solar hot water heater

[bluefish]

I'm not sure if I should be asking this here or on shop talk or something, but here goes. I was thinking about a passive solar hot water heater for animal water. I'm not sure this is possible, but would like any ideas, and criticisms. It would be for pigs and goats. I don't know if they could be on the same one or not as they are a little ways apart and there is no running water there. I haul it by bucket. Would something like this even have a chance in Wyoming winters? I'm sorry this is so vague, but I'm in the middle of educating myself and trying to work this idea out. Any ideas or thoughts?

[Shrek]

Antifreeze in a sealed line totally free of any air with one way pressure valves routed through a heat collector is one design of solar water heaters. As the antifreeze in the tubing in the collector heats up it passes through the oneway valve going to the coils of the water heater. At the same time the cooler antifreeze is drawn up into the solar collector using the same principle that makes sterling engines function. Of course it only works when the sun is shining.


A standard small scale storage battery solar electric application coupled with heated containers would probably be more viable.

[SolarGary]

Originally Posted by thermopkt

I'm not sure if I should be asking this here or on shop talk or something, but here goes. I was thinking about a passive solar hot water heater for animal water. I'm not sure this is possible, but would like any ideas, and criticisms. It would be for pigs and goats. I don't know if they could be on the same one or not as they are a little ways apart and there is no running water there. I haul it by bucket. Would something like this even have a chance in Wyoming winters? I'm sorry this is so vague, but I'm in the middle of educating myself and trying to work this idea out. Any ideas or thoughts?

Hi,
You might want to post the question in Alternate Energy -- you should get some good comments there.

I think that you can find a solar heater that will work in WY winters (and I live in MT

As a start, have a look at this past Alternate Energy thread:
http://homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=201784

Gary