Greenhouse Heater

As well as the massive greenhouses that grow many different specimens the little home gardener will have a greenhouse. They want to keep their plants growing all year, so they use the greenhouse heater. In the summer the greenhouse usually nice and warm, but in the winter and cool fall temperatures you should have a greenhouse heater. The cost of using a greenhouse heater varies, as the styles and sizes. They are not cheap to run, but it is worth it to keep the flowers and vegetables growing.

There are a few kinds of greenhouse heaters that can be bought and used. Using an electric one is good because of the clean and controllable heating. Most have thermostats that might include a frost watch, letting the gardener know when frost is eminent.

There are the electric fans are very easy and simple to use. These are usually used for very small greenhouses. These help eliminate dampness and diseases. Another greenhouse heater uses heating coils, these would be for those little, fragile seedlings, or trays of starter plants or vegetables. These are like a heating pad for plants, and are put just a few inches under the surface of dirt.

Some greenhouse heaters are of bottle gas, and are portable, using paraffin to warm the small greenhouse. Some gardeners refuse to use this type of greenhouse heater because of the environmental considerations. Safety is a factor as well; paraffin heaters can tip over and might cause a fire. It is so easy now to use a greenhouse heater. Some can be started by a push of a button, sometimes inside the main house.

For a very small to medium sized greenhouse, go for the two three W heater. Be sure to put it in a place that it will not burn or damage the leaves on the plants or vegetables. If using a gas or paraffin greenhouse heater be extra carefully as these will supply the plants with carbon dioxide, proper ventilation is so important.

There are different greenhouse heater that is used for the commercial greenhouse such as nurseries, they have thermostats and are environmental good. Some good advice in putting one of the greenhouse heaters such as this is to put the sensing devices at plant level. The thermostat that is placed at eye level can be read easily but will not provide the optimum environmental control. Many times the environmental conditions can change significantly within a small distance.

Using a greenhouse heater, it is not good to place the thermostat in direct sunlight. It will give a false reading and could kill the plants or vegetables. The thermostat should be mounted facing north or maybe in a real good protected location. It might be necessary to use a small fan to pull the air over the thermostat.

If wanting to go solar for a greenhouse heater, there are many different kinds to choose from. But the most important rule is to put the panels facing south or west. Some argue that they should be put in the southeast position. There are many resources that can explain the solar greenhouse heater. On the web, in books, etc.