View Full Version : solar powered green house heater?
....does such a thing exist?? Im sure i saw some once on ebay or somewhere, solar powered heater...I want one for my Rabbit hutch...anyone heard of this??
http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/products/solar-technology/home-solar-powered-station-150-w/
solarman216
10-11-2010, 23:50
At £1500 all I can say is Efin expensive Rabbit
No at the end of the day calculate how many watts your rabbit needs heat wise between say 4pm and 10 am and then I can give you the watts your rabbit will need and the size of panel needed and the battery size, Rick
The Patrolman
11-11-2010, 00:01
You can buy a lot of hay n straw for £1500, I kept rabbits for many years and they all lived outside quite happily!!!!!!!
how do wabbits keep warm in winter in the wild anyway ?
The Patrolman
11-11-2010, 00:06
how do wabbits keep warm in winter in the wild anyway ?
Where do you think baby bunnies come from:augie
Where do you think baby bunnies come from:augie
gooseberry bushes ?
Peasgood
11-11-2010, 00:10
....does such a thing exist??
Yes, very much exists.
It is called "the sun" if you want to google it. :D
Yes, very much exists.
It is called "the sun" if you want to google it. :D
burning newspapers ? :augie:lol
jims-terrano
11-11-2010, 00:57
Did you ever see that series called "It's Not Easy Being Green"? they built a solar powered Greenhouse Heater. Basically a hole in the ground lined with insulation and filled with bricks. A solar pael to run a fan that sucked hot air from top of greenhouse in the day time and blew the hot air down in to the bricks that acted like a starage heater. Very clever idea.
However far cheaper and easier to buy a mrs bunny for him, as a spin all the free meat you can eat:lol:lol:lol:lol:lol
Jim
hmmm...£1500 far exceeds my "budget", ah well!!
ok, the Rabbit. she lives outside (shes called Bob) and has done since we got her about 4 year ago. she lives in a very big run (VERY big) with a small hutch attched to one side. Now, the funny thing is she is her own bunny, in that she will NOT use thehutch to sleep in. all through winter, rain, snow, sun whatever, she sits on her patio (yes, she has a decked patio). the main run is filled with soil, and she has a warren built underneath, that she has done herself 9we realised very soon into owning her she wanted to be free, hence the huge run, now shes very happy~).
we found the bunny round the back of our houses, some bloke came with her, said he found her on the field while walking his dog. nobody on the street owned it, so we presumed dumped, as she was raggy, ill, and very scared (doesnt like dogs) so we kept her untill someone claimed, obviously they didnt so shes lived outside ever since. At first she was a very VERY grumpy rabbit, then one day, she got ill, listless, so we took her to vets. vet gave her an injection, we took her home and kept an eye on her a few days. when she got better, she was a different rabbit, and was much livlier, and friendlier and this grew and grew to hwo she is now, very friendly and fun. over the years we expanded and changed her accomodation and as we did, she got happier and happier.
Last winter, when the snow came, i started to think about the solar heaters, and as an alternative i heated house bricks for her on the worst days (the snow acted as excellent insulation around her hutch). we use a ton of hay, but she simply flattens it and sits ONit, never IN it, or pulls it all off and dumps it under the patio.
tbh...she probably doesnt need the heating and im being fussy!
MontysMaverick
11-11-2010, 09:24
hmmm...£1500 far exceeds my "budget", ah well!!
ok, the Rabbit. she lives outside (shes called Bob) and has done since we got her about 4 year ago. she lives in a very big run (VERY big) with a small hutch attched to one side. Now, the funny thing is she is her own bunny, in that she will NOT use thehutch to sleep in. all through winter, rain, snow, sun whatever, she sits on her patio (yes, she has a decked patio). the main run is filled with soil, and she has a warren built underneath, that she has done herself 9we realised very soon into owning her she wanted to be free, hence the huge run, now shes very happy~).
we found the bunny round the back of our houses, some bloke came with her, said he found her on the field while walking his dog. nobody on the street owned it, so we presumed dumped, as she was raggy, ill, and very scared (doesnt like dogs) so we kept her untill someone claimed, obviously they didnt so shes lived outside ever since. At first she was a very VERY grumpy rabbit, then one day, she got ill, listless, so we took her to vets. vet gave her an injection, we took her home and kept an eye on her a few days. when she got better, she was a different rabbit, and was much livlier, and friendlier and this grew and grew to hwo she is now, very friendly and fun. over the years we expanded and changed her accomodation and as we did, she got happier and happier.
Last winter, when the snow came, i started to think about the solar heaters, and as an alternative i heated house bricks for her on the worst days (the snow acted as excellent insulation around her hutch). we use a ton of hay, but she simply flattens it and sits ONit, never IN it, or pulls it all off and dumps it under the patio.
tbh...she probably doesnt need the heating and im being fussy!
Clivvy, Im coming to live at your house if this is how you look after a rabbit...
Decked patio and heated house brick and tons of hay, no wonder shes changed her mind about trying to run off shes turned into a deva.
Kept rabbits whilst I was young and they had a hutch and a run and that was it. mind you they did eat well but that was only due to being fattened up for the local butcher.:lol :lol :lol
Youll be telling us next that she has a playstation and her own hair stylist next :augie :augie :augie
Clivvy, Im coming to live at your house if this is how you look after a rabbit...
Decked patio and heated house brick and tons of hay, no wonder shes changed her mind about trying to run off shes turned into a deva.
Kept rabbits whilst I was young and they had a hutch and a run and that was it. mind you they did eat well but that was only due to being fattened up for the local butcher.:lol :lol :lol
Youll be telling us next that she has a playstation and her own hair stylist next :augie :augie :augie
well, she gets a reight selection of greens, but her accomodation is nothng compared to what our Guinea Pigs have. They have a converted garage, with air con, thermostat heating, seperate living quarters for groups, a garden extension and a web cam (for us, not them)...we have 12 guinea pigs at the moment...
ill post pics!
MontysMaverick
11-11-2010, 10:18
well, she gets a reight selection of greens, but her accomodation is nothng compared to what our Guinea Pigs have. They have a converted garage, with air con, thermostat heating, seperate living quarters for groups, a garden extension and a web cam (for us, not them)...we have 12 guinea pigs at the moment...
ill post pics!
Clivvy You dont live in a house you live in a bloody animal sanctuary, love to see the pics tho. if only to make her indoors go AAAARGH :lol :lol :lol
Central heating for Wab-bits,.
I have made central heating for my daughters rabbit.
Get a small 12 volt plug in power supply, capable of delivering say 2 amps, any voltage will do, but for safety less than 24 Volts, AC or DC.
Has to be double insulated, PSU goes in the house.
Run 2 core cable out to the Hutch, You will need, a piece of aluminium, a couple of bolt on resistors from Maplin a thermal switch that goes open circuit at say 50 C,(min 2 amp rated ) The critical item is the resistance of the bolt on resistors.
make sure the bunny can't get to the wires, add a small light with a switch while you are at it...
One Hot bunny.
In the past I have made them without thermostats, and just a length of copper pipe with a several ceramic resistors in line, epoxy'd up.
Kept part up the hutch to save overheating.
Resistor values depend on supply, voltage, current, and how hot the plate or pipe gets, risk of over-heating. etc so for that reason I will not suggest values, but using ohms law,
V = I x R
The problem with using this formulae, is that the voltage on the PSU, may be higher.
Eg say the voltage is 12 volts at 2 amp,
Lets assume the voltage is say more 18 Volts, for a safety margin.
18 volts divided by 2 amps is 9 ohms. so you will need a total resistance of 9 ohms. but you will need resistors with wattage capability.
Watts= Volts x Amps
Take your volts, say 18V x 2 Amps = 36 watts Max.
So if you use 1 resistor of 9 ohms it will need to be 36 watts.
If you use say 3 x 3 ohm resistors in series (3+3+3=9), spread the watts, so each has to be 12 watts each ( 36 div 3= 12)
Reality of 12 Volts instead of the guestimate of 18 Volts,
V= I x R
12 = I x 9 ohm, so I = 12/9 = 1.33 Amps, ( less than the 2 amp capability of PSU)
Wattage.
Watts = V x I
Watts = 12 x 1.33 amps, = 15.6 watts.
So the heater will give out 15.6 watts, draw a current of 1.33 Amps PSU is not over burdened, and you have enough power left to run either an LED light or 2 watt bulb..
If the 12 was really higher eg, 18 then the power will be 36 Watts and the supply will give out 36 Watts ( which may be more than the rating on the label).
Use a meter check current,/voltage, test how warm everthing gets, what happens to the heater if it is amongst the bedding..!
The bigger surface area of the aluminium plate the better. Minimum say 8" x 4"
Simples... If you know how...
Central heating for Wab-bits,.
I have made central heating for my daughters rabbit.
Get a small 12 volt plug in power supply, capable of delivering say 2 amps, any voltage will do, but for safety less than 24 Volts, AC or DC.
Has to be double insulated, PSU goes in the house.
Run 2 core cable out to the Hutch, You will need, a piece of aluminium, a couple of bolt on resistors from Maplin a thermal switch that goes open circuit at say 50 C,(min 2 amp rated ) The critical item is the resistance of the bolt on resistors.
make sure the bunny can't get to the wires, add a small light with a switch while you are at it...
One Hot bunny.
In the past I have made them without thermostats, and just a length of copper pipe with a several ceramic resistors in line, epoxy'd up.
Kept part up the hutch to save overheating.
Resistor values depend on supply, voltage, current, and how hot the plate or pipe gets, risk of over-heating. etc so for that reason I will not suggest values, but using ohms law,
V = I x R
The problem with using this formulae, is that the voltage on the PSU, may be higher.
Eg say the voltage is 12 volts at 2 amp,
Lets assume the voltage is say more 18 Volts, for a safety margin.
18 volts divided by 2 amps is 9 ohms. so you will need a total resistance of 9 ohms. but you will need resistors with wattage capability.
Watts= Volts x Amps
Take your volts, say 18V x 2 Amps = 36 watts Max.
So if you use 1 resistor of 9 ohms it will need to be 36 watts.
If you use say 3 x 3 ohm resistors in series (3+3+3=9), spread the watts, so each has to be 12 watts each ( 36 div 3= 12)
Reality of 12 Volts instead of the guestimate of 18 Volts,
V= I x R
12 = I x 9 ohm, so I = 12/9 = 1.33 Amps, ( less than the 2 amp capability of PSU)
Wattage.
Watts = V x I
Watts = 12 x 1.33 amps, = 15.6 watts.
So the heater will give out 15.6 watts, draw a current of 1.33 Amps PSU is not over burdened, and you have enough power left to run either an LED light or 2 watt bulb..
If the 12 was really higher eg, 18 then the power will be 36 Watts and the supply will give out 36 Watts ( which may be more than the rating on the label).
Use a meter check current,/voltage, test how warm everthing gets, what happens to the heater if it is amongst the bedding..!
The bigger surface area of the aluminium plate the better. Minimum say 8" x 4"
Simples... If you know how...
eh?
jims-terrano
11-11-2010, 19:20
Stick with the hay Clive:doh
Jim
funnily enough, Bob has re arranged her hay into a little fort today, most amusing...
funnily enough, Bob has re arranged her hay into a little fort today, most amusing...
You don't need heating for sheep.....:nenau
They use central Bleating...............:lol:lol:lol
ok, heres a short video (S) of Chez Bunny this cold frosty morn...
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w163/clivjoo/th_CIMG2344.jpg (http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w163/clivjoo/?action=view¤t=CIMG2344.mp4)
inside, Bunny not interested in sitting with me to keep warm...
http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w163/clivjoo/?action=view¤t=CIMG2345.mp4
and the Piggery, where we keep our Guinea Pigs...
http://s176.photobucket.com/albums/w163/clivjoo/?action=view¤t=CIMG2346.mp4
bluddie hell clive , its better than my house :eek::lol
jims-terrano
28-11-2010, 12:37
That's my Mrs n Daughter want to book a visit to the pig's:doh
Off taking wife to Dog Agility now, some kind of cricket field behind the big hotel at ainley top, it'll be warm up there brrrrrrrrr.
Jim
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