That's the idea. Mother Earth News had a do it yourself article with plans for one without a blower, then I saw the SolarSheat and figured I'd go that direction.

Sounds like the same principle as a heat pump. Is that the case?

Not really, a heat pump captures latent heat from the air, water or ground, whereas this thing accumulates solar heat and transfers it indoors.

I've seen a number of DIY articles, using the same principles, for everything from home heating to drying firewood.

That's where I read it, actually. :D

∞

I can be smug too.

Pete lit a fire while I was away last night. Oh well, better snug than smug. On the upside one armload of wood, a 50° sunny day, and the house back up to temp.


ye olde laptop no number pad... copy / paste expedient googling for next time.

Sweet. I am very jealous. I've been contemplating turning on the heat. I really want to make it to November before I turn it on, but it's been cold in the morning. It was 58 in the room when I got up today.

We've only got insulation in the attic floor, and one of the upstairs exterior walls. Retrofitting insulation in this house is not a straightforward task and the payoff probably wouldn't come in my lifetime.

I didn't have guts enough to push it that far.

Have you looked at exterior insulation? It might be cost effective if you were going to do siding anyway. Air quality is an issue as well though.

It's been in the thirties outside upon waking every morning here. Which means the inside house temp has been in the fifties. Bless it all, it's time to turn on the dang heat!! (house was built in the early 80's; no spiffy solar heat or anything like that for us. Wood burning fireplace. Good thing we've got five acres of trees...)

That would be the only solution I can think of, but that opens a different can of worms when you have that extra thickness to deal with in various places. Mostly, it's getting to the point where we are willing to do a costly home improvement like that where you only get a small, mostly cosmetic, benefit, and a hope for an eventual financial payoff.