Frame Warmer

[Tucker1]

I've been harvesting this last weekend and it seemed to take forever for the honey be be extracted from the frames. In addition, seemed to take forever for the honey to pass thru the pail top filters. It was just too thick. While I can't afford a honey house or anything like it, it might make sense to build some type of heated closet to pre-heat the frames before de-capping and extracting. Has anyone tired to make a heated closet for pre-heat frames before de-capping and extracting ( I suspect it would need to keep the air moving to avoid "hot spots" and would require some sort of temperature control. You could almost make one out of a old refrigerator.)

Regards,
Tucker1

[RayMarler]

I've stacked supers up on top of an empty hive box that had a 40w lite bulb in it. Had a blanket over the top of the stack. It warmed up the frames in the stack well enough to extract easily. I kept a watch on it to monitor the temps, didn't want the wax melting.

I've now got an extra fridge. I was seriously thinking of disconnecting the freon portion of the thing, using a 100w lite for the fridge lite, installing a small 110v box fan and a temp control switch from home depot made for free standing heaters. I'm thinking I could keep it between 95 - 100 degrees as a honey warmer, could do it by the bucket, or keep it at 85-90 for warming frames for extracting. Knowing me though, you'll get one going before I do!

[Robo]

I've stacked supers up on top of an empty hive box that had a 40w lite bulb in it. Had a blanket over the top of the stack. It warmed up the frames in the stack well enough to extract easily. I kept a watch on it to monitor the temps, didn't want the wax melting.

In addition to Ray's idea,  I also wrap a heater cord around my extractor to keep it warm as well,  otherwise it will cool the honey right down.

I've now got an extra fridge. I was seriously thinking of disconnecting the freon portion of the thing, using a 100w lite for the fridge lite, installing a small 110v box fan and a temp control switch from home depot made for free standing heaters. I'm thinking I could keep it between 95 - 100 degrees as a honey warmer, could do it by the bucket, or keep it at 85-90 for warming frames for extracting. Knowing me though, you'll get one going before I do!

Ray, no need to disconnect the freon.   I have a spare fridge in our garage that I use for warming buckets for bottling.   I just took an old fan out of a PC and mounted a light socket to board.  I bought a reptile heat controller for $20 and just run all the wires under the door gasket.    That way the fridge is still functional when you need extra fridge space on Thanksgiving or Christmas....

[buzzbee]

Check this out. it could be done on a small scale!
http://maarec.psu.edu/pdfs/honeyHeaterPlans/hhplans.htm

[heaflaw]

Robo, what do you mean by a "heater cord" for warming the extractor?

[Finski]

.
I have made a warm cabinet from fibrous insulating board.
Then thermostat fanning heater inside and it circulates warm air in boxes.
It heats the honey to 35C

It needs 1 feet free space around box pile that air circulates.

[Irwin]

Check this out. it could be done on a small scale!
http://maarec.psu.edu/pdfs/honeyHeaterPlans/hhplans.htm

Ken I think you put the wrong link up or maybe it's the kangaroo in my N120 that is causing the problem

[Robo]

Robo, what do you mean by a "heater cord" for warming the extractor?

I guess it is also called a heater tape.   It is the electric cord/tape you wrap around water pipes in the winter to keep them from freezing.   Most of the new ones come with a thermostat set around freezing, which is useless for this application.  I use one without a thermostat so it is always on when plugged in.  Just wrap it around the outside of the extractor.

[kathyp]

finski, does using the heater dry out the honey to much?  i had thought about that, but wasn't sure it was a good idea.

[Finski]

.
If you warm frames 4 days, it is more difficult to get extract and sieve honey.

I put the heater on in the evening and extract next day.  6 hours is enough to warm.

I have used same cabinet  28 years. Perhaps I should renew it.
It has room for 4 hours extracting work. If frames are full, it is 200 kg honey.

Electrict uncapping knife works fine with 35C frame.

[danno]

I have a big chest freezer that i got for free and Lowes.  It was headed to the scrap yard.   I installed 4 rails down one side and another set opposite the width of frames.  I orginally had it set up for a heating unit using a light bulb which worked great but now It has become brood frame storage.  I pop frames in the real freezer for a couple of days for wax moth control and them store them in the converted chest freezer in my barn.  No moths, no mices and no moth crystals 

[buzzbee]

Check this out. it could be done on a small scale!
http://maarec.psu.edu/pdfs/honeyHeaterPlans/hhplans.htm

Ken I think you put the wrong link up or maybe it's the kangaroo in my N120 that is causing the problem

Thanks Irwin,
 I fixed it proper now.

[heaflaw]

What about wrapping an electric blanket around the extractor?  Or an electric blanket draped over a pile of supers? 

[Finski]

What about wrapping an electric blanket around the extractor?  Or an electric blanket draped over a pile of supers?  

I use a small heater under the extractor. I have covered the side surface or honey with white paper too.

[Sparky]

Robo. How do you keep the heat tape from sliding off the extractor. Do you have hanging wires or kind of braid it to make it grip or what ?

[Sparky]

Good link buzzbee. Now that is a idea that can get many peoples creative juices flowing. Best of all it is one of those KISS designs.

[danno]

My extractor is a 30 frame maxant so my bucket warmer would be to small but for the small extractors it would work great.  I know I have brought this up many times in the past but what I use is a water bed heater.   They are long enough to wrap completely around and are 18"s high. Ater wrapping push the thermostat probe down between the extracor and the pad and set the temp from 70 - 100deg.   90 is high enough to make honey flow great

[Robo]

Robo. How do you keep the heat tape from sliding off the extractor. Do you have hanging wires or kind of braid it to make it grip or what ?

Duct Tape

[Sparky]

Duct tape!!! Now thats going high tech. I wonder it the old duct tape guy ever though of that use ? LOL!!