How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

I thought I'd share an improvised invention with people here.
My old heated propagator wouldn't work after I had bought some interesting
seeds. I needed a decent temperature controlled model and a new one would
be about 60 or 70 quid. It struck me that this was expensive considering
the components so I started a bit of research.

This is what I came up with. The cheapest thermostatic heaters available
were aquarium heaters.

This is what I did. I had one of those big plastic containers that are all
over the shops at present. I put water in it immersed a weighted tray in it
so that the water went up the sides of the tray but not over the top.
To get everything working I actually have quite a bit of water in the
container and the tray is siting on a plastic pot.

I then placed the original lid of the propagator over the top. It was too
big but if slanted it kept its position.

I then experimented with a soil thermometer and the settings on the heater
until I got the desired temperature (as you have to do with a conventional
propagator) and I planted my seeds.

It works. I now have some seedlings. The heater cost me less than a tenner
on Ebay from a reputable firm. The other stuff I had anyway but buying it
would have been less than another tenner I suppose. It is big saving on the
cost of a conventional propagator.


Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/

How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

"Neil Jones" wrote in message
...

I thought I'd share an improvised invention with people here.
My old heated propagator wouldn't work after I had bought some interesting
seeds. I needed a decent temperature controlled model and a new one would
be about 60 or 70 quid. It struck me that this was expensive considering
the components so I started a bit of research.

This is what I came up with. The cheapest thermostatic heaters available
were aquarium heaters.

This is what I did. I had one of those big plastic containers that are all
over the shops at present. I put water in it immersed a weighted tray in
it
so that the water went up the sides of the tray but not over the top.
To get everything working I actually have quite a bit of water in the
container and the tray is siting on a plastic pot.

I then placed the original lid of the propagator over the top. It was too
big but if slanted it kept its position.

I then experimented with a soil thermometer and the settings on the heater
until I got the desired temperature (as you have to do with a conventional
propagator) and I planted my seeds.

It works. I now have some seedlings. The heater cost me less than a tenner
on Ebay from a reputable firm. The other stuff I had anyway but buying it
would have been less than another tenner I suppose. It is big saving on
the
cost of a conventional propagator.


Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/



"Well done"

I like your spirit of invention. Why pay for something that you could
already make for yourself, considering you have the time and inclination.
And I bet you got a real feeling of satisfaction as well :-))

Maybe you could take a piccy of it so we can all admire it.

--

Regards
p.mc

How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

p.mc wrote:

It works. I now have some seedlings. The heater cost me less than a
tenner on Ebay from a reputable firm. The other stuff I had anyway
but buying it would have been less than another tenner I suppose. It
is big saving on the
cost of a conventional propagator.

I like your spirit of invention. Why pay for something that you could
already make for yourself, considering you have the time and
inclination. And I bet you got a real feeling of satisfaction as well
:-))
Maybe you could take a piccy of it so we can all admire it.


How about a few wicks from the water reservoir into the compost to save you
from watering too?

L


--
Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.

"Oh Bother!" said the Borg, "We've assimilated Pooh!"

"That's 10 times I've explained binary to you. I won't tell you a 3rd
time!"


http://armsofmorpheus.blogspot.com/

http://www.richarddawkins.net/index.php


Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

"Les Hemmings" wrote in message
...
p.mc wrote:

It works. I now have some seedlings. The heater cost me less than a
tenner on Ebay from a reputable firm. The other stuff I had anyway
but buying it would have been less than another tenner I suppose.
It
is big saving on the
cost of a conventional propagator.

I like your spirit of invention. Why pay for something that you
could
already make for yourself, considering you have the time and
inclination. And I bet you got a real feeling of satisfaction as
well
:-))
Maybe you could take a piccy of it so we can all admire it.


How about a few wicks from the water reservoir into the compost to
save you
from watering too?

And a float valve to keep it topped up: available from most good skips.

--
Mike.



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

Mike Lyle wrote:
I like your spirit of invention. Why pay for something that you
could already make for yourself, considering you have the time and
inclination. And I bet you got a real feeling of satisfaction as
well :-))
Maybe you could take a piccy of it so we can all admire it.


How about a few wicks from the water reservoir into the compost to
save you from watering too?

And a float valve to keep it topped up: available from most good
skips.

--
Mike.

An inverted, full, 2 litre plastic bottle (with the neck just below the
surface) gives a fairly large, automatic top up supply....

Les


--
Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.


"Oh Bother!" said the Borg, "We've assimilated Pooh!"

"That's 10 times I've explained binary to you. I won't tell you a 3rd
time!"


http://armsofmorpheus.blogspot.com/

http://www.richarddawkins.net/index.php


Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

"Neil Jones" wrote in message
...

I thought I'd share an improvised invention with people here.
My old heated propagator wouldn't work after I had bought some interesting
seeds. I needed a decent temperature controlled model and a new one would
be about 60 or 70 quid. It struck me that this was expensive considering
the components so I started a bit of research.

This is what I came up with. The cheapest thermostatic heaters available
were aquarium heaters.

This is what I did. I had one of those big plastic containers that are all
over the shops at present. I put water in it immersed a weighted tray in
it
so that the water went up the sides of the tray but not over the top.
To get everything working I actually have quite a bit of water in the
container and the tray is siting on a plastic pot.

I then placed the original lid of the propagator over the top. It was too
big but if slanted it kept its position.

I then experimented with a soil thermometer and the settings on the heater
until I got the desired temperature (as you have to do with a conventional
propagator) and I planted my seeds.

It works. I now have some seedlings. The heater cost me less than a tenner
on Ebay from a reputable firm. The other stuff I had anyway but buying it
would have been less than another tenner I suppose. It is big saving on
the
cost of a conventional propagator.


Neil Jones
http://www.butterflyguy.com/


10/10 for initiative. The big advantage of your system is that you get a
totally constant temperature in the growing media. Even some of the ore
expensive systems have hot spots which plays havoc with watering and
germination.
Other variations on your theme are heated mats as used in homebrewing or
reptile cages.

How I made a Thermostatic propagator for £10.
 

....and you could run a tube from the greenhouse gutter into the cut-out
inverted bottom of the bottle to fill the reservoir / bottle up when it
rains - so as to save 'watering the reservoir'!

Naturally the forementioned, emergency float valve would also need to be
fitted, (plumbed up like a lavatory) - in case of drought.

Goodness, I do believe we have just invented the robotic, 'friendly'
neighbour - who will *reliably* take care of things when we ever dare to go
on holiday.... ;-)

Keith


"Les Hemmings" wrote in message
...
Mike Lyle wrote:
I like your spirit of invention. Why pay for something that you
could already make for yourself, considering you have the time and
inclination. And I bet you got a real feeling of satisfaction as
well :-))
Maybe you could take a piccy of it so we can all admire it.


How about a few wicks from the water reservoir into the compost to
save you from watering too?

And a float valve to keep it topped up: available from most good
skips.

--
Mike.

An inverted, full, 2 litre plastic bottle (with the neck just below the
surface) gives a fairly large, automatic top up supply....

Les


--
Remove Frontal Lobes to reply direct.


"Oh Bother!" said the Borg, "We've assimilated Pooh!"

"That's 10 times I've explained binary to you. I won't tell you a 3rd
time!"


http://armsofmorpheus.blogspot.com/

http://www.richarddawkins.net/index.php


Les Hemmings a.a #2251 SA

I thought I'd share an improvised invention with people here.
My old heated propagator wouldn't work after I had bought some interesting
seeds. I needed a decent temperature controlled model and a new one would
be about 60 or 70 quid. It struck me that this was expensive considering
the components so I started a bit of research.

This is what I came up with. The cheapest thermostatic heaters available
were aquarium heaters.

This is what I did. I had one of those big plastic containers that are all
over the shops at present. I put water in it immersed a weighted tray in
it
so that the water went up the sides of the tray but not over the top.
To get everything working I actually have quite a bit of water in the
container and the tray is siting on a plastic pot.

I then placed the original lid of the propagator over the top. It was too
big but if slanted it kept its position.

I then experimented with a soil thermometer and the settings on the heater
until I got the desired temperature (as you have to do with a conventional
propagator) and I planted my seeds.

It works. I now have some seedlings. The heater cost me less than a tenner
on Ebay from a reputable firm. The other stuff I had anyway but buying it
would have been less than another tenner I suppose. It is big saving on
the
cost of a conventional propagator.