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Heater Help

Nepenthesis

Formerly known as Pineapple
So I decided to get a second heater since it will be in the mid thirties for a while at night. My space heater has been keeping it around 55F in the GH at lowest in the night with nights in the low 40s, but I'm afraid the GH temperature will dip into the 40s with 30F nights. I got another 1500w heater in addition to my current one which puts out a lot more heat, however when I ran them together like I was planning to (they both have thermostats), they cut the power back on each other to about half and then after a minute the power surge protector cut off and I had to reset it.

So to get back to where I was saying the new one puts out more heat... It puts out a LOT of heat. It would definitely keep the GH in or around 50F on even a 20F night. When I hold my arm up to the heat flow, it feels really hot like a burn. If something got in that or it got knocked over, I feel like it would catch on fire. If it got angled at some live sphag in one of the close-by pots, I feel like it would completely dry it out and make it catch on fire. The other heater just puts out warm air. I guess the older one is a coil heater, I can see coils... The new one is a ceramic heater, it heats up a lot.

For now I unplugged the ceramic heater and kept the original one. When it is going to be in the 30s I will take all of the plants inside, but with almost 30 neps, some vining really high with massive leaves, it is going to be hard to find places for them. The humidity will drop when I move them inside and in the past it has made new pitchers stop and has caused problems for the plant just after one night. Just 40% humidity or a bit less inside the house, 60s at night 70s in the day.

Over the next few days I will test it out during the day to make sure nothing bad will happen before using it at night, just to see what it can do so I can decide if it is a bad idea or not. I'm not sure what to do. The new heater says it isn't for outside use and that it shouldn't be used in humid areas, but I guess I'm already doing that with the other heater. Am I using the wrong kind of heater? I don't want my house to burn down and I don't want to kill my plants either. What are some safety precautions I can take to make sure nothing bad happens? And is there a way I am overlooking for having two heaters, one in case the other goes out? ???
 
Can u place it so that the air goes down the center of the green house? That would stop any probs IMO.
 
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Get an alarm. If one fails plug in the other.
 
Can u place it so that the air goes down the center of the green house? That would stop any probs IMO.

Yeah, I can do that... But still what if something got sucked into the back like a bug and it ignited, burning the GH down and setting my house ablaze? I will test it out over a few days.

Get an alarm. If one fails plug in the other.

How much do those usually cost? Do you have a link to a reputable alarm?
 
Put some mesh over the back.
 
The Temp Alert is an industry standard device (meaning everyone has used this for ages and it is very simple technology: no power source required.) I recall they are about $60

http://www.winland.com/products/TA-2HL/ta-2hl.html

Regarding the electric heater: most of these space heaters now have a gyroscope/accelerometer of some sort built in, so that if the device gets knocked over/goes horizontal, it turns itself off.
 
The Temp Alert is an industry standard device (meaning everyone has used this for ages and it is very simple technology: no power source required.) I recall they are about $60

http://www.winland.com/products/TA-2HL/ta-2hl.html

Alright, thanks! I'll look into that as a Christmas gift for myself. Does the alarm part go off in the GH or can I put it in the house? If it goes off in the GH, I doubt I would hear it, and if I were able to hear it, the neighbors would hear it and call the police... :p

Regarding the electric heater: most of these space heaters now have a gyroscope/accelerometer of some sort built in, so that if the device gets knocked over/goes horizontal, it turns itself off.

I picked one with a little button on the bottom that has to be pushed in for the heater to turn on. Not worried about it turning over, just worried about it drying something out and overheating it to catch it on fire, or a bug or stray piece of dried sphag getting into it and starting a fire. Chances are low, but when I was trying to set it up, it made me feel very nervous.
 
Put some mesh over the back.

I assume this advice is for insulation? Finding a way to better insulate your greenhouse would help out a lot. Home depot or Lowes sells 4x8 foot foam insulation panels for about $7.25 a piece (to put on the non-sun recieving sides of the greenhouse), or you could look into the bubble wrap made for this purpose.

Also, assuming cost is an issue (and it always is...) propane or natural gas heaters run quite a bit cheaper than electric heaters, from what I understand. From my one experience as a teenager trying to heat a greenhouse with an electric space heater over the winter, I'm never going to go electric again. My parents wouldn't fund it anymore :p
 
  • #10
The Temp Alert is an industry standard device (meaning everyone has used this for ages and it is very simple technology: no power source required.) I recall they are about $60

http://www.winland.com/products/TA-2HL/ta-2hl.html

Just trying to understand this myself...What exactly is the point of a temperature alarm, unless it texts you or calls you when the temperature is too high or low? If you need to be in the greenhouse to hear/see the alarm, then what's the point? Or is there something that I'm not catching here? How does it work? Reading the product description didn't clarify this for me.
 
  • #11
Just trying to understand this myself...What exactly is the point of a temperature alarm, unless it texts you or calls you when the temperature is too high or low? If you need to be in the greenhouse to hear/see the alarm, then what's the point? Or is there something that I'm not catching here? How does it work? Reading the product description didn't clarify this for me.

I have the same questions... I don't get it either.
 
  • #12
I assume this advice is for insulation? Finding a way to better insulate your greenhouse would help out a lot. Home depot or Lowes sells 4x8 foot foam insulation panels for about $7.25 a piece (to put on the non-sun recieving sides of the greenhouse), or you could look into the bubble wrap made for this purpose.

Also, assuming cost is an issue (and it always is...) propane or natural gas heaters run quite a bit cheaper than electric heaters, from what I understand. From my one experience as a teenager trying to heat a greenhouse with an electric space heater over the winter, I'm never going to go electric again. My parents wouldn't fund it anymore :p
Tis to stop stuff going in the back. And yes, insulating would help.
 
  • #13
I have the same questions... I don't get it either.

When the temperature needle contacts either the low or high set point needle it closes the circuit and will ring a remote bell or something. Depending on what you have the leads connected too at the other end.

I used to use one of those big lantern batteries connected to a little electric bell which was connected to the temp. alert device. As soon as either high or low contact is made it closes the circuit and the battery rings the bell. The 'alarm bell' can be located however far you want from the greenhouse. You just run a small wire like the 24volt low voltage cable.

Yes you need to be there to hear it.
 
  • #14
If you want something more sophisticated Sensaphone is great but requires a phone line to do it's thing..but you are also talking $$$
 
  • #15
Well, at least it can alert you in your house. That would be helpful. Run it to your room and it'll wake you up if it gets too cold at night. Fun ;)
 
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