Author Topic: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention  (Read 1768 times)

Plantinyum

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Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« on: September 25, 2021, 02:57:15 AM »
I have this problem, its not actually a big happening right now but in winter when outside is colder and inside it will be heated, i'm sure its gonna be raini'n.
Was thinking if i spray with water mixed with dish soap,since i have heard dish soap lowers the water's surface tension ,will thus b3 enough to make the steam not form droplets and just channel on the sides ?

brian

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2021, 08:29:01 AM »
I have tried various surfactants on my greenhouse walls to reduce condensation fogging and none of them worked.


In any case, even of they did I don't know if it would help your problem.  I don't hve any good ideas for you, unfortunately.  This dripping can be minimized by the design of your greenhouse (sloping roof and channels for the water to flow down)
« Last Edit: September 25, 2021, 08:31:05 AM by brian »

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2021, 01:45:57 PM »
I have tried various surfactants on my greenhouse walls to reduce condensation fogging and none of them worked.
Thanks for the reply, if i knew about this i would probably make it with slight slope. I may fix this next season since i am thinking of raising the structurevwith the policarbonate, the plants grew up to the ceiling in their first year, that speaks volumes dor the future....

In any case, even of they did I don't know if it would help your problem.  I don't hve any good ideas for you, unfortunately.  This dripping can be minimized by the design of your greenhouse (sloping roof and channels for the water to flow down)

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #3 on: September 25, 2021, 01:58:39 PM »
A actually am wondering, does this condensation happen only becouse of the great temp difference between in and out, or does it get gets affected by the humidity in the gh?
If it is, then i may just place a few dehumidifiers ,this may actually also have benefits to the plants, so they stay drier in the cooler part of the year... 

Jaboticaba45

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #4 on: September 25, 2021, 02:02:46 PM »
I have had the same problem happen to me. I want to eliminate the problem as water constantly dripping from the ceiling of the gh will cause problems on some types of plants. Opening the vents should help eliminate the problem during the day, but the cold will get in.

brian

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #5 on: September 25, 2021, 02:17:41 PM »
de-humidifiers are very expensive to run, you'd be better off just heating the greenhouse to reduce relative humidity

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2021, 02:44:53 PM »
I have had the same problem happen to me. I want to eliminate the problem as water constantly dripping from the ceiling of the gh will cause problems on some types of plants. Opening the vents should help eliminate the problem during the day, but the cold will get in.
yeah venting sure is the most efficient way, however when its cold outside this is not doable . I could open to vent but maybe for an hour or two at the time of day when theres sun.

de-humidifiers are very expensive to run, you'd be better off just heating the greenhouse to reduce relative humidity
i am actually talking abbout the ones that are just plastics, i dunno their type of function but i believe they are just plastic parts with some kind of sponge or smt. They have a reservoar for the water to collect in and seem quite efficient to me .

fruitnut1944

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2021, 05:33:28 PM »
I don't think you can stop the condensation in an economical way. But how about figuring out a way to intercept the water droplets and funnel them off away from the plants. The water will condense on the cold outer skin but not on a layer of poly hung below that to intercept the water and run it where you want.

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2021, 12:54:55 AM »
I don't think you can stop the condensation in an economical way. But how about figuring out a way to intercept the water droplets and funnel them off away from the plants. The water will condense on the cold outer skin but not on a layer of poly hung below that to intercept the water and run it where you want.
thanks, actually your recomendation is kinda similar to other ideas i got from other people on my other gh tread, that is having an layer of plastic or bubble wrap on the inse of the gh, both for warmth and condensation prevention.
This is nice, but i will not be abe to place the layer since all the plants have grown alot and is pretty tight in there,esp two passifloras which got quite intangled up at the ceiling. If the dripping gets way worse i may get myself to do this though....

Daintree

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #9 on: September 26, 2021, 08:07:26 PM »
That bothered me at first also, but now I just let it rain in there.
It has never hurt anything, and if a drip happens in a predictable spot, i just move a "thirsty" plant under it.

Carolyn

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2021, 12:34:34 AM »
That bothered me at first also, but now I just let it rain in there.
It has never hurt anything, and if a drip happens in a predictable spot, i just move a "thirsty" plant under it.

Carolyn
yeah, i know most of my plants in there are tropicals and love high moisture levels ,but was worying abbout all kinds of diseases that also like those conditions....the big test for this will be when i first start the wood stove, then i will see if there will be alot of condensation.

Daintree

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #11 on: September 27, 2021, 11:41:24 AM »
The way to prevent diseases is with air flow.  I have several small, cheap fans mounted way up high.  In the cooler months, they point down to drive warm air closer to the plants.  In hotter months they point straight ahead toward the exhaust fan.  They are higher than I can reach, but I just use a stick to rotate them.  My birds think its fun to ride the fans when I move them around...

Carolyn

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #12 on: September 27, 2021, 03:13:40 PM »
The way to prevent diseases is with air flow.  I have several small, cheap fans mounted way up high.  In the cooler months, they point down to drive warm air closer to the plants.  In hotter months they point straight ahead toward the exhaust fan.  They are higher than I can reach, but I just use a stick to rotate them.  My birds think its fun to ride the fans when I move them around...

Carolyn
thank u !! I am planning such addings to the gh, like fans that rotate the air and self opening top windows....i will look over those the next season...

gardenhoe

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #13 on: September 30, 2021, 04:55:33 AM »
my greenhouse is smaller but I keep high humidity, I spray monthly with Hydrogen peroxide to keep mold from forming, keep a small fan running and have "drip" towels around the floor that I wash and replace on the day I spray.

Plantinyum

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Re: Water dripping from the top of greenhouse, ways of prevention
« Reply #14 on: January 14, 2022, 11:24:39 AM »
Just want to update my guestion. I did the nylon thing and it totally worked, two days after i placed it the plants dried up and did not had any drops on them ever since. Now i saw one time when the heating wasnt on ,on the nylon it also had some condensation but it didnt drip....
So for everione that wonders ,do this and you will not have a problem any more, only the nylon shouldnt be touching the outer layer of the gh, i have some places like that on the vertical sides and it does condense hard on those.
Also found out that heating with a wood stove will dry up the air guite a bit and general condensation inside will not be as severe..