Hot water in a barrel

[lonzu]

Hello everyone, I was just wondering if one could heat water in a 35 gallon barrel which is made of plastic (those blue ones) by using the solar cooker method. If you put a piece of glass instead of the lid and do some sort of reflector with a mirror, do you think that it will work? Of course a safety valve will have to be fitted.

Thanks in advance

lonzu

[Mike90250]

It will work till the water heats up to about 150F. Then the plastic will begin to get soft and the water pressure from it's own weight, will blow the bottom out. (maybe good to 170F). And the water will have a very "plastic" flavor and smell.

Once, for a batch of mead (honey wine) I had to melt a 5 gallon pail of crystalized honey. I spray painted the bucket black, and used aluminized car dashboard protectors, as reflectors, to heat the bucket of honey till it melted. It worked really well, just took a couple of hours of sun.

Mike

[lonzu]

Thanks for the reply Mike, I think you have a point there, because we have a lot of sunshine here in Malta. Then I have to find a metal tank of some sort I guess. Thanks again.

regards

Mario

[Mike90250]

Best to find out now, rather than coming home to find the place flooded after it's run for a week. You get a little hairline crack, water flows out, and when the weight is gone, the crack closes up. Big mystery till you refill the tank.