone say - if you can get it on your truck - you can have it.
I have never paid for any dual pane glass - nor metal.
At my best time I am receiving 180 d/f which in my opinion is too hot and I must cool it down more using a fan with more cfm.
Part of my problem may be my duct pipe is only 3". I am also realizing one looses airflow or distance traveled in the pipe. I know someone has a name for that.
The first year cut about $320 dollars off of my hydro bill. 2nd and 3rd year about $250. This year may or may not be a good one as tho it has been clear and sunny - it also has been quite cold. And no I also am not responsible for all the cold weather that has dropped right past my doorstep all the way to Texas.
(See disclaimer)
In the first three years my running time due to cloudy conditions, has been about 300 hours. I did not record running time accurately.
This year, I placed and electric clock that would run each time the solar panel sensor cut in and have recorded daily run time. From about Oct 15 to date I have had 351 hours runtime. February alone was 131 hours. This is rare in my area. If Mar., Apr., May provides me with another 300 hours - I will fare well this year.
My deepest regret -- I have the glass and metal for another 72 square feet sitting in a shed collecting dust. And or frost. My bad as they say.
I am going to revamp my system this year - modify it to what I think may produce more or at least an equal amount of heat per square foot. And use less metal.
If there is an interest here I would more than gladly publish it here. I did not take pictures as I built my original one. I do have a photo of it standing in operation. But I do not know how to post a picture here.
Air to air can be very cost effective to build. Tho it does require a certain amount of sunshine in your area during winter months.
When and if it leaks -- it will not pollute, and normally is easy to fix.
I have tried to do a search here for info but there is not much on active air solar panels. Or maybe I ask the wrong questions.
Anyway --
Perhaps someone could please guide me -- my questions are --
-- is there a system that one can use on his solar panel to record run time and temperature through his computer to calculate average BTU for that run time? I suppose airflow and / or CFM will play a role as well.
-- and -- has anyone heard of or tried to run their air through a serpentine panel as opposed to just running air between two plates the width of the panel? I am familiar with the eaves trough method but have not really gotten any good feedback. I must price eaves trough against flat ribbed metal.
Thank you kindly one and all, I did not mean to write a book but I did not know how to do this in ten words or less. I hope that at least one item I have written helps someone some sometime somewhere. If it does then it will all have been worth it at least to me.
I hope that I can leave here more than I take --
In this day and age it seems everyone has to put a disclaimer up to protect themselves.
Well my day is long gone where a handshake was a contract and good sense was the order of the day and common sense was as rare as teeth in a worm.
Here's mine -- I am not responsible for all the stupid in the world. If someone says they can fly a pig - it is up to me to decide whether or not it is safe to jump off the top of the Empire State Blg. on the back of a warthog holding an umbrella.
If you don't use tinsnips when you wear gloves -- carry a sheet of glass without help -- or if you light your cigarette while you are on sentry in the powder room then do your part in keeping the world safe, and just stay home.
And I am not responsible for the things that happen in nature that destroy whatever it is you or I am making or hope to make.
A lot of good information here as to what the home tinkerer is up to. And believe me I will no doubt be considering a lot of it.
Myself I have built a flat panel air to air using a fan out of a cloths dryer. Which to my understanding turns it into an active solar heater. I am not sure of all the correct terminology -- and I don not get offended when someone corrects me.
I thought long and hard about the pop can -- glass tube -- and whatever else was on the go five years back.
And I ended up using the roofing/or siding metal. The names that I am familiar with for this product is Rainbow Rib, Tough Rib and there is more. Comes in many colours, colour is not important you are going to paint it anyway.
The metal sheeting reduces the labour, doesn't break easy and forms automatically the air chambers needed for the passage of air.
All you have to do if you are using two sheets is turn them facing each other. Instant chamber.
The fan was a simple item to obtain. Went to the local recycle yard -- and simply asked them if I could salvage a fan off one of the many cloths dryers that were sitting there. Permission granted--no charge.
Glass -- another easy item to obtain. Dual pane is best especially here in the tropics of Manitoba Canada.
Those further south may do well with single pane.
Framework was wood I won't do that again, wood cracks in time and air leaks develop. I may consider 3/4 inch plywood -- or will gladly consider any advice offered here.
Back to metal -- most lumber yards that order this stuff in comes with what is called cover sheets. These are the sheets of metal the manufacturer uses on each side to protect the shipment. Usually it is a different colour than they customers original order. Once again , colour does not matter here , but what you may find out you can obtain this metal at a greatly reduced cost.
Controller -- the item I used was a Honeywell probe that came out of an old oil furnace plenum. It has a mercury vial which turns the system on and off.
The mercury vial has to be removed and replaced in reverse. Caution -- key word here is "Mercury" (see disclaimer)
The reason I have used it -- quite simple -- it is/was well made (when quality was still in fashion) , accurate, has an easily adjustable differential and it keeps the Mercury out of the landfill. It is at least fifty years -- and it will outlive me.
Nothing is sweeter when you are trying to find material for a home project than hearing someone say - if you can get it on your truck - you can have it.
I have never paid for any dual pane glass - nor metal.
At my best time I am receiving 180 d/f which in my opinion is too hot and I must cool it down more using a fan with more cfm.
Part of my problem may be my duct pipe is only 3". I am also realizing one looses airflow or distance traveled in the pipe. I know someone has a name for that.
The first year cut about $320 dollars off of my hydro bill. 2nd and 3rd year about $250. This year may or may not be a good one as tho it has been clear and sunny - it also has been quite cold. And no I also am not responsible for all the cold weather that has dropped right past my doorstep all the way to Texas.
(See disclaimer)
In the first three years my running time due to cloudy conditions, has been about 300 hours. I did not record running time accurately.
This year, I placed and electric clock that would run each time the solar panel sensor cut in and have recorded daily run time. From about Oct 15 to date I have had 351 hours runtime. February alone was 131 hours. This is rare in my area. If Mar., Apr., May provides me with another 300 hours - I will fare well this year.
My deepest regret -- I have the glass and metal for another 72 square feet sitting in a shed collecting dust. And or frost. My bad as they say.
I am going to revamp my system this year - modify it to what I think may produce more or at least an equal amount of heat per square foot. And use less metal.
If there is an interest here I would more than gladly publish it here. I did not take pictures as I built my original one. I do have a photo of it standing in operation. But I do not know how to post a picture here.
Air to air can be very cost effective to build. Tho it does require a certain amount of sunshine in your area during winter months.
When and if it leaks -- it will not pollute, and normally is easy to fix.
I have tried to do a search here for info but there is not much on active air solar panels. Or maybe I ask the wrong questions.
Anyway --
Perhaps someone could please guide me -- my questions are --
-- is there a system that one can use on his solar panel to record run time and temperature through his computer to calculate average BTU for that run time? I suppose airflow and / or CFM will play a role as well.
-- and -- has anyone heard of or tried to run their air through a serpentine panel as opposed to just running air between two plates the width of the panel? I am familiar with the eaves trough method but have not really gotten any good feedback. I must price eaves trough against flat ribbed metal.
Thank you kindly one and all, I did not mean to write a book but I did not know how to do this in ten words or less. I hope that at least one item I have written helps someone some sometime somewhere. If it does then it will all have been worth it at least to me.
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