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DIY Solar Water HeatersBatch Solar CollectorSometimes called a bread box system or integral collector storage system, a batch solar collector consists of one or more storage tanks placed inside an insulated box, usually with a glazed glass plate, facing the sun. The storage tank and the solar absorber act as a single unit and use the normal water pressure of your system, therefore there is no need for other expensive components such as pumps and controllers. A batch collector can be mounted on the ground or on the roof. Ground mounting usually makes for a very simple and cost effective installation.
Cottage Batch Water Heater
Here is a very simple batch water heater used at our cottage, to shower off after coming out of the water. The tank was taken out of an old water heater and painted black. It's fed using a standard garden hose at the bottom of the tank. The heated water is then taken off the top of the tank, using a standard black garden hose. Very easy to setup and it does the job, since you only use the shower when it's warm enough to swim!
DIY Solar Water HeaterHere's a nice little project completed by Jake Teater that goes a step beyond the batch heater. Jake has used half inch tubing, placed inside fluorescent light tubes, painted black and covered with a sheet of glass. The whole thing is powered via thermal suction. Visit Jake's site for more info. If I was making this collector, I would NOT use the fluorescent tubes, as the system works well without them, plus I would not want to work with the chemicals inside the tubes. Releasing the mercury vapor can't be good for you or the environment. YouTube video of Jake's solar collector: |
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