As fall and winter approach the household needs shift with the season: air conditioning or open windows give way to heaters and fireplaces in a matter of weeks. Central furnaces, space heaters and other appliances are certainly viable to warming an entire home. However these can cause energy costs to skyrocket. As a substitute, this clever terra cotta garden pot project to warm a room. These heaters function as both sources of heat, a unique home decor item, and an energy saver. They only cost FOUR CENTS per hour to run.
Collecting the parts for your garden pot heater is easy: ideally, you want a 5-inch pot nestled inside a 6-inch pot, but it’s possible to use smaller or larger pots the effect just won’t be exactly the same. Select pots made from terra cotta material for superior heat transfer. Additionally, collect a dozen each of one-half inch nuts and washers, a link chain and a one-half inch threaded rod. Decide on the supportive base before you even begin to construct the pot heater – this project is meant to hang down from a support, so that it can be adjusted accordingly at the base for more or less heat. Look for an old lamp fixture or flower pot stand to safely hold the project. Construct the container and test it on the stand before adding any candles.
Constructing the Pot Shades The threaded rod must be cut to an 11-inch length and filed down on the ends for safety. Choose one rod end and install two nuts, tightened firmly against each other at about one inch from the shaft’s end. Carefully loop the link chain and slide both ends onto the rod and under the nuts. The links should press against the two installed nuts. Install yet another nut behind the links to hold the hanger in place. Your nestled pots should slide up against this nut to create the shaded upper section. Finalizing the Base Installation.
To hold the two pots firmly in place, use alternating nuts and washers installed underneath and along the length of the rod. This construction strategy also strengthens the shaft with the additional terra cotta pot weight. Next, you’ll need to drill a hole in the pot base, so that the shaft can slide through it. Add the base to the rod and secure it with washers and nuts on either side of the material. The final product should look connect perfectly at the base when pressed together.
Hang the link chain on your supportive base and verify that the creation will rest firmly in place. Use a wrench to loosen the base’s nuts and create a space between the pot and base. Small tea lights or other small candles can be used to fill the base’s space. Continue to use the wrench to adjust the heater’s spacing, to warm the room appropriately. Ideally, the candles should have a small space where they meet with the pots for the best warming effect.
If pets or children reside at a household, you might want to hang this pot higher on a stand to keep curious paws and fingers away from dangerous flames. Alternately, you could swap the candles for some LED lights for added safety. However, you’ll sacrifice the warming effect of the candles and essentially be left with a bulky homemade lamp instead f a bulky homemade space heater.