# Turning a milk chiller unit into a heated honey tank.



## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

I came across a 150 gal milk chiller unit real cheap last year, and just wondering what is the best way to heat the tank up. I would think a 5gal water heater with a circulating pump??? any ideas or anyone had experience with this set up? thanks


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Do you have a hot water boiler? That is what we used.

Crazy Roland


----------



## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

I have a 900 gallon tank and used the small heater that Cowan sells to heat the knives on their uncappers. It has a pump to circulate the water. Surprisingly it kept the honey very warm. Most of the bits of wax would come to the surface come the end of the day. By morning they were pretty much all there. I would think that for 150 gallon tank a rheostat would be in order, otherwise the honey would get burnt.

Jean-Marc


----------



## Allen Martens (Jan 13, 2007)

When I used to use a 600 gallon I would heat it using a 10 gallon electric hot water than and a circulating pump. Heating all night would get the honey very warm as well. Partially this depends upon how warm the honey is entering the tank. If I were to use the system now I would connect the pump to a heat sensor.


----------



## dtp (Jun 4, 2013)

I use a 6gal electric water heater and recirculating pump. Works well for our 500g tank. We also have an expansion tank integrated into the system.


----------



## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

This sounds like good news I've got an extra circulating pump sitting on the shelf for my floor heat.


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

You might want to do some math comparing a natural gas(or LP) boiler to electric heat. The cost difference may surprise you.

Crazy Roland


----------



## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

I'm out on the farm. But thinking about propane though


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

How is the water for the floor heated?

Crazy Roland


----------



## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

Electric water heater in the hot room for floor heat. Still on now, basicly it's running 8-9months out of the year and it's pretty cheap I think. Its a smaller building with decent insulation and in the middle of winter on the coldest of days, the unheated side rarely gets below 40 degrees.


----------

