Warming cabinet heater

[Wingy]

Just looking for views / recommendations as to what everyone is using these days to heat their home made warming cabinets?
I was using 2 x old style 40w filament bulbs but need to replace as they have now expired - tried a 1’ 45w greenhouse heater but couldn’t get the temperature above 18C.
My cabinet is constructed of a 2”x2” wooden frame, 5’ tall and 2’6” square (internal dimensions) frame is infilled with 50mm foil back kingspan all sealed with foil tape, then completely covered with another 50mm outer layer and door is 100mm insulated

 

[Newbeeneil]

Just looking for views / recommendations as to what everyone is using these days to heat their home made warming cabinets?
I was using 2 x old style 40w filament bulbs but need to replace as they have now expired - tried a 1’ 45w greenhouse heater but couldn’t get the temperature above 18C.
My cabinet is constructed of a 2”x2” wooden frame, 5’ tall and 2’6” square (internal dimensions) frame is infilled with 50mm foil back kingspan all sealed with foil tape, then completely covered with another 50mm outer layer and door is 100mm insulated

Your box seems extremely well insulated so I would add a second greenhouse heater but make sure they don’t have a thermal cut out that prevents them from heating to the required temperature. The temperature regulation should be done by a separate more accurate controller.
I have a 1200x600x400 box made from 50mm PIR foam skewered and glued together with a 120w green house heater which has no problem achieving the required temperature rapidly.

 

[Wingy]

Your box seems extremely well insulated so I would add a second greenhouse heater but make sure they don’t have a thermal cut out that prevents them from heating to the required temperature. The temperature regulation should be done by a separate more accurate controller.
I have a 1200x600x400 box made from 50mm PIR foam skewered and glued together with a 120w green house heater which has no problem achieving the required temperature rapidly.

Thanks just didn’t want to go down the line of adding more tube heater if it wasn’t going to work. Thermostat control is via ST1000 control unit

 

[Wilco]

An in law of mine used an under floor heating element for what looks like a really nice setup although I don't have the details. I'll see if I can find out although believe they are on here.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

there's probably a temperature cutout in the heater itself which is why it's struggling to get up to temperature - I use Hausen tube heaters and they get up to temperature in no time, a 5'x 2'6" box sounds a bit big for just one heater.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/31361120...GRiQuDNwFOhmo4+cT2xH8z9F2SkJ|tkp:BFBM0OW8opdj

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Solway Feeders have these incubator heating elements on sale again. They were on sale when I bought one. Not sure what the story is there. Wanted another one a while ago and they didn't sell them. Can't remember which wattage . Go for the big one. Used these insulators to support it off the floor.

I even carefully straightened out the element so it fitted diagonally across the floor of my box.

Add a computer fan to circulate the heat.

. . . Ben

 

[Sutty]

I use two 1 foot dimplex 40w tube heaters in the bottom of an old fridge controlled by a plug-in inkbird controller. 1 heater wasn't enough. The on-heater controls are just turned up full.

 

[user 819]

I use stc1000 & two smaller 60w 12" tubular heaters in my old freezer, one heater alone wasn't enough and I could only get approx. 29c.

 

[Amari]

Thanks just didn’t want to go down the line of adding more tube heater if it wasn’t going to work. Thermostat control is via ST1000 control unit

I've had a Thorne's heating cabinet for 10+ years but found the two light bulbs and simple rheostat too unreliable . I replaced the bulbs with a 4"x4" aluminium heated plate with fins and an ST1000 both from Amazon. Works a treat. Please excuse the mucky view of the bottom of the cabinet.

 

[Jules59]

Just looking for views / recommendations as to what everyone is using these days to heat their home made warming cabinets?
I was using 2 x old style 40w filament bulbs but need to replace as they have now expired - tried a 1’ 45w greenhouse heater but couldn’t get the temperature above 18C.
My cabinet is constructed of a 2”x2” wooden frame, 5’ tall and 2’6” square (internal dimensions) frame is infilled with 50mm foil back kingspan all sealed with foil tape, then completely covered with another 50mm outer layer and door is 100mm insulated

I use a heater from Screwfix tube heater which easily gets my chest freezer cabinet to 50C
https://www.screwfix.com/p/dimplex-ecot1ft-wall-mounted-tubular-heater-40w-408mm-x-81mm/3951f
and a XH-W3001 temp controller (the version with 240v switching )

https://www.amazon.co.uk/XLX-Microc...-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
Not difficult to wire up using Wago connectors. Don't forget to include an earth somewhere.
I also use the temp controller to manage the freezer when I want cooling instead of heating.
The temp probe goes into the honey bucket and a computer fan circulates air around a the bucket.

 

[Garry R]

Go onto Freecycle and go to the wanted section and ask for an old fridge - not working. Now you have the insulated box for free. Fit a heater which suits and a temperature controller in the air gap so the honey should never overheat. There should be no need to to cut a hole in the fridge side for the plug - just remove a small piece of the door seal and that's where the wires will exit and the plugs are external . If the bucket inside is sited on couple of wooden blocks leaving an air gap underneath don't think a circulating fan should be needed. Set the required temperature and the heater will click in and out until the temperature is reached. Keep it simple.

 

[drex]

As already mentioned, some heaters have built in thermal cut outs. If so you will never reach required temps.
I use an old upright fridge and before installing a fan heat distribution was a bit erratic.

 

[user 819]

One can use the rear drain hole (may need in larging) in a fridge to feed a flex through
With my freezer I fed the flex through the hole which the freezing element fed through and simply resealed the hole with Pu18 sealant I had.

 

[Bassett]

I use stc1000 & two smaller 60w 12" tubular heaters in my old freezer, one heater alone wasn't enough and I could only get approx. 29c.

After my first attempt lasted 18 months before t/c failure caused the lining to melt and loss of honey.
My current fridge warmer includes 2x st100 controllers, first one has fixed t/c set for max temp, which feeds power to the 2nd st100 with T/c in bucket.
Fitted additional fan and 1x tube heater and 2x light bulbs (while still available).
The additional costs of extra controller are cheaper than replacement cabinet and lost of honey!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

After my first attempt lasted 18 months before t/c failure caused the lining to melt

what were you using as a heat source? a traditional two bar electric fire?

 

[Wingy]

Go onto Freecycle and go to the wanted section and ask for an old fridge - not working. Now you have the insulated box for free. Fit a heater which suits and a temperature controller in the air gap so the honey should never overheat. There should be no need to to cut a hole in the fridge side for the plug - just remove a small piece of the door seal and that's where the wires will exit and the plugs are external . If the bucket inside is sited on couple of wooden blocks leaving an air gap underneath don't think a circulating fan should be needed. Set the required temperature and the heater will click in and out until the temperature is reached. Keep it simple.

Ok not sure if you miss read my post but I have absolutely no need for a broken fridge I already have a custom made insulated box with external ST1000 temperature control —- just looking at replacing the heat source

 

[Bassett]

what were you using as a heat source? a traditional two bar electric fire?

Light bulbs x3

 

[Sutty]

Light bulbs x3

With enough insulation it doesn't take many watts to get really hot!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Light bulbs x3

I use a 12" tubular heater just make sure it doesn't have an internal thermostat to interfere with your controller.

 

[Hull Bees]

I'm using 2x60w and 1x40w tube heaters with modified thermal cut outs controlled by an STC-1000 in a tall larder fridge. Added a handful of 80mm PC fans to avoid hot spots and reinforced the wire shelves with wooden laths to support the weight of the honey.