For the body heat method, if you build your greenhouse to allow a rabbit or chicken tractor to fit through the door, it can provide body heat for the plants and animals as well as compost. Don't disregard the heat emitted from greenhouse lighting. Depending on the plants and climate zone light based heating may also significantly increase yields. This is a whole topic on its own though since different wavelengths have different effects - not just red, green and blue but also UV and infrared. Speaking infrared, infrared heaters are a thing too and tend to heat the plants and animals directly instead of the air around them - which can be more efficient if your just starting for the season and most of the air space is empty instead of filled with large plants and vines.
@@technosaurus3805 the Netherlands used to do that with their homes. 100 years ago it was still common. Advantage was you could also hear if there was trouble in the barn. Smell of course was the downfall.
You could always mine some bitcoin with banks of raspberry pis in your greenhouse to heat it with waste heat... The humidity probably isn't great for the electronics though.
A sauna on the other side of the north wall with vents into the greenhouse would work too. Then you would have a place to relax at the end of the day that will help your health as well. Sooth aching muscles from the work that has been done in the garden and greenhouse.
Great info here! If you're going the electrical route, a more efficient option is to heat a body of water rather than the air. So for example in a small space using a fish tank heater in a tub or barrel of water.
@@williamgibb5557 Ive always wondered if for people that live in the snow and have generators or camping in a truck, what if you send the warm water through from the radiator through the water bed and then you have a store of hot water for ages to sleep on and keep the house warm
I've used a non-vented nat gas heater to heat a 400 sq ft ghouse now for 20 years. I make sure the intake comes into the back of the heater from outside, then the O2 sensor won't turn it off. I also use a water rated industrial 5 ft wide ceiling plan to de-stratify the heat down to the ground and all around. It works fantastic and is cheap. I also use the double poly too.
I have used a Chinese diesel heater with great success, and very inexpensively. I use the exhaust pipe heat to charge some recycled 25 gallon black steel drums. It uses about $1.50 a day in fuel to heat a 6'x12'x8' through a cold Michigan winter. With supplemental LED lights for cloudy/snowy days and dual wall inflated poly for a slight insulation effect.
Congratulations for creating this excellent reference video well illustrated and explained, which is useful for everyone interested in finding a way to heat their greenhouse!
Another method: I restored Grandpa's old European style greenhouse which is heated with wood, and the masonry chimney runs horizontally the entire length until the very end. For optimal use of the heat it works great and the brick acts as thermal mass storage (plus one side was filled with sand). It works pretty well if you've got the time to heat it up once a day.🌄. Plus it's inexpensive to build if you have a source for used brick.🌞 Think Russian Stove design. Plus it works as a passive solar thermal mass as it runs the length of the greenhouse beneath the slanted windows.🌻
That is a wonderful idea with the composting I am so glad I found your channel you are helping me a tremendous amount thank you very much for your videos
For the past 6 years or so I've used a Mr. Heater Big Buddy heater hung on the wall. I have to replace it from time to time with a new one but as they are often on sale for $89 US it works well. I've had to replace mine only once but have had to replace parts within the heater more often. Propane burning produces water vapor which keeps the 10'x10' greenhouse well humidified. There are two caveats however, at the beginning of each season you MUST clean all parts of spiders and webs as this will impede the flow of gas and cause a possible blow-back. The other is Mr. Heater advises not to use their heaters in a greenhouse precisely for the spider/web reason. Being vigilant to the above has proven to be good for my use.
Water barrels buried below frost line but tops are at surface of soil in center of small greenhouse, 3 barrels, 165 gals of water, 5 ft from edge from walls. Heat transfer to surrounding stone in contact with barrels. 50 degree temp will transfer for bottom of barrel to top of barrel, dispersing upward and outward but blocked with a thermal break at wall edges. Works for small greenhouse only.
Surely the first thing you need to address when deciding how to 'heat' your greenhouse is whether you just want to keep the frost out during early spring when starting tender plants, or to heat it up to 'growing temperature' all the year round - that would make it a 'hothouse' and require a far more powerful heating system.
The wood is a good choice if you are trying to keep cost down and especially if you have access to free wood. Also the ash from the wood should be added to the soil in the green house this way you get nutrient dense food.
An interesting channel... I have a small greenhouse 6x4 in the south of the UK... So, I usually add insulation (bubble wrap inside) and as a heating source using some tealights or paraffine heater with my DIY terracota pot heater on the top...
Rocket and masonry mass heaters are specifically designed to use far less wood, to burn it hot, fast and clean and to burn in only twice per day - so they don’t have to be constantly fed. Due to its high thermal heat capacity, hot water is a good way to store heat. One of the best ways to store hot water is in barrels. What we do at our farm is to place the black painted water-filled barrels along the North interior wall of our sunken in slope greenhouse to passively collect solar heat when it is available. But we also connect these barrels to our rocket mass heater that is also in the greenhouse. On exceptionally cold nights, we burn wood in the mass heater to actively heat the water in the barrels. That way, the barrels are warm enough to radiate heat into the greenhouse all night long, even on the coldest Winter nights.
@Denver Basshead I coil copper tubing around the 55 gal stainless steel drum of the rocket mass heater. The copper tubing normally conveys hot water to a water heater and cool water from the water heater. But I have a valve that I can open that will bypass the water heater (allowing me to repair it). The heated water (and cool make up water) are then routed to (and from) the manifolded drums at the back of the greenhouse which act as an uninsulated radiator. I do this when we get a cold snap in Jan or Feb when we need extra heat in the greenhouse. Everything flows by thermal siphon. No pumps are required. Hope that helps.
@Denver Basshead where we live the water in the drums will not freeze because sun shines on the drums and heats the water and we have small electric heaters in the greenhouse and in the drums that prevent this but if freezing is a problem this might not work for you. You could fill the manifolded drums, heat the water and then drain it into a tank below the frost line and then use that stored water for irrigation later but that takes time and is a lot of work. The warning for a cold snap gives you a couple of days lead time to get things up and running. That may or may not be enough lead time. Our cold snap weather usually only lasts a few days, so this water drum arrangement works fine for us. We don’t have to fill or drain our drums.
Good ideas! If I add a greenhouse on the south side of my house, I will have to plan it out well before renting an excavator. I may put in pipes below the frost line to get some thermal assistance for winter and summer. I already have a wood stove near it so I think I would run some hot water into the greenhouse (maybe hook it to a passive water system so I get both the benefits of the woodstove and sunlight.
There is also a solar heater made out of cans and a blower/fan for day time, then at night use compost/dirt stacked against your greenhouse on 3 sides at 3-4 foot works well with the geothermal, and solar can heater. Also tie in a thermostat to the solar can fan heater and geothermal works well regulating temperature day and night.
Such was the craze for pineapples in England three hundred years ago that wealthy aristocrats built huge "pineapple stoves" in which to grow them and so display their wealth and status. They were essentially heated greenhouses usually heated by coal stoves or hot water pipes again heated by coal. Pineapples became so associated with status that they even made in into architecture, with the stone carved pineapple becoming the finial on many gateposts, turrets, walls etc. For those who couldn't afford the heated greenhouses and manpower to produce their own, a pineapple could be rented for the evening to display as part of a centrepiece on your dining table to impress guests. History does not record what might happen if one of your guests decided to eat the pineapple, one supposes the hirer lost his deposit! Melons were and are still grown in melon houses, similar to a pineapple stove, but making use of deep beds of manure usually contained within brick bays within the greenhouse to provide both constant low heat and as a a growing medium. Many examples from the Victorian era still survive at the stately homes of England.
Your idea compilation got me to scheming! Here's a riff: a stand alone woodstove - send the pipe directly through a swimming pool whose continuous warmth keeps the hoophouse at temperature - and keeps the farmer sane and healthy in winter.
I just got a greenhouse this summer and had a black cement floor installed with in floor heating with a special antifreeze to heat. I keep it set at 50F. I am also getting an electric heat for the really cold months. I live in the N US. It is protected on three sides by woods and the long side is on the south. Time will tell how it does.
I just bought a complete greenhouse set up from Farmtec. When I’m done I’ll be about 6k dollars into it. I think it would be cheaper to go to the farmers market. But you never know if food is going to be available.
I am designing a 24 x 45 foot green house using radiant heat. Not in the floors , but in four foot pony walls around the perimeter. Using modified cinder blocks I will run PEX tubing through the walls to heat the green house. I also will use geothermal air pipes to cool it in the winter time. The ambient temps range from 110 to -30.
“Solar energy is free” - 🤣 Tell that to my bank!! Great video though, thanks! I’m now considering other options based on your info. Good basic overview 👍
@@Web3Dverse the air in winter is already dry due to the lowered ability of cold air to retain moisture (relative humidity) which is why it tends to snow more in the winter. So by warming cold air sealed inside your house, yes you're going to lower the relative humidity of that air even more. What you need to take into account is that unlike a greenhouse, your home is (most likely) not filled to 90%-95% capacity with plants and planters and various watering systems for said plants, which ALL are going to release moisture into the air inside the greenhouse. Essentially a heated greenhouse will mimic "Vietnam" or "August in Mississippi" for humidity.... The orginal point being made was that wood, regardless of how long it's seasoned, is still going to contain a certain moisture content being as how wood is made of wood and wood is fibrous and organic. So when three wood is burned that moisture is released. Resistor coils like you'd find in an electric heater on the other hand are made of metal, which tends to absorb MUCH less water than wood regardless of ambient humidity.
If your green house is close To your home . Dyer out let Can be hooked up to the green house . You can use old tv 📺 screen to use ☀️ shine to use the snow ❄️ to create steam . It’s free and very powerful . You can cook dinner too .
I HAVE A 8X12 GREENHOUSE IN SOUTH EAST, MO..4 55 GALLON PAINTED BLACK DRUM BARRELS.. HOW MANY DO I NEED, TO MAKE THE BARRELS WORK AND CUT DOWN WHATEVER MY ELECTRICS GONNA BE , . My green house is to be delivered the 16th this month, its some kinda wood siding with poly, all painted black even metal trim, except the door window and window at the top in back of greenhouse, has white trimming.
In my green house plans I use the heat from my septic system, compost pile system, and use solar to make whole system work and a little back up. Propane might also be an option. -30C
@@SimpleTek IF it stinks then you are doing it wrong. The smell of decomposing wood chips should smell pretty good if you don't allow it to become anti aerobic. You are doing it wrong if you allow it to become anti areobic, that will stink and also kill plants. Same thing applies to a septic system in that you are doing it wrong if it stinks above the septic. The septic is stink free above the septic if it is in good operational condition. It only stinks when you take the lid off to pump out the old waste, other than that you never need to take the lid off. You have to deal with it every 10 - 15 years to pump it, otherwise you will forget it is even there, except all the hot water draining into it from your showers, etc... and the decomposing matter in it generating heating, heat rises. The ground above my septic always melts the snow, if i get 4 inches, then there will be 4 inches everywhere, except above my septic, it will still be green grass. And in dead of winter it will cover because we get a lot of snow, but not for long will it stay covered if we don't keep getting bucket loads of snow, it melts away even in the minus temps.
Hi. Nice video.You could add one more to get to 10. Geothermal heat pumps combine geothermal heating with electricity run compressors so you can use it almost anywhere in the world
There is another way to help heat, using huge body/s of water to collect and store the suns energy during the day to help stabilize the temps at night. It also helps warm during a cold day, or any day in winter late fall or early spring, but with the rays shining in the water it is sucking up the energy to release inside the house. Different methods of achieving it, but one method is to allow the sun to shine thru green house and hit the huge body of water in the middle of the house, and have your greens and stuff all around the remaining space, then in summer design it so the plants will grow and cover the body of water shading it from the sun, and this will help cool the house because the body of water is maintaining a cool ground temp. Note: the water pond in the middle of the house needs to be in ground, even past your local freeze line, this way it takes advantage of the stable year round temp of the ground under the frost line in your area. The water will conduct to the same temp as the ground and never freeze, and never get too hot in summer, especially if you allow your plants to grow over the pond in the summer. And in winter, as long as you allow the sun to bake on it and keep your greenhouse over it, it will never freeze up like the outside ponds. Plus you use the water to feed plants, it will be RAIN water, and this keeps the water moving. And also you can have grates to walk over the pond like it is not even there during the summer, but it will be keeping stable temps in your house then too, and you can keep grates on during the winter too, or remove some to get the most amount of sun on the water as possible, just put up hand rails where the open spots are.
earth batteries tubes and exhaust fan ratio?4 6 inch tubes? can you use one long perforated tube? whats the length to change to the volume of air in a room enough times to make it efficient?
Small wind turbines hooked up to inexpendive resistor element air or water using no charge controler or any electronics can be real cheap in windy locality
If you have a small greenhouse the little chinese diesel heaters used in rvs and motorhome are a good choose as you can vent the exhaust outside and it has a thermostat and if you play with the settings and run it on red diesel (tax free) cost very little to run
Long burn candles from the dollar store with added aluminum foil heat diffusers basically shaped like an elevated flat plate over the top of each candle to stop the heat going straight up and more horizontally.
The best way, in a full societal collapse situation, to build an off-grid, permanent, heated greenhouse: (in a situation where you have to build an entire camp/ homestead, with no power grid, no access to fossil fuels): Cabin tunnel tunnel Greenhouse [[H=]] =====(kiln)========[[=GH]] Build a clay tunnel that goes under the floor of both you house and greenhouse. About 2 feet in diameter. In between the buildings, build a Clay Kiln that's connected to both tunnels. The system should pull in air where the wood burns in the kiln. The smoke and hot air will be drawn through the tunnels, venting on the far side of the cabin while also venting on the far side of the greenhouse. For the cabin, you'll want to cover the tunnel with earth and rock, and build the cabin floor elevated above that. The floor will be a foot or so above ground, but the outer walls should go all the way to the ground, creating a crawl space under the cabin that's closed off to the outside. This way, the heat is trapped from blowing away, and the heat can rise into the cabin. In the greenhouse, the top of the clay tunnel can be covered with earth or stone. You can get creative and build little clay water reservoirs into the clay heating system, where water can be steamed off to keep a humid environment. This allows you to grow tropical fruits when it's snowing outside. Obviously, the closer the buildings are together, the more heat will reach them. You'll want to fire the tunnel, section by section, as you build it, to bake the clay. If you can get concrete, you could use that too, I only say to use clay, because it doesn't require modern civilization. If you really plan ahead, and acquire some bamboo seeds, of a species that grows in the snow, a year or two into your grid- down homesteading you'll be able to install plumbing. Just choose a build-site that's downhill from a nearby water source. You can have piped-in, running water, and build a sink and a shower inside. You can build a water heater out of clay, that's fed in, and fed out, by bamboo piping. Bamboo will also let you set up irrigation, or even hydroponics in your greenhouse. In the summer, dig a large, deep basin next to the uphill water source. Build a clay tunnel underneath it, leading to a wood burning kiln. Then, line the basin with clay (or concrete), and then connect the basin via trench to the water source. Now, in the dead of winter, when your water source freezes over, you'll have a giant heated basin to feed water to your pipes. If it's too cold, you might have to build an enclosure over your basin to achieve melting.
I have a problem with my greenhouse when I leave it in the sun it gets so hot in there and the plants get so stressed I open it it's instantly cold and also If I leave it closed when it's not hot there going to be water and the mold forms on plants it's basically rain in a greenhouse
you need not just vents but automated fans on a thermostat so you can push a lot more air through your greenhouse when it gets above a certain temperature but shuts off when it falls below a certain tempature. Good Fans on a thermostat can easily keep the greenhouse with a certain temperature range
Heat Pipe. Drill deeper hole in the ground, plug the passive Heat Pipe into it, the cold end stick into the green house, heat will transfer from under ground into earth surface. Heat Pipe has been widely used in cooling system, thermal management system. but here ,you can think it as cooling the earth heat into air in the green house.
Will a kerosene powered heater put out carbon Monoxide? I saw a video where the guy said that his wall heater powered by Kerosene put out carbon Dioxide and moisture/water. It wasn't hooked up to release anything outside of the greenhouse. I think it said "Mr. Heater' on the machine, he'd gotten his at a Big Box store, possibly Lowes. I use electric heaters in mine but backup for power outages is needed too. Mine is only 12 X 8, so, heating it isn't like heating a GIANT one.
How much energy is saved using thermal banking? I've read "The Solar Greenhouse Book" which advocates it, but I've also heard it's not even worth the space used.
Great question - it All depends on how you do it. Are you using black barrels on the north wall or a huge dirt battery in the ground? Black barrels can help you get through one or two nights, but cloud cover for a week will screw you. a huge dirt battery can store enough solar energy to last months - like the solar community 'drake landing' in Alberta uses.
@@SimpleTek Drake Landing is not scalable down to a single use. The millions they invested for a 50 house setup gave them 39% of their usable energy over a winter. I have yet to see calculations that will prove more than a 10% return in a small configuration. It's totally worthwhile for daily swings if designed right, but heat creeps to fast too give seasonal benefits.
if the earth the deeper down you go then wouldnt just making a few deep holes in the ground also work in a way? Since cold air goes down and it goes in a hole and a empty tank underground would take up the cold and heat it up and the heat will rise naturally without geothermal pumps. maybe? Also earth ships claim to not need heat but store hear with dirty in tires and i assume they think that the tires is what make it? hard to believe that the tire is the key.
I use large tanks of rain water under the benches heated by a a solar vacuum tube heater drain back heat with a solar powered pump. I live in Canada with -30 c temp at night. I do have propane for emergency in the event of too many days with no sun.
Simple Tek The heating is accomplished with 12 vacuum tubes each 6 ft tall and with an optimum possible 1000 watt collection each I could send photo to your email?
very helpful vid, but please adjust your sound level regarding the music. i had to keep my finger hovering over the mute button when you transitioned from speaking to the incredibly loud music as you moved to the next way to heat a greenhouse.
very true but you need a LOT of solar panels to produce electric heat - but the real expensive part is the BATTERIES - as you need the heat mostly when the sun isn't shining. - I've wondered if using a windmill might help as the wind blows at night too
I wanted to go the wood pellet stove route with my 10X20 greenhouse, but was told the humidity in the greenhouse could make the pellets swell and clog up the stove. Anyone have any success heating their greenhouse with a wood pellet stove?
@@SimpleTek i dont have the link, but im sure youll find it if you search for something like solar reflective film on alibaba (I dont know about the shipping cost tho)
Use a solar panel to run a water heater during the day in the greenhouse. Heat a 55gal drum of water or 2. Dig your greenhouse 2½ - 3 feet deep into the ground then add Styrofoam layer between the dirt outside the greenhouse and the greenhouse poly. This will help insulate the greenhouse against colder night-time temperatures along with the warm drums of water heated by solar power.
Thank you for the comment! Jean Pain from France did a lot of pioneering research on that decades ago. If you google him you'll see lots of info on it.
Please let me know if you are aware of any other method to heat a greenhouse!!!!
;)
For the body heat method, if you build your greenhouse to allow a rabbit or chicken tractor to fit through the door, it can provide body heat for the plants and animals as well as compost.
Don't disregard the heat emitted from greenhouse lighting. Depending on the plants and climate zone light based heating may also significantly increase yields. This is a whole topic on its own though since different wavelengths have different effects - not just red, green and blue but also UV and infrared.
Speaking infrared, infrared heaters are a thing too and tend to heat the plants and animals directly instead of the air around them - which can be more efficient if your just starting for the season and most of the air space is empty instead of filled with large plants and vines.
@@technosaurus3805 interesting idea!
@@technosaurus3805 the Netherlands used to do that with their homes. 100 years ago it was still common. Advantage was you could also hear if there was trouble in the barn. Smell of course was the downfall.
You could always mine some bitcoin with banks of raspberry pis in your greenhouse to heat it with waste heat... The humidity probably isn't great for the electronics though.
A sauna on the other side of the north wall with vents into the greenhouse would work too. Then you would have a place to relax at the end of the day that will help your health as well. Sooth aching muscles from the work that has been done in the garden and greenhouse.
I like how you think!
Great info here! If you're going the electrical route, a more efficient option is to heat a body of water rather than the air. So for example in a small space using a fish tank heater in a tub or barrel of water.
Excellent idea!
I had a water bed and it kept half of my house livable 1 winter. Very little cost and electric used. Water is the correct medium.
@@williamgibb5557 Ive always wondered if for people that live in the snow and have generators or camping in a truck, what if you send the warm water through from the radiator through the water bed and then you have a store of hot water for ages to sleep on and keep the house warm
I've used a non-vented nat gas heater to heat a 400 sq ft ghouse now for 20 years. I make sure the intake comes into the back of the heater from outside, then the O2 sensor won't turn it off. I also use a water rated industrial 5 ft wide ceiling plan to de-stratify the heat down to the ground and all around. It works fantastic and is cheap. I also use the double poly too.
Thank you for the info!!!!!!!
thanks for the video. came up as a recommended since I have been watching videos of greenhouses and tunnels.
So nice of you to say that - thank you!
I have used a Chinese diesel heater with great success, and very inexpensively. I use the exhaust pipe heat to charge some recycled 25 gallon black steel drums. It uses about $1.50 a day in fuel to heat a 6'x12'x8' through a cold Michigan winter. With supplemental LED lights for cloudy/snowy days and dual wall inflated poly for a slight insulation effect.
interesting
Congratulations for creating this excellent reference video well illustrated and explained, which is useful for everyone interested in finding a way to heat their greenhouse!
So nice of you! Thank you!
Another method: I restored Grandpa's old European style greenhouse which is heated with wood, and the masonry chimney runs horizontally the entire length until the very end. For optimal use of the heat it works great and the brick acts as thermal mass storage (plus one side was filled with sand). It works pretty well if you've got the time to heat it up once a day.🌄. Plus it's inexpensive to build if you have a source for used brick.🌞 Think Russian Stove design. Plus it works as a passive solar thermal mass as it runs the length of the greenhouse beneath the slanted windows.🌻
sounds like a fantastic design!
That is a wonderful idea with the composting I am so glad I found your channel you are helping me a tremendous amount thank you very much for your videos
So nice of you to say!
For the past 6 years or so I've used a Mr. Heater Big Buddy heater hung on the wall. I have to replace it from time to time with a new one but as they are often on sale for $89 US it works well. I've had to replace mine only once but have had to replace parts within the heater more often. Propane burning produces water vapor which keeps the 10'x10' greenhouse well humidified. There are two caveats however, at the beginning of each season you MUST clean all parts of spiders and webs as this will impede the flow of gas and cause a possible blow-back. The other is Mr. Heater advises not to use their heaters in a greenhouse precisely for the spider/web reason. Being vigilant to the above has proven to be good for my use.
propane works! thank you for the comment!
Water barrels buried below frost line but tops are at surface of soil in center of small greenhouse, 3 barrels, 165 gals of water, 5 ft from edge from walls. Heat transfer to surrounding stone in contact with barrels. 50 degree temp will transfer for bottom of barrel to top of barrel, dispersing upward and outward but blocked with a thermal break at wall edges. Works for small greenhouse only.
thanks for the reply - the further north you go the less effective that will be, but for mild winters it's functional!
I lurv Chunky and I concur with his assessment. Thank you for these wonderful videos. Gonna give a hoophouse hybrid greenhouse a try.
Thank you so much for the kind words
Surely the first thing you need to address when deciding how to 'heat' your greenhouse is whether you just want to keep the frost out during early spring when starting tender plants, or to heat it up to 'growing temperature' all the year round - that would make it a 'hothouse' and require a far more powerful heating system.
thank you for the comment!
The wood is a good choice if you are trying to keep cost down and especially if you have access to free wood. Also the ash from the wood should be added to the soil in the green house this way you get nutrient dense food.
Thanks for the tips!
An interesting channel... I have a small greenhouse 6x4 in the south of the UK... So, I usually add insulation (bubble wrap inside) and as a heating source using some tealights or paraffine heater with my DIY terracota pot heater on the top...
Thank you for the info!
Rocket and masonry mass heaters are specifically designed to use far less wood, to burn it hot, fast and clean and to burn in only twice per day - so they don’t have to be constantly fed. Due to its high thermal heat capacity, hot water is a good way to store heat. One of the best ways to store hot water is in barrels. What we do at our farm is to place the black painted water-filled barrels along the North interior wall of our sunken in slope greenhouse to passively collect solar heat when it is available. But we also connect these barrels to our rocket mass heater that is also in the greenhouse. On exceptionally cold nights, we burn wood in the mass heater to actively heat the water in the barrels. That way, the barrels are warm enough to radiate heat into the greenhouse all night long, even on the coldest Winter nights.
nice
How do you hook up water to the stove and barrels and circulate it
@Denver Basshead I coil copper tubing around the 55 gal stainless steel drum of the rocket mass heater. The copper tubing normally conveys hot water to a water heater and cool water from the water heater. But I have a valve that I can open that will bypass the water heater (allowing me to repair it). The heated water (and cool make up water) are then routed to (and from) the manifolded drums at the back of the greenhouse which act as an uninsulated radiator. I do this when we get a cold snap in Jan or Feb when we need extra heat in the greenhouse. Everything flows by thermal siphon. No pumps are required. Hope that helps.
@Denver Basshead where we live the water in the drums will not freeze because sun shines on the drums and heats the water and we have small electric heaters in the greenhouse and in the drums that prevent this but if freezing is a problem this might not work for you. You could fill the manifolded drums, heat the water and then drain it into a tank below the frost line and then use that stored water for irrigation later but that takes time and is a lot of work. The warning for a cold snap gives you a couple of days lead time to get things up and running. That may or may not be enough lead time. Our cold snap weather usually only lasts a few days, so this water drum arrangement works fine for us. We don’t have to fill or drain our drums.
Good ideas! If I add a greenhouse on the south side of my house, I will have to plan it out well before renting an excavator. I may put in pipes below the frost line to get some thermal assistance for winter and summer. I already have a wood stove near it so I think I would run some hot water into the greenhouse (maybe hook it to a passive water system so I get both the benefits of the woodstove and sunlight.
That's a great idea!
Shade cloth is critical for preventing heat overage
There is also a solar heater made out of cans and a blower/fan for day time, then at night use compost/dirt stacked against your greenhouse on 3 sides at 3-4 foot works well with the geothermal, and solar can heater. Also tie in a thermostat to the solar can fan heater and geothermal works well regulating temperature day and night.
Such was the craze for pineapples in England three hundred years ago that wealthy aristocrats built huge "pineapple stoves" in which to grow them and so display their wealth and status. They were essentially heated greenhouses usually heated by coal stoves or hot water pipes again heated by coal. Pineapples became so associated with status that they even made in into architecture, with the stone carved pineapple becoming the finial on many gateposts, turrets, walls etc. For those who couldn't afford the heated greenhouses and manpower to produce their own, a pineapple could be rented for the evening to display as part of a centrepiece on your dining table to impress guests. History does not record what might happen if one of your guests decided to eat the pineapple, one supposes the hirer lost his deposit!
Melons were and are still grown in melon houses, similar to a pineapple stove, but making use of deep beds of manure usually contained within brick bays within the greenhouse to provide both constant low heat and as a a growing medium. Many examples from the Victorian era still survive at the stately homes of England.
That's awesome historical info! Thank you!
I hope that's fact based lol
Antony Carter Yes, it's perfectly factual and a simple google search would confirm this.
Thank you for posting that! It's so interesting. I've seen pineapples used as decoration for ages, but never really thought about why that was.
Your idea compilation got me to scheming! Here's a riff: a stand alone woodstove - send the pipe directly through a swimming pool whose continuous warmth keeps the hoophouse at temperature - and keeps the farmer sane and healthy in winter.
and warm water to swim in!
Plus artificial humidifier if you get it warm enough in winter
I just got a greenhouse this summer and had a black cement floor installed with in floor heating with a special antifreeze to heat. I keep it set at 50F. I am also getting an electric heat for the really cold months. I live in the N US. It is protected on three sides by woods and the long side is on the south. Time will tell how it does.
@@glgardener4972 sweet
You could hook up solar panels to the electric heaters, if you also had a battery you could store and release that during the night.
yes that works but the energy required needs a huge battery and a lot of solar panels - it's usually cost that is huge there
I just bought a complete greenhouse set up from Farmtec. When I’m done I’ll be about 6k dollars into it. I think it would be cheaper to go to the farmers market. But you never know if food is going to be available.
Farm Tek makes Fantastic kits - how big was it?
Yes, it's not all about the cost these days
Best greenhouse I saw was along the Transsiberian Railway. It was -62°C outside and 14°C inside with no heating.
wow
How did they heat it?
@@marcfalmer Probably geothermal greenhouse.
I am designing a 24 x 45 foot green house using radiant heat. Not in the floors , but in four foot pony walls around the perimeter. Using modified cinder blocks I will run PEX tubing through the walls to heat the green house. I also will use geothermal air pipes to cool it in the winter time. The ambient temps range from 110 to -30.
awesome idea!
Lots of heating methods I had never considered. Thanks for the advice.
Thank you for the kind words!
“Solar energy is free” - 🤣 Tell that to my bank!! Great video though, thanks! I’m now considering other options based on your info. Good basic overview 👍
Great point!
What are they charging you?
I always find having a great big bonfire inside keeps the greenhouse nice and warm in January. 👍
Yes indeed!
@@Web3Dverse direct wood heat like that is moist heat. Heat like electric is dry heat.
@@Web3Dverse the air in winter is already dry due to the lowered ability of cold air to retain moisture (relative humidity) which is why it tends to snow more in the winter. So by warming cold air sealed inside your house, yes you're going to lower the relative humidity of that air even more.
What you need to take into account is that unlike a greenhouse, your home is (most likely) not filled to 90%-95% capacity with plants and planters and various watering systems for said plants, which ALL are going to release moisture into the air inside the greenhouse. Essentially a heated greenhouse will mimic "Vietnam" or "August in Mississippi" for humidity....
The orginal point being made was that wood, regardless of how long it's seasoned, is still going to contain a certain moisture content being as how wood is made of wood and wood is fibrous and organic. So when three wood is burned that moisture is released. Resistor coils like you'd find in an electric heater on the other hand are made of metal, which tends to absorb MUCH less water than wood regardless of ambient humidity.
Ha
Great review
thank you very much for the information 🙏
Thank you!
I have that little electric oscillating heater the first one you showed very efficient
sweet!
If your green house is close To your home . Dyer out let Can be hooked up to the green house . You can use old tv 📺 screen to use ☀️ shine to use the snow ❄️ to create steam . It’s free and very powerful . You can cook dinner too .
its good free heat but we only do laundry once a week!
Very useful information. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the kind words!
I HAVE A 8X12 GREENHOUSE IN SOUTH EAST, MO..4 55 GALLON PAINTED BLACK DRUM BARRELS.. HOW MANY DO I NEED, TO MAKE THE BARRELS WORK AND CUT DOWN WHATEVER MY ELECTRICS GONNA BE , . My green house is to be delivered the 16th this month, its some kinda wood siding with poly, all painted black even metal trim, except the door window and window at the top in back of greenhouse, has white trimming.
@@FASTBACKKAT all caps means you’re yelling. Why are you yelling?
@SimpleTek no it doesnt.its some that want to argue with us that use caps.cause they like to cause havoc.
@@FASTBACKKAT all caps means yelling on this channel.
Mic drop.
In my green house plans I use the heat from my septic system, compost pile system, and use solar to make whole system work and a little back up. Propane might also be an option. -30C
how's the smell?
Simple Tek same question,lol
@@michaelxu7132 lol
@@SimpleTek IF it stinks then you are doing it wrong. The smell of decomposing wood chips should smell pretty good if you don't allow it to become anti aerobic. You are doing it wrong if you allow it to become anti areobic, that will stink and also kill plants.
Same thing applies to a septic system in that you are doing it wrong if it stinks above the septic. The septic is stink free above the septic if it is in good operational condition. It only stinks when you take the lid off to pump out the old waste, other than that you never need to take the lid off. You have to deal with it every 10 - 15 years to pump it, otherwise you will forget it is even there, except all the hot water draining into it from your showers, etc... and the decomposing matter in it generating heating, heat rises. The ground above my septic always melts the snow, if i get 4 inches, then there will be 4 inches everywhere, except above my septic, it will still be green grass. And in dead of winter it will cover because we get a lot of snow, but not for long will it stay covered if we don't keep getting bucket loads of snow, it melts away even in the minus temps.
Sweet video ,
Knowledge is power 🌴🐰🌴
Thank you!
Hi. Nice video.You could add one more to get to 10. Geothermal heat pumps combine geothermal heating with electricity run compressors so you can use it almost anywhere in the world
Thanks for the tips!
There is another way to help heat, using huge body/s of water to collect and store the suns energy during the day to help stabilize the temps at night. It also helps warm during a cold day, or any day in winter late fall or early spring, but with the rays shining in the water it is sucking up the energy to release inside the house. Different methods of achieving it, but one method is to allow the sun to shine thru green house and hit the huge body of water in the middle of the house, and have your greens and stuff all around the remaining space, then in summer design it so the plants will grow and cover the body of water shading it from the sun, and this will help cool the house because the body of water is maintaining a cool ground temp. Note: the water pond in the middle of the house needs to be in ground, even past your local freeze line, this way it takes advantage of the stable year round temp of the ground under the frost line in your area. The water will conduct to the same temp as the ground and never freeze, and never get too hot in summer, especially if you allow your plants to grow over the pond in the summer. And in winter, as long as you allow the sun to bake on it and keep your greenhouse over it, it will never freeze up like the outside ponds. Plus you use the water to feed plants, it will be RAIN water, and this keeps the water moving. And also you can have grates to walk over the pond like it is not even there during the summer, but it will be keeping stable temps in your house then too, and you can keep grates on during the winter too, or remove some to get the most amount of sun on the water as possible, just put up hand rails where the open spots are.
radiant heat works well
good job and thank you
Thank you for the kind words
earth batteries tubes and exhaust fan ratio?4 6 inch tubes? can you use one long perforated tube? whats the length to change to the volume of air in a room enough times to make it efficient?
Just seen this and subscribed 👍👍
Thank you!
I’ve been considering building a concrete garden bed 4’x4’ by the length of the greenhouse with a rocket mass heater integral to it.
Cool
10:05 min. (blue tongh)
Thanks for the Video, its realy usefull knowlegde 🙂
Thank you for the kind words
What would you recommend to heat a 30 x 100 greenhouse?
@@mattwernecke2342 your area and its natural environment and availability of resources determines a lot of that decision
@@SimpleTek I'll be doing a form of radient heating
@@mattwernecke2342 love it
Electric heater won't have any issues with moisture?
Mine didn’t , I have one in my pump house too for the resort and it’s fine in super high humidity
I use biogreen heater and that is superb and cost efficient, the actual heater cost a lot but well worth it.
Interesting
Can u put any heating method in propylene plastic type 15'x8'x10' put on pipe structure secured by hooks pipe support.
No idea?
cool video. an excellent primer to deeper research on specific methods
i saw part of iran called torcaman uses the animal skinn to cover the north side of green house of coures if you have acces to a more animall.
that would work
Came for tips. Subbed for Chunky.
Awesome, thank you!
Is there a simple way to cool a greenhouse in a zone that does not freeze, for trees that require chill hours to be productive?
I have a couple videos with options in my archives on this
Im starting a Farm and will take any help I can get, LOL.
What do you need?
Dont ever till the soil! Watch “ kissing the ground “ on netflix. May be on youtube as well! It is amazing and simple. Good luck!
Small wind turbines hooked up to inexpendive resistor element air or water using no charge controler or any electronics can be real cheap in windy locality
That might work!
If you have a small greenhouse the little chinese diesel heaters used in rvs and motorhome are a good choose as you can vent the exhaust outside and it has a thermostat and if you play with the settings and run it on red diesel (tax free) cost very little to run
depends on your climate, -40 weather here gets expensive
How about sun lamps? For a source of heat???
They work but it depends on the cost of electricity in your area
I like having a shed on the north side with wood stove in it.
great idea!
Long burn candles from the dollar store with added aluminum foil heat diffusers basically shaped like an elevated flat plate over the top of each candle to stop the heat going straight up and more horizontally.
that's a great idea!
@@SimpleTek TY! It worked here.
rocket mass heater? thanks!
They work!!!
Iam just working on my first RE development and just remebered this video thanks a lot BTW your tonality is pretty off you can sound better
Thank you- fixed sound in new videos!
The best way, in a full societal collapse situation, to build an off-grid, permanent, heated greenhouse: (in a situation where you have to build an entire camp/ homestead, with no power grid, no access to fossil fuels):
Cabin tunnel tunnel Greenhouse
[[H=]] =====(kiln)========[[=GH]]
Build a clay tunnel that goes under the floor of both you house and greenhouse. About 2 feet in diameter.
In between the buildings, build a Clay Kiln that's connected to both tunnels. The system should pull in air where the wood burns in the kiln. The smoke and hot air will be drawn through the tunnels, venting on the far side of the cabin while also venting on the far side of the greenhouse.
For the cabin, you'll want to cover the tunnel with earth and rock, and build the cabin floor elevated above that. The floor will be a foot or so above ground, but the outer walls should go all the way to the ground, creating a crawl space under the cabin that's closed off to the outside. This way, the heat is trapped from blowing away, and the heat can rise into the cabin.
In the greenhouse, the top of the clay tunnel can be covered with earth or stone. You can get creative and build little clay water reservoirs into the clay heating system, where water can be steamed off to keep a humid environment. This allows you to grow tropical fruits when it's snowing outside.
Obviously, the closer the buildings are together, the more heat will reach them. You'll want to fire the tunnel, section by section, as you build it, to bake the clay.
If you can get concrete, you could use that too, I only say to use
clay, because it doesn't require modern civilization.
If you really plan ahead, and acquire some bamboo seeds, of a species that grows in the snow, a year or two into your grid- down homesteading you'll be able to install plumbing. Just choose a build-site that's downhill from a nearby water source. You can have piped-in, running water, and build a sink and a shower inside. You can build a water heater out of clay, that's fed in, and fed out, by bamboo piping.
Bamboo will also let you set up irrigation, or even hydroponics in your greenhouse.
In the summer, dig a large, deep basin next to the uphill water source. Build a clay tunnel underneath it, leading to a wood burning kiln. Then, line the basin with clay (or concrete), and then connect the basin via trench to the water source. Now, in the dead of winter, when your water source freezes over, you'll have a giant heated basin to feed water to your pipes. If it's too cold, you might have to build an enclosure over your basin to achieve melting.
I have a problem with my greenhouse when I leave it in the sun it gets so hot in there and the plants get so stressed I open it it's instantly cold and also If I leave it closed when it's not hot there going to be water and the mold forms on plants it's basically rain in a greenhouse
you need not just vents but automated fans on a thermostat so you can push a lot more air through your greenhouse when it gets above a certain temperature but shuts off when it falls below a certain tempature. Good Fans on a thermostat can easily keep the greenhouse with a certain temperature range
@@SimpleTek my greenhouse isn't big its plastic it's like 1.80x1x1.90 meters
@@dom150 so? you can still use fans automated by a thermostat
Heat Pipe. Drill deeper hole in the ground, plug the passive Heat Pipe into it, the cold end stick into the green house, heat will transfer from under ground into earth surface. Heat Pipe has been widely used in cooling system, thermal management system. but here ,you can think it as cooling the earth heat into air in the green house.
You mean geothermal
Compost heat generation and solor. Yes!
Glad you liked that!
Will a kerosene powered heater put out carbon Monoxide? I saw a video where the guy said that his wall heater powered by Kerosene put out carbon Dioxide and moisture/water. It wasn't hooked up to release anything outside of the greenhouse. I think it said "Mr. Heater' on the machine, he'd gotten his at a Big Box store, possibly Lowes. I use electric heaters in mine but backup for power outages is needed too. Mine is only 12 X 8, so, heating it isn't like heating a GIANT one.
I think so
Thank you very much. Great!!! Love & Light
You are so welcome
Nicely done! Sorry if I missed it but how long did the burn last on a jar of fuel and approximately what temp does it push out? Cheers.
Great point! not sure too many variables
What about digging down 4' where the earth has a stable temperature of 58*? would this help to lower heating costs substantially in the winter?
Yes but where I live you need to go 8 feet down for 5’c in winter
Need more sunlight. Mountains block hours of sunlight. How can we get more sunlight?
Move or use led lights
How much energy is saved using thermal banking? I've read "The Solar Greenhouse Book" which advocates it, but I've also heard it's not even worth the space used.
Great question - it All depends on how you do it. Are you using black barrels on the north wall or a huge dirt battery in the ground? Black barrels can help you get through one or two nights, but cloud cover for a week will screw you. a huge dirt battery can store enough solar energy to last months - like the solar community 'drake landing' in Alberta uses.
@@SimpleTek Drake Landing is not scalable down to a single use. The millions they invested for a 50 house setup gave them 39% of their usable energy over a winter. I have yet to see calculations that will prove more than a 10% return in a small configuration. It's totally worthwhile for daily swings if designed right, but heat creeps to fast too give seasonal benefits.
if the earth the deeper down you go then wouldnt just making a few deep holes in the ground also work in a way? Since cold air goes down and it goes in a hole and a empty tank underground would take up the cold and heat it up and the heat will rise naturally without geothermal pumps. maybe?
Also earth ships claim to not need heat but store hear with dirty in tires and i assume they think that the tires is what make it? hard to believe that the tire is the key.
Would a chicken brooder light be enough in a 10 by 12 in zone 9a?
Depends on the insulation
Ohhhh thanks .. great info.. will utilize a few of those less costly methods.. HoHoHoGreenGiant..😋
Thank you for the kind words!
whats the best for 2m3 greenhouse it get -8c max in the winter?
need a lot more info than that!!!!!
Can u heat a green house in winter in Arkansas with a compost pile
Yes. You need good insulation and a large pile though
I use large tanks of rain water under the benches heated by a a solar vacuum tube heater drain back heat with a solar powered pump. I live in Canada with -30 c temp at night. I do have propane for emergency in the event of too many days with no sun.
I'd love to know more about your system!
Simple Tek The heating is accomplished with 12 vacuum tubes each 6 ft tall and with an optimum possible 1000 watt collection each I could send photo to your email?
@@simpsonken178 hjor@mts.net
very helpful vid, but please adjust your sound level regarding the music. i had to keep my finger hovering over the mute button when you transitioned from speaking to the incredibly loud music as you moved to the next way to heat a greenhouse.
Sorry about that
Thank you!!
Appreciate the comment!
You skipped right over Rocket mass heater in the wood burning, one burn will heat all night & it is almost as clean as gas, because it burns so hot.
rocket mass heaters do work well. Thank you for the comment!
He showed rocket mass heaters and talked about them.
We do not have any sun for month. It is raining and dark and cool. A greenhouse does not work without any sun.
Yes it does, you just add artificial light in bad times
Are you my neighbor
Hey! I've got Chunky's twin at my house - and yes she is!
awesome!
Where are you located?
What about if you had solar panels then Electric heat wouldn’t cost that much long-term
very true but you need a LOT of solar panels to produce electric heat - but the real expensive part is the BATTERIES - as you need the heat mostly when the sun isn't shining. - I've wondered if using a windmill might help as the wind blows at night too
instead of using wood, some german-made wood chip (biomass) burner has auto feeder which reuses pallets/ wood chips
Cool
Like comment and subscribe🙏🏻
Thank you
I wanted to go the wood pellet stove route with my 10X20 greenhouse, but was told the humidity in the greenhouse could make the pellets swell and clog up the stove. Anyone have any success heating their greenhouse with a wood pellet stove?
No idea but it’s a good question
Add pyrolysis engines like wood heat but byproducts are co2 and bio char
nice
Air tubes is worth a shot
this is my first winter with my green house. right now its storage for pots and soils...
let's figure out how to get it 4 seasons!
Have you considered compression heating?
no - do tell
diesel heater work also?
yes, just costly
Add CO2, apparently? It traps heat in greenhouses. I learnt this at school.
good point!
Great information, thank you!
Thank you!!!!
It would be more informative if you told us where you were located.
I'm located about 60 miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada
I am combining rabbits under grow beds with microhydronic with wood and on demand propane heater
ok
😃🌱🐢
anyone speak emoji?
@@SimpleTek No more emojis then, I'll speak English. I enjoy your content. You have created one of the best greenhouse channels on the yt. Thank you.
@@user-ic2ug8ys1z thank you
can i use aluminum foil? or mirror?
never tried it - it might work but other material might be cheaper
Theres reflective film on alibaba for 0.5 to 1.79$ per m2 100m2 minimum
@@hund4440 post link!!!!!
@@SimpleTek i dont have the link, but im sure youll find it if you search for something like solar reflective film on alibaba (I dont know about the shipping cost tho)
@@hund4440 reflectix?
Love idea number 6 . Livestock body heat.....
;)
It's idea's like that and an attitude change towards the way we look at food production that will make a real difference regarding climate change
@@pjamabinsmarter6347 and just better tasting food in the winter in northern climates!!!!!!
Double skin your greenhouse and keep the 2 layers apart with a computer fan. The air gap is thermally efficient so a heat pump p will be the best way.
Use a solar panel to run a water heater during the day in the greenhouse. Heat a 55gal drum of water or 2. Dig your greenhouse 2½ - 3 feet deep into the ground then add Styrofoam layer between the dirt outside the greenhouse and the greenhouse poly. This will help insulate the greenhouse against colder night-time temperatures along with the warm drums of water heated by solar power.
I like how you think
Outdoor wood stove with radiant heating concrete floor :)
I use radiant heat from my wood boiler myself
Wood heat warmer than gas but more drying
True
I have seen a unit that compost green waste and uses the methane gas to power cooking stove. Sorry cant remember what it was called.
Thank you for the comment! Jean Pain from France did a lot of pioneering research on that decades ago. If you google him you'll see lots of info on it.
Bio Digestor.
Solar is free after initial purchase
True
Where is Simple Tek located?
Manitoba, Canada