Greenhouse

   / Greenhouse #42  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( So Tony how is the greenhouse holding up, any changes you would do to the design now that you have had it for a while? )</font>


I was just thinking the same thing. Seems you have had it for three or four years now. Have you changed anything or is it still working as planned?

on a side note, I want to wish you all the best with your recovery.


Mike
 
   / Greenhouse
  • Thread Starter
#43  
Sorry, fellas that I missed your questions in this thread. Must be all that medication I'm on!!! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Actually I'm still pleased with all but one thing about the Greenhouse. Mostly everything turned out as I had hoped and I wouldn't change a thing which is a lucky place to be.

The one thing that didn't work out was heating it. I wanted to be able to keep it at least above freezing over the winter. I spent $500 on a propane greenhouse heater but it didn't work out. The heater couldn't keep up on the coldest nights. The propane cost is enormus so just getting a bigger heater wouldn't please me too much either. After deliberating I think I might go to a pellet stove. They need little tending (every few days) and should be much cheaper to run. The only problem is the initial cost is too high. So now I'm stting around hunting for a good deal on a used one. Maybe as we approach spring one will turn up. Hopefully this will work out. If it doesn't, I'm out of ideas!!!

Again, sorry for the late response. Thanks for the interest...let me know if I can help further....and thanks to all for the speedy recovery wishes. They seem to be helping.
 
   / Greenhouse #44  
Tony,
I have a large pellet stove we might be willing to let go. I am interested in building a green house like yours but was thinking about using a wood stove. Pellets are getting quite expensive.

Gavin
 
   / Greenhouse
  • Thread Starter
#45  
I admit I don't have a feel for what the pellets will cost to operate the greenhouse. I'm betting it's a lot cheaper than propane. The challenge with a regular wood stove is that it takes a lot of attentin to keep it going. Also, you tend to get a large swing in temperatures which the plants don't like. I guess there's no perect solution. Builing it on the side of a house might actually be the cheapest to heat!

Let me know if you want to sell the stove. You're sure close enough for me to pick it up.
 
   / Greenhouse #46  
Tony,
It runs about $200 per ton and each year it goes up $10-20 per ton. I use 2.5 tons buring on lowest setting each year average winter. This year I switched to all electric since my coop has lowest rates in country 4.5 per KW much cheaper than propane or pellets. Go figure?
If you don't mind please send me a PM with contact info at very least I can pick your brain on how to build one. I really want to get rid of the stove but wife likes it. She doesn't have to hassle with hauling tons of pelets down 3 flights of stairs each year.

Gavin
 
   / Greenhouse #47  
"The heater couldn't keep up on the coldest nights."

I remember reading some greenhouse articles.. where they covered the plants inside the greenhouse w/ an addtional plastic barrier.. 4 ft high.. and then small hoop row cover inside of that. Inside each plastic barrier.. the temp. was ? so many degrees warmer.

Okay.. I found them.. this is from the 1000 stories section.
------------------------------------

http://www.newfarm.org/features/0404/moore/greenhouse.shtml

The Gandhi of greenhouses
PART I: Eager students flock to rural Pennsylvania from near and far to learn from the master of low-input season extension

Today, Moore’s two new greenhouses do not use a single drop of fossil fuel. They can’t. They don’t have furnaces. But Moore didn’t stop there.

-------------------------------

http://www.newfarm.org/features/0404/moore/greenhouseII.shtml

The Gandhi of greenhouses
PART II: Direct questions to the master of low-tech season extension yield direct, practical answers that anyone can use to build their own passive-solar greenhouse.
 
   / Greenhouse
  • Thread Starter
#48  
Very, very interesting articles. As my greenhouse is much smaller than his I can try hisprinciples without too much trouble. Thanks for passing it along!
 
   / Greenhouse #49  
You're welcome.. I've been looking at building a greenhouse myself.. but I am at my limit w/ available time. Hopefully w/ a few mods.. you can keep sections of your greenhouse from freezing.
 
   / Greenhouse #50  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I spent $500 on a propane greenhouse heater but it didn't work out. The heater couldn't keep up on the coldest nights. )</font>

Tony, was this one of the tube type radiant heaters that runs on propane? Do you know the type I am speaking of? They usually hang between the gable ends.
 

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