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Propagator advice

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Tall Nettles (U14813157) on Monday, 14th March 2011

  I recently bought a Sankey heated propagator on ebay. Unfortunately, there were no instructions with it. I fired it up for the first time this weekend. I had expected the base to become warm but this has not happened. There is a piece of felt like material covering the base and this still feels cold and wet. Have I bought a duff propagator or is the heat meant to be imperceptible?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Oldends (U13875463) on Monday, 14th March 2011

  Assuming you've checked your mains socket is live and working, there are two possible answers....
  
  [a] the fuse in the plug is duff, or
  
  [b] the propogator is!

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Daffs4Feb (U14708944) on Monday, 14th March 2011

  Try putting a tray of damp compost in it - if the propagator is working, you will see condensation forming in a couple of hours.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Monday, 14th March 2011

  There is a piece of felt like material covering the base and this still feels cold and wet.
  
  is the heat meant to be imperceptible?  
  
  This is a piece of capillary matting and is supposed to be quite wet, so that heat can be distributed from the possibly two heating elements moulded into the tray. (some have two others have three)
  
  I am assuming you have no controls on the tray some have (dearer ones) some don't (cheaper ones)
  
  Lets assume you haven't any controls the elements heat up warm the water in the capillary matting which makes for better heat distribution, so although it never gets boiling hot you should at least feel some heat in it.
  
  The nearest way I can describe the temperature you should expect is to run water from a hot tap on to a flannel squeeze out the surplus water and you would end up with a warm / aired flannel.
  
  Otherwise check the points the others have mentioned!
  
  Best of luck I hope you haven't bought a duff one!

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by jamie01 (U14066574) on Monday, 14th March 2011

  If your propagator is working, don't make the same mistake I've made recently. I bought one from wilkinsons and did what DAFFS4FEB is suggesting. My newly sown seedlings emerged within 3 or 4 days, and the condensation formed quite a lot of water droplets, I emptied the water and dried the inside of the lid several times. then I realised my F1 tomatoes had all died off because I'd removed too much of the moisture the plants needed.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Oldends (U13875463) on Monday, 14th March 2011

  Assuming that it is a simple one with no thermostatic control, the base should feel warm soon after switching on. Typically, they're about 12 watts. Thermostatically controlled ones are around 20w. If it is thermostatically controlled, ie one of the more expensive models, then it could switch itself off simply because where you've put it is already too warm.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Tall Nettles (U14813157) on Tuesday, 15th March 2011

  Thank you for your replies and the advice of not tipping the water away. I have been getting condensation on the lid which i have been tipping back into the propogator (other than the time when I accidently let it drain all over the floor). I wonder if I might have too much water in the base if the matting is meant to be damp only. I will try pouring some away and see it it gets any warmer.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by cool_breeze_uk (U14359426) on Wednesday, 16th March 2011

  Hi. I'd say the easiest way to test for heat output is to switch the propagator off for an hour, lay a thermometer flat in the bottom, then switch power back on and wait a few minutes to see whether the mercury goes up.

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