Turn a 2-Liter bottle into a 50 watt lightbulb (w/ video)

I was cruising the inter-webs and came across this video. It shows how to turn a 2-liter bottle of water into a lightbulb rated at 50 watts.



If the video does not work, go here: www.youtube.com...

Genius! Simple, effective, innovative. These types of ideas are more sexy to me than any anorexic model alive. This is ideal for any business that operates during hours of sunlight.

S & F

I definitely have to try that out.

Time to start saving my two liter bottles.

reply to post by Scooby Doo


I watched the vid but I could not see exactly how he made it or what were the parts that made it worked. They said something about water, bleach, and some sort of film cover. Can you explain how they are made? I might give it a try this weekend.

Been discussed Prior

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Awesome potential though!!

Yeah I'd like to see a set of plans... I have a shed out back where they would work out fine... never work in my house though...wouldn't be much bottle left to stick out after going through 1 inch of roofing materials then another 4 inches of insulation

Isn't it always the simplest things that make you say WOW! Free lighting and keeps the plastic out of the landfills.

From June 2008.

Water bottle Light Bulb??

I was hoping to see something more technical than a simple skylight but cost-wise, this proposal is streets ahead of commercial equivalents. It's still dark after sunset though.

Originally posted by Pilgrum
It's still dark after sunset though.

Well, paint the room with glow-in-the-dark paint, that will give you some light for a while after sunset.

Yes, some plans / instructions would be nice. I take it the sun hitting the "black" cover film on the top is what powers the device but what is the ratio ingredients of the liquid inside the bottles and what is the "black" cover? Please post instructions if available.

A full roof of these things would make an awesome greenhouse! Does it also put out heat?

It would work well with these

glonation.com...

www.blacklite.com...

[edit on 3-11-2009 by infolurker]

Plastic 2ltre bottle, Add 2 capfulls Bleach, Fill rest with water. Add plastic film canister to neck, this is to stop the bottles cap from degrading by sunlight.Cut a great big hole through your roof and plug it with the bottle.

there is no trick to this, sunlight will come through the hole in roof wether the bottle is there or not, the only difference is that the bottle defuses that light beam coming through the hole in roof to a more spread out light such as a normal light bulb does. Guess it plugs up the leaks as well when it rains.

reply to post by HotSauce


It's just a plastic bottle filled with water, the bleach is to keep the water clean and the film canister is to protect the lid from the sun. It works because the sunlight outside is refracted through the water.

You all know this only works in the daylight right?...full daylight...

There is no way this would work with the light of the moon, and during stormy days you will be in the dark, and who uses lightbulbs during the day?

I saw this before a while back.

It's pretty neat and good for a tin roof or thin cement roofs.
But in a typical European house with two floors and an attic it would only benefit the loft areas.

Still good to know though

Simple. Genius

Obviously you would have to use a light bulb at night, but as was shown, one guy was using them in his workshop, a woman was using her in her bathroom. Obviously in an area where glass is expensive and/or hard to come by, its simple things like this that make a big difference. I remember watching a video of an African surgery where they were complaining about the solar panels they had which could only power only 1 or 2 items, and they needed light obviously, so they had to be very careful operating the vaccine fridge. This simple discovery could work wonders for them.

Well a light bulb that works only during sunlight hours and makes your roof leaky, I'm not sure he'd get the backing in dragons den.

What happens when it freezes outside?

Uh Oh

Originally posted by MMPI2
What happens when it freezes outside?

Uh Oh

I don't think they have that problem in Brazil.

It is suited more towards warmer climates - like mine.

Fantastic idea.