Greenhouse Heaters - Gas or Electric - Which is best?
 

htmark98 wrote:
Yeah know how electrics just never seen sockets in an all glass house,
seen them on a brick/glass ones. How do you stick wood to a couple of
cms of aluminum which is very soft stuff?

Car body filler

Greenhouse Heaters - Gas or Electric - Which is best?
 

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

"Owain" wrote in message
...
htmark98 wrote:
I'm thinking of running electric to my greenhouse how do you get a
double socket to stick to glass?

Well duh.

You drill a square hole in the glass and use a dry-lining box

Owain

OH MY GOD you will now be lambasted for giving wrong and misleading and
dangerous information. Go get him owners. Where have you come from?
Gardenbanter? ;-)

Mike

Greenhouse Heaters - Gas or Electric - Which is best?
 

In article
cineman wrote:
Regarding Gas, this makes a great deal of moisture in the air,

.... and everyone knows how bad water is for plants ...

I have used both gas & paraffin in the past but prefer electric because it is easier to control.

THis is my set up;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk...20Set%20up.htm

Click on images to enlarge.

I rarely use my fan heater, it has to be exceptionally cold for me to use this.

I find my thermostatically controlled heated propagator and hot bed very economical to run.

I now have a wireless thermometer/ barometer fitted i.e. control panel is in house and the sensor is in the greenhouse now I can monitor whats happening in my greenhouse from the comfort of my house.

In the event that it gets exceptionally cold, and I have stuff in need of protection I nip up the yard and switch my fan heater on.

It has only been on about four or five times this winter.

I hope this helps!

Greenhouse Heaters - Gas or Electric - Which is best?
 

Redrose wrote:

Hello, at the moment I am heating my greenhouse by a 3 kw Electric heater. but
the electric bill is getting rather large!

I am thinking of switching to a Propane Gas heater of 2 - 3 kw, has anybody any
thoughts about this?


electric is the most expensive of all options. If you use electric
ensure its on an rcd, or for a permanent install, an rcbo for each
circuit. Electrics in greenhouses are different to electrics in the
house, and leakages due to water, damp, bugs and dirt are to be
expected. Use toughened glass bulbs (eg PAR38), enclosed fittings, or
preferably fl/cfl. GLS and halogen bulbs are liable to shatter.

Bottled gas works well and is pretty safe. With 2 cylinders and a
changeover valve you can ensure it doesnt freeze now and then and you
dont waste gas.

Paraffin is the cheapest, but isnt really safe. CO ouput is something
they do unless you keep a proper eye on them at all times, a wick that
isnt kept trimmed and shaped will produce CO. They can get knocked
over. Nearly all are spill proof but if you screwed the cap on askew it
wont be, and there are heaters that arent spill proof. Daytime
ventilation before entering the greenhouse is good practice with
paraffin. When these heaters were used in houses, deaths occurred.

The 2 other options are solar thermal and insulation. A layer of
polythene of bubble wrap will reduce heat loss day and night, and an
external sheet of silvered mylar can reflect more heat and light in
during the day. Raising daytime temp increases the night time minimum,
more so if youve got insulation.

Directing central heating boiler exhaust into the greenhouse is an
effective option rarely used, and is as safe as portable gas heating.
Might not be very effective if youve got a 95% efficient boiler though.

Controlled house ventilation with the exhaust to the greenhouse is one
last option.


NT

Greenhouse Heaters - Gas or Electric - Which is best?
 

Redrose wrote:

Hello, at the moment I am heating my greenhouse by a 3 kw Electric heater. but
the electric bill is getting rather large!

I am thinking of switching to a Propane Gas heater of 2 - 3 kw, has anybody any
thoughts about this?


electric is the most expensive of all options. If you use electric
ensure its on an rcd, or for a permanent install, an rcbo for each
circuit. Electrics in greenhouses are different to electrics in the
house, and leakages due to water, damp, bugs and dirt are to be
expected. Use toughened glass bulbs (eg PAR38), enclosed fittings, or
preferably fl/cfl. GLS and halogen bulbs are liable to shatter.

Bottled gas works well and is pretty safe. With 2 cylinders and a
changeover valve you can ensure it doesnt freeze now and then and you
dont waste gas.

Paraffin is the cheapest, but isnt really safe. CO ouput is something
they do unless you keep a proper eye on them at all times, a wick that
isnt kept trimmed and shaped will produce CO. They can get knocked
over. Nearly all are spill proof but if you screwed the cap on askew it
wont be, and there are heaters that arent spill proof. Daytime
ventilation before entering the greenhouse is good practice with
paraffin. When these heaters were used in houses, deaths occurred.

The 2 other options are solar thermal and insulation. A layer of
polythene of bubble wrap will reduce heat loss day and night, and an
external sheet of silvered mylar can reflect more heat and light in
during the day. Raising daytime temp increases the night time minimum,
more so if youve got insulation.

Directing central heating boiler exhaust into the greenhouse is an
effective option rarely used, and is as safe as portable gas heating.
Might not be very effective if youve got a 95% efficient boiler though.

Controlled house ventilation with the exhaust to the greenhouse is one
last option.


NT

I bought an electric Parasene 2kw a while ago. I used to have a gas one but couldn't be bothered with it. The electric one is much better for me personally.

Have a look at this link:
Fuel Prices

Electricity has an average price of 12.6p per kWh (assuming you're not on economy 7)

Propane starts at 9.2p, but that's for a cylinder over a metre high, which you're unlikely to be using on a greenhouse heater; smaller sizes of cylinder are between 13.3p and 26p per kWh

So your best bet is to improve insulation and use your heater as efficiently as possible - keep the plants in one partitioned-off area and heat that, get an accurate thermostat.

Yes indeed, more indoor plants are killed through over-watering than through underwatering. So your irony is mis-placed.

Seriously - in winter, plants aren't growing fast - even with greenhouse heating, it's still too cold, and there isn't enough light. Some plants ma be completely dormant - eg cacti, which can survive low temperatures, but only if they're dry. So too much moisture in the area in winter is a problem.