# drum heater



## cootertom (Jul 3, 2012)

I'm going to purchase a drum heater. Will a 1500 watts heater be large enough for a 55 gallon metal drum?


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## Smoke'm (Feb 25, 2012)

Yep a 1500 watt heater will do a fine job burning your honey. I would find another way. Can you put the barrel in a small room or closet and heat the whole room. Much safer slower but safer.


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## RogerCrum (Jun 19, 2011)

Yes, put drum on piece of wood to insulate from cold concrete floor and wrap insulation of some sort around drum to keep heat from being lost to air. Slow heat is best.


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## cootertom (Jul 3, 2012)

It is on a wood floor now and I can wrap it with a moving quilt to insulate it. Would a lower wattage heater work like a 4 or 500 watt? I could build a small insulated room to sit over it with a electric heater or heat lamp.


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## RogerCrum (Jun 19, 2011)

I have warmed many drums of honey with a 1500 watt belt with a thermostat control to keep from scorching the honey. A few hundred watts inside of an insulated box is a stellar idea. I am doing similar box with 100 watt bulb for 5 gallon buckets and liquifying bears that have crystallized.


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## cootertom (Jul 3, 2012)

It is liquid with no crystals in the drum. I was only going to heating it enough to drain, strain and bottle. This is the first time I have done this much and I have 3---55 gallon drums full that I purchased at a excellent price. I'll down scale it to a 750 or 1000 watt heater with controls. Before it was only from my 3 top bar hives.


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

We have a hot room and a couple of drum heaters - if we want the honey liquid and ready to bottle we use the band heater and run it on a low setting over night, shifting it up in the morning to finish the job while we are close by. If I have extra time I'll use the hot room (normally used for cases of bottled honey at about 100F), get it liquid enough to pour and then into the clarifier for a half hour. If I had one choice it would be the band heater - well managed.


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## cootertom (Jul 3, 2012)

Thanks for the info. I was thinking about the two 750 watt heaters with thermostat controls and setting then on a low heat. I have a 12 X 20 insulated storage building I'm going to work it in. I'll also heat the building up while heating the drums and pouring. I'm most likely making it more difficult than it really is. If all goes well I'll have a steady supply of honey.


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