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 GourmetShiitake
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Registered: 03/15/09
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 Heating a greenhouse with steam ? 
#16325501 - 06/03/12 10:18 AM (11 months, 13 days ago) |
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Hi everyone,
So it's summer and time to put up a few greenhouses. The greenhouses will have wooden frames and they are covered with two layers of polycarbonate panels with bubble wrap as extra insulation between the panels. Now what I am uncertain about is how I go about heating the greenhouses. A stove inside the greenhouse is not the best option because it's takes up a lot of grow space. Also the radiant heat from the stove might become a problem and take up even more space. So what about heating with steam ? I'm thinking of a simple setup involving a metal barrel of some sort with a pipe going directly into the greenhouse. Water gets boiling and hot steam will heat the greenhouse. Simple right ?
Critique my idea. What possible problems could I encounter with this setup ? Is it very inefficient ? Whatever you can think of..Keep in mind the climate is similar to Alaska or where RR lives and I have pretty much an unlimited supply of firewood. I can keep the fires roaring 24/7..
I have added a schematic I made using my pro paint skills..
Edited by GourmetShiitake (06/03/12 10:20 AM)
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Darkman
Farmer
Registered: 04/16/11
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Hi. Is the purpose of heating to pasteurize the house between grows,
or are your "summertime" temps still to low for the species you are growing?
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GourmetShiitake
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The purpose is heating the greenhouse in autumn/winter/spring. If anything summers are too hot but they only last for 3 months. I'm mostly worried about the winter months when the temps get to -25 ºC/-13 ºF..
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure
Registered: 03/26/03
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You'll want to run the steam into a heat exchanger, not direct which will cause mold because of condensation.
We use a wood fired steam boiler to heat Mountain Mushroom Farm 24/7 during the winter months, and through the daytime hours while sterilizing substrates all summer in order(it still drops to or near freezing even in July/August) to get a day/night temperature differential.
I'm in the process of updating the steam boiler page, which should be done within the next few days with lots of fresh new info and tips we've learned by having the unit in operation for nearly a year now.
RR
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Download Let's Grow Mushrooms
semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat
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GourmetShiitake
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 Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: RogerRabbit]
#16325628 - 06/03/12 11:24 AM (11 months, 13 days ago) |
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That's awesome RR..At least I know now it can be done. I figured using open steam would keep the humidity up as well. Must re-think a few things but i'm glad to hear the general concept can work..
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M8M
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Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: RogerRabbit]
#16325661 - 06/03/12 11:39 AM (11 months, 13 days ago) |
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Why not just use hot water instead of steam similar to the outdoor wood furnace principle? No pressure involved. I have used an old heater from a school bus picked up at an auto wrecker and run the hot water through it to heat a greenhouse. I have an outdoor wood furnace but it is simply an airtight woodstove with a water jacket around it with a thermostat in the water to shut off the air intake of the stove when the water reaches approx. 190 F and open it when the temp drops to about 170. A small pump circulates the water through the rad(s). You could also find an old car radiator and run the hot water through it with a fan blowing through the rad. The old bus heaters have a fan built into the unit.
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GourmetShiitake
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I'm trying to use little to no electricity. Only using power for ventilation if I have to. Would love to hear ideas on passive ventilation as well..
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solumvita
Q.B.E.
Registered: 02/12/08
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Loc: South Africa
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hot water piped through the floor is another option, that way you do not have to deal with steam and the safety issues involved
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GourmetShiitake
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Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: solumvita]
#16327016 - 06/03/12 05:07 PM (11 months, 12 days ago) |
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Safety third! 
Seriously I do not see any safety issues. Either way what i'm basically using is an open ended pipe through wich steam flows out the other side with no big pressures involved.. I've done stuff that's a lot less safe.
Edited by GourmetShiitake (06/03/12 05:08 PM)
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OICU812
Chefs Choice Mushroom Co.
Registered: 11/06/11
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I like solumvita's idea of using hot water/steam piping in or at floor level. Also remember, heat rises. (Your pic shows the steam going into the top of the greenhouse.)
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are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." - Douglas Adams
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GourmetShiitake
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Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: OICU812]
#16327269 - 06/03/12 06:25 PM (11 months, 12 days ago) |
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Yes, but don't take that pic too literally. I did figure that steam would fill pretty much the entire room so that would not be that big of a deal. I might be wrong..
The other thing with using water is that it would run out really quickly unless I made a recirculating system.
Anyway now im thinking of building something like an open ended radiator from some kind of piping. Copper pipes maby ? The steam and condensed water would then be ejected out of the greenhouse. Maybe it could also have a valve for letting the steam into the greenhouse fo humidity ? How does that sound ?
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 albemuth
Registered: 09/17/09
Posts: 27
Loc: finger lakes ny
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Quote:
GourmetShiitake said:
I'm trying to use little to no electricity. Only using power for ventilation if I have to. Would love to hear ideas on passive ventilation as well..
If I ever build a greenhouse I'd like to try these hydraulic pistons that can open and close a vent based on temperature. Seems like a great idea, but I don't know how well it works. The hydraulic solution in the piston will expand and contract relative to ambient heat, so it passively uses the energy from the heat you're trying to vent for power.
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/vent2.shtml
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M8M
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With the hot water heating don't have it open ended, use a Taco 007-F5 circulating pump with a radiator. This is the most common circulator pump used in hot water furnaces, hydroponic systems, hvac systems, greenhouses etc. Cost about $70-75 and will last a lifetime (cast iron). They use a replaceable cartridge about $20-25. My cartridge lasted 11 years running 24x7 continuously. Five minute job to replace cartridge. You could also just use a water heater and use the circulator pump to pump the water to the rad and back to the water heater in a contiuous loop.
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RogerRabbit
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Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: M8M]
#16332955 - 06/04/12 09:45 PM (11 months, 11 days ago) |
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I finally got the page for my wood fired steam boiler built. I'll be updating it a bit more, but most of the info such as wiring diagrams and pressure controls, etc., is there now.
RR
--------------------
Download Let's Grow Mushrooms
semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat
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 Javadog
Continuing along
Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 7,292
Loc: USA
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Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: RogerRabbit]
#16333179 - 06/04/12 10:29 PM (11 months, 11 days ago) |
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I only took a quick look RR, but that is a great page.
I am not where I will need this, yet, but will remember to check
my thoughts there when I am.
Thanks for taking the time.
JD
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Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes
Myco-tek.org
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Aleon
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Registered: 05/26/11
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Loc: WI, USA
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Re: Heating a greenhouse with steam ? [Re: RogerRabbit]
#16334848 - 06/05/12 09:02 AM (11 months, 11 days ago) |
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Quote:
RogerRabbit said:
I finally got the page for my wood fired steam boiler built. I'll be updating it a bit more, but most of the info such as wiring diagrams and pressure controls, etc., is there now.
RR
Nice write-up! 
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Anybody who tells you something is lying, even me.
Seek the truth.
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