A solar air heater is not meant to replace the heating of a main home, but there are spaces where it fits especially well: places used mostly during the day, with no heating, or where damp is a problem. Here are the cases where you get the most out of it.
1. Garage and workshop
This is one of the clearest uses. A garage or workshop is usually a cold space with no heating, where you work during the day, exactly when the collector produces warm air.
- It makes working in winter more pleasant without switching on heaters.
- It helps keep the air drier, which protects tools, cars and bikes from rust.
- There is usually a south-facing wall or roof where it is easy to fit.
2. Second home and country house
Houses that stay closed for weeks build up cold and damp. With a solar air collector taking in outdoor air, the house receives dry, mild air on sunny days even when nobody is there.
- It reduces the musty smell and the damp in walls, mattresses and fabrics.
- When you arrive at the weekend, the house is not as cold.
- It needs no fuel and nobody has to keep an eye on it: with a thermostat or a timer, the fan only runs when the sun is out.
3. Greenhouse and vegetable garden
In winter, frost is a greenhouse's worst enemy. The collector supplies mild air during sunny hours and helps the greenhouse store heat for the night.
- It protects sensitive plants and seedlings in the cold months.
- It helps renew the air and control condensation.
- It is a solution with no smoke or fuel, suitable for growing.
4. Basement and cellar
Basements and cellars usually have a damp problem rather than a cold one. Bringing in outdoor air warmed by the sun, which is drier, helps ventilate and reduce that damp.
- Less mould and musty smell.
- Better storage of what you keep there: furniture, papers, tools.
- In a wine cellar, do not overdo it: the aim is to ventilate and dry, not to raise the temperature much.
5. Home, as a back-up to the heating
In a main home, the solar air heater works as a complement: it heats a south-facing room during sunny hours and reduces how long the main heating has to run. It is especially worthwhile in inland areas with cold but sunny winters.
What all these cases have in common
- A south-facing wall or roof with no shade in the middle of the day.
- Mostly daytime use or a need to ventilate and dry.
- A short run between the collector and the space you want to heat.
For reference, in our January test in Valladolid, with a perceived outdoor temperature of 2 °C, the air left the collector at 40 °C. If you want to know how to place it, see our step-by-step installation guide.
Is it right for you?
Tell us which space you want to heat or dry and we will tell you whether a solar air heater is a good option. You can also see the prices and reserve yours with a €50 deposit.
Ask about my case or call us on 686 227 287.