How to Use a Space Heater in a Small Greenhouse
During the coldest months, December through February, most small greenhouse owners empty their greenhouses. However, if you do not have the space to move your plants indoors and you may want to consider heating methods for your greenhouse. It's a good idea to prevent excessive heating costs by assessing the heat loss and temperature requirements of your greenhouse before purchasing any heating system. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Electric outlet
- Thermostat
- Space heater/heat fan
- Insulating materials (bubble wrap, silicon caulk, thermal screens, etc.)
Instructions
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Electric Heat in a Small Greenhouse
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Insulate the greenhouse. Seal all cracks and check for drafts. Thermal screens can be placed along the walls. They can also be used to partition off areas which need heat from those which do not thereby consolidating heat and lowering heating costs. Gardeners have also used thermal screens horizontally and blocked off the top space of their greenhouses so that the rising hot air recirculates to the ground quickly.
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Calculate the heat needed to keep the greenhouse at the consistent temperature you require. British Thermal Units, (BTU) are the common unit of measurement for heat production in both Britain and North America. A BTU measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.
The formula commonly used by growers is: (wall area + roof area) x temperature differential between inside and outside of greenhouse (inside temperature - outside temperature) x 1.1 = the number of BTU (British Thermal Units) required.
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Find a space heater which is capable of providing the BTU your greenhouse needs. When purchasing a car it is customary for the sales sticker to provide information regarding miles per gallon information. This goes for purchasing a space heater as well; the BTU is readily available on the box. If more assistance is needed in finding this information, inquire with a salesperson.
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Tips & Warnings
To determine the wall area measure the length of a one wall and the height of one wall. For instance, an eight foot high wall and an 10 foot long wall will yield a square footage of 80 square feet. Multiply the length of the wall by the width of the wall to determine the square footage of the wall. Add the square footage of each wall together and you will have determined the wall area.
Measuring the roof area is a bit more complex because the slope of the roof must be determined. A roof slope of 7/12 means that the roof rises 7 inches for every 12 inches it runs. If it has been awhile since you have taken trigonometry and if you don't feel like messing around with formulas to determine slope then you may wish to borrow or purchase a pitch and angle finder. The product is available at hardware stores and is used by plumbers, carpenters and other handypeople who deal with angles.
As with all electric appliances keep space heaters away from water. This may be difficult in a moist greenhouse environment. Do not heat and water simultaneously.
