temperature sensitive heat system
To limit fire hazards of a heat lamp in a quail coop, I designed and implemented a temperature-regulated heat lamp to keep our egg-laying girls warm.
We love our quail, and want to provide them with a cozy little nook in our quail coop. However, adding a heat lamp can provide a fire danger–especially in Colorado! As a result, I created my own temperature-regulated heat lamp.
As a temperature sensor, I used the ds18b20, which I connected to an Arduino board. In the code, I specified how often I want the Arduino to check the temperature inside the coop (e.g. every 5 minutes), and what my desired threshold temperature should be, below which the lamp turns on. Note: I originally set the check time to every 10 seconds, but this created a ‘disco-like’ ambiance that I don’t think any person or quail would appreciate.
When the sensor is checked and the temperature is below the given threshold, the Arduino provides power to a desired node, which leads to 5V relay. This relay receives normal electric power, but only completes the circuit when given the message from the Arduino.
Using this setup, I am able to control the coop temperature throughout the winter and turn the light off when it is above a certain temperature. This way, the light will not continue to heat up to coop to the point that in poses an ignition risk.
Happy and safe quail = lots of eggs all year long!
