We had freezing for 6 hours one day, maybe 8 hours today, not quite as much expected tomorrow, but several hours of freezing weather for a few more days before a warm up is expected. I have an electric, oil heater. It has been on "6" for the last couple of days. The inside temp, I think, says 48 degrees, which means I'll be running the heater 24/7 for some time. Here is what I'd like to know - should I buy another heater, or will this one be enough??? Should I maybe use a fan on low speed to move the heat around?? And, am I going to have to take out a loan to pay the electric bill??? TIA!!!
Greenhouse heaters and temps?
Won't it get colder this winter? If one heater is only keeping it at 48 degrees and it gets colder, you might want to have another one on hand in case. I used two last spring for quite a while and it raised my electric bill a few bucks. LOL! Still cheaper than buying everything new.
I LOVE my basement! Reading things like this make me love it even more. The temp outside was 20 when we went to bed last night at 1:00, I'm sure that it dropped a little bit more after that. The low in my basement was 50.9 with NO heat at all.
Thanks, Shirley!!! Our weather has been whacko crazy here for several years. Balmy winters or ice storms, ya know?? Who knows what it will be this year. I agree, I think I need two heaters and I'm going to buy another one tomorrow, ya think that will get the temp up to 96 degrees (48 + 48). I'm pretty sure that running two won't be more than running the cement pond all summer, but I surely loved those low winter bills, whew!! Of course my two new kittens, Parker and Paris, have heating pads in their beds and Fish the Dish, who lives in our fountain has his own light to keep him warm, so why the heck should I fret about yet another heater for the brugs, ya know, LOL!!! If it ain't one thing, it's another...I think I'll go eat some peanut brittle, want some???
Sounds good, but I just finished eating what seems like a few pounds of chocolate. Right at this moment, I would give anything for a salty corn chip.
Heck yes, plug in another heater. If you already have that much stuff plugged in, one more isn't going to be that noticeable. LOL! Happy Holidays!
Shoot, brugie, are we on the same page, or what??!! I was thinking of a potato chip or a sliver of key lime cheesecake, ooooops, no, no, I didn't meant to say that, slap my face, mercy me!! Yep, I'll plugger up - the extra heater, that is. Shoot, what the heck is it about, winter, and all this food??!!
For me it is lack of enough to keep me busy. I may have to go to the local greenhouse and play with their plants to keep me out of the candy dish.
LOL you to. Sherry Wal Mart has some small electric fan forced heaters for 14 dollars. I just got one and it is great. May go get another one since my other heater is old and 1300 or 1500 BTU. Think running 2 of them(one in front and middle) at 750 would take care of any cold I get and be cheaper on the light bill. Can run on 750 or 1500 BTU so if you need just a little extra heat set it on 750 if gets really cold bump it up to 1500. No running 2 of them won't make it go up to 96 lol. They have thermostats in them
Ronna.....I envy you having a basement. Brugie has one also. I would love to have the size of my house in underground space. I don't think anyone in my area has them and yet is so common in areas that get colder.
We don't have them here either Frannie. I remember in NJ we had a huge one which my parents set up as a kids play room, washer and dryer room and huge can cabinet.
So what is it with all these electric heaters and fans you guys use. Is no one worried about getting electrocuted but my husband?
Kell mine are hanging in the air and have the trip off switch if knocked over. I also have each one plugged into a breaker attachment on the extension and using heavy duty 12 guage extension cords. If I get eletrocuted it was meant to be because I have take all the precautions that can be taken
Shirley, I don't think anyone answered the fan question. I think you should run a fan. Jeanette
It's really rare to find a basement here, too. I've lived here my whole life, and this is the second basement I've seen here. Our house is built into the side of a hill, it's one story on three sides with the basement making it two story on the west side of the house. During the summer my plants were on the north side of the house. When it was time to bring them inside, I took them to the small retaining wall next to the house, then Tony took them from the bottom and shoved them through the door into the basement. No wrestling them up and down stairs, thank goodness, just a DH who isn't quite as careful as I would be! Sound familiar, anybody?
It was 19 degrees here when I awoke yesterday morning. Much colder than what had been predicted. When I looked at the remote receiver for the greenhhouse thermometer, I cringed. It read 42 degrees. After several inspections yesterday at various times, I can report that everything is fine. But I can promise you all, there were some tense moments! Sherry, if you can keep your temp between 65-75 during the day, that's where your plants will be happiest. Below 65 and above 85, photosynthesis ceases to take place. If its a little cooler in the evening, they don't seem to be affected, as they are only growing during daylight hours. As for the fan, probably would be okay and help keep the air moving. I only use mine in the hot weather... I hope this is helpful.
I have a nice big empty basement also BUT there are also lots of steps, if I get many more plants I may need to have a door built into it so I can walk out on ground level
thought for everyone with a hoop house. Even at 25 degrees mine is staying at 72 degrees all night. All I can figure is that the second layer of plastic is holding the temps up. Last night I only turned on one of the heaters and it actually got up to 74 degrees so at 4 a.m. I went and turned the thermostat lower until is shut off. 50 dergees at night is fine to keep everything growing because it warms up in the sunshine during the day. I am going to turn it down a little more for to night and see what it does. If the extra plastic is the key it will be much cheaper for everyone to add a second layer of plactic than paying the high heating bills every month all winter. My 6 mil white 4 yr plastic for my 12 x 16 hoop house with shipping was about 75 dollars. last winter my light bill ran 60 dollars a month more than normal using one electric heater and aslo spent additional 20 dollars a week for propane in Jan and Feb our coldest months. This may save us a bunch of money.
Great point! I only spent $30 extra during our coldest month. Not near what it would cost to replace all the plants if I had to...
DonnaB - Boy are your results are really going to mislead people, it AINT so here. lol lol
My best guess would be your ground temperature is much highter and that makes all the difference in the world. I bet your ground has lots of sand, etc or the next layer down does. Heavy substructures of Rock, sand, shell really hold the heat much better than clay.
I use a electrical fan heater. It is a heater specially made for Greenhouses. He stands on the floor of the Greenhouse. The coldest spot is always the floor while the heat is up under the Gh roof. Cold air is heavier than warm air. When standing on the floor, the air circulates much better and the plant roots do also profit from warmer air. It also prevents fungus like Borytritis.
We have had -20°C and he kept the winterhouse frost free. This is all it needs during a strong frost period. However, I have 16mm double acryl glass. It wouldnt work in a not isolated Hoophouse.
Ronna, I'm a lucky one like you. My house sits into a hill also with back opening to the north, but I have 3 windows, 1 door and (to my huge relief a doorwall!) I have all my plants along the southern wall and I think the brick must radiate the heat a bit, it was 23 last nite and 55 in the basement. I just need to get down there and hang some more grow lites next month...
WE are learning from our inexperience with greenhouses, that the second layer of plastic is a must for us. our gh is l6x32 and the wood stove doesn't keep it above 30 degrees when it s in the teens outside. the last few nights we've also had a kerosine and an electric oil heater going on the far end plus the wood stove at the other end. and two fans circulating the air. We are now in te process of moving things from side to side to put a layer of plastic on the inside of the greenhouse. It's hard work and taking a long time. but I think it will be worth it in the end. I'm in arkansas too, the central part. and it's suppose to get to l3 degrees this sunday night, and we've had several nights in the teens already.
kathy_ann
Judy I guess I am a little sandy. I live less than a half mile from the gulf but most of my yard is wet and muddy especially in winter. My property is only 5' above sea level. Last year it cost me 60 a month extra on my light bill and 80 a month in propane for the same hoophouse and only kept the temp 45 to 50 degrees. We have gotten down to 25 degrees several nights and in the 30's for several nightsand the hoop house is staying 72 degrees with the same old heater and I turn it down again. I have not turned the second heater back on. Tonights not going to be that cold but expecting 23 for sunday night, 27 for monday night, and 30 for rest of the week. I will let you all know what the temps do with the one electric heater or if I have to turn the second one on..
Get one of these thermostats
http://store.yahoo.com/qcsupply/porheattstat.html
Plug your portable heaters into it, then set it and forget it.
Thats nice. So it cuts the BTU usage to keep the power bill down??
My sunroom seems to be maintaining an average heat of 50 degrees, without heat. Early early morning it may be closer to 45. Is this ok??????
This message was edited Dec 16, 2004 10:05 PM
Karrie -- during the day your Sun-room needs to be between 65-85 for photosynthesis to occur. Your plants are only surviving at that temp, not growing.
Donna -- from what I read about the thermostat, it will cut the power to the unit when the correct temp is reached and then turn it back on when the temp drops. I think???
It has to be a very sensitive thermosthat Gretchen. They are expensive. The cheap ones may range +/- 7°C, which is too much. Best is +/- 0,5.°C
Donna , What size is your hoop house that your heating with one stove?
kathy
That is exactly what the thermostat does, just plug the heater into it and turn the thermostat on the heater all the way up to high, you can keep it set on 750 though, and the thermostat will turn the heater on and off based on the temperature, so you don't have to worry about turning them down during the day, etc.
12 x 16 but last year it took one electric fan forced heater hanging from the ceiling and then had to add the propane cooker when temps got down in the 30's and below at a cost of 60 to 70 a month on electric bill and 20 a week in propane but now with the second layer of 6 mil plastic the temps are staying up in the 70's with the one heater which I have turned down twice and is still 70. My point is that it would save a ton of money on heating bills if a second layer of plastic was added on top of the old plastic. I am using the 4 yr warrenty 6 mil white plastic. Now 12 mil with 2 layers. So as I see it spending 75 dollars on plastic that will last 4 years(unless hurricane gets it) is well worth the money to save about 300 dollars a season on my heating bills. Granted I will save more than you northerners because our temps go up and down all winter so when we have warmer days it brings the temps up more inside and the second layer of plastic is holding it in
yep, you got a point there donna, temps in our greenhouse tonight were 65 after we got the second layer of plastic up, it makes a tremendous diff. we do have 6 in between the two layers of plastic too. makes a big diff.
kathy
THANKING YOU Gretchen for letting me know that! On cloudy days it is around 50. On Sunny days it gets around 90 in there. That is how the sunlight effects that room!
This is a good thread. Lots to learn here.