Hot water in a country house or in a private house is a desirable luxury, which not everyone can boast of until now. Fortunately, you can create a solar water heater with your own hands at a minimum cost, which will provide the necessary amount of hot water and at the same time be free to operate. A nice bonus is the environmental friendliness of such equipment.

What is a solar water heater?

For solar water heaters, there has long been a term - a solar collector. But since such factory-made equipment costs around $ 300-400, it has not gained distribution and is used only by a few. However, almost everyone can make a solar heater. At the same time, the size of the savings is colossal, a home-made device will cost 10 times less.

The principle of operation of a solar water heater is incredibly simple: its dark (preferably black) surface heats up, that is, it absorbs heat and then gives it to water. Most often, such structures are used in summer showers, and are also installed on the roofs of houses, brought to the washstand in the kitchen or to the bathroom, if any.

It is noteworthy that the operation of a home-made solar collector does not require a pump, it is not powered from the electrical network, that is, it is completely autonomous. To heat water, only the presence of the sun is necessary, and in Russia it regularly shines brightly for 5-7 months a year. Even in winter, a homemade solar battery can heat water well.

The factory collector is a rectangular black plate with a plastic or glass surface, inside of which there is a metal plate (flat collector) or a heat exchanger - metal / plastic tubes with liquid (liquid collector). Since we need a water heater, the latter option is ideal, and we will consider exactly how it is made.

Using a solar water heater, you can heat the water in the tank up to 50 degrees, and this is more than enough for washing dishes or hygiene procedures.

Solar water heater design

The structure of a solar water heater is incredibly simple:

• frame (body);
• absorber (absorber);
• heat exchanger;
• glass.

To clarify, with the correct installation of a solar water heater, there is no need to use a pump. The movement of water is due to convection. The warm liquid itself rises up the system, giving way to cold water from the tank.

Creating a housing for a water heater

In fairness, we clarify that the presence of a housing is, in principle, not necessary if the water heater is supposed to be installed in one specific place forever. But since nothing is eternal, and in different periods of the year it is required to install a solar collector at different angles so that its surface is perpendicular to the sun's rays, it is better to create a model with a body. It doesn't take much effort, and the benefits will be greater.
If the farm has an unnecessary window frame - it is a ready-made case for a solar water heater. If there is no frame, you can quickly make it yourself.


The first thing you need to decide is the size of the case. There are many options, but most often the width is 40-80 cm, and the height is 60-200 cm. But you can choose any other parameters that are better suited to the intended conditions of use.

The frame is conveniently made of plastic, metal or wood. Everything that is at hand will fit. At the same time, the height of the profile should be 3-6 cm, so that there is enough space inside to fix the heat exchanger.

When the frame is ready, the bottom is attached to it: a sheet of metal, plastic, plywood, etc. to choose from.

Creating an absorber

The absorber or absorber is essentially the bottom of our case. It has two tasks: to hold the heat exchanger in place and to absorb solar heat. In order for the absorption task to be performed better, it is worth doing the following actions:

• lay a layer of heat-insulating material on the bottom;
• lay a galvanized sheet on the thermal insulation (copper sheet is better, but it is much more expensive);
• paint the metal with a matt black paint for the best heat absorption.

When the paint dries, we proceed to the creation of a heat exchanger.

Heat exchanger options for solar water heater

There are several options for heat exchangers when creating a solar collector:

• copper (metal) radiator;
• "snake" from a plastic pipe;
• cellular polypropylene with longitudinal cells.

The highest efficiency has a copper radiator, consisting of two copper pipes of an inch diameter, between which there are many pipes of smaller diameter parallel to each other (like a ladder).

But such a heat exchanger has many disadvantages: the high cost of copper, the complexity of creation (you have to solder all the tubes yourself or pay for the work of a welder).

To create a heat exchanger made of polypropylene, an extruder is needed, so in the end the product will also be expensive.

Therefore, for domestic use, it is much more convenient to use a black plastic or metal-plastic pipe 1/2 inch in diameter. PEX or PEX-Al-PEX-pipe is laid in a "snake" along the absorber, secured with brackets. This lock-in installation can be done in just a few minutes.

The ends of the pipes are brought out of the body, they are equipped with couplings, with the help of which they will be connected to the pipes leading to the tank.

A solar collector is an alternative source of thermal energy through the use of solar. Now this convenient device is no longer an innovation, but not everyone can afford to install it. If you calculate, buying and installing a collector that will satisfy the domestic needs of an average family can cost five thousand US dollars. Of course, the payback of such a source will have to wait quite a long time. But why not make a solar collector with your own hands and install it?

The standard device has the form of a metal plate, which is placed in a plastic or glass case. The surface of this plate accumulates solar energy, retains heat and transfers it for various household needs: heating, water heating, etc. There are several types of integrated collectors.

Cumulative

Storage collectors are also called thermosyphon. Such a do-it-yourself solar collector without a pump is the most profitable. Its capabilities allow not only to heat water, but also to maintain the temperature at the required level for some time.

Such a solar collector for heating consists of several tanks filled with water, which are located in a heat-insulating box. The tanks are covered with a glass lid, through which the sun's rays break through and heat the water. This option is the most economical, easy to operate and maintain, but its efficiency in winter is almost zero.

flat

P represents a large metal plate - an absorber, which is located inside an aluminum case with a glass lid. A do-it-yourself flat solar collector will be more efficient when using a glass cover. Absorbs solar energy through hail-resistant glass, which transmits light well and practically does not reflect it.

Inside the box there is thermal insulation, which can significantly reduce heat loss. The plate itself has a low efficiency, so it is coated with an amorphous semiconductor, which significantly increases the thermal energy accumulation rate.

When making a solar collector for a pool with your own hands, a flat integrated device is often preferred. However, it does not worse cope with other tasks, such as: heating water for domestic needs and space heating. Flat is the most widely used option. It is preferable to make a do-it-yourself absorber for a solar collector from copper.

liquid

From the name it is clear that the main coolant in them is the liquid. A do-it-yourself water solar collector is made according to the following scheme. Through a metal plate absorbing solar energy, heat is transferred through pipes attached to it into a tank with water or non-freezing liquid or directly to the consumer.

There are two pipes attached to the plate. Through one of them, cold water is supplied from the tank, and through the second, already heated liquid enters the tank. Pipes must have inlet and outlet openings. Such a heating scheme is called closed.

When heated water is directly supplied to meet the needs of the user, such a system is called open-loop.

Unglazed ones are more often used to heat water in the pool, so assembling such thermal solar collectors with your own hands does not require the purchase of expensive materials - rubber and plastic will do. Glazed ones have higher efficiency, so they are able to heat the house and provide the consumer with hot water.

Air

Air devices are more economical than the above analogues that use water as a coolant. The air does not freeze, does not leak, and does not boil like water. If a leak occurs in such a system, it does not bring so many problems, but it is quite difficult to determine where it happened.

Do-it-yourself production is not expensive for the consumer. The solar panel, which is covered with glass, heats the air that is between it and the heat-insulating plate. Roughly speaking, this is a flat collector with space for air inside. Cold air enters inside and, under the influence of solar energy, warm air is supplied to the consumer.

The fan, which is attached to the air duct or directly to the plate, improves circulation and improves air exchange in the device. The fan requires the use of electricity, which is not very economical.

Such options are durable and reliable and easier to maintain than devices that use liquid as a coolant. To maintain the desired air temperature in the cellar or to heat the greenhouse with a solar collector, just such an option is suitable.

How it works

The collector collects energy using a light accumulator or, in other words, a solar panel, which transmits light to an accumulating metal plate, where the solar energy is converted into heat. The plate transfers heat to the coolant, which can be both liquid and air. Water is sent through pipes to the consumer. With the help of such a collector, you can heat your home, heat water for various household purposes or a pool.

Air collectors are used mainly for space heating or heating the air inside it. Savings when using such devices are obvious. Firstly, there is no need to use any fuel, and secondly, the consumption of electricity is reduced.

In order to get the maximum effect from the use of the collector and to heat the water for free for seven months a year, it must have a large surface and additional heat exchangers.

Engineer Stanislav Stanilov introduced the world to the most versatile solar collector design. The main idea of ​​using the device he developed is to obtain thermal energy by creating a greenhouse effect inside the collector.

Collector design

The design of this collector is very simple. In fact, this is a solar collector made of steel pipes welded into a radiator, which is placed in a wooden container, protected by thermal insulation. Mineral wool, polystyrene foam, expanded polystyrene can act as a heat-insulating material.

A galvanized metal sheet is placed at the bottom of the box, on which the radiator is mounted. Both the sheet and the radiator are painted black, and the box itself is covered with white paint. Of course, the container is covered with a glass lid, which seals well.

Materials and parts for manufacturing

To build such a homemade solar collector for heating a house, you will need:

• glass to serve as a lid. Its size will depend on the dimensions of the box. For good efficiency, it is better to select glass with a size of 1700 mm by 700 mm;
• frame under glass - it can be welded independently from the corners or put together from wooden planks;
• box board. Here you can use any boards, even from the dismantling of old furniture or a wooden floor;
• rolling corner;
• coupling;
• pipes for assembling a radiator;
• clamps for mounting the radiator;
• sheet of galvanized iron;
• radiator intake and exhaust pipe;
• tank with a volume of 200-300 liters;
• aquacamera;
• thermal insulation (foam sheets, expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, ecowool).

Stages of work

Do-it-yourself Stanilov manifold manufacturing steps:

1. A container is knocked together from the boards, the bottom of which is reinforced with bars.
2. A heat insulator is laid at the bottom. The base must be especially carefully insulated to avoid heat leakage from the heat exchanger.
3. After that, a galvanized plate is arranged at the bottom of the box and a radiator is installed, which is welded from pipes, and fixed with steel clamps.
4. The radiator and the sheet below it are painted black, and the box is white or silver.
5. The water tank must be installed under the collector in a warm room. Between the water tank and the collector, thermal insulation must be arranged so that the pipes are warm. The tank can be placed in a large barrel, into which expanded clay, sand, sawdust, etc. can be poured. and thus insulate.
6. An aqua chamber must be installed above the tank in order to create pressure in the network.
7. Do-it-yourself solar collector installation must be carried out on the south side of the roof.
8. After all the elements of the system are ready and installed, you need to connect them to the network with half-inch pipes, which must be well insulated in order to reduce heat loss.
9. It would be nice to build a controller for a solar collector with your own hands, since factory devices are not used for long.

Size calculation

The calculation of dimensions in order to make a solar collector for heating with your own hands is primarily aimed at determining the load of the heat supply system, the coverage of which is assumed by this device. It goes without saying that the use of several energy sources in the complex is implied, and not just solar energy. In this case, it is important to arrange the system in such a way that it interacts with others - then this will give the maximum effect.

To determine the collector area, you need to know for what purposes it will be used: heating, hot water, or both. After analyzing the water meter data, heating needs and insolation data of the area in which the installation is planned, it is possible to calculate the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe collector. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the hot water needs of all consumers that are planned to be connected to the network: a washing machine, dishwasher, etc.

Selective coating performs perhaps the most basic function in the operation of the collector. A coated plate or radiator attracts many times more solar energy, turning it into heat. You can purchase a special chemical as a selective coating, or you can simply paint the heat storage tank black.

To make a selective coating for solar collectors with your own hands, you can apply:

• special ready-made chemical;
• oxides of various metals;
• thin thermal insulation material;
• black chrome;
• selective paint for the collector;
• black paint or film.

Collectors from improvised materials

It is cheaper and more interesting to assemble a solar collector for heating a house with your own hands, because it can be made from various improvised materials.

From metal pipes

This assembly option is similar to the Stanilov collector. When assembling a solar collector from copper pipes with your own hands, a radiator is cooked from the pipes and placed in a wooden box, laid with thermal insulation from the inside.

Copper pipes will be the most effective, aluminum pipes can also be used, but they are difficult to cook, but steel pipes are the most successful option.

Such a homemade collector should not be too large to be easy to assemble and mount. The diameter of the pipes for solar collectors for welding the radiator must be smaller than the pipes for the inlet and outlet of the coolant.

From plastic and metal-plastic pipes

How to make a solar collector with your own hands, having plastic pipes in your home arsenal? They are less effective as a heat accumulator, but they are many times cheaper than copper and do not corrode like steel.

Pipes are laid out in a box in a spiral and fixed with clamps. They can be coated with black or selective paint for greater effectiveness.

You can experiment with pipe laying. Since the pipes do not bend well, they can be laid not only in a spiral, but also in a zigzag. Among the advantages, plastic pipes are easy and quick to solder.

From a hose

To make a solar collector for the shower with your own hands, you will need a rubber hose. The water in it heats up very quickly, so it can also be used as a heat exchanger. This is the most economical option when making a collector with your own hands. The hose or polyethylene pipe is placed in a box and attached with clamps.

Since the hose is twisted in a spiral, there will be no natural circulation of water in it. To use a water storage tank in this system, it is necessary to equip it with a circulation pump. If this is a summer cottage and a little hot water leaves, then the amount that will flow into the pipe may be enough.

From cans

The coolant of the solar collector from aluminum cans is air. Banks are interconnected, forming a pipe. To make a solar collector from beer cans, you need to cut off the bottom and top of each can, dock them together and glue them with sealant. Finished pipes are placed in a wooden box and covered with glass.

Basically, an air solar collector made from beer cans is used to eliminate dampness in the basement or to heat the greenhouse. As a heat accumulator, you can use not only beer cans, but also plastic bottles.

From the fridge

Do-it-yourself solar hot water panels can be built from an unusable refrigerator or an old car radiator. The condenser removed from the refrigerator must be thoroughly rinsed. Hot water obtained in this way is best used only for technical purposes.

Foil and a rubber mat are spread at the bottom of the box, then a capacitor is laid on them and fixed. To do this, you can use belts, clamps, or the mount with which it was attached in the refrigerator. To create pressure in the system, it does not hurt to install a pump or an aqua chamber above the tank.

Video

You will learn how to make a solar collector with your own hands from the following video.

The sun is the largest source of safe and free energy. And if earlier people could not use it, now there are technologies that help to provide the house with heat and hot water only due to the sun. Using collectors is a cost-effective and affordable way to make a country house more comfortable. You just need to choose the right solar collector (or make it yourself), and then introduce it into the existing heating system.

What is a solar water heater

A collector (water heater) is a device that collects the energy of the sun's rays and turns it into heat. The sun heats the coolant in the collector, which is then used for hot water supply and heating or electricity generation.

Devices associated with the energy of the sun, it is correct to call solar installations or solar collectors (on behalf of the ancient Greek god of the sun Helios).

Modern solar water heaters can be complex, but any owner of a private house can make a device for their own needs. The main thing is to figure out what this device is for.

Three manifolds fully meet the needs of the family in hot water and heating

Scope of solar installations

In our country, the phrase solar water heater is still associated with a black tank on the roof of a summer shower booth, but this technology is successfully used all over the world. Solar collectors are common in the southern regions of Europe. Residents of private homes in Italy, Spain and Greece are required by law to use solar water heaters. Not far behind the West and China. There, solar water heaters are installed on the roofs of skyscrapers and provide hot water to all apartments. In 2000, there were so many solar plants in the world that, put together, they would take more than 71 million m 2. Almost 15 million m 2 of them would be European.

Solar vacuum collectors almost completely occupy the roofs of Chinese new buildings

Such devices are used for hot water supply of domestic premises and industrial buildings, heating of private houses, administrative buildings, workshops. They are most in demand in the food and textile industries, since it is in this area that there are many production processes using hot water.

In the private sector, for every person from Germany there is 0.14 m 2 of solar collector area, from Austria - 0.45 m 2, from Cyprus - 0.8 m 2, and from Russia - 0.0002 m 2. The intensity of solar lighting in Russia is only 0.5 kWh/m 2 less than in southern Germany. This means that the low popularity of solar collectors in the northern regions is not due to geographical reasons.

With an extensive manifold system, even pool water can be heated

Types of solar collectors

Engineers have developed flat, tubular vacuum concentrators with parabolic trough reflectors, air towers, solar towers and other types of installations. The most popular for domestic purposes are flat and vacuum water heaters.

Table: Comparative characteristics of flat and vacuum collectors

flat collector	vacuum manifold
Easy to do with your own hands from improvised materials.	Produced in industrial conditions or assembled from factory parts.
Pays off quickly.	It pays off three times longer than a flat one.
Less likely to overheat in hot weather.	Does not allow the return of accumulated heat to the environment.
Effectively works in the summer or in countries with a hot climate.	Suitable for cold regions, works in winter at temperatures down to -30 ° C.
It has a high windage, so a strong gust of wind can rip it off the roof.	The wind passes freely between the vacuum tubes, so the probability that the collector will not be affected by a storm is higher.
It clears itself of snow, frost and ice.	Performance is 2-3 times higher than that of a flat collector (with equal areas).

Features of Flat Solar Water Heaters

The device is a panel, inside of which there are copper tubes with a dark coating. They heat water, which is then collected in a tank and used for DHW (hot water supply). If you make a collector yourself, then expensive components can be replaced with available materials:

• instead of copper pipes, you can take steel, polyethylene or just a radiator from an old refrigerator;
• a wooden frame can become a replacement for a metal one, although it weighs more;
• chrome absorber will replace the usual black paint;
• a sheet of glass or cellular polycarbonate will serve well as a protective cover, and polystyrene foam will serve as a heater.

The main thing is to ensure the tightness of the panel, but for this it is enough to seal all the seams with building silicone. The main disadvantage of such devices is that the heated coolant radiates heat into the air and cools slightly before entering the storage tank. The use of thermal insulation and sealing of seams are designed to combat this effect.

Expensive parts of an industrial manifold can be replaced with cheaper counterparts, for example, use steel pipes instead of copper pipes, and make the device frame wooden

If water is not taken from a flat-plate collector, on a hot sunny day it can heat up to 190–210 ° C, which can lead to rupture of coolant pipes or connecting elements. For those who use a solar water heater on an occasional basis, it is important to install a storage tank that can eliminate excess pressure in the pipes. Another option is to use mineral oil instead of water as a heat sink. Its boiling point is higher, which reduces the risk of damage to the system. In this case, you need a heat exchanger in which the oil will transfer the accumulated heat to the water without direct contact.

Flat-plate solar collectors are cheaper and easier to manufacture, but are only suitable for summer operation in a country house or as an auxiliary water heater. Use them only for domestic hot water.

Features of vacuum manifolds

Solar water heaters of this type consist of separate tubes, each of which is in an airless environment. This design made it possible to reduce heat losses on the way from the collector to the storage tank and increase the efficiency of the system. Thanks to this, vacuum collectors work perfectly during the change of seasons (autumn, spring) and in winter.

Vacuum solar water heaters also use copper tubes, as this material provides good heat transfer and is hygienic at the same time. The remaining elements are similar: glass (borosilicate for better heat transmission), under it is a black absorbing layer, a tube with a coolant and a substrate. It is easier to ensure the tightness of the system, since there is only one seam - the connection between the tube and the storage tank.

Cold water gradually heats up from alternate contact with hot copper pipes. The heat from the solar vacuum system is only removed in this way, so it is important to provide it with a regular supply of cold water, that is, use hot water throughout the day. To increase the stability of the system, antifreeze is used as a coolant in vacuum solar collectors. It tolerates heat well up to 300 ° C and does not freeze when the temperature of the device drops to -40 ° C on a cloudy day.

For year-round hot water supply and heating of a country house, a vacuum solar collector is required. It is more expensive, but more efficient and more reliable than a flat one.

It is impossible to create a full-fledged vacuum solar collector with your own hands: the manufacture of a thick-walled tube from borosilicate glass is unthinkable in artisanal conditions. Therefore, a more reliable option would be to purchase factory flasks (coaxial and feather varieties are offered) and assemble the solar water heater on site. But since even such work requires remarkable locksmith skills, it is better to buy a finished product with a guarantee from the manufacturer.

In which system to integrate a solar water heater

In order for hot water to start flowing from the tap, it is important not only to choose a collector, but also to create a whole system for it from a storage tank, connecting pipes, taps and other elements.

Circulation types

It is necessary to determine whether you can install the storage tank above the level of the collector. It depends on which of the two types of circulation will be in the system.

1. Natural circulation is created due to the difference in density of cold and hot water.. The heated liquid tends to rise, which causes such an arrangement of the storage tank. If the roof has a complex structure, choose a well-lit place to place the collector and place the tank under the ridge.
2. Forced circulation systems work thanks to a pump that pumps warm water into a prepared tank. In this case, it becomes possible to place the elements of the system far from each other, for example, to put a storage tank in the attic or in the basement. This is better for the exterior, requires less effort on the thermal insulation of the tank itself. But the pipes leading from the collector to the tank must be provided with thermal insulation, otherwise there is a risk of losing all the heat along the way. Forced circulation requires the use of electricity, so if there is no or often no electricity in the country, this option will not work.

If you decide to use a coolant oil in the manifold, provide a pump for forced circulation. Otherwise, due to the low expansion coefficient of the oil, the system simply will not work.

Selecting the type of circulation circuit

Three types of systems are common:

1. Open loop. This is the easiest way to supply hot water to your home. Its main difference is that the coolant in the collector is necessarily water. First, it is heated in tubes, then it enters the storage tank, and then directly to the faucet in the kitchen or bathroom. That is, water does not circulate in a circle, but in an open circuit, a new portion is heated each time.
2. Single-circuit. It is preferable when using solar heat it is supposed to heat the house or make the operation of electric heating cheaper. Its difference is that the water heated by the sun enters the heating pipes. The coolant moves in the system in a circle. This is the closed circulation cycle. Since the solar collector is used in winter and off-season, choose vacuum models and include an additional heater in the system. An electric or gas boiler helps to bring the coolant to the desired temperature on cold and cloudy days, as well as at night.
3. Dual circuit. This option involves the transfer of heat from the collector to the system through a special heat exchanger. Since there is no direct contact between the coolant and water, oil or antifreeze is used in the collector. The system is optimal for country houses in which people live throughout the year. In it, the collector is used for both hot water supply and heating at the same time. As a rule, a boiler and / or boiler for additional heating of water is also integrated into it, and several collectors are used (depending on the number of residents and the climatic characteristics of the region).

   In a two-circuit circulation system, there is no direct contact between the solar water heater and water

The circulation system with an open circuit is effective for the hot water supply of a summer residence, a double-circuit one - for the complete supply (hot water supply and heating) of a country house.

How to make a flat solar collector with your own hands

For this you need a drawing. You will also need to calculate the area of ​​​​the water heater in accordance with the needs of the family. This parameter is determined by the formula: A=K*F*SF/(G*η)AW=1/(G*η)A=K*F*SF*AW, where:

• A - area of ​​collectors, m2;
• AW - reduced area, which is capable of generating 1 kW*hour per day, m2*day/(kW*hour);
• Η – efficiency of one collector, %;
• G - total solar radiation per day, typical for the area, kW*h/(m2*day);
• K - coefficient taking into account the magnitude of the angle of inclination of the collectors and their orientation relative to the cardinal points;
• F is the energy required to heat water for a day, kWh/day;
• SF is the share of solar energy in covering the heat demand, %.

For the construction of the collector, you will need a detailed drawing indicating the number and size of parts

Tools and materials for work

For the manufacture of a flat solar collector measuring 2.28x1.9x0.1 m with metal-plastic pipes and a wooden frame, you will need:

• hacksaw or jigsaw for cutting wood and plywood;
• scissors for metal-plastic pipes;
• screwdriver;
• brushes and spray gun or spray paint for blackening mounted pipes.

Sequencing:

1. Assemble a box for the base of the collector from two sheets of plywood measuring 1.52x1.52 m 1 cm thick. Cut one of them to create sides for parts: 0.76x0.38 m - 4 pcs. 1 PC.
2. Paint the inner surface of the resulting box with black matte paint, and the outer surface with white or cover it with a protective varnish.
3. Create a frame for attaching the box from a bar with a section of 5x5 cm, according to the attached diagram. In total, 60 m of timber will be needed. Before assembly, it is important to treat the parts with a wood preservative to protect the material from precipitation and temperature changes. Fasten the parts together with wood screws using metal corners 5x5 cm.
4. Fix the box on the prepared stand and carry out further assembly on this inclined stand.
5. Make a markup where the pipes will pass, and in the right attachment points for them. Paint them black too so as not to increase heat loss.
6. Cut 0.5 inch thick metal-plastic pipes into pieces of the required length. In order not to make a mistake, use the first fragment as a reference sample. You should get 45 pieces of 2.14 m each.
7. Assemble the snake from the pipes on the stand, using fittings for metal-plastic pipes on the turns. In total, 44 angled elbows of the "mother-mother" and "mother-father" types and 88 adapters from a metal-plastic pipe to a fitting are needed. Use sealing thread to seal the connections. At the beginning and end of the snake, fix the adapters for connecting the water supply and drainage hoses.
8. Paint the structure black with an airbrush or spray can.

   The collector coil is painted black

9. Connect the coil to the pump and make sure that no leakage occurs when pumping water. If any connection is not tight enough, drain the water and reassemble it, and then check again.
10. Cover the top of the box with clear glass or solid polycarbonate. If it is not possible to use a single sheet, make an aluminum frame in the size of the existing fragments (preferably no more than four) and securely fasten the panels. Treat each joint carefully with transparent silicone so that the water heater is airtight.

According to the described scheme, a collector with a power of 1.6–2 kW is assembled.

To reduce the cost of the device, a flexible pipe made of cross-linked polyethylene is used. It is originally black and mounted with a snake using just two fittings. But in this case, the water will come into contact not with hygienic metal (as in the case described), but with plastic. This is undesirable if the water is also intended for cooking.

Video: how to make a flat solar water heater with copper tubes

Solar collector installation

The device is installed on the roof. This option is suitable for country houses and high-rise buildings. It is better if the roof is pitched and the angle of inclination is close to the latitude of this region. In this case, you will need to attach brackets to the boards on its south side through the roofing material. The collector will be placed 15–20 cm above the roof level, parallel to the slope. This is the most harmonious solution, especially if several water heaters are used in the house. Sometimes the collector is recessed into the roof so that the protective screen is flush with the decorative roofing. But this method is much more expensive and can weaken the roof structure.

It is best to mount the flat-plate collector system on a pitched roof

On flat roofs, collectors are mounted on special structures that hold them at a given angle. Stands can be purchased ready-made or welded independently from the corners. The metal structure is attached to the base with large anchor bolts.

On a flat roof, collectors are mounted on special structures

In dachas, solar collectors are installed next to the house or swimming pool in an open sunny area. In this case, they choose a place on an already created site or equip a reliable base separately. To do this, you need a rectangular platform with a compacted bulk cushion, waterproofing and paving slabs, porcelain stoneware, and other durable, hard and weather-resistant material. Subsequently, a metal or wooden easel stand is mounted on it, on which the solar collector is attached.

Installing a solar collector on supports that do not have a common base is considered a less reliable option, but helps save space

Solar collector maintenance

Like any other equipment, the device requires maintenance. Most common jobs:

If the collector was purchased, at the first breakdown, you should call the master, and during the warranty period, contact the manufacturer's representative. A homemade solar water heater will have to be repaired on its own, but finding a breakdown and fixing it in a homemade product is much easier than in a factory one. The experience of collector repairers suggests that the condition of the valves, sensors, storage tank and pump should first be checked, as they are less reliable than the solar plant itself.

In DHW systems with a solar collector, valves and sensors most often fail.

Video: instructions for assembling a solar collector from aluminum cans

The owners of solar collectors are sure: once you evaluate the capabilities of this device, it will simply be impossible to do without it. Now you can provide your home or cottage with cheap and safe heat.

This solar collector was designed by the author independently on the basis of an old heating radiator. The solar collector allows you to use hot water in the summer, which is heated by natural heat from the sun's rays. Such a design will be especially useful in a country house, where hot water is usually not supplied.

The following materials were used to create a solar collector:

1) Old flat heating radiators in the amount of two pieces.
2) sheets of metal or tin
3) metal-plastic pipes
4) taps
5) fittings
6) window glass
7) two barrels with a capacity of 160 liters

Consider the main stages of creating a solar collector based on an old heating radiator.

First you need to get acquainted with the basic principle of operation of this model of water heater. Cold water is pumped into the tank from a well; for this, the author installed a pumping station. Water is supplied to the tank through a tap, which allows you to adjust the water level in the tank.

After heating, hot water goes directly into the bath without a faucet, since the water in the tank is not under pressure. Thus, hot water itself flows into the bath when the tap is opened.

On the roof of the house, the author installed two radiators so that the top of the radiator was one level lower than the storage tank. Also, for the purpose of natural circulation of water, the pipes for its supply from the storage tank are installed at an angle, towards the radiators.

Due to the fact that the tube through which heated water enters the tank was connected just above the middle of the tank, the most heated and hot water always accumulates at the top of the storage tank.

Thus, in the summer, when the average air temperature in the shade is 25+ degrees, the water in the tank can heat up to 50-60 degrees per day.

The author also made a simple manipulation with the barrel so that it retains heat throughout the night and in the morning the water is still warm. To do this, the barrel was wrapped in mineral wool and foil, after which the storage tank became a kind of large thermos.

Now about the design of the water heating system itself.
Two flat radiators were placed on the roof of the author's house.

For the convenience of fastening, two metal boxes were made of their tin and sheets of metal, in which the radiators were placed. From above, the radiators in the boxes were covered with glass to protect them from wind and dirt. The author used two radiators at once in order to reduce the water heating time, respectively, the more radiators, the faster the water will heat up from solar heat.

The top of the radiators installed on the roof is below the level of the storage tank, so the water heated by the sun naturally enters the tank. As expected, the water supply pipes from the tank are made with a downward slope towards the radiators.

Here you can see photos of the manufacture of metal boxes for radiators:

This is how the radiator was placed in the box itself:

And here is a photo of the tank located in the attic of the house:

Since the author used rather old heating radiators, which had been lying idle for a long time, when the system was first started, rusty water flowed for a long time, but after the radiators were washed, the water quality returned to normal.

Also, the author of the collector of this design reminds that in winter the water from the heating system must be drained. Therefore, it is worth providing special drainage taps at the bottom of the radiator. The best way to drain the water from the storage tank is to turn off the pumping station, and then open the cold water supply valve. Thus, all the water in the tank will drain itself. If you do not drain the water from the solar collector for the winter, then in cold weather the structure will deform and become unusable. Although the collector itself is made of fairly cheap materials, with proper maintenance it can work for quite a long time.

Owners of private houses often strive to make their housing not only more practical and efficient, but also less expensive to maintain. Relatively recently, solar collectors have been widely used, which allow organizing hot water supply and even heating a cottage at minimal cost. It is quite expensive to purchase ready-made installations, but at the same time, making a solar collector with your own hands is not so difficult. In this article, we offer several ways to solve this problem.

At its core, this is climate equipment that is used to produce hot water with its subsequent use in the plumbing and heating system. The principle of operation of such a system is to change the density of water during its heating, due to which the hot liquid is pushed up.

The main difference between such systems is that natural resources are used for heating, in particular, solar energy, which is absolutely free. And a properly designed solar collector allows you to extract this energy even on a frosty day or in cloudy weather. Therefore, the use of such a device is possible not only in summer, but even in autumn and winter.

Solar collector device

The design of a complete solar collector system necessarily includes several basic elements - these are:

How profitable is it to have a solar collector?

The use of a solar collector, of course, will give certain advantages - these are:

What are solar collectors?

Classification of types of solar collectors is carried out according to several principles. The first one is performance. The determining criterion is the temperature that can be reached by the energy-extracting plates.

According to this principle, solar collectors are distinguished:

Depending on the form and functionality, the following design solutions are distinguished:

According to the type of coolant, the following devices are distinguished:

How to make a solar collector with your own hands?

Making a solar collector for heating or hot water is not as difficult as you might think. Below are several options - both the simplest designs, and more complex, but effective. Which one to choose, determine yourself, based on personal requirements, the availability of a particular material and professional building skills.

Important! The examples are listed in order of complexity of assembly and cost of consumables.

Method 1. Hose collector

You, probably, more than once, when processing your own plot in the summer, noticed that if you water a flower bed from a hose that has lain in the sun for a long time, rather warm water will flow from it. Based on this observation, the following design was developed.

Important! This device is easy and quick to install. A great option for giving, where there is no need for a large consumption of hot water. From one hose 100 m long and 20 mm in cross section, you can get about 20-30 liters of ready-made hot water. If there is a need for a larger volume, you will have to use not only a storage tank, but also a circulation pump to create forced circulation of water, or make several collectors from a hose.

Assembly instruction:

If the slope of the roof is sharp enough, take additional steps:

Method 2. Collector from a window frame

Today, wooden windows are used somewhat less, but, nevertheless, many retained the old frames by replacing them with plastic or new ones made of wood. This part of the window is just right for constructing a solar collector, since the frame is a ready-made box for a natural battery.

Assembly instruction:

Method 3. Collector from plastic bottles

Another fairly simple design option, the cost of which is low. Its main advantage lies in the fact that even during sunrise and sunset, energy is extracted, and the rays penetrate almost at an angle of 90 degrees into the bottles.

A set of materials for such a solar collector is available:

Assembly instruction:

Method 4. Collector from an old refrigerator

An old refrigerator that is out of order can also come in handy. A condenser is used from it for the solar collector, which will reduce the time for assembling the heat exchanger. The only caveat is that, since freon and oil still circulated in it, it is advisable to use such water exclusively for technical needs, but not as drinking water.

Important! In addition to the condenser from the refrigerator, a car radiator can also be used in this system. In this case, the efficiency of the device will be higher.