DIY solar dryer for mushrooms. Homemade solar dryer for vegetables and fruits

Dried fruits and vegetables are a storehouse of vitamins and pectins. So, if you make a supply of them in the summer, you can enjoy all these gifts of nature in the winter. Of course, you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits in the store, because today this is not a problem, but a large number of summer residents try to make their harvest last until winter, preserving or drying it. So, let's look at several design options in which drying can be done. By the way, we add that a do-it-yourself dryer for vegetables and fruits is a reality.

General fixture device

It should be noted that today summer residents use three types of dryers, which are based on different drying principles.

  • Use of airflow movement. In principle, the device of this device is a box, inside which grids are stacked one above the other, chopped fruits or vegetables are placed on them. On the side of the box, one or two holes are made into which fans are inserted. With their help, blowing occurs.
  • The use of the sun. This is a box-shaped chamber, set at an angle so that the sun's rays always fall on the pallets where fruits and vegetables are placed. The front of the device is often covered with glass or mesh. Experts recommend not using a metal case in this type of dryer. It gets very hot under the action of sunlight and begins to exude a lot of heat energy itself, which negatively affects the quality of dried fruit.
  • Dryer with infrared heating element. In principle, this is all the same as the solar variety. Only instead of sunlight (free of charge), ultraviolet rays are used here, which are emitted, for example, by a special film connected to a transformer. Very efficient design that dries quickly and efficiently. But of all the above, it is the most expensive. True, the pluses include the fact that the design of the dryer itself can be simplified to a minimum. No drawer or camera is required here, just place mesh shelves and direct UV rays from the heating element onto them.

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Use for airflow motion drying

Manufacturing rules

It is not difficult to make a fruit dryer with your own hands. Any design resembling a box is suitable for this. For example, it can be a cabinet from a kitchen set or an element of a wardrobe, you can make it from a refrigerator or a hob, or rather, from its oven. And you can assemble a box from improvised materials: plywood, chipboard, fiberboard and so on.

Let's look at a homemade dryer. This will require four identical sheets, for example, plywood, wooden slats with a section of 30x30 and 20x20 mm, self-tapping screws, a mosquito net.

  • First of all, the box frame is assembled, for which it is necessary to connect 30x30 mm bars together into a structure that will look exactly like a box in appearance.
  • Then, on three sides, the frame is sheathed with plywood sheets, which are pre-cut to fit the dimensions of the frame. On one of them it is necessary to make holes (one above the other in a vertical plane), in which fans will need to be installed. Installation can be carried out immediately or after the assembly of the entire structure.
  • A fourth sheet is hung on the fourth side, in which a large number of holes with a diameter of 8-10 mm must first be made. The bigger, the better. Through them, air will be removed, which is driven by fans. By the way, a wall with fans is installed opposite the dryer door.
  • Now we need to make the shelves. They are made from slats 20x20 mm, they should be rectangular and slightly less than the width of the drying equipment. This frame is stuffed with a mosquito net using a stapler and staples; you can also use an adhesive composition. The number of shelves is determined by the height of the dryer. There should be a distance of 10-15 cm between them.
  • Therefore, taking into account this distance, guides made of the same slats 20x20 cm are installed inside the apparatus (across). Shelves are laid on them.
  • It should be noted that in this design there is no need to install the bottom and ceiling. The air from the fans must be removed not only through the perforated door. By the way, the latter is hung on hinges and it makes no sense to create its tight connection to the box frame.
  • Now you need to install the fans, connect them to the AC mains, install the shelves, after laying out the chopped vegetables and fruits on them.
  • Everything is ready, you can turn on the fans and wait for the unfolded fruits to dry.

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Dryer manufacturing scheme

Assembly of the solar dryer

A solar fruit dryer is an energy-saving option. Electricity or other type of fuel is not used here. But there is one point in this design, on which the efficiency of the process depends. This is the angle of inclination of the entire installation relative to the sun. That is, the sun's rays should maximally cover the volume in which vegetables or fruits are located.

Therefore, an ordinary box without a lid is assembled first. This is still the same wooden frame, finished with plywood or other sheets. Now this box must be installed at an angle, placing it on legs made of the same timber as the frame of the dryer. To understand what we are talking about, look at the photo below.

Now we need to make the shelves. They are made in the same way as in the case of the fan model. The main thing is to correctly install the guides under them in the box itself. Reiki should be stuffed horizontally.

In principle, everything is ready. You can install shelves in the dryer and lay out chopped gifts of nature on them.

A few nuances of assembling a solar dryer.

  • Holes must be made at the ends of the box so that air can pass through them. This is a kind of ventilation. The openings must be covered with a mosquito net so that insects do not get inside the installation.
  • The bottom of the device is best closed with a metal sheet. It will heat up and radiate its thermal energy, which will increase the efficiency of the drying process itself.
  • All internal planes of the device must be painted black. It is clear that it attracts the sun's rays, and white repels them.
  • The front part of the dryer must be covered with glass, it is possible with polycarbonate. The main thing is that the material used is transparent.

  • Vegetables and fruits should be cut into small and not very thick pieces.
  • If a fan dryer is used, then it is not necessary to immediately turn on the airflow. It is necessary that the cut lay in the dryer for 2-3 days.
  • The temperature regime is the main criterion for the correct drying process. 40-50C is the optimum temperature at which the maximum of vitamins and nutrients will remain in the dried products. Therefore, some summer residents cover the inner surfaces of the dryer with heat-insulating material. This is especially true if the device is made from an old refrigerator.
  • Shelves should only be mesh. It's just that air must constantly circulate in the interior space.

Solar dryer or homemade dehydrator

Solar dehydrator, or simply "solar-powered dryer."

Someone will probably think - what a curiosity. In the meantime, many summer residents are faced with the issue of preserving berries and fruits grown on their plots. Of course, most of us make preparations in canned form. But there are cases when fruits or berries need to be dried for further storage. And here the dryer comes to the rescue.

However, pay attention. If you enter the word "Dehydrator" in Russian in the same YouTube, you will be given a myriad of video clips with a variety of electric and gas dryers. We are being artificially pushed into dependence on electricity and spending money on household appliances. But once you enter the same word "Dehydrator" in English transcription, the English part of YouTube will give you dozens of videos with homemade solar dryer designs. You will be surprised how
these structures are varied.

Unlike us, the entire Western world is actively trying to use the endless solar energy. Residents of private houses make a variety of dryers, which are actively used.

What is a dehydrator for? You can dry almost everything in it. Apples, pears, plums, strawberries, herbs and leaves for tea, any vegetables and root vegetables. The same strawberries or roots. Anything that can be cut into slices or folded into a small layer. But most importantly, this does not require electricity or money.

Let's see how a dehydrator works. We will not consider very complex structures or very primitive ones. Let's take a look at the classic solar panel dehydrator.

The frame of the dehydrator consists of bars. Usually use a bar 50 * 40 mm or 40 * 40 mm. The framework is quite simple, and does not require much knowledge to create. Its width and depth is chosen at the discretion of the master. Usually it is 500 - 600 mm, depending on your desire.

The height with the roof ridge is approximately 2 - 2.2 m. It does not make sense to do it higher, it will be inconvenient to maintain it.

From the inside, slats for retractable mesh shelves are stuffed onto the frame. Outside, the dehydrator can be sheathed with clapboard or plywood. Some are just wrapped in black tape. But in my opinion, it is better not to use polymers.

Mesh shelves are knocked together from a 20 * 30 mm bar, covered with any mesh that you have.

Behind the dehydrator make a hinged door. And from the front side at the very bottom they make a cut for the solar panel. It is also made without fuss.

This is an ordinary box, covered with glass and painted black inside. The top and bottom of this box is drilled for air passage. The sun heats the panel through the glass and the air from it begins to rise.

Many craftsmen install tubes from ordinary beer cans with a drilled bottom inside the solar panel. They are glued together into tubes and also painted black. The air in such tubes heats up even faster and rises faster into the dryer.

There are also craftsmen who connect fans to the solar panel. This will speed up the movement of hot air, but requires the supply of electricity. What turns a solar dehydrator into a solar powered electric air dehydrator. I won’t say that it’s bad, but you can’t leave such a dehydrator unattended. And besides, it requires the cost of both the fans themselves and electricity. Perhaps such a decision is justified if you have a solar battery that can be installed on a dehydrator. But agree, this is a slightly different design.

The plot, then, as a rule, the problem arises of where to put the entire crop. Of course, you can simply eat a lot of things during the season, and some can be preserved for the winter. But there are still many different fruits and vegetables that have to be thrown away, because they have nowhere to go.

The best way to stock up for the winter is to dry. So the maximum of vitamins is preserved in the products, and this process is much simpler than canning. In addition, dried fruits and vegetables take up little space and are not heavy.





Today we will look at how you can make a simple dryer powered by solar energy. This will be especially convenient for those who like to save money, or for those whose house has long been powered by alternative energy, using the power of the wind or the sun. In addition, the construction of such a dryer will be much cheaper than buying an electrical appliance.

The basic principle of a solar dryer is to make hot air circulate inside the device. The more actively it circulates and the hotter it is, the faster and better the products will dry. The air in the homemade product is heated by a special panel, which is painted black with heat-resistant paint. Cold air enters through the bottom, then is heated by solar heat, expands and exits through the top of the dryer. Here it is important to correctly calculate the diameter of the inlet and outlet holes in order to obtain the desired temperature and air velocity.

Materials and tools for homemade:

List of materials:
- square pipes;
- sheet metal;
- polycarbonate sheet;
- two hinges for the door and a locking mechanism;
- screws, screws and more.

List of tools:
- welding;
- Bulgarian;
- drill;
- marker and tape measure;
- scissors for metal;
- stationery knife;
- hacksaw.

Manufacturing process of solar dryer:

Step one. We make a frame
It all starts with the manufacture of the frame. The author used square pipes as a material. Everything is assembled with the help of a grinder and welding. As for the sizes, they can be chosen any, depending on the needs and availability of materials. The author was guided here by the size of the polycarbonate sheet.

What shape the dryer should be, you can see in the photo, but you can come up with your own.








Step two. Door manufacturing
The author makes a metal door, here sheet metal and square pipes will be needed. First you need to cut four pieces of a square pipe and weld a rectangle out of it, which should fit under the dryer frame in shape. The door must fit snugly against the frame, as in the event of gaps, the effectiveness of the device is reduced.

Well, in the end, the frame is sheathed with a sheet of metal. Here you can use self-tapping screws, screws with nuts and so on. Another steel sheet can be welded. The door is installed after sheathing.


Step three. We sheathe the dryer
Before sheathing the dryer, you will need to make fasteners for baking sheets. For such purposes, you can use wooden blocks. You can fasten them with self-tapping screws, and preferably with screws. In total, the author has space for 4 pallets.






Now you need to install such a thing as an absorber in the dryer. To make it, you need a sheet of metal. This sheet is installed at the very bottom of the dryer to heat cold air there. The sheet must be painted black using heat-resistant paint.

As for the thickness of the metal, the thinner it is, the faster the dryer will start to work when the sun hits the best. It is better to use copper or aluminum as a material, as they are excellent conductors of heat, but steel is also suitable.




After installing the absorber, the outer skin can be assembled. It can be fastened with self-tapping screws or using welding. An important element of the dryer is the roof, it must be transparent, since it is through it that warm sunlight will pass. The roof can be made of glass, polycarbonate and other materials.

To prevent flies and other living creatures from flying into the dryer, the author attaches a mosquito net to the ventilation windows.


That's all, the design is almost ready. Now you just need to fix the door. There will be the necessary door hinges, a locking mechanism, and it will not be superfluous to attach a handle.



Step four. Making trays
The baking sheets here are not the same as in conventional ovens. They must pass air well so that the products dry. They are made very simply. For their manufacture, you will need a metal mesh, as well as a wooden bar.




First, you will need to make frames from a bar. Well, then these frames are simply sheathed with a mesh. To make it convenient to install and remove the trays, self-tapping screws are not completely wrapped in them on the sides, and the tray is held on them.

Step five. Testing the dryer
First of all, the dryer must be properly installed. It should be such a place that there is a maximum amount of sun during the day. The sun's rays will enter through the cover so that the instrument is oriented accordingly.

At present, a great many people have finally begun to pay attention to their health. There is no need to be surprised here! The whole world is already utterly "chemicalized" and this naturally affects our condition, health and, of course, not in the best way. And in these difficult conditions for the body, it constantly needs to be replenished with vitamins and high-quality vitamins! We try to replenish the body by eating fresh vegetables and fruits.

Vegetables and fruits are a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals. In summer and autumn, there are no problems with fruits and vegetables - the shelves of our stores get tired of bending under their abundance, and at other times of the year there are already enough of them. But their prices, places of growth, ways of growing are confusing! Especially hydroponics! For sim, buy vegetables, fruits, berries ... from reliable suppliers you know. Where to get them? In Russia, we have a lot of people growing them in garden plots. Negotiate.

Why dry fruits and vegetables.

But what to do in winter, spring? After all, you can’t eat vitamins for the future, but there is a way out - provide yourself and your loved ones with homemade dried fruits! When drying, berries, fruits, they retain a large amount of useful substances: fiber, trace elements, magnesium, vitamin B, iodine, calcium, iron, antioxidants. Yes, and doctors give recommendations to stock up on dried fruits for the winter. Preparing dried fruits at home is not difficult, and this is a big plus that speaks in favor of homemade preparations. The process itself is not laborious, does not require financial influences. This method of preserving vegetables, fruits, berries by drying is the cheapest and easiest way to do it for the entire long winter period.

Drying itself is probably the most ancient way of preserving fruits, berries, and vegetables. The drying process is simple and consists in evaporating most of the water from fruits, vegetables ... This significantly increases the concentration of vitamins and trace elements in the finished product, reduces the risk of microorganisms developing in them.

Naturally, special attention should be paid to the storage of the dried product - after all, it depends on how long they can be stored at home. By ensuring their proper preservation, you can be sure of the complete safety of vitamins.

Well, in order to get vitamins in the cold season and enjoy various delicious dried fruits, you need to know how to cook them at home.

For drying, slightly unripe fruits are best suited. Their bones can not be removed, but dried with them. Drying can be both natural - solar drying in the open air, and artificial - in the oven, electric dryer, on the stove.

Read also:

How to make drying at home.

I suggest you make a solar dryer (dryer) that does not use electricity.

Many gardeners and not only already use dryers to harvest dried fruits for the winter. Drying is more profitable than freezing, since refrigerators and freezers that consume electricity during the entire period of food storage are not used for freezing. This is probably one of the pluses - we save electricity, the boom also bites at the present time.

Modern dryers (dryers) are efficient and fast, but they run on electricity and, frankly, the quality of products cooked in the sun is better.

Here is a simple compact drying, which you can make yourself at home, according to your size. Consider this just a sample.

Facade. The lid is made of polycarbonate sheet, glass can be used. At the bottom there is a ledge for water drainage. The bottom and back panels are covered with black plastic. In principle, you can leave it wooden, but rub it with a dark pigment.

Side view. This side is covered with a polycarbonate sheet, again glass can be used. The height of the side panel is 61 cm, the width is 71 cm. The shelves are staggered to get more direct sunlight.

On the top shelf, the products dry faster, so the shelves with drying products should be swapped. Rectangular wooden shelves covered with plastic mesh. For convenience, the shelves "walk" on wooden rails and are easily pulled out through the rear door.


This is the back panel. It is 61 cm high and 64 cm wide. It has a ventilation opening and is covered with a net.

The same opening is made in front below the polycarbonate sheet.

Ventilation openings provide airflow for drying products.
To get rid of the problem with ants, you need to put trapping belts on the legs or put the legs in tin cans filled with water. But in this case, the drying legs must be made of metal.

The height of the legs is 15 cm.

I think that this description is enough to start building your own solar dryer - dehydrator. Dried fruits become ready in it in 2-3 days, depending on weather conditions.

If you are not satisfied with the design of the dryer given in the article, then make an electric one. In fact, the weather outside is not always sunny, and it is necessary to process the products grown in the garden on time. They won't wait for the weather. In this case, an electric homemade dryer is useful. For its manufacture will not require scarce and expensive materials. You can make a dryer "for yourself" of the required dimensions and from the materials you have available that you can always find in your "stash box".

Do-it-yourself dryer for pollen, vegetables, fruits, berries

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