--- In compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com, "Ted Peterson"
<ted.peterson_at_t...> wrote:
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: dkemnitz2000
> To: compost_tea_at_yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 8:14 PM
> Subject: [compost_tea] Re: what favors what
>
>
> Still have to get a tank heater to keep the water to
> 50F minimum I think. I hope to apply during a warm spell or
before
> significant snowfall or rainfall. Dennis
>
> Dennis:
>
> Go to a fish store and get a 24" aquarium heater. They cost about
$35 - $40. They are basically long tubes with heating elements
inside. Make a holder out of plastic and make it so you can position
the heater in the liquid while keeping the electronics above the
water.
<><><>I think I understand this.Dennis
I made a plastic container that covers the controls out of 4" pvc
caps and a short piece of pipe that acts like a nipple between the
two caps. You need protection from the foaming. Foam totally shorts
one of these babies out. Besides they are hard to clean. Cleaning
foam off of pvc is a lot easier than cleaning it out of a heater
mechnaism.
>
<><><>>>><><><><Ted I'm beginning to visualize a heater modification.
I may have to look at the actual heater before I totally understand.
I was planning to buy a 3500 watt heater from the fish company for
approx $350. What is power output of the 24" aquarium heater you
refer to? You placed the control in the pvc tube(holder) and sealed
it to keep water/foam out right? Dennis
> Drill a hole in one cap off center so you can insert the heating
tube and still have room for the little control housing in your PVC
housing. (Thy have housings but they don't work at keeping out water
of foam.) Caulk the hole with silicon. Find a way to secure the
heater (now inside the housing)
<><<>You have the heater in the housing so it heats air inside the
pvc housing which in turn heats the water? I'm beginning to think
I'm cornfused! I thot the heater was not inside the pvc tube(holder).
Ted, I'll get one of the heater elements and then might have another
question. Thanks for the idea. Dennis
in your tank so you can adjust it up and down without the heating
tube resting against anything in your tank. I used a piece of pvc.
and attached the heater housing (remember the pvc?) with tie wraps.
Depending on how you attach the pvc, you may need a counter weight on
the bottom. If you use a brick or something porous, cover it in
plastic and try to seal it in some way. A better deal is to get a
weight from one of those barbell sets that have plastic weights
filled with sand. Caulk the place where you fill it (after you fill
it of course) with the silicone. If you use pvc, you can get pvc and
the heater and the counterweight for way under $70. Not too bad.
>
> Now, when you use it, you will have to experiment to keep the
liquid at the temp you want. (You should already have a long 36"
tube-like thermometer for your compost. Use the same one in your
tea.) Be careful when you take it out because those heater glass
tubes are not Pyrex. Too great a temp change and the tube breaks.
So don't clean it until it cools down.
>
> A note on temperature. Your ground temp is the important thing
here. The bilogy in your soil works in the temperatures you have in
your soil. I will do little good to brew a bunch of tea at 70 deg.
F. and dump it in ground that's 45 deg. F. Your compost should be
slightly warmer than the ground temp if it is mature. Fresh may be
too hot to be useful. So I would be really careful about raising the
temperature of my tea. You may want to run a test batch and check
your DO. Cold water holds more O2 than warm but you should be able
to chart a trend. While you are brewing, shut off your air and see
how fast the O2 drops. If it drops quickly, you know that something
in your tea is using up the air. It's a safe assumption that it is
aerobic bacteria and fungi from your compost.
>
> Ted Peterson
> Earth-Wise/Spirit of the Earth
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Received on Thu Jan 15 2004 - 07:52:15 EST