What output tube heater for DIY warming cabinet

[Jules59]

I recently made a warming cabinet from a fridge dumped in a nearby grass verge.
Currently I have a 60W incandescant bulb as a heater, a computer fan to circulate the air and temperature controller with temp probe.
I want to change to a tube heater ( I believe it will use much less electricity) but not sure what output to buy. The fridge is a 800mm high and can contain 2 10L buckets (the wide , short ones).
What output should I buy ?

 

[Jules59]

Actually I now realise that the limiting factor may be the length of the tube heater. 40W heater is 1ft in length.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I recently made a warming cabinet from a fridge dumped in a nearby grass verge.
Currently I have a 60W incandescant bulb as a heater, a computer fan to circulate the air and temperature controller with temp probe.
I want to change to a tube heater ( I believe it will use much less electricity) but not sure what output to buy. The fridge is a 800mm high and can contain 2 10L buckets (the wide , short ones).
What output should I buy ?

I agree with you jules tube heaters normally work out somewhere between 40-60w per foot so if you want more than 60watts it might mean having 2 short tubes.
I have a cabinet made from 50mm PIR which takes 3 buckets with a 2’ long 120w tube.

 

[Sutty]

There will be no difference in electrical efficiency 60W is 60W - it all gets converted to heat. If 60W is just too much power, in which case a smaller bulb, a dimmer or a temperature controller with the sensor inside the fridge as you have will would work fine.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Try a couple of these Solway Feeders: Round Incubator Heating Elements supported by ceramic insulators Solway Feeders: Ceramic Heat Insulator If you are in a hurry you can have them both in circuit, but for maintaining temperature one will do. Connected to an STC 1000 progammable temperature controller, or similar, it will only come on when necessary, and thus keep your heating costs down

It works for me

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Make sure you get one with a high enough temperature cutout. I use these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313611206507?epid=1960903377&hash=item4904af3f6b:g:hToAAOSwXzhg-ELu

 

[David1976]

I recently built this warming cabinet and it is powered by two 2 four foot tubes and an inkbird control. I put 6 PC fans in it to circulate three bottom one end and three top the other. It maintains the heat easily. Box is roughly 6ft x 3ft.x 2ft and can fit 15 supers (3 stacks of 5) or 2 stacks and a 70 litre settling tank. It actually maybe maintains the heat a bit too well, I am contemplating adding a bathroom extractor fan to the cooling half of the circuit.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I recently built this warming cabinet and it is powered by two 2 four foot tubes and an inkbird control. I put 6 PC fans in it to circulate three bottom one end and three top the other. It maintains the heat easily. Box is roughly 6ft x 3ft.x 2ft and can fit 15 supers (3 stacks of 5) or 2 stacks and a 70 litre settling tank. It actually maybe maintains the heat a bit too well, I am contemplating adding a bathroom extractor fan to the cooling half of the circuit.

I'd love one that size but I'd have to build another shed to keep it in! SWMBO would not be pleased!

 

[polymath]

Like you I have built a warming cabinet from a fridge, but want to use it for both honey warming and wax melting. I have two warming bars in their but after talking to a manufacturer although they advertise them as without a thermostat they have an inbuilt thermostat. This means no matter how many i put in it would not get over about 45/50 degrees. Now i want it at 70 degrees as i also use to melt and filter wax so i have had to put back the lightbulbs - separate switch circuit, so i can turn them on when doing wax. All very annoying. So be careful on the heat bars they are limited.

 

[polymath]

Make sure you get one with a high enough temperature cutout. I use these:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313611206507?epid=1960903377&hash=item4904af3f6b:g:hToAAOSwXzhg-ELu

yes these are the ones i used but are limited

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Try a bain marie

 

[linoleum bonypart]

One tube is enough to warm buckets of honey

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I recently made a warming cabinet from a fridge dumped in a nearby grass verge.
Currently I have a 60W incandescant bulb as a heater, a computer fan to circulate the air and temperature controller with temp probe.
I want to change to a tube heater ( I believe it will use much less electricity) but not sure what output to buy. The fridge is a 800mm high and can contain 2 10L buckets (the wide , short ones).
What output should I buy ?

Try this instead of the bulb. NAVMAN - TH1FT060 - TUBULAR HEATER 60W 30CM 5013845023559 | eBay

 

[Jules59]

Thanks for all the replies.
I already had an ebay temp controller (£5) (like this 12V 220V Incubator Temp Regulator Heater Temperature-Controller Digital LED 10A | eBay) running the system but thought that maybe I'd get more heat out of a 40W tube heater than a 60W bulb (as no light is produced) and also I don't have any more incandescent bulbs when this one blows.
So in the end I bought a 40W dimplex heater from Screwfix (£15).
Work fine and gets up to 50C no problem.

For wax melting I use an old brood box with added base and insulated lid, and pipe in steam from a wall paper stripper.
I put in on a tilt so that wax and condensate drain out of a hole in the base.
Probably "sterilises" the super frames too.

I don't bother with recycling old brood frames - the small amount of usable wax obtained is not worth the effort. I incinerate them and put the ash on the allotment.

I will, however, keep searching our grass verges for a larger fridge.

 

[Sutty]

Thanks for all the replies.
I already had an ebay temp controller (£5) (like this 12V 220V Incubator Temp Regulator Heater Temperature-Controller Digital LED 10A | eBay) running the system but thought that maybe I'd get more heat out of a 40W tube heater than a 60W bulb (as no light is produced) and also I don't have any more incandescent bulbs when this one blows.
So in the end I bought a 40W dimplex heater from Screwfix (£15).
Work fine and gets up to 50C no problem.

For wax melting I use an old brood box with added base and insulated lid, and pipe in steam from a wall paper stripper.
I put in on a tilt so that wax and condensate drain out of a hole in the base.
Probably "sterilises" the super frames too.

I don't bother with recycling old brood frames - the small amount of usable wax obtained is not worth the effort. I incinerate them and put the ash on the allotment.

I will, however, keep searching our grass verges for a larger fridge.

Sounds like it's all working well
For the record (in case others devising similar) the 60w bulb will give you 60w of heat as the small amount of light gets converted to heat as it hits surfaces. You'll get less heat with the 40w dimplex but that's fine if it's enough. The lack of incandescent bulbs will give anyone with existing similar systems a problem but you could replace with a "heat lamp" sold for brooding chicks.

 

[Jules59]

Thanks Sutty

 

[bobba]

I think silicone heat pads are worth considering, like they use in the beds for 3D printers.

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesal...0001&origin=y&SearchText=Silicone+Heating+Pad
Many have built in thermometers ready to hook up to a controller.

They come in many sizes, voltages, watts etc.

I saw a youtube vid (sorry cannot find it again), where a guy just wrapped a heat pad around a bucket, then wrapped it in insulation.

I was thinking of getting a big bucket, sticking a pad in the bottom, wrapping in insulation and hooking up a controller. Then I would have a mini heating chamber for 1 bucket.

But for your fridge, you may find the variety of shapes and sizes of silicon pads lets you find something that's a better fit. They are flexible which may be of use.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Slow cooker as the heater works fine. Separate thermostat required.

 

[REDWOOD]

It all depends on how thermal efficient your fridge is, the older ones are not that good. If your heater wattage is not enough the honey will take forever to warm and might not even get up to temperature In cold conditions.
I made a PIR warming cabinet, holds one 30 pound bucket and use a 40W tube.