MOTHER’S Fluorescent Tube Solar Collector

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The finished fluorescent tube solar collector should look something like this.
The finished fluorescent tube solar collector should look something like this.

Here’s yet another simple, easy-to-build, inexpensive, “make it from scrap” solar collector from the talented folks at MOTHER EARTH NEWS’ Research Labs. Tests indicate that the unit operates at efficiencies as high as 83% … and you can put one of the collectors together for only about $52 (less than $2.00 per square foot).

Start this project by rounding up a healthy supply of burned-out 96″-long fluorescent tubes (available for free from offices, factories, stores, shopping centers, dumps, etc., all over the continent). You’ll need 29 of the tubes altogether for your finished collector, but it’s a good idea to pick up a few extras in the beginning just to allow for breakage.

Puncture the metal or plastic ends of the long lights to relieve the vacuum inside, then use the special cutting tool described in MOTHER’S Fluorescent Glass Tube Cutter to remove one end from each tube. Next, pour some sharp sandblasting sand into the cylinders and tip them back and forth repeatedly until all the coating has been removed from their insides. Then cut enough off the other end of each cylinder to leave you with pieces of clean, transparent glass tubing, each 85″ long and open on both ends. Finally, paint all 29 of your glass cylinders flat black inside and out (use a cotton pad, pulled through each tube with stiff wire, to spread the paint deep inside).

To help with the remainder of the assembly process, we’ve prepared this Fluorescent Tube Solar Collector diagram.

Next rout a 1/8″ X 3/8″-deep groove in the sides of the collector box, rabbet its corners, trim the paneling to fit, and fasten the whole box together with wood screws. Cut one of the remaining 1 X 6’s into four pieces and screw them to the bottom of the frame as additional support for the collector’s back. Then, using water glass as glue, attach aluminum foil (shiny side up) inside the bottom paneling.

  • Published on Sep 1, 1978
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