Reddit reviews Farm Innovators TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees
We found 17 Reddit comments about Farm Innovators TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Plugs into a standard 15 amp electrical outlet and turns power on automatically according to ambient air temperatureWorks with any 120V electrical deviceSaves money by using power only when temperatures require heatingTwo receptacles for use with more than one electrical deviceTurns on as temperature falls to approximately 35°F, off as temperature rises above 45°FIdeal for home and farm applications such as pond de-icers, unheated rooms, pump houses, greenhouses, boats and RV's
Everything is out to kill your chickens. Literally. Don't be cheap on the fence. Button it all up tight.
I didn't do the 1 foot deep into the ground. All you really need to do is take that extra foot of wire and lay it out sideways. So it makes an L shape on the ground. Bury the lower part with an inch of dirt. Animals will try and scratch up against the fence but hit the fence laying on the ground and aren't smart enough to try further out.
If you use standard chicken wire, it will rust over time on the ground areas. Watch for that. Eventually something will get in. Took 3 years but finally something got in mine and took away a chicken one day.
Heat lamp for winter isn't needed, but I use it. Also a heater for the water. I bought a two way electrical splitter off of amazon with a built in thermostat. It only turns on the heat lamp and water heater if it gets below 35 degrees F.
Quick search found it: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2
That's about all I can think of for now.
Finally! A question that I can answer!
So, you can hook up this device that will turn on at 35 and off at 45. You can plug a heat lamp or two into these and it will keep your suds from freezing.
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2
We live in Michigan. My dad had a similar problem with his beer.
You can always buy a plug that goes between any appliance and the outlet, which has a thermostat built in which you can then plug any heater into. Such as this. These are often used to turn on a heater when the temps get close to freezing, and can burst your pipes, but you don't need to waste energy having the heater warm the place up for a human.
Doesn't the law of conservation of energy and the second law of thermodynamics guarantee that it is NOT a shitty heater?
In fact incandescent bulbs make fine heaters. The shed that houses my well is heated quite effectively on cold days by a pair of 15 watt incandescent bulbs controlled by one of these.
http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_13
This is what you want. Turns on below 35F and off above 45F.
Designed exactly for your application.
$12, 120 volts, supports up to 15 amps (1500 watt light bulb).
This is what we use in the north for keeping outdoor water thawed, combined with heat tape. I'm not sure what you mean by converter.
Farm Innovators TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006U2HD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_VlA7Bb0Z0NZVY
I took a birdbath heater and put it under their metal water dispenser in the coop. On the cord that feeds it I put a thermostat-controlled plug that only gives the heater power below 40 degrees or so. That should keep the coop a little warmer and keeps the water from freezing.
Birdbath heater: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-B-9-Economical-Birdbath/dp/B000793M68
Thermostat plug: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_img_z
They sell outlets that pop on when the temperature drops below freezing. If you're already running electricity, this would be relatively simple to set up.
something like this thermostat outlet could turn on a space heater at 2C and go off at 7C
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2
Foam boards on the foundation walls could help.
I use a small space heater in mine, with a thermocube adapter. It's basically a wall socket adapter with a built-in thermostat - turns the power on when it reaches 35F, turns the power off when it reaches 45F. Great for places like this where you want to prevent things from freezing.
What your talking about sounds cool but I was just gona use one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0006U2HD2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1453848457&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=thermostat+outlet&dpPl=1&dpID=319GQriRD1L&ref=plSrch
Yes! This is the type of setup I was thinking would be good. Something that would just take the chill off and keep the water from freezing.
Thanks for the info!
>I took a birdbath heater and put it under their metal water dispenser in the coop. On the cord that feeds it I put a thermostat-controlled plug that only gives the heater power below 40 degrees or so. That should keep the coop a little warmer and keeps the water from freezing.
>Birdbath heater: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-B-9-Economical-Birdbath/dp/B000793M68
>Thermostat plug: http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2/ref=pd_bxgy_lg_img_z
> you would only switch it on during appropriate weather (not sure if that's feasible).
Well, it's pretty easy to have it turn on only when it's cold outside.
Nice!
Try setting it up with one of these; http://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2
I would have bought one if the temps went too high, but these tiny bulbs raise the temps by only 20-30 degrees tops, and if it's higher than 20 I just turn one of them off.
If you only care about not letting your garage freeze, the quickest and cheapest route is to get one of these guys and plug in a cheap ceramic heater. They're generally the safest option since nothing is glowing red hot.
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2
Otherwise, if you get one like this, I doubt you'll have any worries or complaints:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200578579_200578579
Gas is a bit cheaper to operate but with the usage levels you're talking about, it would take a long time to see an ROI on that after you factor in installation costs and hassle. Plus you can ease your mind that there is zero risk of CO poisoning.
As for sizing - I have a 2 car attached garage, and a 17k BTU heater has been more than adequate. A 35K would be great but my panel can't handle that much. If it's -10F and I had the door open for half an hour, it takes awhile to warm back up. In those cases I fire up this one and between them it's comfy again in 15-20 minutes:
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200307957_200307957
I don't need to run them at all to keep the space from freezing, enough leaks thru from the house to prevent that.
Just spitballing..
Heavy/insulating outdoor blanket that goes over a bike and some sort of heater. Possibly something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kats-24025-Watt-Universal-Heater/dp/B000I8XDBM/
And some sort of thermostat: https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2/
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I figure you can put a different plug on the heating mat so it's short, plug it into the thermostat plug, slap the heating pad onto the battery and wrap the whole kit and caboodle in a piece of heavy moving cloth or Mylar silvery insulating blanket with bungie cords.
They also have seeding and reptile terrarium heating pads, some come with built-in thermostats. That might be something nicer.
Removable battery is preferable, of course.
FYI. We bought one of these for a cat (dog) house set up for the outside cats. We used a heating mat inside. Although not solar but you get the idea. Just some ideas to help. https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-TC-3-Thermostatically-Controlled/dp/B0006U2HD2