My "IncuTainers" Are Now "Cooking" at 78 Degrees (pics)

[oc tony]

Years ago when I had fish & used these heaters they had a screw knob thermostat at the top to regulate the temperature and an led that came on when the electricity was flowing. Some are completely submersible some are not.

[rnewste]

Dewayne,

I want to be clear. I am not advocating using the IncuTainers to grow tomatoes throughout the Winter. That is the purpose of the (unannounced) InnTainer. Where they do have a value is to get a jump start in seedling development in the early Spring to develop a robust root system. The aquarium heating element in the water raises the temperature to a constant 78 degrees, which the seedlings seem to like.

The other issue that I did not address to date (and which others here have proposed solutions like the reptile heater, etc.) is how to keep the temperature in the upper air chamber at something above 45 degrees at all times. On the one hand, you could seal the top to the bottom container to prevent any air leakage, but the plants would certainly cook in the mid-day Sun, even in the Spring. So, some form of thermal heating at night when ambient temps decline, without hermetically sealing in the plants, is what is needed. Some kind of temp regulation to keep the air chamber at 60 degrees at night would seem to be optimal.

Ideas anyone??

Raybo

[lowlylowlycook]

I have zero experience to go on but if row covers, wall of waters and cold frames allow people to get a early jump on the season, then I don't see why a heated Earthtainer with top wouldn't do better than those. Well I guess that's assuming that you insulate the containers a bit.

A couple things I think will be worth looking into:

• Some kind of variable vent for the IncuTainer so the temperature can be controlled a bit.
• A plastic cover for Ray's new pea fence supports to allow increased warmth after the IncuTainer top has to be removed.

I should do some experiments this winter to test the thermal performance. I just need to track down the right containers, I seem to find everything but the 31 gal Rubbermaids that Ray recommends and with the pea fence supports the size will be more important to get right.

[rnewste]

llc,

If you seal the Plexiglass to the top of the IncuTainer section, then it will be better insulated. I would use a roofing adhesive or something that will adhere to the plastic in the walls of the container and the Plexiglass top. However, the air gap created where the 110V wire of the aquarium heater sitting on the top of the base container will still allow cold air to leak in. Perhaps a felt or foam gasket all around on the lip of the base container with a 1/4" slit for the wire would provide an adequate seal.

Last year, I had a daily "Min / Max" thermometer sitting in the midst of the tomato plants which registered virtually the same as the outside air temp min at night. Again, I only had a 50 Watt aquarium heater at that time, so perhaps very little heating transfered to the air chamber.

I am at a dilemma on heating the air chamber, as the Sensor, lamp holder, and ceramic heating element total about $65.00 per IncuTainer. This, in addition to $25.00 for a 150 Watt aquarium heater starts adding up. Maybe the heat from the 150 Watt water heater will keep the ambient air temp higher, or I could always set a string of Christmas Tree lights inside it on the cold nights. Stuff to ponder over the next few months.

Rubbermaid has stopped making the 31 gallon Roughneck container, but happily, Lowes is carrying a 31 gallon RuggedTote substitute of essentially the same dimensions.

Raybo

[dustdevil]

Floodlight bulbs give off heat...maybe use a pie fan with it for circulation. You could use a ceiling canister fixture for mounting everything.

Maybe use an electric oil heater under plastic to heat several 'tainers at a time...like a minny greenhouse.

[rnewste]

The least expensive solution I have found to keep the temperature in the plant's air chamber from going below 40 degrees, is to use 2 devices (in addition to the assumed aquarium heater in the water reservoir).

First, I have found this 110V thermostatic switch:



Easy Heat EH-38 Freeze Thermostatically Controlled Valve and Pipe Heating System

Features

• Thermostatically controlled pipe heating system
• For use with Easy Heat Freeze Free cable
• For dry locations only
• Power indicator light that lights up when the thermostat is energized
• shuts off power when the temperature rises to 50-degree F/10-degree C

The second device is (Dear Wife's) electric hair dryer suspended in the middle of the IncuTainer. This, set at "ON" in the 500 Watt ("LOW") position plugged into the above thermal switch should keep the plants nice and warm when the temperature in the air chamber falls below 50 degrees.

An additional "benefit" of the blow-dryer is that the air motion it creates inside the chamber will simulate wind, and should help harden off and strengthen the plants inside.

Switch cost: $18.00 on Amazon.com with Free Shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Heat-EH-3...0127974&sr=1-3

Hair blow-dryer cost: About $15.00 at your local Drug Store

MAKE SURE YOU PLUG THIS INTO A "GFCI" PROTECTED OUTLET ONLY.

Raybo

[lowlylowlycook]

I regret that I have but one life to give for my tomatoes.

[RinTinTin]

Or possibly add an aquarium pump, and have it circulate the heated water from below through coils of copper tubing above the soil (like an old fashioned steam radiator), and discharge the water back into the bottom chamber.

[rnewste]

Rin,

Good idea. If one can seal the IncuTainer well enough to prevent outside air intrusion, then a "radiator" type thermal transfer may work.

I am really looking for an alternative to a 110V blow-dryer as I am concerned about the shock hazard.

Raybo

[RinTinTin]

Most aquarium pumps I am familiar with are submersible, so it could sit right next to your heater. I don't know what kind of 'lift' they are capable of, but they normally push water through a filter, so they should have some "oomph" behind them.

[lowlylowlycook]

I like RinTinTin's idea assuming one can find a pump that won't break down if the water level gets too low.

But with so much aquarium equipment I feel it would be necessary to put some cave fish in each container just for consistency's sake.

[rnewste]

I've just ordered the Thermal Switch, a probe thermometer and a 200 Watt aquarium heater from Amazon last night, and will do a "dry run" (well, a "wet" run) to check both water temperature as well as ambient air temp inside the air chamber with Dear Wife's blow-dryer hooked up.

Raybo

[lowlylowlycook]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Rubbermaid has stopped making the 31 gallon Roughneck container, but happily, Lowes is carrying a 31 gallon RuggedTote substitute of essentially the same dimensions.

Raybo

You suggest this one?

[rnewste]

Yep! That be the one.....

They claim on the label that it resists weather and cracking deterioration (which the Rubermaid did not claim) so outdoor life ought to be longer.



They also give a Lifetime Warranty which, may be problematic as with holes drilled in it for the retaining Toggle Bolts, would likely void any Warranty. But what is comforting is the very fact of the Lifetime Warranty assurance to begin with. Time will tell.

Raybo

[Stepheninky]

After some thought on this I think some thinking outside of the box is needed. My thought is instead of setting up each one with the tops and top heat, we could just build another box using insulated sheathing. This way it could hold 1-4 earth type containers. Like a cold frame set up basically. This way you could build it with an extra dead space or a heat shielded space and use one of those small ceramic heaters with the thermally controlled plug. if you used weather stripping on the plexi glass top it would probably cost less in the long run and the heating cost would be less as well. You could still use the water heating just like you already planned.

Another addition is you could even install a greenhouse vent arm (about 40 bux) that would vent the system if it gets too hot inside during the day. That way its climate controlled

Oh and almost forgot to mention since you build it you can make it so that it can be taken apart each year and stored flat.