How do I connect a thermostat up to a light bulb to heat a well pit?
Thursday, May 13th, 2010 at
7:49 pm
Want to heat a well pit during the cold weather using a thermostat and a light bulb (or two) for heat. It has been done – but I don’t know how to do it…
Filed under: Wind Power
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You can buy a thermostat at Graingers that will handle directly 110 volts so nothing else is needed. put the light bulb in series with the thermostat and plug it into a 110 volt outlet is about all. Buy a long life bulb and enclose it so it will last. If not enclosed, it will burn out prematurely so make sure you buy an enclosed light fixure.
You will need a relay that will take the 12 volt from the stat to swithch the relay to complete the circuit for the 120 volt bulb to come on
there are several methods. the easiest is, if you have power down there in the pit (110 volts). you can pick up thermostats that will plug in and allow a devcie to be plugged in and turned on when the temperature drops below the setting you choose.
or if you are handy, wire a common electric baseboard heater in series with a receptacle and plug whatever device you want into it. i’m not going to get involved with the actual wiring for liabilities sake, but be sure you connect the thermostat so that the ‘hot’ or black wire is the one getting switched on. the white or ‘neutral wire should never be connected so that it is the one getting ‘switched’.
if you dont have common household voltage and have 220 instead – be careful and consult someone who actually knows how to do this