Author Topic: Upcoming Arctic blast and Greenhouses  (Read 12807 times)

marklee

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Re: Upcoming Arctic blast and Greenhouses
« Reply #50 on: January 05, 2014, 04:34:59 PM »
Nice job on the greenhouse Mark!

I’m not sure how much power those soil heaters will draw but I always thought it might be cheaper to use a gas water heater and run water lines through the soil with a small circulation pump.  It should be fairly easy to set up a thermostat/controller similar to water solar panel systems to control the flow through the system based on the temperature of the water coming back out of the soil.  You might have to use copper, which would get expensive, but maybe the thin wall class 200 PVC would transfer heat well enough.  Just another option.

Sven
Sven, thanks for the ideas on the heating. The thermostat will be no problem, I think I can run a hot water line to the greenhouse fairly easy.

Californiatropicals

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Re: Upcoming Arctic blast and Greenhouses
« Reply #51 on: January 05, 2014, 08:18:53 PM »
Does anyone have any ideas what to try? I'll probably try to keep the inside at 50 to 55 degrees. And 70% humidity and above.

Mangosteen!  I'd love to say Marang or durian but 10' probably isn't enough.  The GH is looking really nice Mark.

CT, glad you haven't needed your greenhouse, yet.  The weather has been really nice but it should cool off again and hopefully dump some snow on the mountains.  We need it, I want to be able to water my plants this summer. 8)

Ethan,

Yesterday I had to put on the A/C coming home from home depot... it was "Hella" ( nor cal thing) hot!   It's been so nice, I do hope we get rain, I just hope We don't pay for all this nice weather with extreme cold. lol


Sven

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Re: Upcoming Arctic blast and Greenhouses
« Reply #52 on: January 05, 2014, 08:47:22 PM »
Nice job on the greenhouse Mark!

I’m not sure how much power those soil heaters will draw but I always thought it might be cheaper to use a gas water heater and run water lines through the soil with a small circulation pump.  It should be fairly easy to set up a thermostat/controller similar to water solar panel systems to control the flow through the system based on the temperature of the water coming back out of the soil.  You might have to use copper, which would get expensive, but maybe the thin wall class 200 PVC would transfer heat well enough.  Just another option.

Sven
Sven, thanks for the ideas on the heating. The thermostat will be no problem, I think I can run a hot water line to the greenhouse fairly easy.

I was thinking of using a separate water heater but if you can loop it back to your house water heater that would be much easier.  You just need a pump and the thermostat.  Maybe some of that new type of flexible water line they use in houses these days (I’ve seen it at Home Depot) would work instead of PVC.  Also, you might be able to use one of those long compost thermometers to take soil temperature readings.  Our basement temperature (which is partially or mostly dependent on the soil temp) goes from the low to mid 50s in the winter to about 70 in the summer so you may not have to heat the soil up as much as you might think.  5 or 10 degrees may do it.

edzone9

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Re: Upcoming Arctic blast and Greenhouses
« Reply #53 on: January 05, 2014, 08:54:26 PM »
Will completed this GH tomorrow morning before the Blast !..



Zone 10