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EMERGENCY: GREENHOUSE HEATER OUT

R

recent guest

PLEASE HELP

I have a recently built greenhouse, and have come home to find that the heater has not been firing. Its 22F and the temperature inside is still 40F but dropping fast.

I need to restore heat right now or I will lose everything inside, cannabis et. all.

The system is a rimol greenhouse with a renzor heater. I am looking for the manual atm and will post additional info on the heater.

My ideas at present are the use of two 1500 watt space heaters and the instillation of two additional 1000w HPS lights to provide emergency heat. The greenhouse is 22 x 44.

I may use 5 gallon buckets filled with hot water to create a heat retaining battery nearby the plants. Some sativas are two and a half months old and have just been repotted in 25 gallon pots that I dont think I can move by myself.
 
Hurk

Hurk

Member
I'd say get the extra lights and heaters going for now and that should help.

What's the model number of the heater? Is it propane or natural gas? I'd check the easy things first. Make sure the thermostat is turned up, check the breaker to see if its tripped, make sure you're not out of propane. Try turning it off and then back on. Does anything happen? Do you hear anything? Does it have a pilot light or is it spark ignition?
 
R

recent guest

Ok. Its a propane heater, and the problem is that I am out of propane. So the solution has to be something besides fixing the heater. Im going to have to macgyver this.
 
Holdin'

Holdin'

Moon-grass farmer
Veteran
I'm confused? Where's the part about why you don't just get more propane...?

Even if you have a large refillable tank that requires delivery for refill, can't you just acquire and use a small tank temporarily? You're going to have a hell of a time heating that greenhouse by any other means....
 
R

recent guest

Holdin' said:
I'm confused? Where's the part about why you don't just get more propane...?

Even if you have a large refillable tank that requires delivery for refill, can't you just acquire and use a small tank temporarily? You're going to have a hell of a time heating that greenhouse by any other means....
Click to expand...

it was late on sunday evening when I found this out. I live an hour from the closes 'source' of propane, and the system is hooked to an underground tank that requires filling via truck, so in short, aint no way


Im using a 50 gallon drum full of burning wood chips to heat water slowly by depriving the fire of oxygen, and taking the water via 5 gallon bucket to pour on the gravel floor around the plants. It steams for about ten minutes and doing this for an hour or so raised the temp to 50F. I put the plants that I could fit into a grow tent with a 1000watt metal halide and they should be fine. Space heaters on my ACE panama along with periodic steam baths should get me through the night. Thanks everyone.
 
2

2 Legal Co

Active member
Veteran
Bear_Riot said:
PLEASE HELP

I have a recently built greenhouse, and have come home to find that the heater has not been firing. Its 22F and the temperature inside is still 40F but dropping fast.

I need to restore heat right now or I will lose everything inside, cannabis et. all.

The system is a rimol greenhouse with a renzor heater. I am looking for the manual atm and will post additional info on the heater.

My ideas at present are the use of two 1500 watt space heaters and the instillation of two additional 1000w HPS lights to provide emergency heat. The greenhouse is 22 x 44.

I may use 5 gallon buckets filled with hot water to create a heat retaining battery nearby the plants. Some sativas are two and a half months old and have just been repotted in 25 gallon pots that I dont think I can move by myself.
Click to expand...

Put your barbeque grill in there on high. and borrow one or two from the neighbors. Scrounge up some extra propane bottles too.
 
2

2 Legal Co

Active member
Veteran
2 Legal Co said:
Put your barbeque grill in there on high. and borrow one or two from the neighbors. Scrounge up some extra propane bottles too.
Click to expand...

Seal it up and stay the hell out, unless you have portable oxygen mask to wear while in there. Plants will love it, but you'll just DIE.
 
2

2 Legal Co

Active member
Veteran
After reading the thread..

Call the Propane Company and have the truck get out there and fill your tank. Tell them you are out and it's an Emergency. They'll show if the roads are passable.
 
R

recent guest

Thanks for posting everyone.

I was able to keep it hovering right around freezing all night, but it dropped to 2 degrees outside around 4 AM. I scrounged a large grow tent and made it into an ark that I put my most vulnerable plants into. I think I lost a couple big temperate/tropical perennials that I couldn't move like a ficus tree, but the Ganja is ok.

Its just annoying because the propane tank is a multi-use tank, for residential heat and the greenhouse, and someone is paid to check it periodically and clearly that didn't happen. In the future I will be taking things into my own hands and not relying on someone who doesnt have a dog in the fight, so to speak. Im pretty bummed about losing a ton of plants that Ive been raising for a while now.

As per the dryer ducting, good idea, but the greenhouse is free-standing and about 200 yards away.
 
2

2 Legal Co

Active member
Veteran
So uh,,, I'm real curious. How much prop Does it take to run a GH like that in the winter?

U might want to get a second tank and have it plumbed in with a valve. Makes a hell of a plan B. Also might want to get a Diesel or Prop Generator that'll run the GH for at least 48 hours straight. I think that'd 'normally' get you by. Craig's list has used tanks occasionally. They normally sell used for a buck a gallon or so. Even a 500 would keep it going for a few days/weeks?

I heard a couple years ago that prop was way jacked up over in GJ. They were charging over $2.25 while it was less than $1.75 in Salida. This year prop has been $179-1.89 in Salida. Some I've learned are negotiable as well.

Check for used tanks in areas that are just getting natural gas lines laid. Only problem is hauling them when they are full of prop,,,, way heavy. lol Hazmat too. hahaha
 
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