Almost all honey, if given a long enough time period, will crystalize. This is not bad for the honey but most of us would like to have the golden color fluid to easily be squeezed out of the bottles. For me as a beekeeper trying to keep my five-gallon buckets from crystalizing, it is a very big problem.
When I started searching the good old internet for a solution, I found that many people have heated cabinets. When I looked to purchase one, it was very expensive. Being problem solver that I am, I decided to build one myself. I went to a community group on Facebook and asked if anyone had an old chest freezer that was not working but in good shape. I was surprised to find one that a friend of mine had. It still worked but the compressor was going out so that was fine with me. It cleaned up really well and I was on my way to my new warming cabinet.
I had to find a heating element and temperature controller. I went to the trusty internet and it did not fail me. I found a company that I was able to find a finned strip heater. They have all sorts of sizes and shapes and I chose this one for my application. I ordered it and it was shortly on my door step. Then, I needed to find a temperature controller. One that I could set for my desired temperature and would turn on the heater when it got too cold. I really had to search for this one but Amazon came though for me with one that was not too expensive. Most of them I found were in Celsius and I don’t talk Celsius well, but I found one that would do both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Bingo!
Heating Element
Temperature Controller
Now, I had to build a framework and get it all put together and hope what I was thinking how it would work, would REALLY work.
Assembled Heating Unit
I needed a system that would not be susceptible to heat so I borrowed from the construction industry unistrut building structures and sheet metal from the heating and cooling system. Got it all put together and came up with this contraption that I think will work.
The next step was to figure out how to get the wiring into the freezer to run everything. I enlarged the drain hole in the freezer and the wires for the heating element, thermostat sensor and power for the circulation fans. It worked great and I was seeing the project come together. I moved this unit into the freezer. The test of all my measurements and proof of concept. TADA!
Heating Unit (Installed Freezer)
As you can see to the left, the heating unit fit perfectly into the freezer. With that done, I had to get a few more components; a box to put the controls in and terminal strips to connect everything together and make it all work.
Next, we started working on the wiring. We made sure that the wire size would handle the power that we were running to the components and now we needed to wire it all up.
Controll Box Internal Wiring
The picture to the left displays the internal wiring of the control box. Everything fit well, and with the use of a Dremel.
I was able to cut the necessary holes for the temperature controller and power into to the box.
The added lines that need to come in from the freezer had to be added. We found the right size gromets that we needed to do that. We drilled the necessary holes. The picture below is what the back of the control box looks like with all of the wires connected.
Controll Box Wiring Connection (Back)
Controll Box Wiring Connection (Front)
I have to add a floor to the freezer so the warm air can get around the buckets of honey I need to put in the warming freezer. I am really happy with the competed project. I took it from an idea, continued to conceptualize the project, found the necessary components, and put it together and the whole thing works. Life is beeautifully good.
Finished Project
What is going to be my next project? I don’t think anything can stop me. Bee safe and healthy.
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