Build a Simple Solar Heater
(Page 4 of 7)
December 2006/January 2007
By Gary Reysa
Now, attach the top and bottom sills. If desired, install sheet-metal flashing above the top sill to repel rain. Then, seal the perimeter of the collector frame with silicone caulk. Mount the battens and staple the window screen absorber onto them. Fold over the edges of the screen to fit in the bays, which are slightly less than 48 inches wide.
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Make your 4-by-8-foot glazing panels by joining pairs of the 26-inch-by-8-foot corrugated panels. Overlap the panels by one corrugation, applying a light bead of silicone caulk between the overlapped sheets. Reinforce the joint by fastening a 1-by-1-inch wood strip on the inside of the overlapped corrugations using screws with washers made of EPDM, a synthetic rubber that stands up to sunlight and high and low temperatures.
Install the horizontal 1-by-1-inch glazing support strips in the notches cut into the collector frame. The surface of the strips should sit flush with the surface of the frame. Do any cleanup, caulking or other work inside the collector frame now. You won’t be able to reach inside after the glazing is attached.
Next, mount the glazing panels. Install foam sealing strips, which are molded to fit the contours of the corrugated panels, on the top and bottom sills. Run caulk beads on the first set of verticals and mount the first glazing panel section. (You’ll quickly find out how square your frame is.) Fasten the panel sections to the frame using screws with EPDM washers. Install the rest of the sections in the same way. Overlap each new section over the previous one by one corrugation, using a bead of caulk in the overlap.
For the flapper valves on the inside top vents, I went high-tech and used two thicknesses of plastic garbage bag. Before adding these, attach half-inch mesh hardware cloth over each vent to keep the flappers from being sucked into the vent. Then, staple the flappers along the top edge of the vent, just above the vent opening.
Collector Variations
A couple of variations could improve the system’s performance. Substituting dual-wall polycarbonate glazing for the single corrugated sheet would reduce thermal losses through the glazing (although some loss in energy absorption also will occur). This type of glazing, which consists of two sheets of polycarbonate separated by support webs, also simplifies installation, since it requires less support and doesn’t have corrugated edges that require sealing. Buildings in cold climates will benefit the most from this change, which would increase the cost by about $100.
Another option is alternating collector panels and windows on the south wall. This approach would admit more light and some direct heat gain through the windows, without the glare, high losses and overheating that accompany full window walls.
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