[tenderness]

Just got an 8'by6' greenhouse. Very excited. Two questions. In these hard times what is the cheapest way to heat it? Paraffin or electric?

Am planning on getting max use out of it. Want to grow all sorts of stuff like cucumbers, peppers, squashes and pumpkins, melons, plus starting off other crops before planting out.

Also, any tips on how to secure polycarb with silicone. Is it just a case of buy a tube and go round the whole greenhouse once its in place with clips?

Thanks all  

[naturesparadise]

well i say paraffin im getting this
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/0424284/c_1/1

[muntjac]

if you think about it you can save money in ya greenhouse heating bill ,, buy a few bales of straw and stack them in the greenhouse around the edges not only does it insulate the floor and glass .it takes up space that heat would be wasted in

[dazza]

The only problem i find with parrafin is you have to judge when to light the heater, and if you forget one night you could be in trouble.  The other thing is temps can drop pretty low during the day when your out !

My greenhouse is well insulated and i have a fan heater on frost protection this cuts in and out only when needed i set it up once and can forget it until the weather warms up.

I like the straw bales idea, i might go for that this year.

darren

[tenderness]

Hi all

thanks for your responses. Dazza what kind of fan heater do you have, and is it a timer switch that cuts it off and on, or an inbuilt device?

Thanks, I like this option. Am considering straw bales as well, though they are few and far between where I'm from  

[tenderness]

Okay, so I have chosen to go electric...now I have to run a supply into the greenhouse.

How? Yes, I am completely clueless.

I have a socket in a nearby outhouse. Can I get away with extension cable? But then it would have to go through the door, which wouldn't shut properly...so I'm foxed.

[naturesparadise]

Okay, so I have chosen to go electric...now I have to run a supply into the greenhouse.

How? Yes, I am completely clueless.

I have a socket in a nearby outhouse. Can I get away with extension cable? But then it would have to go through the door, which wouldn't shut properly...so I'm foxed.

drill hole in door

and DONT FORGET CIRCUIT BREAKER

[Ice]

Get a piece of glass cut slightly shorter than the one it is to replace (but not so short it falls out) and drill through the aluminium.  Or pass through the louvre vent if you have one.  Or under the base/through the base.

[Bignij]

Okay, so I have chosen to go electric...now I have to run a supply into the greenhouse.

How? Yes, I am completely clueless.

I have a socket in a nearby outhouse. Can I get away with extension cable? But then it would have to go through the door, which wouldn't shut properly...so I'm foxed.

How near? You might need to use armoured cable for a good run. :roll:
Drill a hole between frame and wall.
As mentioned by naturesparadise you MUST have a RCD, or you might end up ever so slightly dead. :shock:

[tenderness]

The greenhouse is 2 metres from the outhouse.

Could I run armoured cable along top of adjacent pergola, down and into greenhouse as suggested?

It has a galvanised steel base so I could drill into that I think. What plug units are best for greenhouses?

[Ice]

Sounds like a job for a qualified electrician just to be really safe.

[Larkshall]

The greenhouse is 2 metres from the outhouse.

Could I run armoured cable along top of adjacent pergola, down and into greenhouse as suggested?

It has a galvanised steel base so I could drill into that I think. What plug units are best for greenhouses?

I have two greenhouses which I run an extension cable to. They need approx. 20 metres of cable which runs from the outbuilding (13amp sockets) via a temporary poly rope catenary with a pole support halfway. You don't really need armoured cable if it's off the ground, but you must use a catenary to take the weight of the cable or run it via a structure, about 7-8feet off the ground. If the weather gets bad it might be cheaper to have a paraffin heater with the fan heater as a back up (set to the minimum temperature that you require).

I use a Mantis Electric Tiller and electric mower, strimmer, hedge cutter, chainsaw and shredder, to manage my 1/4 acre garden. I have been used to using electrical equipment most of my working life.

[Larkshall]

The greenhouse is 2 metres from the outhouse.

Could I run armoured cable along top of adjacent pergola, down and into greenhouse as suggested?

It has a galvanised steel base so I could drill into that I think. What plug units are best for greenhouses?

I have two greenhouses which I run an extension cable to. They need approx. 20 metres of cable which runs from the outbuilding (13amp sockets) via a temporary poly rope catenary with a pole support halfway. You don't really need armoured cable if it's off the ground, but you must use a catenary to take the weight of the cable or run it via a structure, about 7-8feet off the ground, don't forget to arrange a drip-loop so water doesn't run in to the heater or the socket. If the weather gets bad it might be cheaper to have a paraffin heater with the fan heater as a back up (set to the minimum temperature that you require).

If you drill the galvanised base you will need to fit a plastic grommet to ensure that the cut edge of the hole does not cut through the insulation of the cable. The same applies if you cut a corner of a square of glass to pass the cable through, it needs a piece of plastic hose cut down one side and slipped on the raw edge of the glass.

I use a Mantis Electric Tiller and electric mower, strimmer, hedge cutter, chainsaw and shredder, to manage my 1/4 acre garden. I have been used to using electrical equipment most of my working life.

[meterman]

run your cable thru an hoes pipe this will stop your cable from damage run the pipe from plug to socket with no breaks

[jaap]

ecomomical heating:
anybody got experience with the combination:
solar panel - car battery - 12v heater?  what are the issues to consider?

I have no electricity on my allotment, and try to avoid using parrafin heaters.