How to Heat a Greenhouse
During the day the sun heats and warms a greenhouse, flooding it with golden sunlight. When night falls, the glass windows that captured the daylight are chilled by the night air. Heating a glass walled room may seem like an enormous task, yet if you use the energy collected during the daytime, it can help heat the greenhouse at night. Creating a solar heat sink will collect the heat during the day, and release it in the evening. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 55-gallon drums, with lids
- Black paint (flat and non-reflective)
- Paint brush
- Water
Instructions
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1
Calculate how many 55-gallon drums you will need. These will be filled with water. You will need a minimum of 2 gallons of water for every square foot of greenhouse.
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2
Determine where you will stack the drums. They need to be inside the greenhouse, near a wall that gets the most direct sunlight.
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3
Paint the outside of the 55-gallon drums black.
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Stack the drums near the wall with the most direct sunlight, and fill with water. Leave about 4 inches of space on the top to allow for expansion. Do not let the drums touch any walls.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not stack the drums tightly. Allow enough room for the air to circulate around them.
Resources
- Photo Credit A. Johnson
