DIY solar collector heater. Solar collector for heating water with your own hands. Summer version of the design

SOLAR COLLECTOR IN POLYCARBONATE

I have long thought to do in the country solar collector for heating water in an outdoor shower. This idea appeared two years ago, with the beginning of the construction of the bathhouse, but only last year I started its practical implementation. Ask: "What did I do before this"? And I was looking for which implementation option to choose. Now it’s even ridiculous to remember what my original plan was.

The most common and probably the most reliable version of home-made solar water heaters is a collector soldered from copper tubes (the diagram is just above). I originally thought about doing the same. But the problem is that it turns out to be too expensive and quite heavy. My task was to make the cheapest and lightest design possible.

That is why I settled on the option of using sheet cellular polycarbonate as a working surface. The development of the idea of using plastic panels with an internal channel structure began with the idea of using PVC siding, but then polycarbonate caught my eye - it does not need to be “collected” from several boards. My confidence in the correctness of the chosen material for the solar collector began to strengthen when readers began to suggest using cellular polycarbonate or polypropylene in the comments on the description of my test structures. And recently I also posted on the Internet our description of several similar operating solar heaters.

So, the course for the manufacture of a plastic solar collector has been chosen. Let's get down to implementation.

First of all, I decided for myself that my manifold would be assembled without the use of glass. For the windshield, I'm going to use the same material as for the work surface, ie. cellular polycarbonate.

This is a transparent material, the light transmission is quite good, so I do not think that it will reduce the efficiency of the structure very much compared to glass. But I see a lot of advantages in such a replacement for the front glass. Due to the fact that polycarbonate is actually two-layer, this will be tantamount to double glazing. This will help create a great greenhouse effect.

The second plus of polycarbonate is durability. It can handle large hail with ease. Even if the frontal coating is damaged during hail, this destruction will not affect the operation of the system as a whole. And of course, the consequences will not be as catastrophic as with broken glass.

We decided on the front cover. The next important element of the solar collector is the rear thermal insulation. I decided to use regular foam sheet for this. Reasons for this choice: ease and cheapness. Some manufacturers use the same cellular polycarbonate or polypropylene as the back insulation. The solution is certainly elegant, the collector is thin. But personally I think that it will be a little more expensive. In addition, in my country house I already had a sheet of foam plastic of a suitable size - it remained from the time of warming the house.

The next step is to decide on the thickness of the material that will be used as a collector. On sale there are sheets from 4 to 25 mm. Some advise to "take more", motivating this by the fact that there will be a larger cross-sectional area of \u200b\u200bthe internal channels through which the liquid will circulate, which reduces the resistance to flow. But a simple calculation for a sheet 4 mm thick gives us a total cross-sectional area of \u200b\u200bchannels in the region of 35 sq. cm per linear meter - this is equivalent to a pipe cross section with a diameter of 6-7 cm. I don’t know about you, but this cross section is more than enough for me. In addition, one more thing must be remembered: the greater the thickness of the worksheet, the greater the volume of internal channels, i.e. the more coolant will fit there, and it will have more weight and this weight will deform our system. About 3-4 liters per 1 sq.m. will fit in a collector made of a 4 mm thick polycarbonate sheet, and if you take a 10 mm sheet, then there will be about 10 liters of coolant per 1 sq.m. And a large volume of coolant will be warmed up by the sun longer.

In short, I decided to use 4 mm thick cellular polycarbonate. Two sheets of 210x100 cm in size were purchased. One for the work surface, the second for frontal protection.

By the way, even at the stage of thinking about the project, I decided to make a solar collector with an area of about 2 sq.m. For such an area, I needed two meter-long pieces from a solid 12-meter sheet, in which cellular polycarbonate is sold. The width of a standard sheet is 210 cm - it just suits me.

There were several more options. For example, it would be possible to make two solar collectors 1x1 meters in size, they would be easier to transport. I did not do this due to the increase in the amount of work to assemble two manifolds instead of one. In addition, I have an assembly site and a place for future operation - the same dacha, I don’t have to think about how to transport a hefty structure.

It would also be possible to make a vertically oriented collector 1x2 meters in size, but in this case we would reduce the total cross section of the internal channels of the collector (by 2 times), and also increase their length (also by 2 times), which would increase by about 4 times resistance to the flow of the coolant and would reduce the efficiency of the system, in comparison with a horizontally oriented collector 2x1 m.

To assemble and connect the collector, I also bought:

PVC sewer pipes. Diameter - 32 mm. Length - 2 m.

Plugs for these pipes

Polypropylene water pipe fittings with metal thread

Flexible hoses with threaded connection

Sewer pipes were chosen instead of water pipes. they have a larger diameter and thinner walls - it will be easier to cut the pipe lengthwise. Considering that the collector will not work under pressure, the strength of such a pipe is quite enough.

Regular plugs for sewer pipes will be used for their intended purpose - they will close the pipes from one side.

Polypropylene threaded corners were selected directly in the store so that their outer diameter was as close as possible to the inner diameter of the pipes. They just need to be sealed.

It would be possible to use a corner for sewer pipes, but then you would still have to think about how to securely connect the collector connection hose to it. And with these plumbing corners, I “kill two cockroaches with one slipper” - and I will draw a conclusion and a collapsible connection for connection. You ask: “Why corners? Why not a direct conclusion? Well, the hoses from the passive solar collector will go up to the heat accumulator, which should be located above the collector. Corners so that the hoses do not bend later.

All other materials will be purchased as needed.

We start assembling the collector. It is necessary to make a longitudinal cut in the supply and discharge pipes. A sheet of cellular polycarbonate will be inserted into this cut. Water will flow from the lower pipe into the channels of this sheet, where it will be heated by the sun and rise up under the influence of the thermosyphon effect. The heated water is discharged through the top pipe.

It should look something like this:

To make a longitudinal cut in the pipe, I used a conventional drill with a nozzle in the form of a circular saw. An angle grinder (grinder) can also be used, but I just didn’t have it at hand.

At first I tried to make a cut while holding the pipe with my hands, but it turned out to be almost impossible to do. The pipe slides in the hands and constantly twitches due to the forces generated by the saw. I suffered for about 5 minutes, sawing only 10-15 centimeters during this time. The cut turned out to be uneven, and given that I need to cut 4 meters in total (two pipes of 2 meters each), I had to come up with something.

Clamping thin-walled PVC pipes in a vise is a bad idea. Therefore, a simple clamp was invented and hastily assembled from two rails and pieces of rope.

This photo also shows the poor quality of the cut obtained by holding the pipe by hand.

With this device, the work went much faster. Two pipes were cut in 5 minutes.

The cut quality is also quite satisfactory. It can be seen that it is much smoother compared to the cut, which was made when the pipe was held by hand.

The length of the cut must exactly match the width of the working part of the future solar collector. In my case, it is a little less than 2 meters. The beginning and end of the pipe must remain intact so that they can be used for connection or plugging in the future.

What needs to be done next, I think, is clear to everyone. It is necessary to insert a sheet of cellular polycarbonate into this propyl. But there is one difficulty here. Due to internal stress in the plastic, the cut in the pipe simply “collapsed” almost along its entire length. This is visible in the photo. It was difficult to insert a sheet into such a slot. It would be possible to expand it so that even after this collapse we still have a width of 4 mm, but I decided not to do this. By widening the kerf, we will reduce the diameter of the pipe in the middle part. And if you leave everything as it is, then the forces of internal stress in the plastic will compensate for the slight pressure inside the collector. Also, thanks to this, the pipe will hold on to the sheet more firmly.

To drive a polycarbonate sheet into a cut in a pipe, I simply cut the end of the pipe with a clerical knife:

And then, through this cut, he simply “pulled” the pipe onto the sheet.

The next step is to do a little tweaking. The main task is to keep the pipe straight, and the cellular polycarbonate does not go too deep into the pipe. This is what I got (this is not the light at the end of the tunnel, this is the light at the end of the pipe)

Even on the pictures you can see that the sheets of cellular polycarbonate are covered with a protective film on both sides. I decided not to remove it to protect them from damage and contamination. I'll take it off before painting.

Now we proceed to one of the most important stages of assembling a solar collector. It is necessary to seal the joint of the working surface with the pipes. Craftsmen from Western sites use different silicone sealants for this, but, to be honest, I have big doubts about the strength of such a connection. Although my collector will not experience the pressure of the main water supply, I still would like to be sure that it will not leak. Moreover, I have already experimented with different sealants.

As a result, for gluing and sealing the solar collector, I chose hot glue. I bought a glue gun, glue sticks for plastic and go.

The sealing process was surprisingly simple. True, the consumption of glue rods could be less. I just didn't feel sorry for the glue. Passed through the joints in two passes. At first I tried to drive the melted hot-melt adhesive into the joint so that it filled all the cracks with itself, and with the second run, it formed an even outer seam that would hold the load. At the ends, glue also did not save.

At first, I had doubts whether the hot melt adhesive would hold the PVC-polycarbonate joint well. So to test, I first glued a small piece of polycarbonate to the PVC pipe. I'll tell you honestly - then I barely tore off. Now my main doubt is whether the hot melt will soften when the collector is heated

My next step will be painting. For better absorption of solar energy, I decided to paint the collector with a regular matte spray paint.

Unfortunately, this method is not ideal. The paint lays unevenly, poorly painted areas remain. In addition, one spray can (albeit incomplete) was not enough for me for 2 sq. M of the surface. Later I had to buy another can of paint. It turned out to be based on a different solvent, so when applying a second coat for dense painting, it began to warp the old paint. In short, the result is not very good.

Therefore, if you want to avoid unnecessary problems with painting the solar collector, it is better to use not transparent polycarbonate, like mine, but black opaque cellular polypropylene as the work surface material. It does not have to be painted, which will significantly reduce costs.

After full coloring, the absorbing panel of the collector took on the following form:

Spots on the surface are traces of swollen paint. The swelling was due to the fact that I filled the panel with paint from different spray cans. One paint was based on alkyd, and the second - which is not friendly with alkyd paint. But for the heating process, this swelling does not matter, so I did not fix it.

After painting, threaded corners were attached to the ends of the pipes with the same hot glue.

Threaded elbows make it easy to connect and disconnect the manifold using flexible reinforced hoses.

After that, I decided to run a series of tests to see how the manifold would hold pressure and temperature. So far, I'm not very happy with the results, but first things first.

For testing, I simply stood the collector upright and supplied water from the water supply to it through the bottom pipe. Transparent polypropylene on the reverse side allows you to control the filling process. As soon as the collector was completely filled and water began to pour out through the top pipe, the water supply to the collector was stopped. The disadvantage of this method is that it creates a higher water pressure at the bottom of the collector and almost no pressure at the top.

The first filling of the collector with water showed that there were several leaks in the adhesive joint of the pipes and polycarbonate. Moreover, leaks were found at the top, where the pressure was low. We turn off the panel, drain the water, dry it, eliminate the leakage points.

The second connection - where nothing flows. To create pressure in the area of the upper pipe, I simply raised the end of the outlet flexible hose higher. There was a leak again. We turn off the panel, drain the water, dry it, eliminate the leakage points.

Third connection. Then I plucked up courage and decided to pressurize the panel to see if it could withstand the pressure of the water in the water supply. To create pressure, I simply closed the outlet tube with my finger. The air remaining in the manifold was supposed to serve as a shock absorber for a smooth increase in pressure. As the pressure increased, it became more and more difficult to hold the finger, and then the adhesive seam near the down tube burst.

Conclusions: the collector holds slightly increased pressure, but you should not be impudent. We turn off the panel, drain the water, dry it, eliminate the points ... there is no longer a point, but entire areas of leakage.

To strengthen the seam, I decided to make it much THICKER. A large amount of hot-melt adhesive was placed with a glue gun in the area of the seam, and then all this was melted and leveled with an old Soviet hammer soldering iron.

For this job, you could use a building hair dryer, but I just didn’t have one.

After much torment, the seam turned out like this.

Ugly of course, but the main thing is to keep. Another test revealed only one small leak, which was quickly fixed. By this time, my mood was not the most rosy - optimism about the strength of the seams had faded somewhat. Therefore, I did not check the panel for increased pressure, so as not to get even more upset.

The test of an empty panel in the bright sun did not add to my optimism either. In less than a minute, the collector heated up to such a state that it became painful to touch it. The adhesive on the seams on the sunny side also softened very quickly. It is clear that there can be no talk of any strength of the seam in such a situation. If during operation the water in the collector will be heated to the same high temperature or circulation will be disturbed, most likely the seams will not withstand. Here, apparently, it is necessary to take some more refractory hot melt adhesive.

Anyway. I gave up on all these failures - after all, this is an experiment. I decided to complete the assembly of the solar collector. And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll take it apart and make a collector according to a different scheme.

Under the collector panel I put a sheet of ordinary foam plastic 5 cm thick. And on top of it all was covered with another sheet of transparent polycarbonate. The polycarbonate was a little wider, so I just bent the edges and subsequently screwed them to the foam with screws

To make the frame, I used a metal profile for drywall. The profile was chosen based on the estimated size of the "sandwich" of the solar collector. My profile is either 70x30 or 70x40, but as it turned out, it was possible to take a little more, for example 70x70.

Openings were cut out in the profile in the most unceremonious way to bring out the connection points of the solar collector.

A little sloppy, but those metal scissors that were at my fingertips, they simply didn’t allow me to do otherwise

The frame was assembled on screws, which are designed to fasten such metal profiles. The result is this product.

As you can see in the photo, I had to additionally “pull” the horizontal sections of the frame together. Without this screed, they did not want to keep their shape. All the same, a too thin metal profile of great length was chosen for the frame.

And here is how the collector looks from the back side.

The last two photos show the collector on the "test stand" It was completely filled with water and stood there for about an hour. No leaks were found anywhere. This is reassuring.

Let's see how it will show itself after connection in real working conditions.

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate solar collector how to assemble and make

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate solar collector how to assemble and make a do-it-yourself solar collector from 14 meters of a metal-plastic pipe worth 31 rubles / meter

We build a solar collector for the greenhouse on our own

When the sun hides, the ordinary greenhouse cools down. The temperature drops sharply in the structure. Solar greenhouses are designed in such a way that it provides a stable temperature for a long time. This is achieved due to the use of special equipment and thermal insulation materials that provide heating of the greenhouse through the use of solar energy.

The use of solar collectors helps to heat the greenhouse even in bad weather conditions, when the ambient temperature is up to -25°C.

Advantages of solar collectors

As a special option, the greenhouse is heated with a solar collector. To obtain the effect of the collectors, they are made from special heat-insulating materials. A reliable sealing of all elements of the system is created in order to obtain a complete vacuum.

If such heating elements are used, it is possible to heat the greenhouse even under bad weather conditions, when the ambient temperature parameters are up to -25°C. In such a temperature range, crops can be grown throughout the year and high yields can be obtained. But the temperature drops significantly, and also protrudes beyond the territory of the operating range.

To solve this issue, a heating element or a heat pump is used. The result is a whole combined type of heating system in the greenhouse, which has almost no competitors in this field of application.

The direction of solar collectors is now a promising direction, and their cost is constantly decreasing. The difference between the solar energy that the collector consumes is environmental cleanliness and free of charge. The system is able to provide heating for polycarbonate greenhouses and any other.

In the greenhouse heating system, the main coolant is water. Some systems can use air, but much less efficiency is obtained. Compared to water, air has a lower heat capacity.

How to create such a greenhouse with your own hands

The collector can be made by hand. This design is simple, and in the form of self-made collector elements, a copper coil from old refrigerators or ordinary one and a half liter plastic bottles is used.

Thanks to the use of a solar collector, material resources can be significantly saved.

You can effectively use the parameters of the bottle itself in such collectors. Its ability to collect reflected solar rays allows you to create an additional heat-insulating layer without turning after the sun. The air circulating in the bottle becomes an additional insulator, which is heated by the rays of the sun. That is why bottles are used in the design, which allow increasing the area of the heated surface of the tube with the coolant.

Creating the Main Part

In the manufacture of the collector, the following materials are used:

Plastic bottles.
Iron barrel.
Aluminum, copper or rubber tubes.
Wooden bar.
Hose.
Foil.
Scotch.
Coil from an old refrigerator.

Tubes made of various materials are suitable for the coolant: aluminum, copper, rubber. The metal version of the collector is less practical due to the fact that it is susceptible to corrosion. The use of metal tubes increases the cost of the structure itself. It is not recommended to use plastic due to poor thermal conductivity, such an installation will be inefficient.

Assembling a homemade solar collector is not difficult, but it will save you a lot of money.

It is known from practice that it is better to use only a rubber hose for transporting the coolant when making the collector yourself. It is important that the hose is black. In other cases, it is painted with ordinary black enamel.

It is preferable to use matte paint so that there is no effect of reflection of the rays. It is possible to use spare parts for old refrigerators in the coolant - coils through which freon flows. After it is dismantled from the refrigerator, the part is purged, cleaned of debris and rust.

Assembling the lighting element

After assembly, this collector will look like series-connected plastic bottles. It is advisable to use clean, transparent and identical specimens, and the bottom and neck must be cut off. With the help of bottles, they make a continuous pipe.

The collector is equipped with reflectors, which are squares of ordinary foil.

Double sided tape is used to stick the foil to the bottom of the bottle. The other half of the bottles should not be closed.

To create a frame where the collector is located, you can use a regular 5 cm beam. An arbitrary shape of the frame is used, which will take into account the main requirement, which is stability. Clamps fasten the pipe with the coolant.

A simple battery is created from an ordinary iron barrel, which must be well insulated and hermetically sealed.

The role of the greenhouse design

The presented option for creating a homemade collector is not the only one. There are other different designs of solar collectors, which differ in their cost and efficiency in operation. Any solar collectors that are manufactured on their own have a cheaper cost than factory options.

If you professionally approach the cultivation of various crops in greenhouses, then a solar collector designed by yourself will not be able to provide the required temperature regime. In this case, a professional collector is purchased. There are various options available for sale. They have a fairly high cost, but the effectiveness justifies the money spent.

Experience shows that extruded polystyrene foam can be used as a greenhouse insulator. The advantages of its use lie in its strength, it is not afraid of moisture and does not deform, and at the same time provides good heat preservation.

DIY solar collector

The design of the greenhouse plays an important role. Due to the work with non-symmetrical structures, the heating efficiency of the greenhouse is increased by 25% compared to conventional structures.

We build a solar collector for the greenhouse on our own, DachaGardener

When the sun hides, the ordinary greenhouse cools down. The temperature drops sharply in the structure. Solar greenhouses are designed in such a way that

DIY solar collector made of polycarbonate

Solar collector - a unit that heats water using solar energy. For consideration, let's take the most optimal and highest quality option - a polycarbonate solar collector circuit. Consider in detail all the nuances of this unit.

The solar collector consists of sheets of cellular polycarbonate or polypropylene. The collector itself is attached to the ends of these sheets. Such sheets are mounted in a special tin covered box. A sheet of the same material (polycarbonate) is also used as a cover.

It is also possible to cover a polycarbonate solar collector with a glass cover, but it is worth considering the properties of polycarbonate, which, with sufficient light transmission, can create a sufficient greenhouse effect, equivalent to double glazing. After all, polycarbonate actually consists of two layers. In addition, this material is much stronger than glass, allowing you to safely endure the impact of large hailstones. This will help keep the system in full working order even if the outer covering is warped by hail.

It is also important to provide thermal insulation of the rear wall of the collector. The optimal material for this is expanded polystyrene sheets, since this material is not only light enough, but also has a very reasonable price. When using polypropylene insulation, the cost of the structure will increase.

For the collector, cellular polycarbonate is used, 4-25 mm thick. It all depends on the number of family members. For example, for 4 people, polycarbonate 4-8 mm thick will be enough. You will need a couple of sheets of different sizes. The first is taken the same size as the box. The second sheet of polycarbonate for the solar collector must go inside the box, while having gaps of the required width, so it is somewhat smaller.

Materials required for mounting the collector:

PVC water supply pipe, 3.2 cm in diameter and 1.5 meters long - 2 pieces;
Plugs for pipes of the above type - 2 pcs;
Fitting corners made of polypropylene with metal thread - 2 pieces;
Threaded hoses .

We start assembling a polycarbonate manifold

First, longitudinal cuts are made in both types of pipes, into which a polycarbonate cellular sheet is subsequently inserted. The water supplied from below enters the grooves of the sheet, where it warms up and, due to the effect of a thermal siphon, rises to the upper pipe, from where it is discharged to the accumulator.

The ends of the pipe remain intact so that in the future it will be possible to connect or muffle them. The cut in the pipe is taken in the same dimensions as the width of the collector part.

When inserting a polycarbonate sheet into a cut, there is a slight nuance. Due to the internal stress of the plastic, the cut converges. Therefore, the insert must be done carefully, making sure that the sheet does not enter the pipe too deeply - this will interfere with the normal circulation of water. It is not worth expanding the cut, because due to its tension, the pipe holds on to the polycarbonate sheet more tightly and the intra-sheet pressure is compensated. A little customization is, of course, acceptable.

To improve the adhesion of surfaces with sealant, the edges of the polycarbonate sheet are processed with sandpaper before being inserted into the pipe. You also need to degrease the place of the future joint.

The next step is to seal the joints of the pipe with the working surface of the collector. This stage is quite important, so you should not save on sealant. Plain silicone is not good enough.

For a greater level of absorption of solar heat, the surface of the polycarbonate solar collector must be painted. By the way, it is better to use matte black polypropylene for arranging the working surface. This will help once again not to be distracted by possible difficulties in painting work, and at the same time it will save your money.

Upon completion of the painting, the turn of the corners with metal threads comes. They are fixed at the ends of the pipes with hot glue. This addition, as well as flexible hoses with reinforcement, will greatly facilitate the process of connecting and disconnecting the collector.

Installing the solar collector in the box

First of all, a sheet of expanded polystyrene is mounted on the back wall of the frame, for which mounting foam is most often used, or corny - glue. Next is the installation of the collector. Using clamps made of metal or plastic, we fix the collector as tightly as possible to the foam, making fastening with maximum quality. The final stage is the installation of polycarbonate on the front side. Fastening is carried out using self-tapping screws.

Standard scheme of operation of a system with a solar collector

A volumetric (160 liters) storage tank, insulated with mineral wool, is installed in the attic of the building. It is connected to the hot water supply system (hot water extraction). Hot water is supplied from the tank without additional pressure, by gravity, while cold water is supplied by a pump that supplies water from a well / well.

A polycarbonate solar collector is mounted in such a way that the top of the collector is not higher than the storage tank, which allows water to circulate naturally. Hot will rise into the tank, being replaced by cold. For this, a tube through which hot water is supplied is also attached just above the middle of the drive, which helps to accumulate hot water at the top of the tank.

It is also practiced to install two or more installations with polycarbonate solar collectors on opposite sides of the roof, which helps to increase the amount of hot water entering the tank, as well as the stability of its heating.

Polycarbonate solar collector, Stroy Byt

Do-it-yourself solar collector made of polycarbonate A solar collector is a unit that heats water using solar energy. For consideration, we take the most optimal and

How to make a solar collector with your own hands?

Now people living in their homes often have the question of how to save on heating and hot water. In search of these savings, they turn to the use of solar energy. Therefore, today you can so often hear the question of how to make a solar collector with your own hands. After all, this device allows you to partially release the central boiler in the house from the function of heating water. A solar collector is a device that absorbs solar energy and converts it into heat. This thermal energy is transferred to the coolant. Typically, a classic collector is a metal plate in a wooden or plastic case with insulation that absorbs solar radiation.

Before talking about how to make a solar collector for heating a house with your own hands, you need to explain the principle of its operation.

In any solar collector there are two working units - a solar radiation trap and a heat exchange accumulator. The latter is engaged in the conversion of radiation energy into heat. This energy is transferred to the coolant, the role of which in most cases is played by water.

By design, solar collectors are divided into tube, flat and vacuum. The greatest efficiency is in vacuum ones, which have a thermos-type design. Pipes are inserted one into the other. The space between them is filled with a vacuum, which provides excellent thermal insulation. Water acts as a heat carrier. This water can be used both for heating the house and for technical needs. It is not used directly as hot water for washing. She goes to the boiler, where she heats the water circulating in another circuit.

The solar collector does not consume fuel and does not release carbon dioxide into the environment. At the same time, the efficiency of such collectors reaches 80 percent. If we talk about Russia, then in its greater territory, the production of solar energy from the beginning of spring to mid-autumn is about five kilowatts per square meter. This amount of solar energy makes it possible to heat about a hundred liters of water in a 2 by 2 meter collector.

If you are going to heat the water in the collector all year round, you will have to use a larger solar collector. And best of all, if it is vacuum. Then it will be possible to receive heated water all year round, removing the load from the main boiler and reducing energy consumption.

Flat collector device

When people organize solar heating of a private house with their own hands, they are most often interested in flat-plate collectors for heating water. In such devices, the heat sink (a metal plate with a copper coil) is located in the housing. The latter can be both metal and made of wood. Some heat sinks are made not in the form of a metal plate, but from a tin profile. Instead of a copper coil, black pipes or PVC are used. Of course, such systems are less effective, but at home they are suitable.

The heat sink is painted black, and thermal insulation is laid between it and the back wall of the collector. From above, the collector housing is covered with polycarbonate or durable glass.

The receiver converts solar energy into thermal energy and transfers it to water (or antifreeze). Glass or polycarbonate is a must, as they act as protection for the heat exchanger from the outside atmosphere. At the same time, the glass must pass sunlight freely, which means that it needs periodic cleaning from dirt and dust. In addition, it is necessary to reliably seal all seams between the glass and the case. The efficiency of the solar collector depends on this. Otherwise, heat will escape through the cracks. In order to preserve heat, the rear wall of the case is thermally insulated.

So, flat-plate collectors attract those who make home heating with their own hands, with their simple design and attractive price-quality ratio. However, such a collector is suitable for use in regions with high insolation all year round. Or in the summer in central Russia. In winter, the efficiency of such a device drops significantly due to large heat losses through the body elements. There are examples when people make a solar air collector with their own hands for home heating, but we will not consider such devices because of their low efficiency.

How to make a solar collector for home heating with your own hands?

What materials are needed and how much does it cost?

Capacity with a volume of 200-300 liters (the price range is quite large, from 4 to 12 thousand rubles);
Glass 2-3 square meters (about 1 thousand rubles) and a frame for it (about 500 rubles);
Boards for the body. The thickness should be at least 25 mm, and the width can be taken 100, 120, 140 mm (the price of 1 board 3 meters is approximately 300-500 rubles);
Fasteners for the case: connecting corners, nails, self-tapping screws;
At the bottom, you can use chipboard or hardboard to reduce weight (200-300) rubles;
Galvanized iron (300─400 rubles). You can put a profile painted black;
Pipes for the radiator. Here the price will depend on what you will use: iron, plastic, copper;
Heat-insulating material (packaging 500-700 rubles).

The price may vary depending on what size you will maintain. The manufacturing process of the manifold in the general case will be described below. It is possible that you will make your own amendments to it. If you are going to make a polycarbonate solar collector with your own hands, then the required amount must be included in the price. Variants with this material can often be found in suburban areas and in private homes.

Solar collector manufacturing

First you need to make a box. In addition to the walls, it is desirable to make spacers from boards and timber to strengthen. The bottom is made of chipboard or hardboard. It is necessary to lay a heat-insulating layer on it. It can be mineral wool, polystyrene foam and similar materials. A tin sheet is laid on top. Next, a heat sink is installed and attached to the box. Before installation, all parts are painted black matte black red. Choose heat resistant paint. Tin sheet, radiator, connections, etc. need to be painted.

Then you need to equip the water tank. It must be put in a large container and insulated. To do this, some heat-insulating material is poured between the walls. The tank will require a water chamber with a float. The principle of operation is the same as in the toilet tank. It is usually located in the attic under the roof along with the drive. The location of the water chamber must be one meter higher than the storage tank. The solar collector itself is placed either on the roof of the house on the south side, or in another sunny place. If he stands on the site, then the pipes that go to him will have to be placed in thermal insulation.

After that, a connection is made to a single system using pipes and a connection to the water supply. It is desirable that the maximum number of pipes fit in the collector. Try to place at least 10-12. Filling the system is done from the bottom, namely, from the radiator. This way there will be no air pockets. After filling the system with water, water will flow from the water chamber through the drain tube.

You need to fill the tank, the water will begin to circulate and heat up. The heated water will displace the cold water as it rises. As a result, cold water will again flow into the heat sink. When the float valve operates in the water chamber, cold water will again go to the bottom. This is how circulation occurs and there is no mixing of water with different temperatures. It is better to turn off the water supply to the storage tank at night to avoid heat losses.

Energy resources. Free solar energy will be able to provide warm water for household needs at least 6-7 months a year. And in the remaining months - also help the heating system.

But most importantly, a simple solar collector (unlike, for example, from) can be made independently. To do this, you will need materials and tools that can be bought at most hardware stores. In some cases, even what is found in an ordinary garage will be enough.

The solar heater assembly technology presented below was used in the project "Turn on the sun - live comfortably". It was developed specifically for the project by a German company Solar Partner Sued, which is professionally engaged in the sale, installation and service of solar collectors and photovoltaic systems.

The main idea is that everything should turn out cheap and cheerful. For the manufacture of the collector, fairly simple and common materials are used, but its efficiency is quite acceptable. It is lower than that of factory models, but the difference in price fully compensates for this shortcoming.

The sun's rays pass through the glass and heat up the collector, while the glazing prevents heat from escaping. The glass also impedes the movement of air in the absorber; without it, the collector would quickly lose heat due to wind, rain, snow or low outside temperatures.

The frame should be treated with an antiseptic and paint for outdoor use.

Through holes are made in the housing for supplying cold and removing heated liquid from the collector.

The absorber itself is painted with a heat-resistant coating. Conventional black paints at high temperatures begin to peel off or evaporate, which leads to darkening of the glass. The paint must be completely dry before you set the glass cover (to prevent condensation).

A heater is laid under the absorber. The most commonly used mineral wool. The main thing is that it can withstand fairly high temperatures during the summer (sometimes over 200 degrees).

From below, the frame is covered with OSB boards, plywood, boards, etc. The main requirement for this stage is to make sure that the bottom of the collector is reliably protected from moisture getting inside.

To fix the glass in the frame, grooves are made, or strips are attached to the inside of the frame. When calculating the dimensions of the frame, it should be taken into account that when the weather (temperature, humidity) changes during the year, its configuration will change slightly. Therefore, a few millimeters of margin are left on each side of the frame.

A rubber window seal (D- or E-shaped) is attached to the groove or bar. Glass is placed on it, on which a sealant is applied in the same way. From above, all this is fixed with galvanized tin. Thus, the glass is securely fixed in the frame, the seal protects the absorber from cold and moisture, and the glass will not be damaged when the wooden frame "breathes".

The joints between the sheets of glass are insulated with sealant or silicone.

To organize solar heating at home, you need a storage tank. The water heated by the collector is stored here, so you should take care of its thermal insulation.

As a tank you can use:

non-working electric boilers
various gas cylinders
barrels for food use

The main thing to remember is that pressure will be created in a sealed tank depending on the pressure of the plumbing system to which it will be connected. Not every container is able to withstand a pressure of several atmospheres.

Holes are made in the tank for the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger, the inlet of cold water, and the intake of heated water.

The tank houses a spiral heat exchanger. For it, copper, stainless steel or plastic are used. The water heated through the heat exchanger will rise up, so it should be placed at the bottom of the tank.

The collector is connected to the tank using pipes (for example, metal-plastic or plastic) drawn from the collector to the tank through the heat exchanger and back to the collector. Here it is very important to prevent heat leakage: the path from the tank to the consumer must be as short as possible, and the pipes must be very well insulated.

The expansion tank is a very important element of the system. It is an open reservoir located at the highest point of the fluid circulation circuit. For the expansion tank, you can use both metal and plastic containers. With its help, the pressure in the manifold is controlled (due to the fact that the liquid expands from heating, pipes can crack). To reduce heat loss, the tank must also be insulated. If air is present in the system, it can also exit through the tank. Through the expansion tank, the collector is also filled with liquid.

Almost every owner of a private house has to deal with the problems of heating residential premises and obtaining hot water. To date, there are many different systems that can successfully solve these problems. Alternative heating sources deserve special attention, in particular a collector using solar energy as fuel. Such a unit is extremely easy to assemble and profitable in operation.

DIY solar collector

Basic information about homemade solar collectors

The average efficiency of homemade solar collectors reaches 50-60%, which is quite a good indicator.

Professional units have an efficiency of about 80-85%, but you need to take into account the fact that they are quite expensive, and almost everyone can afford to purchase materials for assembling a home-made collector.

The power of an ordinary solar collector will be enough to heat water and heat living rooms.

In this regard, everything depends on the design features, which are determined and calculated individually.

Assembly of the unit does not require difficult to use and hard-to-reach tools and expensive materials.

Solar Collector DIY Tools

Perforator.
Electric drill.
A hammer.
Hacksaw.

There are several varieties of the considered design. They differ from each other in efficiency and final cost. Under any circumstances, a home-made unit will cost an order of magnitude cheaper than a factory model with similar characteristics.

One of the best options is a vacuum solar collector. This is the most budgetary and easiest option in its execution.

Solar collector design

The considered units have a fairly simple design. In general, the system includes a pair of collectors, a fore-chamber and a storage tank. The work of the solar collector is carried out according to a simple principle: in the process of passing the sun's rays through the glass, they are converted into heat. The system is organized in such a way that these rays are not able to get out of the closed space.

The plant operates according to the thermosyphon principle. In the process of heating, the warm liquid rushes up, displacing cold water from there and directing it to the heat source. This allows you to refuse even the use of a pump, because. the liquid will circulate by itself. The installation accumulates solar energy and stores it inside the system for a long time.

Components for assembling the installation in question are sold in specialized stores. At its core, such a collector is a tubular radiator installed in a special box made of wood, one of the faces of which is made of glass.

For the manufacture of the said radiator, pipes are used. Steel is the preferred pipe material. The inlet and outlet are made from pipes traditionally used in plumbing. ¾ inch pipes are usually used, 1 inch products also work well.

The grate is made from smaller pipes with thinner walls. The recommended diameter is 16 mm, the optimal wall thickness is 1.5 mm. Each radiator grill must include 5 pipes 160 cm long each.

Important nuances of assembling a collector with your own hands

The first stage is the assembly of the box. To assemble the box mentioned earlier, wooden boards about 12 cm wide and 3-3.5 cm thick are used. The bottom is made of hardboard or plywood sheet. The bottom must be reinforced with slats 5x3 cm in size. Choose the length of the slats according to the size of the bottom.

The second stage is the insulation of the box. The box needs high-quality insulation. The best and most convenient option to use is foam boards. Mineral wool is also good. The insulation is placed at the bottom of the box.

The third stage is the arrangement of the box for the radiator. The laid insulation must be covered with a layer of galvanized sheet metal. Clamps are used to connect the radiator and the laid sheet of metal. Pre-paint the radiator pipe and metal decking with black matt paint.

Outside, the box is painted white, and the glass is sealed using compounds specially designed for such tasks. This will minimize heat loss. Pipe connection is carried out in the standard manner using tees, couplings, and also corners. The pipes used in the assembly of the collector are connected manually without much effort.

The fourth stage is the preparation of the storage tank. The tank is responsible for the accumulation of heat in the system under consideration, the capacity of which can be in the range of 200-400 liters. Select the specific volume according to your personal water needs. A tank can be made from a barrel. If you can't find a suitable barrel, use pipes.

The tank needs to be insulated. It is best to install it in a box of plywood sheets or wooden boards, and fill the space between the walls of the box and the container with sawdust, foam or other heat-insulating material.

The fifth stage is the preparation of the fore-chamber. The system under consideration includes a unit called the fore-chamber. The main function of this device is to inject a constant excess pressure required for the full operation of the system based on a solar collector. The avankamera is made from a suitable container for 35-45 liters. A can is perfect. Additionally, the unit is equipped with a feeding device for automating work.

Step by step assembly guide

Coolant circulation scheme

The first stage is the installation of the drive and the fore-chamber. The mentioned units are placed in the attic of the house. Make sure the ceiling at the installation site can support the weight of the water containers. Install the front camera next to the drive. Do this so that the liquid level in the fore-chamber is about 100 cm above the water level in the storage tank.

The second stage is the choice of a place for installing a solar heater. The unit is fixed on the southern wall of the building. It is important to maintain the correct slope of the heater to the horizon. A value of 45 degrees is considered optimal. The collector must be attached to the house so that the solar panels look like an extension of the roof.

The third stage is the connection of individual elements. To complete this task, you need to buy inch and half inch steel pipes. You will use half-inch to connect the high-pressure elements of the system - from the water inlet to the fore-chamber. Inch pipes are used in the low-pressure section.

It is important that the connections are airtight; air pockets in this case are unacceptable.

Pipes must first be painted white or another light color. A layer of heat-insulating material is fixed on top of the paint. In this case, foam rubber is optimal. A layer of polyethylene is wound over the insulation, and then a woven tape. At the end, the pipes are painted white again.

The fourth stage is filling the system with liquid. Water must be supplied through special drain valves installed at the bottom of the radiators. This will avoid air congestion. When water begins to flow from the drainage, the operation can be considered completed.

The fifth stage is the connection of the avankamera. This unit must be connected to a water supply. After connecting, open the flow valve. You will see that the amount of water in the forechamber will begin to decrease.

The advantage of such a self-assembled solar collector is that it can heat water even in cloudy weather.

At night, the air temperature becomes lower than the temperature of the heated water. In such conditions, the collector will begin to heat the environment and generally work in reverse mode. To avoid this, the system is equipped with a valve to prevent the possibility of reverse circulation. It will be enough to simply close this valve in the evening, and the energy will be stored in the system.

If the thermal conductivity of the collector is not high enough, it can be increased by adding sections. The design will allow you to do this without any difficulty.

Of course, you can artificially adjust the direction of the solar panels in relation to the Sun by placing additional structures under the collector

Thus, there is nothing difficult in self-assembly of a solar heater. Such work also does not require large financial investments, however, it is strongly recommended to buy only high-quality materials from well-known manufacturers. Approach work with maximum responsibility, do not violate the above recommendations, and you will get an excellent source of heat and hot water, powered by free energy. Successful work!

DIY solar collector - installation instructions!

Learn how to make a solar collector with your own hands. Step-by-step instructions describing the main technological stages. Photo + video.

Making solar collectors with your own hands

Solar collectors (water heaters) are widely used for heating water and heating houses due to solar energy, not only in summer, but throughout the year. In this section, you will learn how to make a solar collector (water heater) with your own hands from improvised materials and at minimal cost.

How to make a solar collector with high efficiency from a metal-plastic pipe

The efficiency of a homemade solar collector can be significantly increased, having made minor modifications to the design, namely, to install on pipes absorbers. Thus, even using a metal-plastic pipe as a heat exchanger, it is possible to build a solar collector that can boil water in sunny weather.

Which glass to choose when making a solar collector with your own hands

The efficiency of a solar collector directly depends on the glazing used.

Glazing must have the following properties:

- Have a low weight

– UV resistance

– Resist high temperatures

The choice of insulation in the manufacture of a solar collector

There are many different brands and types of heaters. They differ in their thermal insulation properties, physical characteristics, cost, ease of use. You will be presented with a list of heaters that are most common on the market and which of this list can be used.

Selection of pipes for the manufacture of a solar collector heat exchanger

Today, manufacturers provide the market with a wide range of pipes from different materials. All of these pipes have their own advantages and disadvantages. Here we will consider pipes that are most optimally suited for the manufacture of collectors and water distribution.

Making a solar water heater with your own hands

In the manufacture DIY solar water heater the goal was to provide warm water for a summer shower, in which, with frequent use, the water simply did not have time to heat up even with strong solar activity.

Solar collector area calculation

When building a hot water system using solar collectors, many people ask themselves: " What collector area should be used?". In order not to frighten you with complex formulas and calculations, I will offer a scheme by which you can easily calculate the approximate area of \u200b\u200bthe collector for your needs.

How to make a solar concentrator from flat mirrors

The advantage of solar concentrators is that they can convert water into steam (depending on the speed of water movement in the heat exchanger). Why is it necessary? And this is necessary, for example, for steaming products made of concrete, wood, starting a steam engine, etc.

Production of a solar collector with a copper heat exchanger

If your roof is covered with black felt or dark shingles, you can save on the thermal insulation of the rear wall and make a solar collector (water heater) with your own hands. Of course, the area where the solar collector will be installed must face towards the sun.

DIY solar water heating concentrator

Main dignity solar concentrator (reflector) in that they can achieve higher efficiency. By focusing the high density of solar energy at one point, they are able to turn water into steam in a matter of seconds.

How to make a 2 kW solar collector for a pool

After the construction of a budget pool, the idea came to build a solar collector that would be able to heat 10 cubic meters of water to a comfortable temperature for swimming. For this, a collector with an area of 4 sq.m. was built. and an estimated power of 2 kW.

Making a solar collector from an old window frame

Many of us have long since replaced old wooden windows with metal-plastic ones. And such a replacement, to a greater extent, is connected not with the exterior, but with the preservation of heat in our apartments. Old window frames, along with glass, we just threw out as unnecessary in the trash. Although, on the other hand, the window frame (which opens with a book) can still serve us well as a solar collector (water heater).

Basic schemes for connecting solar collectors

The efficiency of a solar collector depends not only on the materials from which it is made, but also on how correctly it is installed and mounted. The connection scheme largely depends on the requirements for a solar collector. Since there are a lot of connection variations, I will give only the main, basic schemes.

How to make a solar collector from plastic bottles

During the summer heat, mineral water, drinks, juices, etc. are in greatest demand among the population. However, without noticing it ourselves, we are increasing the amount of garbage on the planet by throwing used plastic bottles and tetra packs into the trash can. On the other hand, this "garbage" can be used to your advantage, i.e. make a solar collector from plastic bottles. Thus, we will get free hot water, spending a minimum of money on it, and make our planet a little cleaner.

DIY solar collector from an old refrigerator

To get hot water using solar energy, you can assemble with your own hands unpretentious solar collector from materials that can be found on your household. yard. In this case, the cost of production will be very scanty. As heat exchanger(basics of the solar collector), we will use a capacitor from an old refrigerator (grid, which is attached to the back of the refrigerator).

Solar water heater from an old electric boiler

Many faulty electric boilers are simply thrown into the landfill, although on the other hand, the boiler can be given a second life, and make your own solar water heater using free solar energy to heat water.

How to make a flat solar collector from polypropylene

How to make a large solar collector from PEX pipe

Often the construction of one large collector is cheaper than the construction of small, but larger quantities. It will be about building a solar collector from a plastic pipe, only larger.

How to make a solar collector from hoses

Many have noticed that if you leave the hose with water in the sun, then after turning on the water, very hot water flows from the hose (especially if the hose is dark in color). So why don't we make a solar collector using a hose or polyethylene pipe by simply twisting into a ring.

Making solar collectors with your own hands

Solar collectors (water heaters) are widely used for heating water and heating houses using solar energy, not only in summer, but throughout the year. You will learn how to make a solar collector (water heater) with your own hands from improvised materials and at minimal cost.

We tell you how to make a solar collector for heating with your own hands

All kinds of solar collectors are developed using the latest technology and modern materials. Thanks to such devices, solar energy conversion. The resulting energy can heat water, heat rooms, greenhouses and greenhouses.

Apparatus can be mounted on walls, roofs of a private house, greenhouses. For large rooms, it is recommended to purchase factory devices. Now solar systems are constantly being improved. Therefore, solar panels are strongly served in price, attracting the attention of consumers. The cost of factory devices is almost equivalent to the financial costs spent on their manufacture. The price increase is only due to the financial cheating dealers. The cost of the collector is commensurate with the monetary costs that will be required to install a classic heating system.

At the moment, the manufacture of such devices is gaining more and more popularity. It is worth noting that e The efficiency of a home-made device is much inferior in quality to factory devices. But a do-it-yourself unit can heat a small room, a private house or outbuildings easily and quickly.

Principle of operation

But the principle of water heating is identical - all devices work according to the same developed scheme. In good weather, the rays of the sun begin to heat the coolant. It passes through thin elegant tubes, falling into a tank with liquid. The coolant and tubes are placed over the entire inner surface of the tank. Thanks to this principle, the liquid in the apparatus is heated. Later, heated water is allowed to be used for domestic needs. Thus, it is possible to heat the room, use the heated liquid for shower cabins as hot water supply.

Water temperature can be controlled by developed sensors. If there is too much cooling of the liquid, below a predetermined level, then a special backup heating will automatically turn on. The solar collector can be connected to an electric or gas boiler.

The scheme of operation suitable for all solar water heaters is presented. Such a device is perfect for heating a small private house. To date, several devices have been developed: flat, vacuum and air devices. The principle of operation of such devices is very similar. The heat carrier is heated from the sun's rays with further energy output. But there are many differences at work.

flat collector

The heating of the coolant in such a device occurs due to the plate absorber. It is a flat plate of heat-intensive metal. The upper surface of the plate in a dark shade of specially developed paint. A serpentine tube is welded to the bottom of the device.

The dark selective paint covering the upper surface of the plate absorbs the powerful rays of the sun. Reflection of the sun is reduced to a minimum. The absorbed energy heats the coolant under the absorber. To minimize heat loss, you can apply thermal insulation of the case using tempered glass. Such material contains a minimum amount of iron oxides. Glass is fixed above the absorber. The device serves as the top cover of the housing. Also, tempered glass creates a "greenhouse effect" in the form of an insulating greenhouse. This significantly increases the heating of the absorber, increasing the temperature of the coolant. Such a device is perfect for heating a private house. Also the aggregate installed in greenhouses, shower cabins, garden greenhouses and greenhouses.

vacuum manifold

Compared with the flat device, the vacuum manifold has a different design. The main working elements are considered to be evacuated tubes, as well as a coolant. Thanks to the highly selective coating, the glass surface of the device absorbs a large amount of the sun. Solar energy begins to quickly heat the internal coolant. Elimination of heat loss occurs with the help of a vacuum layer. The accumulated heat passes through the heat collector, moving to the device system itself.

If we consider the work as a whole, then the vacuum manifold has the highest performance compared to a flat device. The unit can be installed on the roof of a private house, in greenhouses, greenhouses, greenhouses, summer showers.

Air manifold

Air manifold is one of the most successful developments. But air-type solar panels are very rare. Such devices are not suitable for home heating or hot water supply. They are used for air conditioning. The heat carrier is oxygen, which is heated under the influence of solar energy. Solar panels of this type are identified with a ribbed steel panel painted in a dark shade. The principle of operation of this device is a natural or automatic supply of oxygen to private homes. Oxygen with the help of solar radiation warms up under the panel, thus creating air conditioning.

Advantages of solar systems

Reducing electricity consumption by at least 2-3 times;
Due to the severe depletion of natural resources, do-it-yourself units can become indispensable sources of heating;
It is allowed to add additional substances to the air apparatus to give specific specific aromatic properties. Antifreezes are added to the water of the flat and vacuum collectors. They help keep liquids from freezing at low atmospheric temperatures;

Cons of solar systems

Recent commissioning of devices;
The impossibility of installing units in some regions due to the time zone, daylight hours, location, weather conditions;
In most cases, a do-it-yourself device is recommended to be used only as an additional source of energy. It is not practical to use solar panels for full heat generation;

Solar installation connection diagram:

What will be needed?

In order to make an air, flat or vacuum unit with your own hands, need:

Temperature sensors located in the device and drive;
Adapters for connecting the system to cold water supply;
Gutter for hot water supply;
Special temperature sensors for liquid heating;
Expansion tank;
Circulation pump;
Solar controller;

Construction drawing:

Assembly instructions

First of all it is necessary to determine the dimensions of the future device. Therefore, it is recommended to carefully calculate the exact area on which the device will be located. An important factor in the calculation is the determination of the intensity of solar radiation. In the coldest regions, the energy of the sun is weakened, in the southern regions of the country it is increased. The location of the house, greenhouse or other sources in which the unit will be located also affects the calculations. Another important fact is the material of the heating circuit. The lower the material index, the lower the temperature of the air or water flow.

Assembly process

Main stages of work:

box production;
Production of a special heat exchanger, as well as a radiator;
Manufacture of storage and fore-chamber;
Aggregation;

Commissioning;

Box production

For the box you will need an edged board 30x120 mm ± 5 mm. The bottom of the box is made textolite, equipping it with special ribs. Thanks to the foam, good thermal insulation is created. The bottom is covered with galvanized sheet.

Heat exchanger production

You will need metal pipes. The length of the pipes must be at least 1.6 m. Quantity: 15 pieces. Also in the work it is necessary to use two inch pipes 0.7 m long.
In thicker pipes, small holes should be drilled with the same diameter of the smaller pipes. Holes will be needed to install pipes. Drilled holes must be coaxial, located on the same axis. Their maximum step should be no more than 4.5 cm.
All the tubes necessary for operation must be assembled into a whole structure. For reliability, they are welded using a welding machine.
A heat exchanger is mounted on the galvanized covering the bottom of the box. For reliability, it can be fixed with metal clips or steel clamps.
For better absorption of rays, the bottom of the structure is painted in a dark shade. The external components of the structure are painted in a light shade. White shade is perfect. It helps reduce heat loss.
A cover glass is installed near the partitions. Joints are carefully sealed.
The average distance between structural elements is 11 mm.

Drive production

It is allowed to use both a one-piece barrel and various welded structures. The storage tank should be isolated from heat losses. The avankamera must be equipped with a hinged crane - a mechanism that supplies liquid. The volume of the antechamber should be equal to 36-40 liters.

Aggregation

First of all, the drive and the front camera are installed. The height of the water in the fore-chamber should be 0.8 m higher than in the reservoir. It is necessary to think over the device for shutting off the liquid.
The collector, intended for heating, is fixed on the frame of the building. A device designed to heat water can be placed on the roof of a greenhouse, greenhouse or house. To place the device, choose the south side. The installation should have an inclination to the horizon equal to 35-40°.
The distance between the heat exchanger and the drive should be no more than 50-70 cm. Otherwise, the loss of solar energy will be very noticeable.
The collector should be located below the accumulator, and the accumulator below the fore-chamber.

Commissioning

For the final assembly, you will need special shut-off valves in the form of various adapters, spurs or fittings. High-pressure sections of the solar battery are connected with special pipes with a diameter of 0.5 inches. For low-pressure sections, it is recommended to use pipes with a diameter of 1 inch.

With the help of the lower drainage hole, the structure is filled with water;
An avancamera is attached to the device;
Fluid levels are being adjusted;
It is recommended to check the battery for water leakage;

After assembly and verification of the design, you can begin to operate;

Making or buying a turnkey solution?

Home-made devices designed for heating and heating water have low efficiency. Therefore, such structures are recommended to be used for heating a greenhouse, a flower greenhouse, a small private room. Air, flat or vacuum apparatus can significantly increase the level of comfort in the country or in a country house. The devices reduce the cost of electricity consumed by conventional power sources. Thanks to the introduction of new technologies, the use of solar systems is gaining momentum. But for the cold regions of the country, factory designs should be purchased.

DIY solar collector for heating

We are talking about the possibility of making a solar collector for heating with your own hands. Thanks to such devices, solar energy is converted.

Do-it-yourself solar collector: types, principle of operation and photo

The use of solar energy is no longer a novelty. It can be used for local heating of water, for example, in the country. Such heating can also be used for heating, but the cost of additional equipment will be quite high. Building a solar collector with your own hands is not a fantasy!

To use the energy of the sun, special collectors are used. There are several options for devices for use in different purposes. There are the following types of elements:

flat collector

They can be called a solar panel. It is profitable and easy to create a flat solar collector with your own hands. The absorber panel is located in the center of this device. Such a panel is made of metals that conduct heat well, most often it is copper or aluminum. In order for the collector to perform its function well, namely, to absorb solar energy as much as possible and convert it into thermal energy with minimal losses, a special composition must be applied to its surface. Its surface is protected by glass with a minimum content of iron in its composition. Such glass has good transmission capacity, minimal light reflection and is a good protection against environmental influences. Along the perimeter, the absorber has a casing for protection against mechanical influences; it is usually made of steel or aluminum. The housing and lower part of the collector are thermally insulated. A flat element is able to transfer heat to the coolant that is located in it. It can be plain water or antifreeze.

The flat collector can be positioned in any position. Usually it is fixed on the roof, but it will work just as well elsewhere. You can build such a solar collector with your own hands without large investments.

If we talk about factory elements, then flat ones can be of standard sizes, with an area of \u200b\u200bup to 2.5 m 2.
If more power is required, several standard panels can be installed together. They will form a single system of solar heat.

Flat-plate collectors have an advantage - they are cheaper than vacuum analogues. But at low ambient temperatures, such collectors lose a lot of energy and the efficiency level decreases. Therefore, for use in the summer, a flat collector will be enough, but in winter it will yield to a vacuum collector by almost two times.

Such a collector consists of tubes, inside them there is a vacuum. The device of each tube resembles the device of a thermos, which is based on a copper rod, the shell of such a thermos is a flask made of milk glass, just between them there is a vacuum. The inner shell of the tube is covered with a special black paint, and the outer glass is transparent. The tubes are connected using a connection module.

The price category of this type of collectors is higher than analogues of flat models, but the advantage is determined by their benefit of using in the winter. Do-it-yourself solar collectors for the home can be made from improvised materials. They can be from other devices, for example, from a refrigerator. In the repair of vacuum-type devices, difficulties should not arise. If one of the tubes fails, the collector itself will continue to work. But the heat output will be less.

Vacuum elements can be divided into:

It is more difficult to mount a vacuum solar collector with your own hands than a flat one. It will come out a little more expensive, but you need to evaluate the advantages of a vacuum before installing it.

It is not so difficult to build a solar collector with your own hands. But it is worth remembering that it will not be as effective as a similar one produced in industrial conditions. It is necessary to make an appropriate calculation of the benefits and effectiveness of this device.

How to make a solar collector with your own hands?

In order to start the device of such a solar heat storage device, you need to independently perform the following steps:

prepare the basis of the future collector;
prepare a radiator for installation;
prepare the heat storage;
install the collector directly.

The device can be based on an edged board with dimensions from 25-100 mm to 35-135 mm. Of these, you should make a box of a suitable size, insulate its bottom and put a heater (ordinary glass wool will do), cover it with a galvanized sheet on top.

The heat exchanger is manufactured as follows:

Metal tubes should be purchased: thin-walled and thick-walled.
In thick-walled pipes, it is necessary to make holes along the diameter of thin pipes with a step of no more than 45 mm. They are drilled on one side. Of course, a do-it-yourself solar collector will take time to prepare not only the necessary material, but also the tool.
At this stage, the tubes should be securely fastened in the holes and fixed by welding.
The constructed structure is fixed on a galvanized sheet located on the box.
The next step is to paint the manifold box black. It is advisable to paint only the bottom dark, and leave the rest of the parts light, since it is the bottom that will absorb the sun's rays.
Then the cover glass is installed, keeping a distance of at least 1 cm between it and the tubes.
Any sealed container can serve as a reservoir for the collector. Its volume can reach 400 liters (at least 150 liters).
The next stage is the manufacture of the fore-chamber. It can be a capacity of up to 40 liters, a tap is installed on it, it is this device that will supply water.
To avoid heat loss, it is necessary to thoroughly insulate the tank and the collector itself.

Device Assembly

Now you need to finally assemble it into a single whole. Assembly is carried out in several stages:

Installing the drive and avankamera. An important condition is that the liquid in the accumulator must be 80 mm lower than the level in the fore-chamber.
Placement of the collector in a prepared place. You can do it on the roof. It is necessary to observe the angle of inclination of 35-40 degrees, while installing the element on the south side.
To minimize heat loss, a distance of at least 50 cm between the heat exchanger and the storage tank should be maintained.
The accumulator should be located above the collector and below the fore-chamber.

The most important step remains - connecting to the system.

To do this, you need to fill the system with water, adjust its amount, make sure there are no leaks. If all conditions are met, such a collector can be used daily.

Such a made solar collector for heating with your own hands will save a lot of money. Water heating systems based on a solar collector can be divided according to the type of water circulation.

Natural water circulation

With such a circulation system, the storage tank is located above the collector. According to natural laws, the water heats up and flows up into the tank. In this case, cold water is displaced, it goes down and enters the collector. There it heats up and rises again. A tank of this design can be equipped with only two hoses: for cold water supply and hot water discharge. Such a system is suitable for small country needs - a summer kitchen or a shower.

Forced

Such a system does not depend on where the collector or storage tank is located. Water circulates in such a system thanks to an additionally supplied pump. Due to the fact that the installation of an electric pump is required, the cost of the collector increases. This improves performance.

Along with flat and vacuum devices, it is possible to create an air solar collector with your own hands. Its device is much simpler than water, but the main drawback is significant - it cannot transfer all the accumulated heat. Air is a much worse conductor of heat than water.

It is impossible to say unequivocally which collector is better to choose. Everything will depend on where it will be applied and what level of efficiency is needed in a particular case. But it will help to make a choice comparing the positive qualities and disadvantages of each of the types according to the following parameters:

Benefit from solar cell

There are advantages to installing a collector, but in each individual case there will be more or less of them. Main general advantages:

Saving resources generated artificially.
Refusal of artificial resources completely. This can be done if we are talking about small consumption.
Savings on the purchase of finished equipment, with the possibility of mounting the collector with your own hands from available materials.
Independence from common heating networks. If there is no way to connect to the central highway, solar collectors are a good replacement.

If the house is large and a sufficient number of people live in it, a complete rejection of artificial resources is impossible, but reducing them and saving on this is a very feasible task.

Do-it-yourself solar collector: types, principle of operation and photo

The use of solar energy is no longer a novelty. It can be used for local heating of water, for example, in the country. Such heating can also be used for heating, but the cost of additional equipment will be quite expensive. Building a solar collector with your own hands is no longer a fantasy.

The rise in the cost of traditional energy sources encourages owners of private houses to look for alternative options for heating housing and water heating. Agree, the financial component of the issue will play an important role in choosing a heating system.

One of the most promising ways of energy supply is the conversion of solar radiation. For this, solar systems are used. Understanding the principle of their device and the mechanism of operation, making a solar collector for heating with your own hands will not be difficult.

We will tell you about the design features of solar systems, offer a simple assembly scheme and describe the materials that can be used. The stages of work are accompanied by visual photographs, the material is supplemented with video clips about the creation and commissioning of a self-made collector.

Modern solar systems are one of heat production. They are used as auxiliary heating equipment that converts solar radiation into useful energy for home owners.

They are able to fully provide hot water supply and heating in the cold season only in the southern regions. And then, if they occupy a sufficiently large area and are installed on open areas not shaded by trees.

Despite the large number of varieties, the principle of their work is the same. Any one is a circuit with a serial arrangement of devices, both supplying thermal energy and transmitting it to the consumer.

The main working elements are or solar collectors. The technology on photographic plates is somewhat more complicated than on a tubular collector.

In this article we will consider the second option - a collector solar system.

Solar collectors still serve as an auxiliary energy supplier. It is dangerous to completely switch the heating of the house to the solar system due to the inability to predict a clear number of sunny days

Collectors are a system of tubes connected in series with the outlet and inlet lines or laid out in the form of a coil. Technical water, air flow or a mixture of water with any non-freezing liquid circulates through the tubes.

Circulation is stimulated by physical phenomena: evaporation, changes in pressure and density from the transition from one state of aggregation to another, etc.

The collection and accumulation of solar energy is carried out by absorbers. This is either a solid metal plate with a blackened outer surface, or a system of individual plates attached to the tubes.

For the manufacture of the upper part of the housing, the cover, materials with a high ability to transmit light flux are used. It can be plexiglass, similar polymeric materials, hardened types of traditional glass.

In order to eliminate energy losses from the back of the device, thermal insulation is placed in the box

It must be said that polymeric materials do not tolerate the influence of ultraviolet rays quite well. All types of plastic have a fairly high coefficient of thermal expansion, which often leads to depressurization of the case. Therefore, the use of such materials for the manufacture of the collector housing should be limited.

Water as a heating medium can only be used in systems designed to supply additional heat in the autumn/spring period. If year-round use of the solar system is planned, before the first cold snap, process water is changed to a mixture of it with antifreeze.

If a solar collector is installed to heat a small building that is not connected to the independent heating of the cottage or to centralized networks, a simple single-circuit system is built with a heating device at the beginning of it.

The chain does not include circulation pumps and heating devices. The scheme is extremely simple, but it can only work in sunny summer.

When the collector is included in a double-circuit technical structure, everything is much more complicated, but the range of days suitable for use is significantly increased. The collector processes only one contour. The predominant load is assigned to the main heating unit, powered by electricity or any type of fuel.

Home craftsmen invented a cheaper option - a spiral heat exchanger made of.

An interesting budget solution is the absorber of a solar system made of a flexible polymer pipe. Suitable fittings are used to connect to the inlet and outlet devices. The choice of improvised means from which a solar collector heat exchanger can be made is quite wide. It can be the heat exchanger of an old refrigerator, polyethylene water pipes, steel panel radiators, etc.

An important criterion for efficiency is the thermal conductivity of the material from which the heat exchanger is made.

For self-manufacturing, copper is the best option. It has a thermal conductivity of 394 W/m². For aluminum, this parameter varies from 202 to 236 W / m².

However, the large difference in thermal conductivity parameters between copper and polypropylene pipes does not mean at all that a heat exchanger with copper pipes will produce hundreds of times larger volumes of hot water.

Under equal conditions, the performance of a heat exchanger made of copper pipes will be 20% more efficient than the performance of metal-plastic options. So heat exchangers made of polymer pipes have the right to life. In addition, these options are much cheaper.

Regardless of the pipe material, all connections, both welded and threaded, must be tight. Pipes can be arranged both parallel to each other, and in the form of a coil.

The coil-type circuit reduces the number of connections - this reduces the likelihood of leaks and provides a more uniform movement of the coolant flow.

The top of the box, in which the heat exchanger is located, is covered with glass. Alternatively, modern materials can be used, such as an acrylic analogue or monolithic polycarbonate. The translucent material may not be smooth, but corrugated or matte.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The manufacturing process of an elementary solar collector:

How to assemble and commission a solar system:

Naturally, a self-made solar collector will not be able to compete with industrial models. Using improvised materials, it is quite difficult to achieve the high efficiency that industrial designs have. But the financial costs will be much less compared to the purchase of ready-made installations.