Can someone recommend a place to get a low temp, say between 40 and 50 degree F, thermostat that will work with a milkroom type heater? What I have is a small electric heater with a fan in the pump house at my daughters. The heater has very crude adjustments and tends to cycle on and off a lot causing a higher electric bill than I'd like. The room is about 4'x4'x6' and the walls are either 2" styrofoam or 6" fiberglass. The ceiling is also 2" foam. The little Walmart type 1500 watt heater keeps it about 50-75F depending on when I check it. Way too warm for what I want. Someone must make a 115v thermostat that will work for me. I figured the guys here would know of a place to get one.
- Thread starter Bret4207
- Start date
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Actually there is little to no difference in the electrical use of the deadband is 5 degrees or 10 degrees.
Jeremy in DE
Member
In my pumphouse I have a plug like the one below (although a different brand). It kicks on and off reliably. I have a thermometer with a probe in there and the display in the house so I can see the temperature without going out and opening the pumphouse.
Not sure how much electric it saves when it's zero and the heater is cycling at 35-45 instead of say 50-60. But it saves a well more than the plug costs when it's 20 outside and the heater never has to come on since the normal running of the pump and flow of water keeps it in the upper 30s.
I figure why spend money keeping it warmer than I have to?
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovato...64556&sr=8-1&keywords=thermostat+plug
Not sure how much electric it saves when it's zero and the heater is cycling at 35-45 instead of say 50-60. But it saves a well more than the plug costs when it's 20 outside and the heater never has to come on since the normal running of the pump and flow of water keeps it in the upper 30s.
I figure why spend money keeping it warmer than I have to?
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovato...64556&sr=8-1&keywords=thermostat+plug
Mike(NEOhio)
Well-known Member
- Location
- Newbury, Ohio
Thanks for posting this, Bret. I've been looking for something just like that. We have a block pump house out near the barn. About 6X6, four feet below grade and five feet high. The old 80 gallon tank froze last winter, that never happened before. All new plumbing, diaphragm tank and wiring so I don't want it to happen again.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
Bret,
I use thermostats from Menards for 220v baseboard heaters. The Cadet model goes down to 40. Wire it
up in a 2x4 electrical box. Get a short 12g extension cord. Cut it in half and wire it in to
thermostat. Or hard wire in the thermostat on the wall using a 4x4 box. Next to thermostat wire
in a receptacle to plug in heater.
I use thermostats from Menards for 220v baseboard heaters. The Cadet model goes down to 40. Wire it
up in a 2x4 electrical box. Get a short 12g extension cord. Cut it in half and wire it in to
thermostat. Or hard wire in the thermostat on the wall using a 4x4 box. Next to thermostat wire
in a receptacle to plug in heater.
Brendon Warren
Well-known Member
I've got one here from a wood boiler if you want it.
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
Are you just trying to keep it above freezing? I'd use a thermostat intended for use with heat tapes; they kick on below 40F.
Heat tape thermostat
Heat tape thermostat
Ted in NE-OH
Well-known Member
They make one for controlling torpedo heaters.
I picked up one like shown in the link below some years ago at a rummage sale for a couple of bucks, and it has worked flawlessly.
IIRC, Grainger offers similar units.
Thermostat
IIRC, Grainger offers similar units.
Thermostat
Of course there is a difference... duh. Doubling the "deadband" raises the overall average temp, thus more money spent. Its simple math...
As for a thermostat, get an electronic temp controler that does heating and cooling. Homebrewers use these to make temp controled boxes or rooms. Electronic controllers let you set the temp over a wide range (low of below freezing to over 100 degrees)and the "deadband" (called the differential) can be set to a single degree. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...&linkId=QK6ANHI724COU2O3&data1=999999 If you use a temp controler like above, set at 34 degrees with a differental of 1 degree, the heater would rarely turn on and have a very cheap operating cost. In fact, it may never even have to run. Water from the ground is 55 degrees, if that heat gets cast off into the room the heater is not even close to being needed.
For the best ROI, buy good insulaion but $100 in a controller and heater is pretty cheap peace of mind.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
You might not even need the coil and fan, just dump water through a bypass line back into the well when temperature is below 40F. A fan and coil could insure you freeze up when the pump quits.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
Temperature makes a big difference, assuming you have sealed most of the air leaks, conduction through the walls is directly proportional to the temperature difference, From zero to 40 compared to zero to 55, the 55 degree setting will let 38% more energy through the walls, thus requiring 38% more energy. And as you noted, when the temperature gets up to 20, the 40 setting uses almost no energy, so the well water is providing enough energy to support maybe an 18 degree temperature difference. So to compare the energy necessary for each system, compare 40 to 18 and 55 to 18, the 55 setting will use 68% more electricity than the 40 setting, at zero outside.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
Incandescent bulbs have a pretty short lifespan, had one burn out a couple of years ago and froze a pump.
Thanks for the replies guys. I've tried the incandescent bulb thing. Works okay until the bulb burns out in the middle of the night! Running the pump all the time to run water through a coil would be more expensive than the heater. I appreciate all the links. I'm sure I'll find something that works now that i know what to ask for.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
As a backup. Wrapping the accessible pipework with heat trace cable applies some protection where it is needed most.
Use the heat trace without the built in thermostat . The built in stats fail after a couple of years .
rd 2N in mo
Member
Ya see, this is why the pigtail fluorescent bulb does not work for me either. they just don't give off enough heat to keep the frost off the pipes in the pump house. darn twinkle lights don't either.
Ever try an Infra-red Heat Lamp bulb? I have one wired directly to the thermal-switch from an old Heat Tape that I had laying around. I tapped off of one leg of the 220 VAC line that my Well Pump runs on, and installed a GFCI Duplex Outlet. The thermal-switch with the Infra-red bulb is plugged into one of the outlets and turns ON at about 35* F. and OFF at about 50* F. , keeps everything in the Pump House from freezing. (NO insulation in the Pump House).
Brad Buchanan
Member
Hey Brett.
I had the exact same setup and found a waterproof low temp
thermostat at the electric motor place in Malone.
Commercial duty and could easily handle the load however it was
about $60.00 if memory serves me correctly.
I actually think it came from Graingers.
Brad.
I had the exact same setup and found a waterproof low temp
thermostat at the electric motor place in Malone.
Commercial duty and could easily handle the load however it was
about $60.00 if memory serves me correctly.
I actually think it came from Graingers.
Brad.
Fred Werring
Well-known Member
Old topic, but...
Like someone else mentioned, I use a baseboard heater thermostat.
Use it to control 2 torpedo heaters in the shop, got it mounted on the post a couple feet
off the floor to keep it out of the floor level cold and drafts.
Goes down to 40f
Fred
Like someone else mentioned, I use a baseboard heater thermostat.
Use it to control 2 torpedo heaters in the shop, got it mounted on the post a couple feet
off the floor to keep it out of the floor level cold and drafts.
Goes down to 40f
Fred
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