Recent Frosts - any damage?

[Diane Whitehead]

Could one adapt a control from an old fridge or freezer?

[cohan]

Could one adapt a control from an old fridge or freezer?

interesting thought.... i'd have to ask someone more mechanical than i....
the irony of course that my lofty aim is to upgrade to z 5 or 6--far below what most of the forum members experience....lol

[David Nicholson]

Could one adapt a control from an old fridge or freezer?

If it's possible the BD will have done it

[Gwenblack]

All this erudite talk of fridges and temp settings reminds me of the Christmas we moved into an unheated house temporarily and the milk left in a bottle on the kitchen table froze solid but the same stuff in the fridge was still liquid.   My experience in the unheated green house is that plants survive low temps better if their roots are on the dry side. It will be interesting to see how my precious Heucheras react to being under 12" of snow this last week and more to follow. 

[Sinchets]

I think it is safe to say that the Heucheras will be "Flat but happy" 

[Anthony Darby]

This one goes down to 0^oC: http://www.discountgb.co.uk/et05-plug-in-thermostat-tubular-heater-heating-control-747-p.asp

[johnw]

This one goes down to 0^oC: http://www.discountgb.co.uk/et05-plug-in-thermostat-tubular-heater-heating-control-747-p.asp

Anthony  - The note on the bottom of the link says up to 300W of lighting.  I wonder why.  The electrician here told me heaters (mine is 1200w) had to be hard-wired and I could not use such a device.  May be it is an insurance issue.  

Would be great for other pruposes like a vent opener etc.  Those wax filled openers seem to have disappeared.

johnw

[Diane Whitehead]

 Those wax filled openers seem to have disappeared.

Lee Valley Tools sells a heat-activated window opener that has
a gas-filled cylinder that will open and close a 15 lb window.
You can control the operating range.  Made in England.

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&cat=2,43224,10543&p=10543

[Ian Y]

Quote from: Diane Whitehead on December 28, 2009, 07:37:14 AM
Could one adapt a control from an old fridge or freezer?

If it's possible the BD will have done it Grin

Well now you come to mention it David I do and I have.

Freezer controls are even better as they give a lower range. You have to make sure that the thermostat from the fridge has an extra contact that is not used. As it is set up for a fridge/freezer the thermostat switches off when it gets sub zero we require it to switch on and that extra contact usually connects to the other side of the contacts so it can also be used to come on when the temperature falls below zero.

My favourite source of thermostats is old air conditioning units they are much better and more accurate. I show one in this weeks Bulb Log. They have a sensor connected by a length of thin copper tube so the sensor end can be placed in the plunge. You can also adjust the differential so it comes on when the temperature drops to zero and it cuts out if it reaches say 2C.

One big warning - if you do not know what you are doing do not attempt to wire and install these your self or you might get a shock that is worse than a bill from an electrician.

[johnw]

 Those wax filled openers seem to have disappeared.

Lee Valley Tools sells a heat-activated window opener that has
a gas-filled cylinder that will open and close a 15 lb window.
You can control the operating range.  Made in England.

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?c=1&cat=2,43224,10543&p=10543

Diane  - Our commercial divsion sold these but they had so many returns they dropped them.   Have you tried them?  I like one for the door too as just a crack would do in the early spring when the unpredictable sun makes a rare and untimely appearance when I'm at work.

I wonder how long the wax ones last. Somewhere I have one, but where is the question ... and a mist control called the Aquimonitor which was a very clever device.

johnw

[johnw]

One big warning - if you do not know what you are doing do not attempt to wire and install these your self or you might get a shock that is worse than a bill from an electrician.

And the British electrics look far scarier than the ones here.

I suspect my electrician sensed my abilities in this department.

johnw

[David Nicholson]

There you go, I told you if it was possible the BD would have done it. He's the world's best recycler

[Anthony Darby]

This one goes down to 0^oC: http://www.discountgb.co.uk/et05-plug-in-thermostat-tubular-heater-heating-control-747-p.asp

Anthony  - The note on the bottom of the link says up to 300W of lighting.  I wonder why.  The electrician here told me heaters (mine is 1200w) had to be hard-wired and I could not use such a device.  May be it is an insurance issue.  

I despair. I thought thermostats were for heaters not lights! Most appliances aren't fit for purpose anyway. Heidi's new expensive fleece lined coat has two zip pockets. The zips open when you pull them from front to back, or automatically when Heidi runs through the woods. Design fault or wot!? Perhaps if the zips opened from back to front.......? Today we had to take her to a vet in Glasgow to have a wee biopsy on a small persistent spot on her heel. One stitch, 410 quid, a red bandage and a conical collar later and we were on our way home. A quick run round the garden for a pee this evening and crash, the collar splits as she bumps into something! It is now useless! Not fit for purpose!

This one does 3kW but only down to 5^oC http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Plug-In-HEATING-ONLY-Thermostat-With-Digital-Display_W0QQitemZ200402075761QQcategoryZ57215QQcmdZViewItem

Likewise this one, but to 0^oC http://www.uk-automation.co.uk/plugin-thermostat-thermostat-switch-p-1377.html

BTW the ET05 can be used with 3kW heaters. It is with lighting that it becomes wierd.

[mark smyth]

I borrowed a temperature probe today. If only I had it during the freeze. The temperature in the raised beds is 1.1c while in the pots in the greenhouse it's 2.5c

[Maren]

Hmmm, should have brought them in but forgot some Calanthes and Bletillas. The foliage was mush but the tubers / roots look healthy, so no worries there.

Because of the snow and ice, I couldn't get to the nursery to turn on the gas heating, propane with a mechanical thermostat, kept at 2°C. This works well for my pleiones, which I shall start potting up next month.

In the greenhouse without heating I expected the cymbidiums, dendrobiums, Neofinetia falcata and others to have gone to mush too, but none of it. Protea, Pinguicula and Spiranthes sinensis were still in flower. Everything looked just fine, although the thermometer read -10°C Min and +30°C Max.

I really value my Min/Max thermometers, have them everywhere, windowsills, greenhouse, cold frames, garden etc. Of course, they don't tell us how long any of the temperatures in the measured range persisted, like a tachograph for long distance drivers. That would be really useful.