Use Old Domestic Radiators As Solar Heating Panels

by Jim

The whole idea of using solar energy for heating is about saving money, reducing waste and avoiding the release of carbon into the atmosphere which may be damaging our climate so it makes a lot of sense to reduce waste and save money by and use old domestic radiators as solar heating panels.

Home heating radiators are designed to transfer heat from the heating water pumped through them to the air in our rooms so all we need to do is to reverse the process and use the heat of the sun to heat the water pumped through an old domestic heating radiator which can then be transferred indoors to warm our home.

It will take a little technical ability but it is simple plumbing with a bit of woodwork and carpentry but all you need to do is construct a timber box which the radiator sits inside. You put insulation underneath the radiator, paint the radiator black and then add a glass top to allow the sunlight in and keep the heat in the radiator.

Next we have to find a way to connect the radiator to the internal heating system and this is best done with a heat exchanger so the water in the radiator is separated from the internal heating system water supply.

This is to allow you to disconnect the external solar panel if there is a danger of freezing in winter or for maintenance. It will also allow you to use an anti freeze solution in the home made solar panel which avoids the problems of freezing without interfering with the internal house heating system.

Old domestic radiators are cheap and often free so you can build a very low cost solar heating panel and this means you cover the cost of installation and start making real savings on heating costs very soon after installation.