Homemade Solar Water Heat
Building a device that heats water using the sun's own power can be done with items found at a local hardware or dollar store and can be set up in less than a day. The most inexpensive kinds of solar water heaters are passive models that do not use or require electrical or pumping components of any kind.
Depending on your geographical location, you could model this solar water heater pattern to heat several gallons of water every day for use during bathing or washing, helping you to reduce your personal impact to the environment and save money on your monthly water bill.
Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Bucket, 10 gallon
- Pond liner, 6-feet-by-6 feet, black
- Scissors
- Laminating plastic
- Windshield reflective cover, shiny silver
- 2 Binder clips, large
- Sunglasses
- Garbage can, large (optional)
- Drum, 55 gallon (optional)
- Thermometer (optional)
Instructions
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1
Place the 10-gallon bucket on a level work surface. Drape the black pond liner over the center of the bucket. Push down into the bottom of the bucket until the internal shape of the bucket is formed and allow the excess amounts to hang over the outside of the bucket.
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2
Unfold the shiny reflective windshield cover with the silver side facing you. Wrap the reflective cover around the back of the bucket and secure it to the sides of the bucket with two large binder clips. Put on your sunglasses and put the bucket on a level surface with the reflective windshield cover facing the sun.
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3
Fill the bucket ½ to ¾ of the way full. Cut out a piece of laminating plastic large enough to cover the entire top of the bucket and wrap the plastic over the lid of the bucket, securing it with a large rubber band around the bucket's top edge. The water should be hot in approximately four hours.
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Tips & Warnings
To maximize the amount of solar exposure, adjust the direction of the bucket to face up squarely with the sun each hour. Optionally, if you cannot monitor the bucket all day long, point the bucket with the reflector facing the sun but more toward the center of where the path of the sun will be during the day. The water should still be warm as evening sets. You can modify this design by using a large garbage can or a 55-gallon metal or food-grade plastic drum to increase the amount of water you heat.
Only fill the bucket to capacity if you can safely move the bucket yourself without causing injury. Never look into the focal point of a solar water heater without wearing sunglasses to avoid possible damage to your vision. If you are concerned the water may be near the point of scalding, test it first using a thermometer. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a two-second exposure to 150-degree water can incur third degree burns in adults.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit jugs image by Mikhail Olykainen from Fotolia.com
