Heat lamp controller

[boisblancboy]

Hey everyone. I typically run a heat lamp for my few girls once the temp is below 20f in their 8’x8’ coop.

But I was thinking of getting an Inkbird controller to make sure the heat lamp shuts off if the temp gets higher than 20F to save on electric because I’m not always around or forget to shut it off. What do you think? Any other simple options?

Thank you

 

[DobieLover]

My birds have done just fine in below zero weather. Do you really need to run the heat lamp? It's just such a hazard.

 

[aart]

Thermocube is much cheaper...tho they might not have the range you wan.

 

[boisblancboy]

I suggest using a safety chain in addition. Regardless which way you mount your light. Some coops catch fire with this sort of equipment. Hope you are not one to say my chicken coop burnt to the ground. It happens every year on this site. It is better to learn from example in some case not experience.

Why is it that every forum has that person that can’t just answer the question vs adding their .02 of safety! Not everyone is a moron.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Why is it that every forum has a moron!

Excuse me; Should that statement not be followed by a ? mark.

 

[paneubert]

Some folks would say it is moronic to heat when the temps hit 20 degrees. .

 

[paneubert]

To stick to the topic, an ink bird or knockoff (I have used both for homebrewing to control room temperature as well as "keezer" temp to stay within about a 1/2 degree range) work great. In my case I had one one hooked to a space heater for fermenting at about 78 degrees. In another I had it hooked to the power to the deep freezer. Keeping it at just above freezing to chill my kegs cold, but not freezing.

Could work for a heat lamp. I would probably set the range at which you want it to kick on as at least 5 degrees difference from kick off. That way it won't be cycling on and off constantly. Will take a while between when it turns off and when it turns back on again. I would also use a small jug of water for the probe to be submerged into, placed where the lamp will heat the probe. It will temper/buffer the reading swings from being fast and extreme.

 

[PirateGirl]

There are several in the $25-$45 range that allow you to program the temperature. Most of the preset ones seem to go on/off just around the freezing mark.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...x=thermostatically,aps,160&crid=39XI3QINX58Z5


https://www.amazon.com/bayite-Tempe...rds=thermostatically+controlled+outlets&psc=1

 

[rosemarythyme]

Why is it that every forum has that person that can’t just answer the question vs adding their .02 of safety!

The fact that there's at least one coop fire every winter reported on here, caused by heat lamps, is why people warn against it. Even if you know better, someone else may not, and come across this thread later on and end up setting things up improperly and causing a fire