Releaser pump shed

[mountain man maple]

Building a shed to house electric releaser. Inside dimensions will be 44"x54"x36". There will be 3" poly Iso insulation on all sides. Will a light bulb keep from freezing? What would be the most economical thermostat to turn on at 33 and off at 35?

[unc23win]

I use a box a little smaller than that in my barn for water. We use a small 110v reostat style thermostat that we picked up at a supply store that turns on a small heater we also use 2 light bulbs hoping they don't both blow at the same time using this set up the heater only runs when the light bulbs aren't enough and it has worked for years. I suppose larger bulbs would also work. There is no such thing as too much insulation.

[Amber Gold]

My pump shed's about the same size, and it also houses my vac. pump. Cozy, but it works. I just used 1" foam board insulation all around and used a small space heater to keep it warm. I then used a thermocube to keep it above freezing...the heater's built in thermostat only went down to like 60 degrees or something...too warm. I don't think the heater ever kicks on when the vac. pump's running...which is 24/7. Also, don't go crazy with insulation. These pump sheds are small, and easy to heat, and only used for a short time period. So long as it's reasonably insulated to keep out drafts and keep most of the heat in, you're all set. There's a point where the amount spent on insulation doesn't offset the small electricity savings for the short duration it's used.

[GeneralStark]

I heat a small box like you are describing for a sap lifter with one incandescent bulb and it is not even insulated, but I'm not too worried about it. For an electric releaser I would be a bit more conservative and would use 1" foam in addition to the bulb. I have never tried this with a thermostat, but certainly possible.

[mountain man maple]

I have leftover 3" and also 1" enough to do building. Just trying to decide what's best. 220 volt power is all that building will have. Don't think I want to put pump in with releaser because I'm afraid it will get too hot when I can't open the door. Was thinking a Johnson a419 temp controller thought maybe there was a better option someone knew of.

[MISugarDaddy]

TSC sells a plug that turns on power to what ever is plugged into it at 35 degrees and off at 45 degrees. I built a "box" for housing my Deer Run RO with one inch foam insulation and it will stay 50 degrees with a 150 watt bulb when temps get down to 15 to 20 degrees. Ray Gingerich suggested that because several of his RO customers used such a box to house their units. It has worked great. I do agree with Jared about using a fixture with two bulbs just in case one burns out. I got lucky the one time the bulb burned out because it remained above freezing the night that happened.
Gary

[Springfield Acer]

I am also running this thru my mind as I will try vacuum for the first time this year. My pump and releaser will be in the same insulated enclosure but I am really worried about ventilation when the pump is running.
I too was going to find a line voltage t'stat to turn a pair of light bulbs on and off but I was also going to have a second LV stat turn a small fan on and off above 60*F.
I have a Welsh oil bath pump that does make heat. I also have oil vapor that I should vent to the exterior.
I work for a mechanical contractor so some used stats should be somewhat available.

[Amber Gold]

I got my thermocube at TSC. It's the same one that sugardaddy's talking about.

You should be able to take one leg off the 220V feed to power a 110V outlet.

I have a liquid ring pump, so long as the water supply line doesn't freeze, it doesn't get very warm inside the pump shed. The heater's there as a backup in case it gets real cold. It did last year, and I had no issues.

[mountain man maple]

I bought the Johnson control to run the lights. Going to put 2 lights in case one burns out. I could get 110 power if I use the grounding wire as a neutral. But I'm not going to do that. I bought 10/2 uf cable to run to pump house. Ended up using 1" polystyrene all way around the releaser. Vacuum pump sits outside of insulated box.

[markct]

My electric releasers a in concrete sample curing boxes. They are 2ft by 2ft by 4ft long with a hinged lid like a big tool chest and have 2 in foam insul between the inner and outer steel. A 75 watt 130v droplight bulb keeps thew warm even in extreme cold. 130 v bulbs give off more heat and less light and last longer so they are perfect for this. Plus being a specialty bulb are still available unlike standard 75 watt that are being phased out