DIY garage heater

[bstedh]

I am considering building a solar collector to heat the garage some for this winter.

I have looked at several designs and am considering the soda can style but was wondering if dryer vent tube would work well. I am talking about the thin wall flexible stuff. The smallest diameter i have found is 3". However I am wondering if a larger or smaller tube size would be preferable. Large tube would equal a lower pressure drop but a smaller tube would offer more surface area???

My design idea is to make a square panel with the tube making a continuous spiral with one vent in the center and the other in one of the corners. (which end would work best for the inlet?)

I am assuming the foil type with the spiral spring would not work well because the foil i assume is backed with a plastic????

Also any good Ideas for a small solar panel for a 120mm computer fan and what would make a good low resistance baffle to stop back feed? Not too concerned about the baffle as this is for the garage and not the house but if it works well may put up more panels feeding the house in the future.

Also I am searching for a simple differential controller as I assume they have been addressed in a post somewhere but don't want to drop a bunch of money at this point.

Has anybody tried using the outdoor plastic window shrink wrap as glazing for the panels? Just wondering if it would be feasible due to it's low cost.

[green]

No matter which type of tubing you use, you can always put the soda cans inside the tube for extra turbulence, mass and heat transfer. I just designed a heater that sits inside on the window ledge. It's just five coffee cans attached on top of one another, painted black of course, with holes in the lids and bottoms, a computer fan, and a small homemade solar panel. Oh and back to my point... I put 3 soda cans inside each coffee can for turbulence and mass. I was getting 98F air through it on a 58F day outside while the paint was drying. Can't wait to see how well it works inside.

Just be creative and enjoy the process,
Green

[Sunking]

Use very dark colored roofing to start with.

[bstedh]

The roof already has dark shingles and I have a circulation fan to keep heat moving throughout the garage for my propane heater as the rafters are not enclosed .

This little idea might not take off because I have yet to find a cost effective glazing material. A quick back of the napkin estimate on materials is already up to 100 dollars without the glazing.

[raydias]

The roof already has dark shingles and I have a circulation fan to keep heat moving throughout the garage for my propane heater as the rafters are not enclosed .

This little idea might not take off because I have yet to find a cost effective glazing material. A quick back of the napkin estimate on materials is already up to 100 dollars without the glazing.

Have you considered enclosing the rafters and insulating?

[bstedh]

I have considered it but I store a lot up there and they are the wide rafters (can't remember the width off the top of my head) so I would have to add trusses to support a ceiling. The trusses are spaced some odd ball measurement that wouldn't allow me to use a full 4X8 piece of sheeting as is.

I have several canopies, conduit, spare lumber, and other misc. items that I keep up there. I am looking at putting insulation up on the roof however I have to make sure I ventilate and vapor barrier correctly to do that.

[green]

I get my glass for free. On the side of the road, in dumpsters at remodeling sites, anywhere is better than paying for it. Of course I don't always get the size I want. You'd be suprized what you can find if you just look. My latest glass find was a pair of sliding glass shower doors. Just keep your eyes open for freebies and deals. Sometimes you need to pay the big bucks for materials but if you watch for oppertunities sometimes you can get them for free.

Green

[Mike90250]

I am talking about the thin wall flexible stuff. The smallest diameter i have found is 3". However I am wondering if a larger or smaller tube size would be preferable.

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