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Creating a solar heating unit on the cheap | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 editorial)

Re: Creating a solar heating unit on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by freeEnergy4me on Fri Apr 4th, 2008 at 10:35:06 AM MST
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Do you have an idea of how long heated oil/transmission fluid will stay warm?

I figure it will keep heat longer than water.

[ Parent ]

Re: Creating a solar heating unit on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by ghurd on Fri Apr 4th, 2008 at 10:41:17 AM MST
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I keep getting the feeling you are confusing how fast something absorbs heat, with extra BTUs.
If it stays warm longer, it takes longer to heat up.
Just because it stays warm longer doesn't mean it has more heat from the BTUs that were available.
If it needs to stay warm longer, insulate it.
G-

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Re: Creating a solar heating unit on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#19)
by freeEnergy4me on Fri Apr 4th, 2008 at 10:38:30 PM MST
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No, I just want something to "keep the heat". Water is awesome as long as you keep heating it. But it takes many gallons of water to "keep the heat" where I'm guessing oil would stay warming longer, not more BTUs, just less BTUs right away. In other words, the water would be warm for a short period and give off it's heat right away when oil would stay warmer longer, distributing the same BTUs over a longer period.

If only I could buy those blocks they use to coat the Space Shuttle, lol. They absorb the heat incredibly well!

What is the best capacitor of solar heat? That is my quest!

[ Parent ]

Re: Creating a solar heating unit on the cheap (3.00 / 0) (#14)
by Bruce S (bruce(dot)stahl <at>gmail (dot)(com)) on Fri Apr 4th, 2008 at 11:10:49 AM MST
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What ghurd says is true.
Tranny Fluid will be easier to handle than water to do its properties of being able to stay within a set viscosity over a wide range of temps. Its pretty much self cleaning too, so you might think about getting some for free from a local flush/fill type shops. Try getting a small amount and soaking a couple cans with your epoxy on them that are stuck together just to make sure it won't turn the epoxy stuff into goo.
You could also use a more complex system that stores the warmed fluid in a highly insolated container that would then be used to transport that heat in the evening to a heat distribution item.
However, more complex can also mean possible less eff% due to losses.

The one main gain from using the oil is that unless your located in -20F weather for days on end, it's not likely to freeze, so a drain back system shouldn't be needed.
BUT there's the possible need for a pump to move the stored/heated oil to place needing heat etc...

Tranny Fluid can be a mess to work with too, it likes to find leaks and make messy puddles.

Hope this helps and doesn't stop you from trying.
Any use of even a little bit of the solar heating gains will go a long way to helping keeping the bills down along with that way cool feeling of saying "I did this"

Bruce S

PS, Don't do like I did, and get the idea that mineral oil and a small submersible water pump will work. Worked, but mineral oil gooped up the pump. wan't a good thing thing. Pump cost me $5, oil for 20fl.oz was $5. mess was all day. And the Tranny oil would destroy the cheap plastic they're made of.

[ Parent ]

Creating a solar heating unit on the cheap | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 editorial)

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