3 Responses to “HOW DO YOU BUID A SOLAR WATER HEATER INSTRUCTIONS FOR KIDS?”

1. NoPlate
   January 18th, 2012 @ 10:41 pm

   Take a piece of plywood and paint it black. Next take some thin tubing and run several yards of it back and forth across the black wood. Stand the wood up and place it in full sunlight. A jug of water at the top sends water through the tubing. The black wood should absorb sunlight and get quite warm. This should heat the water moving through the tubing. The warmed water can be collected in another jug or pan at the bottom. You can put a thermometer in the jug and another in the bottom collector. The water coming out *should* be warmer than the water at the top.

2. Drewfuss
   January 18th, 2012 @ 10:48 pm

   In it’s simplest form get a black garden hose and lay it in the sun. If you want to get fancier, build a shallow insulated box with a glass top and string the hose back and forth through that. You could do the same on a smaller scale with other tubing, but remember that dark colors absorb more heat.

3. Skechers
   January 18th, 2012 @ 11:28 pm

   Build a solar heater from recycled parts. The heat exchanger is the grill from the back of an old refrigerator. The greenhouse heating effect is made using an old door or set of windows attached to a frame of 2-by-4- boards and plywood. Water is stored in an old cooler. This solar heater is best suited for climates where it doesn’t get cold enough for pipes to freeze.

   Things You’ll Need:

   Cooler
   enema tubing
   old windows or sliding door
   door hinges
   three 2-by-4 boards space
   blanket
   fiberglass insulation
   safety release valve
   JB Weld Epoxy duct tape black paint

   1. Remove the heat exchanger from an old refrigerator that has had the CFC gas (freon) removed professionally. The heat exchanger is the grill on the back of the refrigerator. Do not damage the integrity of the pipes in this grill since they will carry hot water. Paint this heat exchanger black to absorb as much light energy as possible.
   2. Get an old sliding glass door (or window big enough to cover the heat exchanger) from a home renovation or recycling site. It is best to use a double-paned door but any door type will do. Nail a frame of 2-by-4 boards to a plywood board so that it matches the shape of the door and creates depth. Drill small double holes at four corners of the frame so that they are halfway between the insulation and the door. Make sure the hinge is on the door so that the door closes, using gravity as an aid.
   3. Get insulation. A friendly conversation will often allow free material for a project. Use this insulation to line the box created in Step 2. Cover the insulation with a space blanket that is held in place with duct tape.
   4. Secure rope to the heat exchanger through the holes in the frame of this newly made box without touching any surface when the box is closed. Plug the holes for the ropes so that air cannot pass.
   5. Attach enema tubes to the input and output of the heat exchanger by sliding them on to the piping. Connect the enema tubes to an insulated container for the hot water storage (perhaps a cooler from end-of-summer sales or the garage) by using JB Weld Epoxy. Make sure that a safety valve is attached to the system so that built-up pressure has a way to escape safely if the cooler lid is sealed tightly (with the sealant). Buy the valve new (not used) and attach it with the sealant.
   6. Attach two 2-by-4 boards that are 4 feet tall (depending on the desired angle) on either side of the top of the frame so that it is propped up and the face of the heater faces the sun.
   7. If desired, add a Fresnel lens from an old projector screen television to magnify any heat that goes into the box but beware of fire.

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