Thermo Controller for Deicer

[barryian]

This is pretty awesome. I run a 1000 watt floating deicer directly in front of my Savio skimmer. With the skimmer running,
it not only keeps my 2000 gallon pond ice free, but maintains a water temperature. The temperature depends on the thermo controller settings. I built this from an amazing detailed YouTube video I highly suggest watching. It cost me $40
in parts and works perfectly, saving many $'s in electric if you run a deicer as I do. Those ThermoCubes that go on at 35F and turn off at 45F or 50F are awful. Firstly, they don't last long especially if the cube heats up slightly from the 1000 watt line. Then it turns off regardless. I've yet to have one work properly or last at all. In any event, this one below is right on. I use one socket for the deicer and the other for a 40 watt LED bulb that lights up my shed. When I see the light on in the shed's window from my house, I know the heater is on. Not yet mounted but the pic is below.

The accuracy and sensitivity are amazing. The temp as you see is 2.2C and as I entered the shed, my body temp turned the heater off by going to the set point of 2.5C ...

Check this out !!!

This is the link and here is a picture of the one I just built last week.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Looks like a great idea.

 

[Smaug]

I'm glad I get some relief from my electric bill in the winter by turning if all off! All but the small deicer anyway.

 

[barryian]

I'm glad I get some relief from my electric bill in the winter by turning if all off! All but the small deicer anyway.

Just don't have the heart to have to thaw these guys out in the spring. With this storm coming, my pond is 48F. I have the controller set to go on at 35F.

 

[Smaug]

It isn't gonna freeze solid! I've been "thawing them out"every spring for 10 years now.

 

[MitchM]

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but the floating 1000w deicer may help keep ice from forming locally, but it will not warm the water.
1000w of electric heat only supplies about 3500 btu's of heating energy.
Your pond barryian, loses probably about 100,000 btu's of heat per hour.

Heat from the earth is what keeps our ponds from freezing.

 

[barryian]

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but the floating 1000w deicer may help keep ice from forming locally, but it will not warm the water.
1000w of electric heat only supplies about 3500 btu's of heating energy.
Your pond barryian, loses probably about 100,000 btu's of heat per hour.

Heat from the earth is what keeps our ponds from freezing.

Well, we've had 20 degree weather. We have 14" of snow still coming down and my pond was pushing 50F. That's not only ground heat, that's from the deicer in front of the skimmer. Water warms as it passes, comes back over the falls. It's a loop.
Last year, we had 0F temps and highs in the teens. Water was at 40 - 45F with a 1500 watt blocking skimmer. I just went out and manually turned it off.
Your numbers might be correct but the constant flow through the deicer is the proof. Water is too warm, letting it cool a bit.

 

[MitchM]

Those are not my numbers, they are numbers derived from known physical values.

 

[barryian]

Those are not my numbers, they are numbers derived from known physical values.

@MitchM ... So, with 3ft drifts, couldn't out there until today to change thermostat on the temp controller for the deicer. I was on during the storm until it shut off this morning as our temps hit 40 from the freeze.

The way it played out with the water passing through the 1000 watt deicer into the skimmer has my temp too high which is now @ 52F in the end of Jan. Trust me, the ground isn't doing that and with all the btu formulas, etc, it's the deicer. I couldn't believe it's that warm. These guys are swimming around surrounded by snow.

Keep in mind, with all due respect, I don't doubt those figures and heat loss. The way it's set up, it just can't form ice, not even on the falls, no run offs, nothing. So, the heat loss on a 2000 gallon pond has to be less. Also, the pvc structure with netting
was heavily snow covered for 2 days most likely keeping heat in.

Thought?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Have you checked the water temperature in the skimmer while the deicer was functioning? What was/is it?

 

[barryian]

Have you checked the water temperature in the skimmer while the deicer was functioning? What was/is it?

Same as the pond ... This morning with a mild 40F overnight air temp and 42F currently, the water temp
is 48F ... I think that makes a statement. It's like water circulating through a heater... I t's worked, year after year.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Interesting! I would think that the water in the flow directly after the heater, which if I read correctly would be the water in the skimmer, would be warmer than the remainder of the pond since it has not been exposed to cooler temperatures for very long.
Based on this, I am agreeing with MitchM that the pond's water temperature is being moderated by the ambient earth temperature. Check your soil temperature at a 12" depth.

 

[barryian]

Interesting! I would think that the water in the flow directly after the heater, which if I read correctly would be the water in the skimmer, would be warmer than the remainder of the pond since it has not been exposed to cooler temperatures for very long.
Based on this, I am agreeing with MitchM that the pond's water temperature is being moderated by the ambient earth temperature. Check your soil temperature at a 12" depth.

At the flow rate, 2500/gph, the difference wouldn't be measurable .... Trust me, the soil is an insulator and a heat source of course, but, turn off the deicer and drop, drop drop .... it will be in the high 30's to 40's during the next week and down as low as 20-30F in the evenings. We'll see where it goes while the deicer is off. I'll follow up ....

 

[MitchM]

barryian, have you had a look through the pond heat loss calculations below in my signature?

 

[barryian]

barryian, have you had a look through the pond heat loss calculations below in my signature?

I just did Mitch ....