Daily Home Renovation Tips

Today we start the actual installation. Remember, our plan was to install the unit on the south facing wall of our walkout basement. Your plan might be different depending on your selected location, etc. Again, as before, to ensure you do not void manufacturer’s warranty you must install the unit according to the manufacturer’s installation guide.

The first step was to clear the brush from the garden next to the south facing wall where we planned to install the solar air heating unit.

Next was to purchase the additional components of our installation. The Cansolair Solar Max 240 is intented to be installed such that the heated air is to flow directly to the adjacent room. If you recall from last time, our plan was to have the heated air flow across the bedroom as well as out to the adjacent recreation room in the basement.

Therefore, we had to purchase the additional materials for our particular planned installation such as the insulated flexible duct line, 2 metal air ducts, the split duct, metal duct tape and vent covers, all shown in the picture below.

Now, after measuring (several times, just to be sure ) the Solar Max 240’s dimensions, the locations of the intake and outflow openings, distance from the window and so on …. all using as the anchor measurement the outflow opening. Why?

Well, based on our plan, we needed the opening in the solar air heating unit from which the heated air would flow back into the house to be in the space between the main floor’s wooden joists (or the unfinished part of the basement ceiling) and the top of it’s drop ceiling. This would allow us to easily install the insulated flexible duct lines.

Once this was done, Bennett then proceeded to start with the installation of the intake opening. First he marked of marking of the intake cover on the area of the Solar Max 240 that would eventually receive this component. This was to help confirm the measurements for the placement of the unit.

Next, he drilled the guide holes for both the outtake and intake openings that would need to be made in the wall. Notice the placement of the guide hole for the returned heated area is in that gap in the basement ceiling previously described.

 Now that the guide hole for the opening (yet to be made) through which the heated air would return into the house, Bennett went outside to (A) check where that opening was on the outside of the wall and (B) confirm the measurement where the placement should be for the guide hole for the intake opening.

And in this picture we seek him drilling the guide hole for the intake opening which would take the cooler are from the floor area of the room (cold air rises to the top, remember ) into the unit to be heated by the sun.

 Yes, before the hole was made we checked that the intake component would fit above the baseboard as well as sufficient room to the left of the electrical outlet. Remember the intake unit?

 Above is a picture without the covering shaft. Notice the fan at the back (to the right in the above picture) of this component. More on this later.

Next time we start to drill the opening in the wall using the guide holes, ouinside-out.

To continue to the next article in this series, simply select this link to Part 10 - Installation Continues.