With power cost skyrocketing and money going down.... all the no cost and low cost to use heating alternatives are a blessing. Thank you for sharing!

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

absolutely! i often make my projects 12v so people can easily and safely make the stuff (plus it can be easily used off-grid *12v solar panel/12v battery or cars power socket). these elements can be directly hooked to a solar panel, so you can fully "charge up" the sand heater during the day and use it after the sun goes down (the sand will hold that heat for hours)

@sunoncream1118

7 ай бұрын

you visibly dont understand thermodynamic...

This inspires confidence in my ability to keep my kids/pups warm if power outages for whatever reason TYSM

That is brilliant! Perfect way to use that excess power on cold February days when its really sunny here in Canada. I want one under my bed now!

This is very similar to how old timers would heat up bean bags in their oven and then when going to bed they'd put them near the foot of the bed to keep warm at night in cold states. You're wonderful. Thanks. This could help a lot of people. So many people can't afford electricity anymore due to robber baron nonsense.

@lenrichardson7349

8 ай бұрын

I've got a cherry stone 'hotwater bottle' bean bag. 2 to 3 minutes in a microwave is great for warming the bed.

@noahriding5780

8 ай бұрын

Thank for the reply.@@lenrichardson7349

@cohen860

2 ай бұрын

My mother told me about using a heated brick near the foot of the bed! :=_

Well done. Keep up the research , we are all learning together.

Watched a couple of your sand battery videos and ideas. I live in a cold climate and heat with a wood stove. This weekend I'm going to try a couple of these out, heat them on the stove and put them in the upstairs bedrooms for night heat. Great ideas! Just happen to have a bag of sand in the garage as well!!

@waffle_chair9269

10 ай бұрын

Did it work?

@Imsobering7970

10 ай бұрын

@@waffle_chair9269 it did actually. I made a small one for my home office, it faces north so in the winter it gets a bit chilly. Heated it up on the top of the wood stove, had an temp around 140-160F during the times I used it. Put it under my desk while I was working and it kept my feet nice and warm. I'll be making a bigger one this fall to keep my bedroom warmer on those cold winter nights.

Wow, I really like this for solar panel/battery use. This is going to be something you can leave on overnight. You could also put them in different rooms and tie them into one controller. When I get panels, I will definitely try that. I have the cast iron pan set up going on right now as I type. I found if I burn hand sanitizer in one of those fireplace gel cans, it'll need to be changed in two hours like clockwork. This works great for day use. It's keeping me warm. Thanks for all your great ideas. Now I'm really looking forward to getting solar panels.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hey there. it's great that your excited about getting some solar panels. the heating elements work well great with 12v panels (just make sure the panels put out the amps you need). it's great that you made the cast iron pan (w/fan) project. i've used that a few times recently.

@wolin289

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 You don't know how much this has helped. With cases of that free hand sanitizer, I've been able to be toasty warm this winter burning that with 2 of your designs, the T pipe and the cast iron skillet. Only the T pipe uses a little electricity due to the fan. Thanks so much for what you do. I think we will look back at these times as hard times, and well you've made it a lot easier for some folks. Many thanks.

I love it! I was looking for an alternative heat source for my motorhome! This is fantastic!! Love following you!!👍🏾💯

Awesome! Very nice video, indeed! Thank you for your work.😀

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

Thank you too!

Would love to know how long each size holds heat. Have you measured the usable time that they emit heat after being disconnected from power?

@thedampestcrib6004

10 ай бұрын

All depends on outside temp and fan size sand amount 100lbs still cools fast but heats fast

Thanks for another great video!

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi tom. you bet!

Wow!! That's amazing. Thank you for sharing😁❤

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. absolutely! i'm glad you liked it

I was going to try this myself. Thanks for taking the guess work out of it. 😆

@frogsforsusan

Жыл бұрын

The one thing I intend to do a wee bit differently is I'm going to give mine a layer of Plaster of Paris on the bottom and bottom edges. I'm hoping that will insulate the bottom so I can set it on the floor without bricks.

Best thing I ever saw.

Very good video , thanks for sharing , God bless !

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! You too!

Thanks for another neat creation :) Can you give a link to the little heat powered fan please?

Great works as usual. I think they are good and cost-effective if you can heat the elements let's say with solar panel (or wind, ...). But I wonder if they are cheap/efficient otherwise: i mean powering the element with the usual power supply from grid could be very expsensive. Thanks again for your projects.

This is great thanks for sharing

I got a couple of those 12v 220f need to give them a try.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

absolutely! i've bought maybe 30 or 40 of them over the years and everyone is still working great.

Another wonderful video I am gradually understanding the methods by watching your interesting videos and gonna try making one .....hugs from Chilly Scotland 🙂🤗

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi and thank you! have fun making it (super easy to do it - just 3 things makes these - or 5 if you get the plug and the fan)

@snipeweedan

Жыл бұрын

Would salt work?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

@angela mcfadden that's a good question. i'll research it. might be a future video

@adamkhan7234

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 I was about to ask the same question as Angela. I saw online sand has a specific heat capacity of 830(insert units here) and salt (NaCl) is 800. So hoping it'll work. Would love the Desertsun seal of approval on that

@xgymratx

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 yeah i mentioned that on one of your recent videos Use kosher salt and also those little silica gel things you get inside pill bottles ne shit.....open and dump those in They get hot as hell so does the salt but i think sand is great base for storage end of it....i hear perlite actually would be good too not because of insulative purposes but for heat storage wanna really reclaim the heat? Ad some alum conduit through bucket....im gonna use popcorn tin....oversize a few pieces and feed through maybe inch or 2 over elements.....then cover completely of course then add WAX.....also great at storing heat and also keeps super hot and prevents heat from escaping heating the tubes something fierce And put them at a 45 degree to autosiphon cold air and convect heat upwards out other end Or coil a long one .....let it autosiphon cold air around a decent length of aluminum tube and spit hot ass air out the top.....you can even connect it to some kinda heatsink to set the stirling fan on Oh and maybe roll up some aluminum screen very loose in there before pouring sand.....just to ensure heat travels all over inside of bucket Like i said i have 2 popcorn tins to experiment with

Loving the videos !!

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

Glad you like them!

great one DS... will try this one with clay pots... thanks DS .. :)

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

you're welcome!

Cool ideas! Would you recommend the sand heaters or one of your solar water heaters for a large space? I'm looking to build a flameless design to keep a garage warm, standard 1/2 car garage and looking to use one of your designs.

Inspiring. How long will your fan keep running off the heat after you unpower it ? Hours?

Really love your videos and plan to use these PTC heater elements to make something for myself as well. You have definitely inspired me to make my own heaters as part of my solar experiments in the shop. As far as those fans go, however, it's actually hurting your overall energy production. They are great when the heat source isn't the same electricity you are using for the heater (so for something like a wood stove). The downside is converting electricity to heat and then back to electricity for the fan means there are losses as each conversion step. So you'd get better performance if you use the 12v computer fans like you've done in some of your other videos. Thanks again for sharing! You've got some excellent content.

@battleofarmageddon1366

6 ай бұрын

The fan does not use current. It blows from being heated.

@TomZelickman

6 ай бұрын

@@battleofarmageddon1366 Understood, but that heat came from the electricity going through the heating element. That conversion from electricity to heat means there are energy losses. Converting again from heat to electricity also has losses. So rather than incur the losses in the conversion just run the fan off the electricity in the first place.

@sleeptyper

6 ай бұрын

@@TomZelickman All the energy taken from the 12V source will eventually turn to heat. Some of it just takes a detour via the fan's peltier element and motor. If anything, the fan improves heat dispersion to the room but it doesn't "steal" from the process.

@teebob21

6 ай бұрын

@@TomZelickman Where do you think the "lost" energy goes? Electric heating is by definition 100% efficient. There is no loss.

@darthkek1953

6 ай бұрын

Yes and no. The fan will get up to temp, so once there it will be converting some of that heat to movement but the amount "taxed" is affordable if the mean room temperature raised rather than a hot spot over the stove. You're also right a separately powered will make a room warmer, because the fan isn't removing any heat. As for pinpoint energy differences,big nobody is doing the maths then nobody gets the bragging rights from a win.

Awesome!! I was waiting for this one. Next up… thermometer to turn it on and off. 😉👍

@bruce-le-smith

6 ай бұрын

Yeah I'll look for a video with a thermometer in the design, would be great for the greenhouse to try and grow some citrus.

if you could have maybe 2 or 4 on a room with some sandstone bricks around it, i think its sandstone that really absorbs heat and slowly releases it, you could probly heat a room like that easily. a bigger can as you say too with more sand, question what was the brick temps when running? and what would a solar panel cost to run it? is it just a solar panel or a storage battery as well, i dont know much about that end of it, even for the sandstone if you could find a quarry that chisels it out and pieces and off cuts would work

Great idea. Has anyone used it to heat up your house already? What about creating a large tank in your garden, to store energy in the summer and then use heat in the winter. Is it feaseble and is it a DIY project?

Great stuff! I want to us on grid....where do I get the elements and build for a regular plug in USA? Thanks

Greeting Very good video! Could this be the way to maintain the heating of laboratory glass in the laboratory?

I'm planning on building a larger sand battery using a water heater element and bigger box & hooking up a solar panel. My concern is will I need some sort of intermediate circuit breaker to insure the direct connection doesn't damage the panel?

Could you combine a lower power sand battery to heat up the water to power your water air heater?

AWESOME Thank you

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

Could there be a way to combine a sand battery system with your soda can passive solar heating system? Perhaps have a few cans filled with sand and heating elements powered by a battery. The battery could be used for night heating and re-charged during the day.

@lyndonmansell351

6 ай бұрын

That's brilliant,passive solar looks gteat. . Converting solar to electricity to heat sand seems silly unless you have run out of battery storage.

These need to be as big as possible to minimise heating losses. Many small containers will likely be several orders of magnitude less efficient than one larger one of the same overall volume.

@apexboi2044

Жыл бұрын

in this case heat loss is the whole point - but the sand bleeds out heat for a lot longer than water

First time I've encountered the terms "PTC" or self-regulating heating element. Thanks for the Video. Sand proves itself AGAIN to be useful in so many ways!!!! Links for the Stirling Fan Designs would be greatly appreciated.

@desertsun02

7 ай бұрын

hi. yes, i've been a big fan of PTC heaters since i discovered them. very efficient way to heat and relatively safe because they are self-regulating. to be clear i didn't use the stirling engine fans but i used thermoelectric fans. i guess you could use stirling engine fans but those cost a lot more. to find the kind of stove fans that i use just search for 'stove fans' on amazon. it will bring up 50 or more different models. from 15 to 65 dollars. the ones i use cost between 15 and 30 dollars. here is a link to one www.amazon.com/VODA-Designed-Blades-Powered-Fireplace/dp/B01GJAUU4U/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3CCLP4RGRAMHD&keywords=stove%2Bfans&qid=1699728440&sprefix=sto%2Caps%2C1168&sr=8-7&th=1

Im wondering if you could heat the sand by submerging a tall candle in glass into the sand like the 8 inch high prayer candles from Dollar Store. Then youll get light and heat.

So, I got my metal buckets and my sand but these buckets came with metal lids that I could hammer down on top of them. I'm thinking that will help hold the heat in the sand for longer after I heat them up on my wood burning stove. What do you think about that?

Excellent video and thanks for sharing. How did you connect the heating elements to the DC plug? What's the connector call and can you share a link to an example? Thanks again!

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. it's just a straight connect from the wires on the plug to the wires of the elements. i just slid the wire into the loop on the plug, bent it over and slid the plastic sleeve over the connection. here is a link to a similar plug www.amazon.com/dp/B0963QJLRG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0963QJLRG&pd_rd_w=838Di&content-id=amzn1.sym.dd2c6db7-6626-466d-bf04-9570e69a7df0&pf_rd_p=dd2c6db7-6626-466d-bf04-9570e69a7df0&pf_rd_r=G4SGS8D8AAD877AZ9MDT&pd_rd_wg=gPtnn&pd_rd_r=d69e67d8-04fa-44bb-8161-2ff3f0155623&s=automotive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWM&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExN0I2Qk8yT1NEUVpBJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUExMDQxOTk0Tjc0UFNDUEwzRkMyJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA5NTEyNDRVOTBRQk45UjhFU0gmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWxfdGhlbWF0aWMmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

Nice batterie. What do you use for cymbals?

This is really cool! I must try this. I'm wondering what size of sand battery you need and how many PTC's are needed to warm a 45 square meter room. Have you tried larger volumes of sand?

@TrevorStruthers

8 ай бұрын

Obviously the bigger the unit, the better. The future of energy storage is solid state sand batteries I have heard. A grain silo full of sand, with proper insulation, would stay hot for a VERY, VERY long time.

what if you a make same design as soda can solar heaters except put sand and heat elements in there

Would you run any optimisation tests? Ideally you would have a timer that turns the element on and off because with the sand retaining heat for hours afterwards, surely you could just 'top it up' every 15 mins or so and maintain a decent average whilst not having to power it 24/7?

@johnle231

7 ай бұрын

Or have it ran by a temperature controller maybe?

I noticed that you have several different fans. Which one is the best performing one?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. personally, i like the smallest one. it sits the lowest so it grabs the most heat. it also has a super strong airflow. my second favorite is the triangle shaped one. also moves a lot of air and looks kinda cool.

Crazy question. What would or wouldn’t work about using a chafing dish filled with sand, heated by 6 hour indoor safe canned heat underneath and a heat powered stove fan on top of the heated sand?

I'am thinking a 55 gal barrel or severalo in the basement .

Is there a way of making this without using a larg 12v battery? I want to make one to heat a small room.

My issue is electrical usage. I'm on a very humble solar system. I think it's best for me to heat sand with my propane heater, so I can extend propane. Have tall, slender cannisters I can position in front of heater. Have heat power fan, as well as USB fan that only burns 1 watt, blowing from ceiling straight down. Sleeping area only 6/6 feet. Live in desert. Sand free. Also interested in passive heating contained sand inside greenhouse. Paint containers black, south facing.

@Joe-lb8qn

Жыл бұрын

Thats a wasteful use of the propane. It wont extend the heat it will overall produce less heat because when you heat the sand up some of the heat will escape. YOu might as well just directly heat the air when you need the heat. . The point about these is they are using excess electricity in the daytime to give off heat at nighttime. You dont have excess propane. Passive heating in a greenhouse would indeed work though you'd likely want to have (say) tubes buried in the sand and funnel hot air through them with small fans because otherwise the top layer of the sand will heat up but lower down it wont the sand will act as an insulator. That is though the same principle as using excess electric, you are just cutting out the middleman of solar->electric->heat.

I noticed you using several different types of heat powered fans. Do you have a preference of which one to use? I’m planning on buying some for this purpose. (Looks like we were both amused by the tin can comment). Love your videos. Especially since our Arizona weather has such extremes.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. i like the smallest one the best. its blades are closest to the sand and it has a high airflow rate for its size. second favorite is the traingle one. the taller one is good too but the fan blade are fairly flat so it seems to move less air than the other too. (but maybe it's just spread out) 🙂

@wolin289

Жыл бұрын

I think I have the same triangle one or one very similar, and it's been running almost non-stop during the day since it arrived. I really like mine. This summer I want to see if I can run it as a fan under a candle and get cool air, not hot. But I don't know if that will work. I know it works with stirling fans but not sure with these. I'll find out.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

@D Olin a candle or two would run these fans. you might want to put something between the candles and the bottom of the fan to keep the soot off of the fan. maybe use a thin sheet of metal. i am currently working on two ways that you can use these fans in the summer. i'll post videos soon

@xgymratx

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 do my wax trick then maybe put an aluminum strainer upside down to draw heat up and use as platform to hold fan

@ddreporter9852

Жыл бұрын

@@wolin289 you need peltier for that

Hi, I asked you for advice a few weeks ago, the question was whether we can also create cooling with this technique instead of heat, greetings from Rotterdam.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. yes, i've been thinking about that. i've got a couple of ideas but nothing solid. maybe other commenters can give us ideas?

@johndevries7122

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 Thank you sir for your answer, please let me know when you have discover it👍

Just started looking into this. I think I'll use this in my greenhouse. I'll use a solar panel to heat during the daytime and extend the heating of the greenhouse past the sun hours! I'm assuming any sand will work? at 4:00 you put the ceramics side by side, why not put it 1/3 and 2/3 in to evenly heat? just curious, I'm assuming the heat would dissipate. Also wondering if using aluminum heat sinks would move the heat around faster? Just some thoughts, thanks for the video

@desertsun02

8 ай бұрын

i like your ideas. i'll try the 1/3rd and 2/3rds idea. i'll also try the heat sink idea. that may work very well.

@saxonsoldier67

8 ай бұрын

Metals transfer heat well. Electric heating of a large thermal mass of sand may not be necessary in a greenhouse. Simply placing it inside in direct sunlight would heat it during the day. Imagine a few black painted 55 gallon barrels of sand or just water. The temp would not get too hot by direct sunlight, but it would slowly release its heat for hours or even days. Depending on the size of the greenhouse, add as many barrels as you need.

Thanks for the video. What size solar panel would be needed to power the heating elements?

@desertsun02

10 ай бұрын

hi. figure about 2 amps per element. 12v 100 watt solar panels are usually 5.5 to 6amp output so they will run up to 6 at a time.

@garydaniels4752

10 ай бұрын

Thanks.@@desertsun02

Can I heat a metal oil drum filled with sand hooked directly to a solar panel in order to heat my greenhouse in the winter?

How many PTC elements would you recommend if using 50ltr beer keg? Thanks

I'd really like to see if putting the hot sand into an insulated container would extend the time that the fan could blow out the hot air. If used in a camping scenario it might be more useful to have a little bit of heat longer throughout the night, then a lot of heat at the beginning of the night.

@MrAntiKnowledge

6 ай бұрын

If you insulate it it'll take longer for the heat energy to dissipate, so yeah it would work.

Would it be possible to connect a portable solar panel directly to a heating element like this without a battery? For example the nitecore FSB100 outputs 5.4 amps at 18v.

Hi this is the first time ive seem these...i have a question if anyone would be so kind to answer...what do the heating elements need to be connected to for a continuous power source, a 12volt battery maybe? Any info greatly appreciated

For those of us without electrical wiring confidence, can you please list the Amazon links for the element, the fan, and the male and female adapter for the 12v outlet? Thanks in advance.

What happens if we stick the two cables right into a sun battery from a 12v solar panel? will the sand be hot? do you need a regulator or can u you put the cables directly into the sand?

Years ago I saw a foreign company using a huge vat of inclosed sand dug in the ground with warming tubes through it. They said the sand could hold the heat up to 5 months. They used it for heating homes. Don’t know what happened to them.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. there's a company in Finland doing something similar. they are getting ready to make a huge sand battery.

@sboerboom

Жыл бұрын

Works for district heating, such as those found in large cities.

I remember you cooking with those things. Do you have a link for them?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. i'm glad you saw my 'cooking with PTC' vids. i use the coffee can cooker and the paint can cooker a lot. i don't have exact link but you can find them on amazon, ebay and aliexpress. (i once saw them for one dollar each and free shipping on aliexpress). amazon seems to always have them but they are a little higher on that site.

It would be interesting to use this with solar panels

How big do you think you could make one of these? Drum size for releasing heating a room after the sun goes down (emergency or supplemental heat)? Thanks so much for the video I've been interested in this topic for a while.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi there. you can really make them as big as you want. you just need to have the heating elements for whatever size you choose. 🙂

@xgymratx

Жыл бұрын

I would run aluminum tubing through holes towards bottom and bend up to pop out top i would totally surround those tubes with sand and wax with the elements inside natural convection baby And mix sand with salt and silica gel maximum storage and now im learning perlite too which should shed a few lbs Tighten lid good...so you can move with dolly and not leave trail of sand through house On nice days pop top and train a fresnel lens on it then pop top back on and wheel back in house Maybe invest in one of them wheel rollers made for 55 gallon drums the hold the drum in and have like 4 or 5 wheels or something I would hook up solar to heat it....but during night switch to a homemade wind powersource or batteries maybe topping off with solar constantly with solar trickle charger every day ...maybe 2 trickle chargers as they only put put 1.5 amps

@stex901000

Жыл бұрын

@@xgymratx What is the difference of only sand and sand with wax? And the mix of sand, salt and silica gel what is the advantage? I m curious it s very interesting. I was thinking of making one like the bucket video and adding ptc heater, kzread.info/dash/bejne/hYyip69_f7axmKw.html

Hi! I didn't read all the comments, but could you insulate those cans on the outside with concrete? Might make the wiring tricky but it would use less power to get the sand to temperature. Just a thought

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. i'd have to give that one some thought. i'll look into it.

@waffle_chair9269

10 ай бұрын

Wouldn’t the insulation have to be removable so that it would radiate heat when you want the heat to escape?

I was wondering when you were going to get around to that design I was thinking if he won't do it then I will I'm glad to see you thought of it, and just so you know I'm not just trying to take credit I would take those solar heaters people make out of pop cans combine the sand and those heating elements with a little bit of solar in a little bit of Ingenuity should let you get hot water and hot air at the same time all year around, I'm thinking about doing hot and cold water at the same time all-in-one same unit there are elements that holds the cold as well as the Heat and other elements that take hot and cold and turn it into electricity. See where I'm going with this I hope so your videos are excellent, keep going this is what Nikola Tesla was talking about when we learned how to hook to the Wheel World of nature or the world the most important thing is to keep in mind is to combine the Technology's not leave them as direct single remember we are about alternation is always better than Direct. This comes from the father of overunity Lloyd G Stovall

did you ever do one with solar panels? curious to use it to heat a small out building..

@desertsun02

8 ай бұрын

hi yes, i've used then with solar panels (and with 12v batteries).

@dfrancopaintingandwallpaper

8 ай бұрын

have any good - "direction".. as to how to hook those up? @@desertsun02

Great idea. Thank you so much. I have two questions here: 1- Can we submerge these PTCs in water? 2- How many Amperes do they need?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi and thank you! you cannot use the PTC in water. they draw about 2 amps each. a little more at startup (in the first few seconds) but them they pull about 2 amps. sometimes they pull a little less after they have been running a while

@seyedseyedy3558

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 Thank you very much.

I am in the process of making mine as soon as the parts come in. Can you tell us about the fan itself?

@desertsun02

6 ай бұрын

hi. well, i've got 4 different ones so far. they all work basically the same though. they have a TEG chip between the two pieces of metal (2 heatsinks) that make up the body of the fan. it's the temperature differential between the one on the top and the one on the bottom that actually generates the electricity. when a certain temperature differential is reached the chip starts to make electricity. i always go with the fans that have a starting temp of 122F(50C). that's the lowest starting temp for these types of fans.

How long can these store energy ? 🤔

How long do these last burning that hot? I'd imagine the wire connections are going to wear out rapidly.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. the wires will hold up. they are rated to about 400F. they have a coating on them (i think it's silicone). i've used them (the elements) in high heat applications with no issue for a couple of years. (inside of my water boilers and PTC 'can cookers'.

I think this concept is great. In Holland allmost all houses are made with (double) brick outter wall, light brick inner walls and concrete floors. Why not directly heat the wall? Lot off mass.. Directly off a solar panel.. That's even cheaper/more simple as you don't need a sand box and it does not take up space..

@desertsun02

2 ай бұрын

sounds like a good idea. a very good idea.

How long does electricity store in sand?

perhaps if one had a very simple wind mill, where it can take high wind speed, and it was wired to a thick gage wire cable to the basement of a home, using the shortest distance like the roof straight to the basement, and had a type or element coil that could withstand such erratic jumps and falls to the power output, you could build up heat in the sand as a heat battery, to last for the time of day the wind does not blow.

Hi DesertSun Commerade: Good experiments. Great Program. As a suggestion, a simple way to heat up the desert sand to maxium temperatures, place a solar disk, or frensnel glass - depending on sunlight avalibity as per geological places. Within 25 minutes entire sand container becomes hot exceeding 1800° C. Thermal insulation within the drums are must.

@desertsun02

7 ай бұрын

hi. yes, i think a parabolic dish or a frensel lens is a great way to heat the sand. a good size fresnel lens might heat it very fast

@lesliecogan641

7 ай бұрын

​@@desertsun02I'm so happy feeling like you'll see this, because it was recent you replied here. Anyway I thought I'd ask you if the metal bucket used would have a risky affect if I used a copper bucket. I see how copper is used, placing it into the sand and not sure if it gets hot. Of course I'll have it on some pavers, but do you know if anything that might result, that could be of any danger? I'm hoping from being new to sand batteries, I might have the perfect bucket. If I need to move it, it has a cast iron handle like a pail...about 15" in diameter. Thanks for all your knowledge.

@johnle231

7 ай бұрын

@@lesliecogan641just go for it

Now can you show how to regulate the tempature, so say you wan to put in a bedroom, and you want the heat to be 20.5 C so after the temp in room reaches the heating element goes off .. or you can control with element

Interesting, did you measure watt consumption? Would we have to have a battery bank off od a Solar panel or can it run just off a solar panel on sunny days?

@bruce-le-smith

6 ай бұрын

Yeah would be nice to know how long a car battery would last, especially if it's getting topped up with a solar panel during the day.

@desertsun02

6 ай бұрын

hi. the elements draw about 2 amps each. you can definitely hook them straight to a 12v solar panel if you want to.

Hi. Love the idea. Is there any other way to initially heat the sand instead of using alot of battery/12volt power while camping. Don't want to drain the batteries too much, as we are running fridge etc as well.

@desertsun02

3 ай бұрын

hey there. outdoor options include heating it over a campfire, rocket stove or propane stove etc. you could also heat it with things like parabolic dish or fresnel lens.

@user-lz2gl8sb3w

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the ideas. Unfortunately, I purchased ones saying 12v, 50w (6amps), but they are pulling 7.8-8.2 amps each which is a big drain on our AGM batteries. Bugger 😞

@desertsun02

3 ай бұрын

they sometimes draw more power when they are first starting up but after a few minutes it should go down. the heating elements i use generally pull about 2 amps after the startup.

Can the element & wires handle the high heat?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi yes. the elements are made tough and durable and they have high heat resistant silicone coated wires. they can handle over 500F(260C. they will hold up perfect (even under heavy use). 👍🙂

What rocks are good for heating? Dolerite, granodiorite, hornfels, gabbro and quartzitic sandstone are the good candidates rocks for high temperature thermal storage.

@Kangsteri

Жыл бұрын

Sauna heating rocks are the ones that will not explode or break by the heat.

@fransjebik8554

Жыл бұрын

Granite sand is a good one!

@RTFManuel

Жыл бұрын

how about soapstone?

@fransjebik8554

Жыл бұрын

@@RTFManuel I was also thinking about limestone.

@RTFManuel

Жыл бұрын

@@fransjebik8554 isn't that too light for storing heat?

Could you please share the resistance or power rating of the heating elements? Thanks

@desertsun02

9 күн бұрын

power ratings of the elements vary but i generally use the 220c ptc ones. they have an initial start-up surge then they level out around 2amps per element. (24w)

I wonder if wet sand has higher capacity or longer discharge time?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. i'll have to think about that. i'd be curious to know what others think...

@zanleekain117

Жыл бұрын

Wet sand has a high evaporation rate, wouldn't that be counter productive having a cooling effect?

@c-LAW

Жыл бұрын

@@zanleekain117 Makes sense about water, but perhaps using used-motor oil enough to saturate the sand. Just a curiosity.

@xgymratx

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 wax sand

How much power does this draw

I wonder if you couldn't connect a surface burner element to the wires and put that in the sand? They're obviously made to be heated, and you can pick them up for 15$ or free if you know where to look. You see a lot of stoves dumped at apartment complexes that get hauled off by scrap collectors.

Wow! Genius. Thank you. God bless you and Jesus loves you! John 3:16

Would it have an impact to put some larger stones in between the sand?

@desertsun02

6 ай бұрын

hi. it's an interesting idea. i'll have to give that some thought

We know all electric heaters are 100% efficient regardless of type so is this just a cheap way of making a heater? Or is the point that the heat is released more slowly?

You could use magnets to create a 12-volt current to heat the sand, and the room and make the fan blow.

@desertsun02

6 ай бұрын

hi. i'll look into it. 🙂✔

have you tried insulating the cans?this may be useful for heat retention for those using solar to run the pads

@Sourpusscandy

Жыл бұрын

The sand is the insulation. You could double up the cans, putting a smaller in a larger.

@marksmith3455

Жыл бұрын

@@Sourpusscandy i thought the sand was almost like part of the element in conjunction with the pad,as in with a tank of hot water it is the water you warm up and and insulate the tank to keep said water warm for longer

@annebeignatborde1832

Жыл бұрын

@@marksmith3455 except that you want the heat of the sand to radiate out into a room Unless you're running water through a coil inside the sand.

@marksmith3455

Жыл бұрын

@@annebeignatborde1832 i didnt mean like fully insulating the cans sorry suppose i wasnt very clear, i imagined to insulate the sides and bottom so the heat is still funnelled out of the top just wondered if it would keep warm longer so it could be heated with solar through the day perhaps with a lid on it then used into the evening after solar hours when its dark

@annebeignatborde1832

Жыл бұрын

@@marksmith3455 ah I see. So doubling the cans as previously suggested with some kind of insulating material between them? I'm more interested in heating them on a wood stove to use the heat it produces more efficiently and save any solar power generated for lights and electronics. Although I have found a project that may allow me to power a light from some of that heat. Hope you find what you're looking for.

If you insulate the walls of the cans to prevent the loss of heat, these batteries would be even more efficient.

Would using a container for the sand that is rectangular rather than cylindrical make a significant difference, assuming the same volume of sand?

@desertsun02

10 ай бұрын

hi. i don't think it would make much of a difference.

@saxonsoldier67

8 ай бұрын

Round shapes have the least surface area for a given volume. This would retain heat energy best. In a stationary application like a home, whatever shape container you have of sufficient mass is the determining factor. A 55 gallon drum filled with dry sand would weigh 816 pounds including the drum. That is a nice thermal mass for keeping a room warm all night.

how about a big one 8'x10' in a concrete shelter

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

that would be great!

Desertsun02 have you tried to heat the sand in cans directly from the Sun during the day and then brought them in when needed during the day and night ? If so how many pounds of sand would be required to heat a room of 12' by 12' from 32 degrees to 70 degrees per hour in sun per hour in room when relocated?

@user-lz2gl8sb3w

3 ай бұрын

Good question. F

These devices use several amps, is it efficient, would not think so

What do you think of making a box of sand, with say 1000 pounds of sand, and using sunlight, concentrated with mirrors, to directly heat the sand. The purpose to me is to avoid most technology in the heating of the sand, including solar electric. Also, insulate the sand except for a heating window, which could be on one of the walls near the bottom of the box. Also, I've seen people use copper wires winding different ways int he sand to distribute the heat effectively inside it. There could be many such wires snaking up through the sand. Keeping the big box of sand outside all the time, stationary, and use insulated duct from the box to inside a living structure or van. An intake for the vent would be on the box also, and possibly a fan inside the living space pulling in the air from the box. What would be nice is if nature convection could pull the air through the duct. Possibly no power needed! It might not be super efficient but sand is cheap as are reflecting devices. More of both can be added. Still, the box and the insulation do cost money.

I wonder if you could hook up a battery or 2 and a solar panel and just let it run in a room or a bathroom and maybe even put a thermostat on it, you can do it if anyone can.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. yep, you can let these run 24/7 if you want to. the elements are very tough and can be used continually. they are commercial grade so they hold up to harsh conditions

@WhiteOak09

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 good deal

@jcyork1767

Жыл бұрын

How about hooking them up to timers? The elements don’t need to be fired full time - extend the life

@WhiteOak09

Жыл бұрын

@@jcyork1767 that would be excellent , thanks

Is there a specific sand you use? Is there a recommended sand to use? Also, what would be needed to heat a 10 x 10 room?

@desertsun02

8 ай бұрын

hi. i always use filtered and rinsed 'play sand'. (the kind for sandboxes). main thing is to use 'clean sand'. beach sand should work good too. i'm not sure what size the system would need to be for room heating. some people are using barrels of sand and getting a few days of heat at a time. i've been wanting to try heating sand with fresnel lens but haven't so far. maybe this winter season

@thedevilsadvocate3710

8 ай бұрын

@@desertsun02 Awesome! Thank you!

@teebob21

6 ай бұрын

@@thedevilsadvocate3710 In winter climates that get below freezing, a 10x10 room needs about 1200 watts of heating, or about 4000 BTU/hr.

This guy has great ideas and I have tried some of them. However, in this video where he is measuring the heat coming off the wide shallow steel container at approximately 450 degrees, he has the PTC elements laying on the top of the container not buried in the sand. These PTC ceramic things go over 400 drgrees and he is shining his temp gun where they are on the top. Most of temp reading is coming from the PTC's and not the heat of the sand.

@desertsun02

5 ай бұрын

hi there. yes, i wanted to show the actual temp of the element in that particular shot. the sand won't typically get to that temp but it gets very hot. ✔🙂

Great but what can i heat it,can i heat a sleeping room with it a living room ? Can you make 1 with a quarts heater on 24 volts i think these thinks get 1200 degrees hot and if the sand get 500 degrees with it then i think you have a heat source solution.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi. these units work great as space heaters. a few ideas... keep one at your computer desk, maybe one on the nightstand by the bed or near the couch or by the tv. i've used them on computer desk and next the couch (with the fan). need more heat (make several or a sand battery bank)

@pirsensor1186

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 Okay it only heats a small area so and I have a question what kind of sand do you use, is it beach sand or just sand for cement?

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

@Pv Sensor beach sand is perfect or i just use what they call "play sand". it's a fine soft sand that has been filtered and cleaned. you can get 50 pound bags of it at the home stores for as little as 5 to 7 dollars.

@pirsensor1186

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 Thanks for the useful information.

I tried a 5 gallon bucket with a heating element and 1000 watts input dc from solar panels. Unfortunately it melted the heating element. too hot to touch. I'm wondering if a 55 gallon barrel will heat a room all night.

@desertsun02

Жыл бұрын

hi there. sounds like an interesting experiment. was it a water heating element? i know those can't run 'dry'. a 55 gallon drum full of hot sand might heat a room for several days or even a week. i've been wanting to use a fresnel lens to heat a barrel of sand. might not take very long.

@xgymratx

Жыл бұрын

@@desertsun02 i been saving my big fresnel lense Then i discovered even the cheap reading fresnel lenses work tape them to the glass Im gonna make a solar chimney type heater on south side of my house

@Joe-lb8qn

Жыл бұрын

That would best be done with (1) temperature sensors to manage each heaters temp and cut power off when too hot, and (2) multiple smaller heaters throughout the sand rather than one big one. Sand is a good insulator so that is one problem with sand batteries (unlike water) hence multiple smaller ones.

@xgymratx

Жыл бұрын

@@Joe-lb8qn as i mentioned on another post here.....WAX helps trap the heat and it always seems to float to the top making a seal Heat travels up no matter what....it may take longer to heat if you keep it all to bottom but it heats more sand equalling more heat storage The key is heat exchange

@waffle_chair9269

10 ай бұрын

@@xgymratxwax? What kind of wax? And how would you use it? Wouldn’t this prevent heat radiating at a good rate?

the drilled holes it will cut the wire jacket eventually

@desertsun02

4 ай бұрын

hi. you could use some extra silicone on the hole to help with that