DIY Solar Heat Collectors

Instructions

• 1). Take 50 empty aluminum soda cans and clean them thoroughly. Take five of the cans and drill a 1-inch hole into the sides of each. Take the other 45 cans and drill a 1-inch hole into the bottoms of each, placing the holes next to one of the edges. Take one of the five cans with a hole in its side and lie it flat on a surface. Take some caulking material and apply it completely around the top edge of that can. Take a can with a hole drilled in the bottom and place it gently on the top of the newly caulked can so that the drilled hole fits over the hole on top of the can that has already been opened by the tab. Apply some caulking material around the entire seam to seal the two cans together. Repeat this process with caulking more cans on top of the first two until there is a stack of 10 cans sealed together in this fashion. Repeat this process with four more stacks of cans.
  
  
• 2). Take the plank of plywood and lay it on a flat surface. In the top left corner of the wood, drill a 3-inch hole, then another 3-inch hole in the opposite right-hand corner of the plywood. Cut it into four parts with two of the pieces measuring 5 feet and two of them 1 foot, 8 inches long.
  
  
• 3). Take one of the 5-foot pieces of wood and place it directly on top of the sheet of plywood to where the edges on the outside are flush while the sides that measure 4 inches are vertical to the piece of plywood. Take a hammer and nail these pieces of wood into place and repeat this with the other 5-foot piece of wood, putting this just alongside the other 5-foot length side of plywood. Again, nail this into place.
  
  
• 4). Take the two smaller pieces of wood and put them directly on top of the plywood so that the edges on the outside are flush, forming the other two walls. Take the hammer and nail these pieces into place. Take some caulking and apply it all along the seams to the inside of the box where the wood sides meet up with the plywood. Put the entire box on its side and again put caulking all along the seams that are horizontal along the ground. Flip the box over on the other side and repeat the caulking process until all of the seams have been thoroughly sealed.
  
  
• 5). Take a tape measure and measure the insulation sheet so that it will fit tightly within the box, then proceed to cut holes into the insulation to where the holes fit over the holes that are now in the plywood. Use caulk to glue the insulation into the box. Allow it to dry completely.
  
  
• 6). Take the black paint and use a brush to completely cover the outside of the box with it. While it is drying, paint each of the soda cans completely black as well and let all of the painted objects dry thoroughly.
  
  
• 7). Place the caulked-together stacks of soda cans into the box and use caulking to glue them into place. Take the sheet of plexiglass and put it over the now-filled box and caulk it into place. Take some caulking and put it over the hole located at the top of your new solar collector, then attach the connecting pipe onto it with caulking as well.
  
  
• 8). Find a very sunny spot to place the collector so it can get as much direct light from the sun as possible each day. While the sun is collected, the pipe on the collector will give off a flow of warm air.