Experimental heat and water-warming ideas-post your genius ideas here!

[ChooksChick]

I've seen a few posts where folks are discussing their ideas for water and heat/insulation.

I, too, am experimenting: I want to make a solar heater with a panel of aluminum cans painted black under plexiglass, with the insulated conduit running from the top of the panel into the coop, coiling through a box of sand for a heatsink, and then back out into the bottom of the solar panel. Waterers would sit on the sealed box of sand.

Am I nuts? Look at how well these panels can work: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/pop_can_solar_p.php

LOVE this idea! Was even considering having the return stretch be made out of copper and done in a flat coil to express as much remaining heat as possible before entering the panel again, so the coop would be heated from that loss...

 

[BayouPoules]

Very interesting and actually doable . Post how you like it after you get it built. Will it be as large as the one in the photo?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Now that's a good idea to try! I look forward to hearing about it!

Pat

 

[shirl68]

If you live in a cold climate, how to keep your Chickens warm this winter.

http://www.americas-pet-store.com/hound-heater-dog-house-furnace.html

I am building a Chicken Cottage Coop, for my 3 Hens. with two windows front and back,
door with two hinges is a vintage Oak frame, square window to let in extra light.
Inside I am installing a Hound Heater Dog House Furnace.

Hound Heater Dog. The deluxe has the special heavy duty cord that dogs,
or any other animal can not chew into.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
I'd be worried about dust getting into that heater and causing a fire, especially if you have shavings on the floor of the coop, too.

 

[silkiechicken]

Sounds like that would work. Our garage, before a fire due to a biomass converter accident, had probably 20x40 feet of solar heat collection panels on the roof that water ran over to heat 5000 gallons of water in the day, which was shut off, supplemented with heat from the biomass converter, and then re routed to the house at night in the winters to help offset heating costs. Worked really well when it worked.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I'd be worried about dust getting into that heater and causing a fire, especially if you have shavings on the floor of the coop, too.

Whoa, me too. That is pretty clearly REALLY not designed for use in a high-dust lotsa-fine-bedding-pieces environment! Considerably more dangerous looking than a heatlamp with bulb or ceramic emitter, both of which are quite risky enough already.

Pat

 

[Bossroo]

Quote:
I'd be worried about dust getting into that heater and causing a fire, especially if you have shavings on the floor of the coop, too.

Whoa, me too. That is pretty clearly REALLY not designed for use in a high-dust lotsa-fine-bedding-pieces environment! Considerably more dangerous looking than a heatlamp with bulb or ceramic emitter, both of which are quite risky enough already.

Pat

Yup !!! With all that dust in any chicken coop... a big BANG then fire just waiting to happen .

 

[can you hear me now?]

I too have plans with the soda or beer can method. Thought you all would like a link to make this. So here goes.
http://www.coloradowindpower.com/page.php?26

 

[spauld]

Shirl68, did you ever use the Hound Heater for your coop? I purchased one for use in my little pre-fab coop...but did not consider the 'dust fire' issue. I was not planning to use pine shavings in my coop but chickens seem to be able to generate dust just by merely existing! Did you end up using it and if so, what is the total volume/cubic footage of your coop? Just wondering if I should return this thing or go for it?