One man’s trash is another man’s solar water heater! By using household junk, most of which you can get for free at the local landfill, you can make your own thermal water heater for less than the price of a fast food meal.
An MTD (modified trickle down) solar heating system is a good DIY project because it uses less expensive materials, and because of its simplicity to build. It heats water directly, instead of using absorber plates or flow tubes. It uses the same concept as Harry E. Thompson’s Trickle Down Solar Roof. With a MTD solar heating system, an array of MTD collectors forms a single solar roof.
Recently we received a question from someone who wanted to know whether or not it would be possible to run his laundry room off solar power. He wanted to know if he could purchase solar panels to run his laundry room, and connect them in such a way that his laundry facilities would not tap into the house’s main electricity, and whether he could run a power cord from a solar panel to his washer and dryer.
Solar hot water heating systems are an effective way of conserving energy and reducing your energy bill. Contrary to popular belief, solar water heating is not a new technology. Solar water heating systems have been used commercially for over a century now, with the first commercial water heater (the Climax Solar-Water Heater) going on sale … Read more