Brrrrrrrr.....been cold out lately.
So I got the pattern done for one panel, half the wall. (aprox. 150sqft) And one piece of the steel up. The rest should go alittle faster.
Started on the pattern for the other half(another 150sqft)...but it started getting dark and I started getting cold.
Plan is to blow air from the bottom up around and exit the tops of each panel in the middle. From there it will blow over a furnace coil to heat water, all I need is water at 50F or more. Then the air goes back to the collectors as a closed loop. At least for now, then after I get some testing I may add a way to draw in shop air. But then you'd have to filter it really well. With a closed system I won't get as much dust, smoke, dirt etc from the shop air on the inside of the collectors. And hopefully it will boost the amount of BTU's going into the water vs an open system.
There is a spot framed for a window but I am wondering how funny it would look in the collector? Would be nice to have the light from a south window also though. Not sure yet...
Side view of the whole mess. Black pipe in the bottom of the photo goes to the 7 ft deep 1200ft slinky coil under the garage slab and out into the driveway.
Just alittle of the insulation for the outside block. The whole garage bottom plate overhangs enough to fit this cut piece of 2" foam. Its buried almost as deep as the slab so the slab has 4" and the outside block has 2" of insulation. Expanding foam was used at the top of the pink foam also. Air tight as possible where you can, in a garage anyway. lol Then cover the insulation with Tuff II brush on coating to protect the insulation. Brown or matching tan?
The steel is painted on the the back, would rather have it bare. And after I placed the order I found out of course the black paint is 'energy saving' paint. Oops...
Worst case I'll take the panels back off and get them sandblasted front and back then paint the front with the proper type and go from there.