How to Make a Passive Heat Source

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By EatTheSnot
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A passive heat box in action.

Passive heating can be used to heat your home during the months when heating your home can be quite expensive. Using this type of heat has little impact on the environment, and if you use recycled parts, will cost very little. Check out this E-how to save money on heating your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Basic hand tools
2in insulation or any other insulation.
Black Matte paint
metal tubing/cans
glass/plexiglass
caulk
screws or nails

Step 1

How a solar heater works.

Solar heaters are very simple. A box that has been well insulated and has a series of tubes with small baffles. As cold air is let in from the bottom of the box, and begins to heat. As the air heat it rises is released from the hole in the top.
Step 2

First, you need to check so see what part of the house/garage is facing south. During the winter month's, the strongest of the sun's rays are from the south.
Step 3

Next, start building the box. The bigger the box, the more heat it will produce. Make sure to caulk the all the seams of the box. Insulate the box with insulation to trap more heat.
Step 4

Either use cans or heating ducting to make a the baffles from the top of the box to the bottom. Once placed in the box, coat the inside of the box with black paint. This need to be flat, or matte black paint.
Step 5

Last, cover the top with glass or plexiglass and calk to make sure there is a tight seal. The better the seal, the more warm air it will produce.