Out of Florida I keep hearing tales of an old cooter named Tom. It seems that Tom is still a reelin' from the recent bust in the economy , the crazy weather, and the tough times that millions of people live with right now.* He said that he felt like he would pop his cork if he didn't find a way to help somehow.
To hear it told, one day after work old Tom was sitting on his front porch and drinking a beer with his next door neighbor, Ferdswark, when an idea just popped into his head. He looked up at Ferdswark and asked "If I could find a way to make the sun provide your hot water for free, and you could easily add more heaters so you can make the amount of hot water you want to. Would you buy one?
Ferdie just shook his head no.
OK Tom said, looking serious, and asked Ferdie another question, how about if I make it so that it follows the sun so that you gather sunlight throughout the whole day? You don´t pay to heat this water and that puts a little money back in your pocket.
Tom smiled and asked Ferdie, are your ready to buy one yet?
Good old Ferdswark could see from the expression on Tom's face that he was as serious as a mortician at a million dollar funeral. Ferdswark's face suddenly changed and he looked like he was thinking about the question like he was choosing a wife.
Meanwhile, Tom waited for his answer by nervously pacing back and forth across the room like he was having a baby.
Finally Ferdie looked Tom square in the eyes and told him,"It sure looks good, but I´m still not ready to buy one!"
Unphased by Ferdie's answer and with a look of confidence that no one had ever seen on Tom's face before!
He just piped right up and asked Ferdswark another question, determined to figure out how to please him. If I make it so that you can fold it up and put it out of sight when you are away from home,
Would you buy one then?
With the seriousFerdswark contorted his face while doin' some serious figurin' and workin' the matter over in his mind before he was ready to give old Tom an answer.
He said, "Tom the features that you added to your heater are mighty tempting, but Im still not ready to part with my money."
Instead of looking defeated, old Tom let a big smile spread all across his face, he knew he had saved the best for last.
Still smiling, he reminded Ferdswark that the whole idea here is to build the most modern, efficient solar water heater they is.
Just then, like a young man screwing up his courage to ask for his first kiss, Tom smiled and asked Ferdswark,
if I build it so that it circulates the heat faster and increases the speed of movement of the heat so that you get much more hot water than the old ones did?
That means you don´t have to wait for your hot water and what you do use is heated by the sun, and that is FREE.
Just think on how much more money will stay in your pocket.
While you are thinkin' on it, Let me give you the first look at my spankin' new heater Tom said. Well, good old Ferdie´s eyes lit up like a kid with a new Wii, and Tom knew he had his answer.
Like a starving man looking at a big steak, Tom wasted no time before he started pointing out that the shape of the panel was different than any other they had seen, The frame looks kinda triangular in shape, not like the thin square or rectangular ones back in the day.
The heart of this heater is found inside a tubular shaped tank, as big as you want to make it. The outside of the heater tank is attractively designed and it´s shape would never tell you that it is a solar powered hot water heater. All of the cool new stuff is out of sight inside the tank. Tom said, "I think the marvels inside that tank are what really puts us head and shoulders above the rest.
Tom showed how he had replaced the flat black piece of metal roofing laying on the bottom of the old style heaters and replaced it with small metal fins that wrapped around the water carrying pipe. The one pipe brings cold water in, one pipe takes the hot water out, Now that his improved heater has lots more hot metal surface area from the fins to heat the water faster, You don't wait for hot water, The sun keeps it all warm for you. This means that you get to use the water right away instead of waiting for the real old ones to make enough to use.
Do you want to buy one NOW?, Tom asked. With a Cheshire Cat sized smile he said it makes the hot water that you need and uses the sun to do the job for FREE.
Just imagine the money that you'll save!
I hear tell that old Ferdswark fell clean off the stoop, all the while laughing like a man that owns a still. Old Tom watched Ferdswark's face lite up when he realized that he was going to save a bunch of money and he said to Tom, OK, I'm convinced. After all, I'd have to be dumber than my socks to let this improvement pass me bye. I'll take one!"
It seems that ever since Ferdie installed his Modine Heater the word has been flying around the neighborhood faster than my kids eat!
Tom is busier than he ever was before. Clean hot water for free.
Everyone wants to have one, and you probably do too.
A super new way to get hot water, and save money in the process, you say.
Where can I buy one of these modern marvels, you ask?
Sadly you can't. They are not being made right now, but anyone that wants to will find the drawings, descriptions and explanations for this device in the Encyclopedia of Solar Inventions.
Mr. Thomas Modine's high tech water heating device, loaded with precedent setting features, was awarded it´s Letters of Patent on February 24, 1942. ánd was available for manufacture and sale since that date, some 68 years ago.
