Ecostat heating element and thermostat

[Alabamaeee]

Sorry, I thought the thread was about a combined heater and control system and this was only one half of it.

RAB

Yes, but unfortunately in my rush to read the post it I failed to notice that

My excitement was due to being half way through the project having prepared a suitable fridge, so just need a heater and control system to complete it

Might also be an idea to move this topic to the DIY section of the forum

 

[fatshark]

Jimmy
First impressions very favourable. Holds temperature very accurately and was a doddle to install - good instructions included. I bought the Ecostat system from Patrick Pinker - delivery was next day and cost £2.50 or so. I'm currently testing higher temperatures.

Be warned, the first few times the element heats up it gives off a bit of 'smoke' which I assume is either dirt and dust that ended up on it during installation, or something remaining from production. This soon disappears ...

--
fatshark

 

[RoseCottage]

Would you post a few pics so we can see what you are describing...cannot seem to get a Google image.

Thanks,
Sam

 

[Jimmy]

Thanks for the feedback. Very tempted!

 

[VEG]

Would you post a few pics so we can see what you are describing...cannot seem to get a Google image.

Thanks,
Sam

If you are on about the heater it is basically a thermostat with a heating element about the thickness of electrical flex. This you fix to the bottom of your box.
If you look here http://www.ascott-dairy.co.uk/acatalog/Poultry_Incubator_DIY_Kits.html
The red bit is the heating cable.

I housed mine in a blanket box bought from argos lol which holds two 30lb buckets very nicely.

 

[fatshark]

Ecostat

Temperature control is pretty good, probably comfortably within +/- 0.5oC. It overshoots a couple of degrees and then settles quickly. Without having the thermostat turned to the max my cabinet reaches a steady 51.5oC ... more than enough to spoil honey if left for any length of time.

The heating cable needs to be supported from the floor of the cabinet - in my case on 50mm wooden blocks. The Ecostat kit has full instructions for this, together with the necessary ties and fixings.

Temperature control is accurate enough for it to double as a queen cell incubator ... on an industrial scale

 

[Alabamaeee]

I'm ordering one of these for my modified under counter fridge.

Just hoping the space inside won't be too much for the heater to handle, otherwise I'll be hacking a box together with my miserable carpentry skills...

 

[Mr Bumbles]

I have just spoken to Ecostat direct an they sell a Honey warming kit (thermostate controller and 100W heating element) for £78 inc delivery. 100W will heat two 20lb buckets but you can add 4 more heating elements because the contoller is 500W.

 

[dpearce4]

http://www. ebay .co .uk/itm/Digital-PID-Temperature-Controller-40A-SSR-K-Thermocouple-0-to-400-REX-C100-/301552458334?hash=item4635ed5a5e:g:BOYAAOSw3ydVjk6B

is this any good for using for my honey warmer?

At the moment I use a 40w bulb and they are getting harder to purchase.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes, but I thought it might be possible to add a couple of incandescent lamps (40W) as a load.

I'm no electrician, so don't know if it is capable of controlling such a load?

You'd be better (and safer) off rigging up a couple of 40 watt tubular heaters such as these to it :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-...hash=item27c22cca27:m:m-O7ZQ_l6eD5FXeamYAp_SA

 

[Finman]

.
I have a small oil filled room heater and Air mixer. All costs £ 25. Temp is very even.
Then a heating box, where I can out 200 kg honey to be extracted.
Bulb as a heater? There so much better heaters nowadays.

 

[Tremyfro]

I have several oil filled tubes.....one is about 15 inches long..I use them in the tack room under the saddles...they produce a low heat which stops mould in winter. Could you use one to warm honey?...in a disused upright freezer?
I have only used it in an open environment before...would it be safe?

 

[Plenty of honey]

One of the best ways to get honey warm is through under floor heating. This can be done with water, or electric cables in the floor, our even rolled out underneath stacked supers, which is what i want to try next spring.
i want to build a warming room especially for this, but looking to do it small scale to see the best results.
The thing with under floor, is that it actually travels upwards directly in to the honey. then stays in the supers. If you just put supers in a warm room in spring, when its on the point of crystallising. It can take days for the heat to penetrate the supers and warm up the honey.
Certainly if you build a cabinet, or convert a fridge this is exactly the same as discussed
Quite a few commercial guys use this set up of underfloor . Its the best use of heat as it goes "up", just like bees do in the spring!! anyone else tried under floor? the biggest problem we have in the spring is keeping the honey just warm to aid extraction after harvest and its lost its field heat!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

http://www. ebay .co .uk/itm/Digital-PID-Temperature-Controller-40A-SSR-K-Thermocouple-0-to-400-REX-C100-/301552458334?hash=item4635ed5a5e:g:BOYAAOSw3ydVjk6B

is this any good for using for my honey warmer?

At the moment I use a 40w bulb and they are getting harder to purchase.

I have several oil filled tubes.....one is about 15 inches long..I use them in the tack room under the saddles...they produce a low heat which stops mould in winter. Could you use one to warm honey?...in a disused upright freezer?
I have only used it in an open environment before...would it be safe?

old fridge, STC 1000 thermostat

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Digital-S...760091?hash=item35de6a121b:g:-JUAAOSw1x1URLWc

Then a couple of 40w tubular 'greenhouse heaters'

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-...hash=item27c22cca27:m:m-O7ZQ_l6eD5FXeamYAp_SA

job done

 

[Finman]

.
You get a heater with thermostat with £ 15. Nothing special is not needed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

.
You get a heater with thermostat with £ 15. Nothing special is not needed.

Been discussed before - not very reliable and no way of checking the actual temperature inside the fridge

 

[Finman]

Been discussed before - not very reliable and no way of checking the actual temperature inside the fridge

Get a digital in-out thermometre and then drill a hole and a sensor via hole.

Thermometers in heaters are very reliable.

Warming honey is not rocket science., and not even skitchen science.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The STC 100 does all that and more, but whatever - forgot that you are always right finsky - you've probably got a degree in electronics as well as the ones in thermal engineering and quantum physics

 

[Finman]

Te STC 100 does all that and more, but whatever - forgot that you are always right finsky - you've probably got a degree in electronics as well as the ones in thermal engineering and quantum physics

Heh he heh. Only degree what you need is Celsius. Some kind of tool competition?


Celsius engineering. Beautiful. You must learn first beekeeping that you get enough honey what you may heat. Beginners section. Oh dear.

 

[dpearce4]

You'd be better (and safer) off rigging up a couple of 40 watt tubular heaters such as these to it :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-...hash=item27c22cca27:m:m-O7ZQ_l6eD5FXeamYAp_SA

what temp do they go to sorry to be dumb.