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Colorado

I am going to heat my hoop houses with some black light bulbs this year. Is there a way to connect everything to a simple inexpensive thermostat? Any internet links to a thermostat for sale if this is possible? thanks.

2/24/2009 9:06:23 PM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Maybe not inexpensive ($37) but pretty darn handy is a thermostat I found at Home Depot. All electrical heating appliances can be plugged into it (set on high), it acts as the thermostat for anything plugged into it. The thermostat is located in the hoophouse and plugged into an extension cord.
Good Luck.

2/24/2009 9:38:55 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

Yo Pete....Lite Bulbs painted black OR UV Blacklites?? .....I think someone posted somewhere with in BP 'an easily made relay with a thermo conductor'.....LEt'Z see what Google haZ to say.....Gary Shenfish would be the one to talk to.....!

2/25/2009 9:05:13 AM

Denver, CO

Pete, these are not exactly the direction you are probably thinking, but I am going to try thermcubes this year for the cooling part of the hoophouse:
http://www.apelectric.com/Thermo-Cube-s/25.htm?gclid=CNCriNKTxJgCFRFMagodJG9E0g

One will come on at 78 Degrees and turn itself off at 70, with a fan connected to it to vent the heat out it should work. Would be great to find on that comes on at say 50ish and goes off at 60ish for the heat aspect.

2/25/2009 6:49:02 PM

Denver, CO

By the way, I have tried to build my own thremostat circuit and have the elertical diagrams for it if you want. I am apperantly not smart enough and could not get it to work quite right.

2/25/2009 6:51:19 PM

Denver, CO

Um, I should have looked at Cornhusk's post above. That looks really good!
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100028788&N=10000003+10401001

2/25/2009 6:56:06 PM

Colorado

yo gary- they're black bulbs from the pet store... supposed to not shatter so you don't get glass all over your reptiles (or pumpkins). they put out quite a bit of heat...

g-man, I saw those thermo cubes... yep, sure would be sweet if they had a lower temp range... I think I am going to go with this, looks like it shuold do the trick:

http://www.kkontrols.com/poth8ftco.html

40 bucks, but should control the temp quite accurately, and help me beat both you guys, lol.

2/25/2009 7:43:11 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

LOL Pete....WiZ iZ going a bit different......5 gallons of water heated with a 300W Fish tank heater. I can adjust the temp on the heater to any temp. The water also heats the soil beneath it too.....We saw a lot of root migration under the water bottles last year.....Something new for me......Well see how well it workZ...

Hey Pete, I say we will hit weights of 1100 -1200 this year......he he

2/26/2009 9:27:48 AM

Gays Mills, Wisconsin

Sorry, sorry, sorry.....
I goofed, the thermostat I found was in Menards, item
# 3351799 for $37.97.
It is a programmable thermostat outlet for heating and cooling, days of week, & weekends. Plug heating or cooling appliances into it.
It has digital display and works sweet.
I can't find a pic of it though.
John
I checked ghopson site link to discover my error, ty.

2/26/2009 2:02:55 PM