2-Liter Bottle as a 50 Watt Light Bulb HACK

[Vortex]

"On average, the bottles produced as much light as a 50 watt incandescent bulb".
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Can someone explain to me how adding in bleach is required..
what is the bleach doing ?

[everwiser]

Keeping the water/bottle from growing algae/mold.

[Bodkins]

Growing algae

[sigzidfit]

A penny saved is a penny earned.

I like it.

Return on Investment (ROI) is probably pretty quick. Haha.

Compare with:
10 Inch Natural Light Tubular Skylight Solar Tube 10" - eBay (item 350078790824 end time Apr-07-09 21:55:50 PDT)

Peace
PJ

[dambit]

It's always the simplest ideas that are the best. Imagine if every blokes shed here is Aust had these installed. It would mean a pretty big saving, and talk about cheap to install.

I have windows in my shed, but I still need the lights on.

Cheers,

[Matthew Jones]

You could probably extend the bottles so they work through and attic space, Maybe you would have to tape the bottle extension with foil or somthing.

Those are cool.

Matt

[wpage]

Install close to ridge line

What a great discovery.

To keep chance of leaks down. Install high as possible on roof line where less water runs during rain

[seth]

Do they continue to glow for a while when the sun goes down??

Spose I'll have to make one and see.....looks pretty simple

[cody]

This is an awesome simple idea. Im wondering if the bottle were extended into a tube and bent if it would behave as a cheap simple fiber optic line. Im also wondering how long the bottle will hold up in the sun as plastic likes to degrade. There is possibly lots of room for improvement on this great idea.

Seth,
These should not continue to glow after the sun goes down. However, your question brings up a great idea. You could add some phospho Luminescence or other glow in the dark chemicals to the water to get it to stay lit when the sun goes down. Great idea!

[StevanC]

The water/pet pransition defracts light, the shape...

a lense - brilliant (pun not intended)!

Only question, what to do when the supply of polycarbonate waste is depleted?

...did You notice all that botles where Coca-Cola (tm)?

best regards,

[Iotayodi]

Can someone explain to me how adding in bleach is required..
what is the bleach doing ?

Im seeing heat and expansion or pressure causing a chemical reaction.

[sigzidfit]

Bleach is to inhibit growth of algae so the bottle doesn't turn green.

[Iotayodi]

Bleach is to inhibit growth of algae so the bottle doesn't turn green.

Yes but that doesnt explain the light staying on till midnight.

[Mark]

Yes but that doesnt explain the light staying on till midnight.

The lights DON'T stay on till midnight, they only work when the sun is out.

[Cloxxki]

I think the difference of a tiny ceiling window in an otherwise sealed room is underestimated. Surely these bottles get a lot of the sunlight down, and it's light enough inside, but the slightest non-bottle hole would do a lot as well. The diffusing of the light seems to be the most important feature?
If you want to only have a small hole in the roof, perhaps mirrors (I know, lose shine quickly) could be added on the roof to channel sunlight to the bottles. Perhaps also against the ceiling from the inside around the bottle.

Interesting would be whether a square meter stuffed with these bottles would get more energy into a solar panel underneith vs. the same panel on the roof.