Battery Powered Heat Lamp Question

http://www.consumersearch.com/portable-generators/honeywell-hw2000i

Just a thought, maybe use something like this away from the coop?


Bob

Rocketdad is correct in that i linked too large of a heater. I personally have a 6k similar to that one now. It is suspended by chain and hard piped to put the propane take outside of my brooder shed. My main suggestion was the use of a IR heater with an O2 sensor. Being a plumbing contractor (plumber for over 20 years) i know all too well the pros, cons, and dangers of both LP and NG heaters.

I wish you luck with your chicks brodysam.

Thank you for all the responses. I appreciate your help.

Great calculations on the 12V battery solution showing it's not practical! Thank you.

What about using a thermostat so the heat does not come on 24/7. The use of 2 250 watt solar panels will charge in the day. I have 10 chicken tractors and to have power is impossible but needed to keep the water from freezing as well as the chickens. This is expensive but what choice to you/ I have?

All About Chicken said:

What about using a thermostat so the heat does not come on 24/7. The use of 2 250 watt solar panels will charge in the day. I have 10 chicken tractors and to have power is impossible but needed to keep the water from freezing as well as the chickens. This is expensive but what choice to you/ I have?

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A 250w solar panel only puts out about 8 amps so you would need about 3x the amount of time to charge as you use. so of the heat lamp runs 6 hours a day, 1 panel would need 18 hours of direct sunlight to charge it. But since you won't be getting constant direct sunlight let's double that number. Now you're looking at 2 panels with 18 hours charging. Or somewhat more realistic 6 panels getting a good charge for 6 hours a day.

brodysam said:

Does anyone know how to create a battery power source for a heat lamp?

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Sure. Simple:

• Take, say, a 100 amp-hour 12V RV battery. Actaully, two of them, so you can charge one and use the other.
• Figure out the wattage you need from the "Rules of Thumb" section in my brooder page at http://www.plamondon.com/wp/build-200-chick-brooder-two-hours-20/
• Buy some incandescent 12V light bulbs. Say, Philips 415265 50-watt lamps with an ordinary screw-type base, or smaller 12-20W bulbs with automotive bayonet-type bases. Reflector lamps are better.
• Build an insulated brooder using the appropriate sockets for the 12V lamp, hook up to battery.
• If you want to brood 50 chicks in a 2x2-foot insulated brooder, that calls for about 80 watts, which at 12V is 80/12= 6.7 amps. With a 100 amp-hour battery, these will theoretically run for 100/6.7 = 15 hours. That's more than the 12 hours you need for a two-battery rotation, though it drains the batteries further than I'm 100% comfortable with.
• With fewer chicks, higher air temperatures, or better insulation, you need less heat. You should be able to easily manage 25 chicks with a pair of 20-watt 12V reflector lamps if the temperatures in the brooder house don't fall much below freezing.

Personally, what I'd do is run an extension cord. I've run outdoor-rated extension cords many hundreds of feet for winter lights and even brooding. This is far less expensive, less laborious, and less troublesome than batteries. Given the choice between batteries and a 500-foot run of extension cord, I'd use the extension cord.

When using multiple extension cords end-to-end, I tie them together with a square knot and then tape the ends with electrical tape to keep the connection clean. I've never had a problem so long as the cords were protected from physical damage and they weren't run at their rated capacity. But even light outdoor extension cords are good for far more wattage than I ever use for brooding.

Robert

So I know that this is raising a thread from the dead, and I still don’t think batteries to run a heat source is the right way to go. However, if you are using that many batteries wouldn’t it be more effective to hook the up in series and raise the voltage? The higher the voltage the more efficient the set up should be? 100 amp hours might be pushing it for auto batteries. Fairly large sized deep cycle trolling motor batteries clock in at ~100 amp hours.

You could get a small generator. Probably cheaper then solar and batteries.