The approach of cold weather makes you wonder how to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse without extra expenses. The heating system will provide comfortable conditions for year-round grown seedlings. The first step is to make a list of green spaces that will be placed in the greenhouse. Each of them requires a certain temperature regime. The second step is to formulate the boundaries of the budget. The last stage is the choice of the type of heating system.
Content
Residents of the southern regions rely on the sun
Using natural heating is easy. In a polycarbonate greenhouse, sunlight accumulates, warming the soil and air. Closed garden design eliminates drafts. Warm and cold air does not mix, so the temperature background is stable. Before using the sun as the main source of heat, prepare:
- find out the frequency probability of frosts;
- find out a comfortable temperature range for crops that will be planted in the greenhouse;
- find out the temperature range in the region at night in winter and summer.
Comparison of the obtained information will become the main one for the future heating system. The gardener learns how often additional (artificial) heat sources will have to be used.
Autumn and winter, even in the southern regions, one cannot fully rely on the sun. The greenhouse is additionally equipped with artificial heating.
Scientific developments will help gardeners
Lack of natural heat - an occasion to modify the greenhouse. Developed air heat supply technology, stove and even biological heating. Each option is characterized by a certain level of efficiency and economic costs. Before you establish a particular option, make up the project.
Economical and functional electric heating — an option for a polycarbonate greenhouse in summer and winter, next to which there is a stable electrical wiring. Frequent power surges or other problems are a powerful argument in favor of choosing a different heating system. The second rule - the supply of electricity to the greenhouse performs utility services. The next step is to choose how to use electricity.
| Way | Description | Note |
| Electric heating through air (air heating technology) | Take the fan-heaters. It’s enough to choose 4 points correctly so that the warm airflow covers the greenhouse | The advantage of technology is mobility and affordability. The warm air mass is evenly distributed inside the greenhouse. In addition to the advantages, fan-heaters have disadvantages. One of them is a high risk of burn seedlings, which will be under the direct influence of a fan. Better to put fans over the racks |
| Electric heating cable | Option for beginners. Minimum requirements for installation and subsequent use. The system provides an even distribution of thermal energy | Installation can be done on your own. First remove the topsoil. The surface is leveled and covered with sifted sand. A material that has low thermal conductivity is laid on top of it. It is worth considering the recommendations of the manufacturer of the heating cable. As insulation, polyethylene foam is used.The wire is laid in turns on top of the insulating material. During operation, make sure that the stacked wire rings are equidistant from each other. The last step is filling the wire with sand and installing an iron mesh. It is necessary to minimize the risk of equipment overheating. |
| Infrared method | Advantage - even in freezing heat energy is transmitted directly to plants, bypassing the air. The advantage of infrared heating in greenhouses involves several nuances. The development of seedlings, the ability to create individual heating for particularly sensitive crops is accelerating | Lamps - heat sources are mounted in a checkerboard pattern. As a result, the gardener will ensure uniform heating of all plants in the greenhouse |
It is justifiable to heat a greenhouse using electricity if the cost of other resources is higher.
The movement of hot water will provide plants with a comfortable temperature
The gardener installs a separate boiler or conducts a pipe from an existing one. Technical nuance - you can use already installed heaters in the case when the greenhouse is medium or small in size. If the greenhouse is large, then you can not do without a separate boiler. The strengths of water heating include several parameters:
- inexpensively;
- ease of installation;
- quick warming up of the soil and root system.
The only drawback of water heating is that it is useless in winter weather. Even moderate frost will cause loss of crop.
Oven heating is suitable for single use.
In winter, you can warm the polycarbonate greenhouse or in the spring with your own hands using a potbelly stove. The second option is a home-made stove. Both methods require experience in engineering and ensuring fire safety. Beginners should know that stove heating requires a constant supply of fuel. It is 1-2 times late, as the temperature of the heated areas begins to fall.
The advantages of stove heating include several points:
- the system without problems consumes coal, firewood or other available fuel;
- the system is adapted to actual operating conditions;
- ease of installation;
- unpretentiousness.
In addition to the advantages, the furnace heating model has disadvantages. The first is that the source of thermal energy is too heavy and large. It is unrealistic to quickly transfer from one point to another. The second drawback is that during severe frosts the system becomes useless.
Natural source of thermal energy
The folk method involves laying organic matter, for example, horse manure, in the ground. It is enough for the gardener to remove part of the earth, filling the recess by 1/3 with organic matter. The final touch is filling the pit with earth.
| Advantages | disadvantages |
| The temperature background is stable for 3-4 months | Manure cannot be replaced with humus. He loses temperature too fast |
| Will provide from 60 to 70 degrees with a "+" sign | — |
| Organics saturates the soil with nutrients | — |
| Manure improves root growth | — |
Heating the greenhouse with the help of organics is advisable only in the southern regions.
We heat the greenhouse at night
You can heat the structure in the evening and throughout the night in several ways. The choice depends on the climatic characteristics in a particular region. If frosts are rare, then buckets of boiling water will help. They are placed in the middle of the greenhouse and in the corners. It is enough to set them for 5-6 hours.
If the weather in the region is severe, they use not only folk, but also scientific methods. Take thermal fans with temperature sensors. They will turn on the heating system as soon as t reaches the set mark.
The difference between a gas burner and a heater
Greenhouses installed in gasified areas are heated with blue fuel. Regardless of the technical solution, the heated seedlings will receive a comfortable amount of heat. The heating system includes several elements:
- gas cylinder - a resource source;
- fans - will ensure uniform distribution of thermal energy;
- it is permissible to install a factory gas boiler - the decision is justified if the gardener grows green spaces in industrial volumes;
- the smoke exhaust and ventilation system will take more time - you cannot do without outside help.
The advantage of gas heating is the ability to use it seasonally. During operation, the unit emits carbon dioxide and water. Both resources will accelerate the development of landings.
A gas heater is not the best way to heat a greenhouse. The gardener is forced to constantly monitor the safety of his work.
The cold came suddenly
Sudden spring frosts are a problem to be prepared for. You can cope with the cold with folk remedies. Buckets filled with boiling water. They are placed at 3-4 points in the greenhouse. If it happens that the frosts are long, the procedure looks different:
- 1/3 bucket of hot water is poured on each path in the greenhouse;
- 3 buckets of hot water are placed in the corners of the garden;
- the procedure is repeated every 3 hours until the frost is complete.
A sharp cooling is not a rare phenomenon, so you should not leave the greenhouse without a heating system.
The choice of heating system for a greenhouse depends on the duration of its use. Spring-summer gardening will require a furnace, water or air method. If the horticultural design is used only in cold weather, then electricity and gas will come to the rescue. Other options do not tolerate cold.
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