The idea of using recycled cans to heat a house may sound a little strange at first, but a Canadian company has proved the idea makes great sense. Cansolair Inc. has used aluminum cans in it's solar panels for over 10 years now, and they've even won awards for their design.
Why Aluminum Cans?
The company's recycled aluminum can heaters have been described as "green energy and recycling all rolled into one", and have proven to be very cost effective and efficient as well. One customer reported "on the coldest days of winter I need no other heat source as it easily produces enough heat".
The Cansolair unit, which measures a little under 4 ft. wide by 8 ft. tall, produces up to 10,000 BTUs per hour and can raise the temperature of the air passing through it by 50F or more. It uses a fan to force the air through, increasing it's efficiency.
How Aluminum Can Heaters Work
The heaters are designed to attach to the outside of a south-facing wall of a home (north-facing if in the southern hemisphere). They provide more than enough heat for the nearest room on sunny winter days, and a surprising amount of heat even on cloudy days.
The idea is to draw air from near the floor of any room in a building, and pass it through the solar heater, which contains several columns of cans. The air is then returned to the same room near the ceiling and at up to 50F higher temperature. The cans are stacked and have large holes cut in both ends to allow the air to pass inside them while the outside of the cans is getting hot from the sun.
Thin-walled aluminum, which is what the cans are made of, has good thermal conductivity, making it an ideal material for transferring solar heat to the air as it flows past the cans. Flat black paint on the outside of the cans aids in the process by absorbing the sun's heat more quickly.
You Can Build Your Own Aluminum Can Furnace
Cansolair has the facilities and materials to produce sophisticated units on a large scale, but the basic concept is simple enough that virtually anyone can build their own with commonly available materials.
Frank Gombik of Ontario, Canada built one to heat his workshop in the winter, and Daniel Strohl of Vermont built one to heat his garage.
Daniel used the south-facing side of his garage as a location for his solar furnace after noting that sunshine was just bouncing off the garage and being wasted. He built a modest free-standing heater that contains 45 pop cans and uses vacuum cleaner hoses to pipe air to and from his garage.
Frank needed a new double-door entry for his workshop, and since it was facing south, he decided to include solar heaters into the new doors. He used a total of 176 cans in his design, and added some temperature sensing and recording devices to measure the efficiency of his new heaters.
Constructing this type of solar heater is well within the skills of the average handyman. The recycled cans are free and the other materials inexpensive. This project has the double advantage of free solar energy and conserving our natural resources, not to mention the free heat in the winter!
Why Aluminum Cans?
The company's recycled aluminum can heaters have been described as "green energy and recycling all rolled into one", and have proven to be very cost effective and efficient as well. One customer reported "on the coldest days of winter I need no other heat source as it easily produces enough heat".
The Cansolair unit, which measures a little under 4 ft. wide by 8 ft. tall, produces up to 10,000 BTUs per hour and can raise the temperature of the air passing through it by 50F or more. It uses a fan to force the air through, increasing it's efficiency.
How Aluminum Can Heaters Work
The heaters are designed to attach to the outside of a south-facing wall of a home (north-facing if in the southern hemisphere). They provide more than enough heat for the nearest room on sunny winter days, and a surprising amount of heat even on cloudy days.
The idea is to draw air from near the floor of any room in a building, and pass it through the solar heater, which contains several columns of cans. The air is then returned to the same room near the ceiling and at up to 50F higher temperature. The cans are stacked and have large holes cut in both ends to allow the air to pass inside them while the outside of the cans is getting hot from the sun.
Thin-walled aluminum, which is what the cans are made of, has good thermal conductivity, making it an ideal material for transferring solar heat to the air as it flows past the cans. Flat black paint on the outside of the cans aids in the process by absorbing the sun's heat more quickly.
You Can Build Your Own Aluminum Can Furnace
Cansolair has the facilities and materials to produce sophisticated units on a large scale, but the basic concept is simple enough that virtually anyone can build their own with commonly available materials.
Frank Gombik of Ontario, Canada built one to heat his workshop in the winter, and Daniel Strohl of Vermont built one to heat his garage.
Daniel used the south-facing side of his garage as a location for his solar furnace after noting that sunshine was just bouncing off the garage and being wasted. He built a modest free-standing heater that contains 45 pop cans and uses vacuum cleaner hoses to pipe air to and from his garage.
Frank needed a new double-door entry for his workshop, and since it was facing south, he decided to include solar heaters into the new doors. He used a total of 176 cans in his design, and added some temperature sensing and recording devices to measure the efficiency of his new heaters.
Constructing this type of solar heater is well within the skills of the average handyman. The recycled cans are free and the other materials inexpensive. This project has the double advantage of free solar energy and conserving our natural resources, not to mention the free heat in the winter!
About the Author:
About the author: John Horning reports on solar project for the Do-It-Yourselfer. Learn more about how to build a solar-powered heater out of recycled cans on his website, www.DIY-Solar-Power.net.
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