Mother's In-Line Collector

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Once the corrugated material is cut to the correct dimensions, simply drill starter holes through it . . . at one-foot intervals along the sides and in each hump on the end pieces. Now lay a substantial bead of silicone sealant along all the edges, and nail the glazing down with the aluminum roofing nails. After the adhesive has had at least four hours to set, the collector can be moved into position and put to work.

USING THE IN-LINE COLLECTOR

As we mentioned earlier, you can use one of MOM's collectors independently, or tie a number of them together to produce a greater volume of warm water. What's more, the heaters can be hung horizontally or vertically . . . depending upon the space you have. In either case, the collectors ) should be assisted by a small pump and controlled by a differential thermostat. (If you use multiple panels, you should connect the inlets to a "Y" on the pump, and the outlets should be indepen dent ... in order to maintain the collectors' "balanced flow" trait.)

The solar-heated water can be plumbed directly into your existing hot water tank ... or, if you live in a climate where winter freezing is a problem, you can use an antifreeze solution and a heat exchanger. (We've had great success modifying old gas water heaters to serve as exchangers. The solar-warmed fluid travels through the middle—or former flame—portion of the tank, while the domestic water circulates in the normal passages surrounding the inner column.)

Whatever way you decide to use the In-Line Collector, its extremely low cost (under $250 with pump and controller) will be recovered very quickly in the form of reduced water heating bills. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that the energy to warm your water will be there as long as the sun continues to shine!

EDITOR'S NOTE: If for any reason you should decide to shut off the fluid flow through your In-Line Collector, the device must be protected from overheating—just as should any solar device—by either removing it from sunlight or covering it with a protective surface. This practice will lengthen the glazing's lifetime (by shielding the inactive collector from ultraviolet radiation) and avert the possibility of internal damage or even fire,

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