Lets build a Solar Powered Heater for an Animal Rescue.

 

Items needed..

A) Nest or similar smart thermostat

B) WIfi Enabled Plug..  x 2

C) Water Pump x 2

D) Solar Panels - 

E) Solar Battery -- 24v circut. 

F) Used Car Radiator / thermostat -- check local junkyards. or use T&P hot water relief valve for 150 PSI water pressue pre pump, or gravity fed system  

G) Pex tubing. 

H) Water Storage Bladder

I) Wood 2x4's

J) Insulation

K) Black trash bags. 

M) Plexiglass 

N) Magnify Film Sheets

0) Eagles Diamond Painting

P) toilet float valve and tank.

Q) Inverter

R) Spray Foam. 

How to do it. First, build solar water heater.. 

1. Build a box out of the wood. Line with black trash bags. 
2. Run Pex tubing threw wooden box. 
3. Seal entrance and exit points.
4. Fill box with anti-freeze or water. 
5. Cover box with Plexiglass
6. Attach film sheets to Plexiglass

Then build the pump circuit. 

1. Using solar panels, connect to battery. 
2. connect battery to inverter.
3. Dig a hole, and reinforce hole with 2x4's. 
4. stuff insulation in hole. 
5. connect thermostat to the pex tubing leaving the box. this will be our hot side. 
6. connect thermostat to the water bladder using PEX tubing. this is hot water storage. 
7.  place water bladder on top of insulation. 
8. connect output from sump pump to pex tubing. this is hot water output pex.
9. place sump pump in wading pool, using toilet float valve to control pump power to avoid burning out pump motor. 
10. connect water bladder to supply of toilet tank. 
11. place rocks in toilet tank to hold onto heat. 
12. connect output from sump pump to pex tubing. this is hot water output pex. 
13. run pex through toilet, using spray foam to seal bottom of toilet. 
14. connect hot water output to radiator input. 
15. connect radiator ouput to pex tubing, and connect to input side of box from step one. 
16. Complete diamond painting in Step O) and then frame and mount above toilet because Go Birds!!

How it works

The solar heater heats the water (even in winter). Hot water gets stored in bladder. The ceramic toilet acts as a secondary steam heat sink for the animals. inside the heated space. It also serves as a safety to ensure that water hotter than 212 degrees never enters the radiator to ensure that a fire doesn't start. At 212, water boils off. 

The radiator(s) act as primary heat sinks throughout the rest of the space. 

Water pump moves the water through the system, ensuring that we have heated water. 

Move it inside your home

You can use connect hot water radiators inside your home system, bypassing the need to fire up your furnace or electric/gas hot water heaters. 

Did you try it?

Let me know in the comments. Post videos of your completed system with any feedback you have.