Homemade batch solar water heaters
Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by Bruce
Batch Solar Thermal Water Heater – Do-It-Yourself
Batch solar water heating systems are very simple, easy to build and easy to maintain. Good Do-It-Yourself projects. These systems must be drained during the winter in cold climates to prevent freezing, but most of the payback is during the non-freezing months anyway.
Here is a site that has several sample projects, with pictures.
They also have a really fine book on all aspects of designing and building a wide variety of solar batch water heaters.
The book has a great mix of how-to and engineering design information — great for builders and experimenters.
Thanks to David, the full content of the book is available as a free download.
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm#Batch
Bruce.
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Filed under: DIY
I have been using a batch solar water heater for just over one year now, and have reduced my propane use by about 65%!!! That is still using a gas clothes dryer, gas range, and gas 40 gallon standard water heater. I hoped to save at least 50%, but I can go for two, maybe three years now on a 500 gallon (400 usable) propane tank!!! I have learned the weaknesses of the project quickly, but my main recommendation is to use one or more beer kegs for the batch tanks. They are stainless steel, have only had beer in them, will take the heat and pressure, and will last forever-no rust outs! Also, a welding shop can tig weld the joints cheap with stainless for a professional looking result. The current one I am using only cost me about $125.00 to build, using thick plywood, old wheels and used plexiglass. The air temp gets up to over 200 F, and 165 F water temp!!!! Should have done it years ago!!!
Matt, their are two things I have thought about (translation, too lazy to do it yet ) that relate to making the gas water heater more effecient and you might try. Instead of venting the dryer directly to the outside take extra lengths of dryer aluminum hose and coil it around the water heater before venting to the outside. And also put a heater insulating cover over the coils and heater. Another idea for a gas heater is to take the water inlet line before it connects to the heater and make a 1 foot copper coil that would go tightly around the heater vent pipe and then connect to the heater . Using a section of single wall vent pipe for that area would allow more heat to transfer to the coil and preheat the water before entering the heater. These are ways I believe that will capture heat that is wasted and just vented to the outside. What do you think ?