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| advancedgeek |
 Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:35 am Post subject: help on building a cheap diy electric heater |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 10
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| i want to build my own electric heater by using the mains (220V) as a source of energy. How can i make one and are the parts easy to buy and cheap? I am typically wanting to make a 500-1000W heater. |
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| Harold14370 |
| Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:43 am Post subject: |
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Forum Professor
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1244
Location: Pennsylvania
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| I don't think this is a particularly good project to take on. A 1000 watt electric baseboard heater can be bought for around $50. I would be surprised if you could buy the parts for much less. If you don't know what you are doing you stand a very good chance of electrocuting yourself or burning the house down. |
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| advancedgeek |
| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 10
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| well there are some cheap fan heaters that cost less than $50 so i think there should be some cheap component you could buy. i think they use some nichrome wire or something to heat it up. |
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| Mikhail79 |
| Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:32 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 7
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It's quite simple thing. Just buy nichrome wire, heatproof ceramic tube and, of cource, multimeter. Calculate required resistance of heater.
Wind up wire around the tube, measure its resistance. If it is smaller or larger than that of calculated, then... I think you know what you should do 
Connect the homemade ohmic heater to a power cable, then pray and plug.  |
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| advancedgeek |
| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:13 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 10
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| would it be ok if i use the mains socket (220 volts)? or do i have to modify it somehow to make it use less amperage or voltage or both. |
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| Mikhail79 |
| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 12:30 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 7
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| We use homemade ohmic heater to evaporate liquid (for the technical purposes). It is made from stainless steel capillar wrapped by high-temperature insulating tape to avoid short circuit, and nichrome wire is wrapped over the tape. But we connect it to the main socket (220 V) through the variable autotransformer to regulate power consumed by heater. I think if you don't need to regulate power you would connect it directly to the main socket. But it would be better to use variable autotransformer to check if it works properly at lower power level. |
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| advancedgeek |
| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:24 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 07 Jan 2008
Posts: 10
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| how many watts or how much amps will it draw without the autotransformer? and how much do those autotransformers cost and what do they look like? and also how does it not short circuit? do you connect it directly to the mains socket or is there any resistors or something that prevents too much current from flowing? |
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| Mikhail79 |
| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:07 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 22 Mar 2008
Posts: 7
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| Quote: |
| how many watts or how much amps will it draw without the autotransformer? |
It will depend on the resistance of heater:
P=U*I.
U=220 V.
I=U/R.
So, if you want to draw 1 kW, you should use heater with resistance ~50 Ohm.
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| and how much do those autotransformers cost and what do they look like? |
http://www.answers.com/topic/autotransformer?cat=technology
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| and also how does it not short circuit? do you connect it directly to the mains socket or is there any resistors or something that prevents too much current from flowing? |
Of course, we use cutout fuse. |
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| Harold14370 |
| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:17 pm Post subject: |
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Forum Professor
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1244
Location: Pennsylvania
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I still think you should try something less dangerous until you learn more about electricity. But if you are absolutely determined, then learn as much as you can first. Here is a web site that will tell you how to do the calculations.
http://www.heatersplus.com/nichrome.htm |
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| wert |
| Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:45 am Post subject: |
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Forum Freshman
Joined: 31 Jan 2008
Posts: 31
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| Here comes another darwin award nominee.... |
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