My pumphouse for my house water is about a hundred yards from the house. I put a high low thermometer down there. I checked and it said it experienced a low of 31 degrees.

There is an incandescent light on 24/7 down there. It is a completely insulated metal building. We even put insulation over the one window and covered all of the pipes with insulation.

I would like to rig something up so when the temperature drops below, say, 34 degrees, a heater of some kind will be turned on until the temperature hits, say, 38 degrees.

It seems to me that running that light bulb 24/7 is a waste of electricity since the temperature is usually above freezing. Plus, it doesn't do enough when it does occasionally drop below freezing.

I have plenty of electric heaters, I just need a thermostat I can fine tune this low. I would like to keep it plenty cool because I eventually want to use my overflow water (my water comes from a spring) for a springhouse.

Does anyone know how I can resolve my problem?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), December 18, 2001

Answers

Paul, does your overflow go where?? Near the pumphouse?? We have an artesian well that flows all the time, so we run the overflow into a series of barrels and then out the pumphouse into the stream. The water being warm enough that the pumphouse maintains at approximately 40 to 45 degrees. We then use the pumphouse for a root cellar in the winter and a cool place to keep eggs and such during the summer.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), December 18, 2001.

if you're concerned about pipes freezing, try some heat tape. The kind with the thermostat built in. You can also buy plug in or wired thermostats in that range for electric heaters. Check your farm supply store or Grainger.com

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 18, 2001.

I've looked all over for a low temp thermostat and am striking out.

The best I've been able to find is heat mat thermostats that go down to 40 degrees.

The heat tape sounds like a possibility, but I like the idea of keeping the whole room above freezing.

Anybody know of a specific thermostat product that will work here?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), December 18, 2001.

Try www.charleysgreenhouse.com.Some folks use the same type of set-up(timer or thermostat) to keep there greenhouses from dropping to low.I was not able to get in to the site(try later)but I seem to remember looking their before and they had quit a selection.Merry Christmas.

-- Dave (duckthis1@maqs.net), December 19, 2001.

They're out there. Maybe check with an electrical supply store. I would think you could take a one of those basic plug in LB White ag heater thermostats and tweak it down to the range you need if it doesn't go down that far. The one I have goes down to 35 I think. Intermatic makes some for freeze protection. I belive that's what we had in our barn. Had all the pipes wrapped with heat tape going to a central thermostat. I see Intermatic.com site lists a few freeze protection thermostats(32 to 45 deg) for pools. Heatline.com is another place.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), December 19, 2001.

Paul, Last week I bought a grey metal utility heater from Home Depot for about $18. One of the settings causes the heater to only come on when the temperature is 32 degrees F and then shuts off when it has raised the ambient air temp a couple of degrees. Sounds like a reasonably priced answer for your pump house needs.

-- Steve in So. WI (Alpine1@prodigy.net), December 19, 2001.

We use a plug in item called a ThermoCube. It is thermostatic and made for just such a situation as you describe. You plug it into an outlet, then plug your light or appliance into it. Works great. Sometimes can be hard to find, but one of the farm supply stores had it here last year. Haven't looked this year as I only needed one. Cost about $12 as I recall.

-- Louise Hansen (rockinhorse@knoxy.net), December 19, 2001.