Lower Your Heat Bills with a Heat Catcher
One of the easiest ways to augment heat is to use southerly
facing windows as passive SOLAR HEAT CATCHERS. This uses a plan
similar to the outdoor hot box collectors seen at such sites as
listed near the end of the article --but is done indoors and in
an existing window. No carpentry needed!
While outdoor mounted heat boxes do work, a much easier heat
collector can be constructed with aluminum foil, tape and flat
black paint using your south facing windows. We adapted the
concept to fit a cheap budget. Just tape the collector over the
window! If you want to leave the bottom of your windows exposed
for light, just make your collector on the top of the window or
vice versa!
With this method we have cut our winter heating costs (we have
all electric heat!!!) by over one half. It is very simple to do
and very inexpensive for the benefits reaped. And it uses free
solar power! We have heat catchers in all our east, south and
south-west windows placed in back of existing drapes and blinds.
Materials: a roll of heavy duty aluminum foil duct tape
or packing tape, tacks, string or other means of securing foil
to the window frame card board strips cut as wide as window
frame (optional) flat black paint South facing windows (east and
west windows are less effective in their solar gain but OK)
Directions: Take the roll of foil and tear to fit the
window leaving a space of two inches at the top and two inches
at the bottom open. If your windows are wider than the foil tear
several pieces and lap fold together. Paint the more dull side
of the foil flat black and let dry. Fold over a card board strip
for ease of handling. Tie wire or string to the top section if
desired.
Once the foil is dry, you tape it to the interior window frame
-- Black side facing outdoors. Leave a space of an inch
at the top and bottom open for the air to circulate. Or you can
tie it on to the drapery rod to secure.
Your basic collector is done! You will feel that end of the room
heating as the sun shines on the black foil. It will warm this
end of the room as long as the sun shines. Cover the window to
prevent radiant heat loss at night through the glass with a
window quilt or solar shutters to make the system even more
effective.
How it Works: The collector works by creating sort of a
thermosiphon. The cold from the room passes into the bottom of
the collector and is heated by exposure to the sun facing black
foil. Remember -- black color attracts heat. Then since hot air
rises --- passes out the gap at the top into the room heating
it. My husband jokes that the way it helps with heating bills is
to heat that top of the room so your paid heat doesn't have to
do it. In any case, a circle of moving air is created pulling
air if front of the black painted foil and heating it. It rises
to the top of the window frame and goes out the gap warming the
room.
IN EMERGENCIES: You can save time by simply cutting a
black plastic garbage bag or put a black piece of cloth over the
window leaving the gaps at the top or bottom for air flow. This
will produce some solar gain and heat in emergency situations,
but is not as efficient as metal like black painted aluminum.
Cover the window to prevent radiant heat loss at night through
the glass.
If you want to build an OUTDOOR HEAT BOX check out these sites
below: Self Sufficiency:
http://www.jrwhipple.com/sr/<
/a>
Cleardome Solar.com Which sells solar heat boxes, but has lots
of great photos. http://www.cleardomesolar.co
m
If you look at these sites, you should be able to build an
outdoor solar hot box with minimal building skills.
To Add to your ability to Keep Heat IN Your Home please see
the articles below:
Winter Heating Success
http://www
.bellaonline.com/articles/art7967.asp
Cheap Heating
http://www
.bellaonline.com/articles/art6347.asp
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