Heated cabinet?

[richashley]

I have a detached 24X26 insulated garage that houses my daily driver and doubles as my work shop. Here in NE Ohio, I get by well using my 240V electric and/or portable propane heaters to warm the place up for winter projects. I don't want to heat the place all the time because of the expense and because the warmth would just help the road salt eat my car even faster than it does now. The problem is keeping the water based chemicals, paints, cleaners, etc. from freezing. I'm getting tired of moving them into the attached garage (that almost never gets below freezing) each winter. I'm thinking of enclosing some of the shelves along one wall and setting an oil-filled heater inside it just to keep things from freezing. Have any of you done anything similar? I'd welcome any suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[duderjay]

thro a heat lamp or light bulb in there quick fast easy and cheap experiment. I have seen welders in south america keeping thier welding rods warm and humidity away by throwing work lights in thier cabinents.

lets us know what you try I am interested as well and want to do the same

 

[larry4406]

The light bulb technique works quote well (until it burns out). We used to use a 100W bulb in our well pump room in our mountain cabin over the winter to prevent freezing.

 

[Steve in Mi]

An idea I once saw posted by a woodworker was to use a RETIRED refrigerator cabinet with a light bulb heater to keep his paints etc. from freezing.

 

[tdkkart]

A buddy keeps his power washer(he's a clean car freak) inside a 3'x3' insulated box heated by a 60W light bulb. He dcided it was too warm in there so he put a thermostat on it.(he's also cheap, didn't want to burn the bulb un-neccesarily).

 

[kbs2244]

The old refrigerator with the door switch jumped so the light stays on all the time is pretty easy to do and pretty popular.
If it gets really cold by you just get a bigger bulb.
You might have to stock up on bulbs if the get serious about outlawing them.

 

[ghlkal]

Great idea - using a bulb in a refrigerator

You might have to stock up on bulbs if the get serious about outlawing them.

Hey, that's right. CFLs don't put out enough heat, do they?

 

[mmg440]

If using a light bulb for heat or for that matter any heat source it is good to put a thermostat of some kind on it to conserve power and the life of the bulb. After all it is pointless to run the thing if it's 60 out. I have been using a couple bulbs in areas of our other home to keep pipes from freezing they are on adjustable stats I made up from 220 volt base board heating thermostat skeletons (no enclosure or dial). I have them enclosed in a box with a cover and a controlled outlet. I tuned them in at them at 37 degrees manually. But while looking for a solution to the control I found they make plug in freeze protection outlets for heat tape. They turn on at a set point before freezing and would be perfect for such a cabinet to protect from freezing.


Just a few examples

http://www.doityourself.com/invt/u109366

http://www.eggcartons.com/product-exec/product_id/789/nm/Thermo_Cube_TC_3

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(qhfxa245agknh13cbnzjmp45)/ProductDetails.aspx?SKU=33524


Also make sure you don't just use a drop light in your cabinet. Use a good quality fixture that is designed for unattended constant use. Drop lights are not intended to be on for long periods of time, unattended in a closed cabinet.

 

[ghlkal]

But while looking for a solution to the control I found they make plug in freeze protection outlets for heat tape.

I wonder if heat tape would work? (I have several pipes wrapped with it.) Would it generate enough heat in a cabinet? Would it be safe there?

 

[Steve in Mi]

I wonder if heat tape would work? (I have several pipes wrapped with it.) Would it generate enough heat in a cabinet? Would it be safe there?

Might be overkill. Check the wattage and compare to a 60 or 100 watt bulb. Wrapped around a piece of pipe hanging in the box would probably work fine. My dad use to use heat tapes on temperature controllers in the dirt of greenhouse flats for starting plants from seed. A guy I know put the heat tapes in his concrete stoop so he doesn't have to shovel it in the Winter. Heat tapes are your friend.

 

[richashley]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I probably won't get to it for a while (daughter is in the middle of college music shool auditions), but lots of good ideas. I'll post whatever I come up with.

Thanks again.

 

[mmg440]

I wonder if heat tape would work? (I have several pipes wrapped with it.) Would it generate enough heat in a cabinet? Would it be safe there?

Heat tape may work but think it is more effective for direct contact. I think the light bulb would radiate the heat more effectively. But I still think the thermostat controller would be a improvement over just a light bulb.

 

[kbs2244]

If you want to buy a pre-made heater with adjustable thermostat and everything, go to you local gun shop.
They have them to go into gun safes to keep out moisture.
But the stick welding guys have been using old refrigerators with the light always one for years to keep their welding rods dry.