The Thermocube – Item of the Day
Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.
Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Farm Innovators Thermocube. This little gadget is one of the most useful and slick little things you can get your hands on. It is simply a two plug adapter, meaning you plug it into one outlet and you get two. But inside is a mercury switch. This makes it provide power only in a specific temperature range.
There are a lot of options with this device, the most useful to many homesteaders will turn on at 35 and off at 45. This will keep say a green house on a heater from going below freezing for just one example.
These things also have options at the other end of the spectrum. For instance on at 78 off at 70. This could be useful for running say a fan in a chicken coop. They way they are designed I am not saying they can’t fail, I just have not ever seen one do so. They are designed with such simplicity there just are not many moving parts.
The temperature either causes the switch to be on or to be off, that is all, nothing more.
One little extra you may want to consider when using these is a Water-Tight Cord Lock. To be clear this will not go over the Thermocube, you would plug that in at the outlet. What this does is go over where your extension cord plugs into your device or where two extension cords are joined. These are a great tool in their own right and I will review them stand alone on another day.
Another great little tip is consider using one of these slick little 1-foot extension cords if outlet space is an issue.
In any event the Farm Innovators Thermocube varies in price based on option and please note that some options are like for a 6 pack when making your buying decisions. The on at 35 off at 45 is about 15 bucks and that is a great price given what it does.
When I had a small greenhouse one of these and a simple small electric heater was sufficient to get through the coldest nights with no losses. Sure beats complex wiring, expensive thermostats, etc. The main way I use this though is in my well house. Living on a well is great, right up until something breaks, like when it freezes up in winter.
To combat this I have two light bulbs in my well house. I just plug them into one Thermocube. Temps hit 35 they come on, hit 45 they go off. I don’t have to remember to turn them on or off, etc. Why two lights? Two is one and one is none folks.
Remember you can always find the TSP Amazon Item of the day by just going to TspAz.com and by shopping at TspAz.com anytime you shop on Amazon you help support TSP and the work we do here no matter what you buy.
I’ve got one of these feeding an electric space heater in my well house. The well house is well-insulated, and it never gets very cold here, but this is cheap insurance against the problems that would result if the pipes in there ever froze up.
Man, this thing is crazy! Who knew you could get little products like this?
Jack, this is why we need your TSP item of the day. So much stuff on here, that I was ignorant about.
Keep it up sir!
Just wondering does this device have a ‘ Hysteresis’ characteristic to prevent it going into rapid ‘flicker mode’, if it has, then it will be a very useful device with several applications.
As read above, On at 35, Off at 45.
A tool I use (in addition to the Thermalcube, which is also great to keep your birds warm) – I have a **remote wireless thermometer** that goes with an inexpensive weather station. Jack says 2 is 1… Well, a wireless thermometer in your pumphouse, allows you to see – at a glance, how your light bulbs are doing… I replace the batteries once a year (whether they need it or not) – and I haven’t had a problem even in the coldest of weather here.
Have one to turn on an animal heat pad at 35deg inside a cooler that’s on my porch. I cut a small door on the side so the cat that made our porch his home can keep warm and out of the wind.
This can also be used with a automotive engine block heater to keep your vehicle engine from freezing.
In Service,
Duncan