Beware of reflected heat

Poink88

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About 2 months ago our weather started to cool down so I chopped my moringa (tropical vegetable tree) and wrapped it with pipe insulation. About a month later, I noticed that the insulation looked like burned so I investigated and learned that our neighbor's window is reflecting the sun rays and burned the insulation. The window is about 100 feet away from the insulated tree. No wonder I had weird leaf burn marks on my trees...even the ones under shade. :eek:

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nathanbs

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holy crap! What are you going to do to deflect the death ray?
 

Poink88

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holy crap! What are you going to do to deflect the death ray?

Not sure really...since we have HOA restrictions. To think this is during winter. Luckily, the sun's position changes during summer and will be hitting the window at a steeper angle then.
 

GrimLore

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100 feet? Well in any event you could get a really inexpensive tarp pretty much any size from one of those Ollie outlets. The brown ones are silver in one side. Maybe stretch one vertical between the plants and the source - silver side to the source...
 

milehigh_7

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I have long warned people that reflected heat is an absolute killer. Here brick walls and sidewalks can be hot enough to cook eggs on. That is no joke.
 

jkd2572

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Put up a mirror and deflected it back. Really though I wonder if this could be a fire hazard?
 

Bill S

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They use a similar rig to generate power, reflect the sun to a collector to make superheated salt solution, then use that to produce steam I think.

So the death ray remark is not that far off.:cool:
 

Poink88

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I have long warned people that reflected heat is an absolute killer. Here brick walls and sidewalks can be hot enough to cook eggs on. That is no joke.

I know. I always checked the heat and nothing much from the walls...but forgot about the glass window panes. :rolleyes:
 

Bill S

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Kind of an oddity/coincidence, as to get the real heat this had to be at the focal point of the reflector. Either that or some kid had a big magnifying glass in your yard when you weren't looking. Is you wife a prankster????;)
 

jk_lewis

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Yeah. I wonder if you need to seek another cause. What you describe should require a lens that focuses the reflected light/heat specifically on your tree to produce a burn. A mere reflection off a flat window seems a rather unlikely lens.
 

Poink88

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In a way you both are probably right, I believe the window pane is somewhat concave, minimal, but enough to focus the light some at that distance.

No other heat source...I stood there once to check how hot it gets and it is HOT!
 

jkd2572

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Maybe someone does not like your tree farm........
 

Poink88

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BTW...I forgot to mention that the "culprit" window panes are on the neighbor's 2nd floor.
 

nathanbs

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its certainly possible as mentioned with the Vegas casino pool. I had a Prius come into my shop with its outside mirrors looking like they were from a Salvador Dali painting. Totally melted and drooping from the windows on the building adjacent to his work parking lot.
 

GrimLore

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BTW...I forgot to mention that the "culprit" window panes are on the neighbor's 2nd floor.

Is it possible they have mirrored closet doors or somthing similar behind those windows?
 

Poink88

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Is it possible they have mirrored closet doors or somthing similar behind those windows?

Nope, only blinds that is always closed (can't blame them). Blinds also need to remain uniform (part of HOA rule).
 

GrimLore

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Then my best guess is that the type of pipe insulation is of an indoor variety and has a very limited operating range. For example the insulation we used in our basement had to withstand the boiler temp of 180f. When shopping for that spec I was surprised to find there is a HUGE temp range available. Some will take up to 2700f! Anyways I would guess if that area is so hot you don't need to insulate the plant anyways :p If wind is an issue I would use burlap or a cheap tarp as a temp solution.
 
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