The heating of the greenhouse allows it to be used for growing various crops throughout the year. This makes it possible to get up to three harvests per year and grow a variety of heat-loving exotic plants, creating optimal conditions for their development.

Greenhouses can be heated in different ways. Each option has a number of important features and benefits. Read information about the most popular heating methods, learn tips for choosing the best option and get to work.

Comparative characteristics of the cost of fuel

What to consider when choosing a heating system?

When choosing a heating system, it is necessary to pay attention to the overall dimensions of the room and its type, because. for different materials the required intensity of heating will also vary. For example, polyethylene is characterized by high heat loss, so this material will require more intensive heating compared to a polycarbonate greenhouse.

When arranging the heating of a greenhouse, consider the size of the total cost of installing the system and its maintenance. Some heating options require serious cash investments, and their use in small greenhouses would be impractical. Others are simple and inexpensive to set up, but consume a lot of fuel in the process.

Otherwise, the owner must decide for himself how beneficial it will be to use one or another heating option specifically for his situation. The main thing is that the system provides, does not dry out the air and creates optimal conditions for the development of cultivated crops.

Greenhouse heating options

Familiarize yourself with the main features of the systems most commonly used to heat greenhouses.

This option should be considered if it is possible to connect the heating of the greenhouse to the heating system of the house.

Laid from the house to the greenhouse, they need high-quality insulation. The power reserve of the boiler must be sufficient to provide the required level of heating for both the house itself and the greenhouse.

If the length of the pipeline between the house and the greenhouse exceeds 10 m, it is better to refuse to use such a system.

There is also a way to organize autonomous steam heating. In this case, the boiler is installed in the greenhouse. Pipes and batteries are connected to the heating unit, the coolant is supplied. Water is traditionally used as a heat carrier.

To ensure forced circulation of water, the system, as a rule, is equipped with appropriate pumping equipment.

For organization, air heated in the furnace of a special boiler is used. Such heating is characterized by minimal cash costs for fuel and high rates of heat output.

In about half an hour after starting the equipment, the air temperature in the greenhouse can rise by 20 degrees. An additional advantage of the system is the absence of the need to use any intermediate heat carriers.

Air heating is best suited for regions with a mild climate. In more harsh conditions it is recommended to use a complex of air and steam heating.

In such a system, heat is generated by the combustion of gas. It is possible to equip the system both by connecting to a stationary gas supply, and by using fuel in cylinders.

During the operation of the system, there is an intensive intake of air from the heated room, accompanied by the release of water, carbon dioxide and other wastes that are dangerous for humans and, of course, plants. In view of this, the arrangement will entail additional expenses for the organization of the ventilation system.

Such heating is well suited for small greenhouses. However, when used over large areas, the cost and complexity of maintenance can be prohibitive.

Modern electric heating units allow you to equip the efficient heating of the greenhouse without much effort.

Among the main advantages of such devices, it should be noted that in the process of their work only heating of plants and soil occurs. The air does not warm up. It gradually receives heat from the heated earth. This allows you to equip the most efficient and economical heating system.

Modern systems equipped with sensors and temperature controllers, which gives ample opportunities for dividing the greenhouse into different thermal zones and providing maximum comfortable conditions for each group of plants.

Prices for popular models of infrared heaters

The main unit in such a heating system is a solid fuel boiler, which, as a rule, works on wood or coal.

The most simple system furnace heating includes a solid fuel boiler and a chimney that goes out of the greenhouse to the street. Additionally, you can complete the system with pipes and radiators, which will allow you to organize the most efficient and high-quality heating.

The chimney needs regular cleaning from fuel combustion products.

Available on the market as normal wood stoves, as well as modern ones. Such devices do not need frequent filling of fuel and consume it as efficiently as possible.

Installing a solid fuel boiler directly in the greenhouse will cause the air and soil to dry out, as a result of which the cultivated plantings may simply die. To prevent this from happening, when installing a solid fuel boiler in a greenhouse, it is imperative to equip an air humidification system. Usually it is enough to install a large container of water.

Stove greenhouse heating is the most popular heating option. In addition, there is nothing complicated in arranging such a system - even a novice master will cope with the work. Also, solid fuel heating unconditionally outperforms electric heating in terms of cost. That is why the procedure for organizing heating of a greenhouse will be considered using the example of stove heating.

Arrangement of furnace heating of the greenhouse

First option

First step. In the vestibule of the greenhouse, lay out the brick furnace of the stove on a pre-equipped foundation.

Second phase. Lay out along the entire length of the room.

Third stage. Lead the flue pipe out of the greenhouse from the other side. As a result, the products of combustion will be effectively removed from the room, and the heat will remain inside.

Refractory brick prices

Refractory brick

Second option

1 - heating boiler;
2 - tank-thermos;
3 - circulation pump;
4 - relay-regulator;
5 - registers;
6 - thermocouple

First step. Prepare a large metal barrel. Paint its inner surface in two layers - this will provide protection against corrosion.

Second step. Make several holes in the body. To one of them you will connect the chimney. Others will be used to connect the tap and expansion tank.

Third step. Weld a sheet metal stove and insert it into the prepared barrel.

Fourth step. Weld a piece of pipe to the hole in the barrel to connect the chimney. The total length of the smoke exhaust structure should be at least 4-5 m.

Fifth step. Install the expansion tank on the barrel. A capacity of 20-30 liters will suffice. You can buy a tank or weld it yourself from sheet metal.

Sixth step. Run piping around the greenhouse. Lay the pipes on the ground with a step of 120 cm. This arrangement of the heating elements will contribute to the effective heating of the soil in the places where plant roots are located.

Seventh stage. Install to force water circulation through the system.

Turn on the water supply and make sure all connections are tight. If leaks are found, seal them immediately. Only after that you can start testing the stove and take the heating system into permanent operation.

Successful work!

Video - Do-it-yourself greenhouse heating

Boiler for a greenhouse from a gas cylinder

For work, you will need an empty gas cylinder directly, a coil (a U-shaped tube with threads at the ends), a metal grill, a gate valve, hinges and two metal door handles. You should also prepare a chimney pipe, taking into account the length of the greenhouse, a welding machine with electrodes, a drill and a grinder, pipes and a radiator for the heating circuit. For the front wall of the furnace, a small sheet of steel is required.

From these simple devices, a boiler with a water circuit is assembled to heat the country greenhouse.

Step 1

After making sure that the balloon is empty, we saw it with a grinder in two. One of the parts will serve as the body of the furnace, from the second we will make an ash box.

Step 2

We take the grate, make measurements and cut it so that the resulting segment fits inside the cylinder. We grab the grate by welding. Now the stove is divided into a fuel combustion chamber (2/3 of the volume) and an ash pan (1/3 of the volume).

Step 3

We put the cylinder on a sheet of steel, circle it with chalk, cut out the front wall according to the markings. Cut off 1/3 of the circle. From this piece we make the ash pan door by welding the handle and cutting out a semicircular piece for the bottom of the drawer from the second part of the cylinder.

We cut a rectangular hole in a larger piece of the wall. We weld hinges, a handle and a latch (latch) to the cut out rectangle. The door should tightly close the firebox.

Step 4

We introduce a coil (water circuit) inside the furnace. We make markings for the coil, drill two holes in the upper part of the furnace to bring out the ends of the threaded pipe. We weld the coil to the metal plate and the top of the furnace.

Trying on the coil

Step 5

We equip the chimney. We cut a hole for the pipe in the upper back of the furnace. We weld a pipe to connect the chimney. We monitor the quality, otherwise the draft and operation of the boiler will be impaired.

We weld the chimney pipe in such a way that it will pass at an inclination of about 20 degrees through the entire greenhouse. The chimney will exit through the back wall of the greenhouse, rising 1 meter above the roof. Be sure to consider thermal insulation at the point of contact between the greenhouse wall and the chimney, so that a fire does not happen.

We connect the chimney pipe to the furnace pipe using sheet asbestos and a coupling, tightening it with wire.

Step 6

We connect metal pipes for the water circuit to the ends of the coil that are brought out. The piping must contain an expansion tank and a pump that will pump water through the pipes.

Thus, the water heated in the coil will flow into the radiator, and when it cools down, it will again fall into the boiler. The chimney pipe will serve as an additional source of heat. Also, a long chimney will reduce heat loss, increasing the efficiency of the boiler.

Step 7

We install the stove in the greenhouse, having previously built a brick or concrete base and laid out a brick screen on three sides of the firebox. For stability, the furnace can be equipped with legs made of any fittings or long products.

We load fuel into the stove, ignite it, adjust the draft by opening or closing the firebox / ash pan door.

Greenhouses are structures with non-standard tasks and rather difficult operating conditions. Moreover, for the normal development of plants, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature not only in the air, but also in the soil. Therefore, both the air and the roots will have to be heated. And all this must be taken into account when choosing a heating method.

On the one hand, it is easier to make heating a polycarbonate greenhouse than film or glass: polycarbonate has a lower thermal conductivity. But on the other hand, it is necessary to prevent overheating: the softening temperature of the material is 130-180 o C. When installing the system, you need to keep this in mind and do not forget about thermal insulation in the places of entry / exit of heating pipes or smoke exhaust.

How to make heating economical

For polycarbonate greenhouses, any of the existing heating methods can be used. The point is to spend as little money as possible. And the solution is no different from the one they talk about when heating a house: achieve good thermal insulation, then heating will be inexpensive.

It is clear that greenhouses are different from home, but if you want to have a positive temperature all winter, you will have to make a foundation, moreover, it is thermally insulated, and you can also make walls from the ground 50-70 cm from any building material and warm them up too. Preferably with expanded polystyrene, and the thickness of the insulation is from 100 mm. This will not greatly affect the illumination: there is not much light in this zone, and the walls are usually spattered, but this wall will significantly reduce heat loss. And you also need to remove the soil, and fill in at least the same expanded clay there, tamp it well, and then pour the soil. Even if you don’t grow anything directly on the ground, you need to make insulation - there will be no heat leaking through the ground.

Put the greenhouse on an insulated foundation, make a wall 50-70 cm high and insulate it well, pour a thermal insulator under the ground. Measures are simple, and you will have to spend less on heating

And when choosing a material for a greenhouse, pay attention not only to light transmission and durability, but also be sure to look at thermal conductivity. The worse the material conducts heat, the easier it will be to maintain the temperature. Polycarbonate itself holds heat very well, but a lot also depends on the region, as well as on the quality and thickness of the material.

If the heat loss is still large, a good option: two layers of material with an air gap between them. The materials do not have to be the same, but such a “pie” significantly reduces heat loss. But here you need to look so that the light transmission is sufficient.

Types of greenhouse heating

If the insulation is done, you can choose the type of heating of the polycarbonate greenhouse. More about each of them.

When selecting equipment and planning any heating system, it is important to know the exact heat loss of your space. They can either be calculated by ordering a heat engineering calculation from a specialist, or the actual ones can be determined using a thermal imager. But in any case, you need to know them. Only in this way will you be able to build the system correctly and, even in severe frosts, your plants will not freeze.

Water heating

The most familiar to all. If you install radiators or registers, then, like all convection systems, they will not create the best microclimate for plants: the warmest air is collected at the top, and the coldest air is below where the plants are located. To equalize the temperature regime, an effective ventilation system will be needed. Still have to decide how to heat the soil. You can make traditionally organized combined heating. This is when part of the coolant from the boiler is supplied to the radiators, and the second part - to the pipes of the warm floor.

As an option, the same coolant, after leaving the radiators, can be fed into pipes already located on the beds or under pallets. In one fell swoop, you solve both the problem of maintaining air temperature and warming the roots.

This version of the system design will require less equipment. At standard scheme combined water heating requires additionally (except for the boiler, pipes and radiators) a mixing and pumping unit and a collector. , you may also need it, but in the simplest version, perhaps even assembled on your own. But the mixing unit is not needed. It mixes the hot coolant from the boiler and cooled down from the return, is already fed into the floor pipes. In the proposed scheme, the supply to the pipes of the underfloor heating goes after the passage of the radiators, that is, from the return, so the water has already cooled down and the mixing unit is not required.

Please note that the system with such a scheme should be and will have to control the temperature of the coolant at the inlet to the soil heating pipes (so as not to burn the root system). But these are not all the shortcomings: the temperature at the inlet to the underfloor heating pipes will be relatively high (40-45 o C), but as you move it will be lower and it is quite possible that by the end of the circuit there will be no heat at all. Therefore, most likely, you will need to make several branches, in which radiators will be installed first, and then floor heating pipes.

Water heating is one of the most economical in operation, but very expensive to install.

Let's move on to the advantages and disadvantages of water heating. Let's start with the disadvantages. Firstly, this system requires high costs at the installation stage: a lot of expensive parts and components. Secondly, in relation to greenhouses, it creates not the best conditions: the air dries up, and heat is distributed unevenly. With simultaneous heating of air and soil, the picture is more pleasant (for plants), but you still need to take care of ventilation.

Advantages of water heating of polycarbonate greenhouses:

• Economy in use. Water heating, according to calculations per 1 kW of heat, is one of the most economical. But how much exactly you will spend on heating depends on how well the structure keeps heat, what fuel you use.
• Quite a large thermal inertia. It takes some time to heat up the coolant, but even if it stops, it will give off heat for some time.
• The ability to use the type of fuel that is more acceptable to you.

air heating

There is one unpleasant feature in using this method for greenhouses - the air dries very much, much more than when using a radiator scheme. Therefore, you will have to take measures to constantly moisturize it. The uneven heating is also preserved: the warmest air is at the top, the coldest is at the bottom. So a ventilation system is also needed.

What are the advantages: in mobility and high speed heating. In this case, the entire installation in the simple version comes down to placing a heater on the territory of the greenhouse and organizing a chimney. This is if you use stoves on wood, coal, gas or liquid fuel. As soon as the installation is completed, you can immediately heat the air. In the case of using heaters on electricity, it is even easier. You just need to install it and plug it into a power outlet. No other costs are required. But if desired, for a more even distribution of warm air, you can separate the air ducts. This will improve the climate in the greenhouse. True, equipment may be needed to ensure air circulation (fans), but the heating will be more uniform.

Everything is not bad, but such heating does not have thermal inertia: they stopped heating, heat ceased to be released, the greenhouse quickly got cold. And one more thing: the problem of heating the soil has not been solved in any way. Not all plants can develop normally in such conditions.

You can try to lay a system similar to air ducts in the ground. But in this case, you need to carefully consider the materials from which they are made: it must be chemically resistant, harmless, have good thermal conductivity (heat should not be transported, as in traditional systems, but given to the ground). In general, the task.

Advantages of air heating of polycarbonate greenhouses:

• High air heating rate. For example, it can heat 4-6 m 3 of air in a minute.
• Low installation costs.

infrared heating

Devices that emit heat in the infrared range are a very good option for greenhouses. They do not heat the air, like the heaters discussed above, but objects, plants and soil, and the air is already heated from them. Very similar to exposure to sunlight. And plants in such conditions develop better, and the leaves do not dry (which is a problem of the first two heating options due to excessive dryness of the air).

Advantages of the infrared system: fast installation, no chimney required. However, in our country this type of greenhouse heating (made of polycarbonate too) is used infrequently. To a large extent, due to the fact that a guaranteed power supply is required, and this is not always possible.

Infrared heating can also be done for the ground. There are carbon heating films on the market that also emit heat in the infrared range. They are used for floor heating in houses and apartments, but no less successfully used in greenhouses. They are easy to install: roll out on a flat base. In the case of greenhouses, a thick plastic film will need to be laid on top, which will protect them from moisture, and then soil can be poured. Wires are connected to the conductive tires on the film with special crimp contacts, which are connected to the thermostat. The system is quite effective when using a thermostat. The films work without it, but then it will be very difficult to control the temperature of the soil. And the thermostat allows you to set the desired at the moment, which in some cases is very important.

Advantages of infrared heating for polycarbonate greenhouses:

• Quick installation.
• The best microclimate in the greenhouse.
• Operating costs are 20% less than when using electric convectors of the same power.

Or here is such a non-standard solution for heating the soil: a water electric underfloor heating.

What fuel to heat the greenhouse and the choice of boiler

Two options - water and air heating - involve the use of a boiler. But you have to choose, first of all, fuel. There is nothing to talk about for a long time. Choose the type that is the most affordable for you. Both in terms of price and delivery.

Now about the choice of the boiler itself. If you are going to heat with firewood, then an ordinary boiler, although relatively cheap, you will constantly have to be near the stove: you need to throw up firewood every 2-3 hours (and this is at best with good thermal insulation). It is wiser to consider purchasing or manufacturing. In some cases, firewood needs to be added once a day or even less often, but these are very expensive boilers. If the idea interests you, you can make a long-burning stove yourself. For example " or one of its variants "Slobozhanka".

The self-made wood-burning stove “Bubafonya” is unsightly in appearance, but the fuel in it burns for a really long time. One such unit can heat a small polycarbonate greenhouse

For those who decide to use a solid fuel convector, we can advise you to take a closer look at or similar stoves like "Fire Battery" or "Student". Do not even doubt about the "Buler" - the stove is very economical and, with proper placement, it will heat the greenhouse quickly and without burning: hot air comes out of the pipes only in the active mode. In operation, the body temperature is around 40 o C, and the air is heated up to 45-50 o C. Due to the unique design, the stove takes the coldest air from below, so it will be warm in the greenhouse, especially in the domed one. Not only that, however, a qualified welder is required.

If we talk about diesel fuel boilers, then they must be taken out to another room. And you will also have to think about where to place the fuel tank and how to heat it: at temperatures below +5 o C, the solarium thickens and clogs the nozzle. Yes, and the prices for it now are such that it is easier to heat with electricity - the costs are comparable, and the headache is many times less. Maybe you should think about mining boilers? They are industrially made (although if they are imported, then they are not designed for our testing), but there are also home-made ones. .

The luckiest of all are those who have close main gas. Connection, of course, will be expensive, but today it is still the cheapest heating. Although, if the price continues to grow at such a rate, we will soon look for an alternative.

By the way, about the alternative. The second after gas in terms of the cost of a kilowatt of heat is pellet heating, or briquette heating. For pellets, a special burner is needed, but briquettes can be placed in a regular solid fuel boiler. At the same time, their burning time is longer, a kilogram of fuel emits more heat. There is almost no ash, and the one that is is an excellent eco-friendly fertilizer: from the boiler to the garden.

For this, using a home-made or purchased press and various combustible waste - from waste paper and sawdust to hay and seed husks. By the way, the best fuel is obtained from the seed husk. Its heat capacity is greater than that of the best dry firewood, and even some brands of coal.

Pellets and briquettes are an unconventional choice for our country. It is good because briquettes can be made from waste yourself

Also, do not discount, because it is not in vain that they are popular in pragmatic and tight-fisted Europe. Automated special pellet boilers are expensive, but there are models that can run on diesel, gas and pellets. The fuel is changed by replacing the burner. Universal units - what you have, so you drown. And in general, combined boilers are a great option. They just cost a lot.

And another alternative solution - the use of solar energy -. This, of course, is not a cheap option for installation, but it is quite comparable in terms of costs with a water heating and floor heating device. But if there are a large number of sunny days a year, you will save a lot on warming.

Another alternative way polycarbonate greenhouse heating - solar collectors

Electric heating option available. The choice of heating devices here is the widest, but the electricity bills will be impressive. And most likely you will need not a single-phase, but a three-phase connection, and this is a lot of money. Then it is certainly better to look at solar heating.

Results

Heating in a polycarbonate greenhouse will be economical if good insulation is made. And then you need to choose only the most affordable type of fuel (both in price and in transport costs). But for the normal development of plants, it will be necessary to warm both the earth and the air. So either consider an integrated solution - radiators + underfloor heating from one source, or two separate independent systems.

To harvest greens and vegetables throughout the year, you need to organize a winter greenhouse, pick up best way its heating and lighting. In a heated room, you can create the necessary microclimate for growing crops both for yourself and for sale. It is not difficult to build a winter polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands. To do this, you need to study a number of requirements for year-round structures.

Possibilities of a heated greenhouse

A heated greenhouse has more potential than a conventional building that is not equipped with such a system. Using a heated room for growing greens, berries, fruit or vegetable crops, the grower will be able to harvest throughout the year (subject to the arrangement of the lighting system). In a heated greenhouse, optimal temperature and humidity levels are maintained, despite frosts. Thanks to the creation of an artificial microclimate, it is possible to increase the percentage of seed germination, protect seedlings from various fungal diseases, and also harvest earlier than others.

By heating the greenhouse, you can get berries and vegetables throughout the year, collecting them several times. Thanks to the greenhouse, it is possible to create a winter garden or a flower greenhouse during the cold season, increase the duration of flowering of crops or grow exotic plants that are not adapted to the local climate. The above factors can significantly increase the profitability of the site and increase the amount of revenue if the greenhouse is used to grow plants for sale.

Design features

A year-round greenhouse is a stationary structure, during the construction of which it is important to establish a solid foundation and a reliable frame. For the manufacture of the foundation, concrete, brick or blocks will be the best materials. With the help of them, you need to mount a strip foundation around the entire perimeter of the future building. It is better to refuse a wooden base, since wood requires frequent replacement.

Also, special attention is paid to the frame. Avoid using plastic or wood. A metal frame made of galvanized steel is best suited. It will be strong and durable. The winter greenhouse should have a gable or arched roof. Such forms will prevent the accumulation of snow in winter, which will reduce the risk of damage to the structure.

It is worth paying special attention to the choice of polycarbonate. For ordinary unheated structures, thin materials (up to 8 mm) are suitable. This is a budget polycarbonate with a small mass. However, it is not suitable for the construction of a year-round greenhouse. In this case, preference should be given to polycarbonate sheets with a thickness of at least 10 mm. They will retain heat well, as well as withstand wind and snow loads.

For a year-round greenhouse, it is important to choose a heating system. For this, many heating methods have been invented. All of them have various features and have their own advantages and disadvantages.

How can you heat?

In early spring, you can heat greenhouses in several ways, the choice of which will primarily depend on the purpose of the room. If you plan to heat a small building in which vegetables are grown for yourself, it makes no sense to purchase expensive industrial plants. In this case, various furnaces or boilers are suitable.

Stove heating in greenhouses was used 20-25 years ago, but it is still relevant today. For these purposes, gardeners and gardeners use specialized boilers or barbecues designed to maintain optimal temperature indicators. When using furnaces, heat is generated by burning fuel. The advantages of such a system are its simplicity and low costs for maintaining the temperature, and its disadvantages are low productivity and labor-intensive operation.

Heating of overall polycarbonate greenhouses can be carried out using water or electric heating. In the first systems, it is necessary to use boilers, pumps and pipelines through which the hot coolant will move. With water heating, heat is generated by burning gas or by using electric current.

Electric heating involves the use of electrical appliances to heat the air in the greenhouse.

• Heating with cables. The principle of operation of such a system is simple: a heat cable is installed under the ground (similar to the installation of a warm floor) and connected to power sources. When turned on, it will heat the soil, and from it the heat will spread throughout the room. The system is economical and efficient. Most often it is used in greenhouses for growing plants in early spring or late autumn. For space heating in winter time years, this method of heating is inefficient.

• Heat guns. The current option for space heating without the need to purchase expensive and difficult-to-install units. Such equipment can be operated immediately after purchase. Most often, devices are placed under the ceiling. The fan built into the unit will “drive” warm air masses around the entire perimeter, ensuring uniform heating of the room.

• Convectors. The equipment is designed to be placed throughout the space. These installations quickly warm up the room and do not form hot air currents, which has a beneficial effect on the growth and productivity of plants.

Year-round greenhouses can be heated using gas systems. For these purposes, summer residents and gardeners often use catalyst burners connected either to main gas pipeline, or to household cylinders. Gas heating is suitable for warming up in the winter season, both large-sized and small greenhouses. The best heating systems are those that use infrared (IR) heaters. They have many advantages over other heating options.

Infrared heaters are climatic equipment, which is the latest development for heating greenhouses in cold seasons. These units have become the most popular among farmers and summer residents.

The principle of operation of IR devices is similar to the effect of sunlight on plants. The equipment emits heat, which is absorbed by surrounding objects and subsequently transferred to the air. Depending on the type of installation, the room can be heated from above or below. Some growers organize high-quality heating from all sides. However, this heating method is one of the most expensive.

Often, heaters are placed on the ceiling surface above the beds. The weight of one device is relatively small - its mass does not exceed 5 kg. Most modern greenhouses allow you to place any number of such units. The installation of IR equipment is not difficult, thanks to which the installation can be done by hand without the involvement of hired craftsmen.

Advantages and disadvantages

Every year more and more growers refuse to use outdated systems for heating cold greenhouses. Today, it is rare for anyone to heat rooms with the help of "bourgeois stoves", fan heaters or coal-fired or wood-burning boilers. All these methods are a thing of the past, since they have a significant drawback. These systems heat the air, which, according to the laws of physics, rises, leaving the crops grown cool.

Infrared heaters managed to solve this and many problems of space heating once and for all.

Compared to other systems, they have a number of advantages.

• Optimally distribute heat around the perimeter. Most types of thermal devices on the modern market cannot boast of such an effect.
• Rapid heating of the room. The spread of heat is felt already in the first minute after turning on the device. The devices work in a direction, thanks to which it is possible to evenly heat a specific area. Due to this feature, heat-loving plants and crops for which thermal energy is not so important can be grown in one greenhouse.
• Economical consumption of electrical energy. With the correct installation of the equipment, it is possible to achieve energy savings of up to 40%.
• Exclusion of the occurrence of drafts and the movement of warm air currents, which not all plants like.

• Silent operation of devices.
• Exclusion of "burning" of oxygen in the air. Thanks to this feature, optimal humidity is maintained indoors. This is one of the most important conditions for good growth and fruiting of plants.
• The durability of devices and their uninterrupted operation. The fact is that IR equipment does not include moving mechanisms and rubbing parts that need frequent replacement.
• Small dimensions and weight of the units, which make them easy to transport and install.

Unfortunately, not a single thermal equipment is without drawbacks. There are also disadvantages to infrared heaters. These include the high cost of organizing an IR heating system and the low fire safety of some models (mostly mobile units). In addition, there are counterfeits of equipment from well-known brands on the market, because of which the buyer runs the risk of purchasing low-quality goods.

Types of IR Heaters

Infrared equipment is classified according to several criteria. The most common classification is according to the type of energy source. IR installations can be electric, diesel or gas. Electric ones are one of the most popular types of greenhouse heaters among growers. Unlike heat guns or various convection devices, also powered by electricity, infrared units consume much less resources.

Most of these heaters appearance reminiscent of a fluorescent lamp with a flat body in which lamps or heating elements are located. The inner part is equipped with a reflective shell designed to focus radiation. IR electric heaters have high power and compactness. Most often they are purchased for household greenhouses. In addition to electric, manufacturers produce gas infrared heaters. They have greater thermal power compared to previous equipment. Most often, such installations are used to maintain a given temperature in commercial large-sized greenhouses with a ceiling height of at least 10 meters. Coke or natural gas can be used as an energy source.

The last type of infrared heaters is diesel. They are often installed in commercial premises for growing crops for sale. Diesel units have similar performance to gas units. However, they are more compact and less bulky. IR heaters are classified according to their appearance.

They can be performed:

• in the form of a lamp;
• in the form of a film or tape.

Unlike traditional heaters that use lamps, a film or tape unit consumes resources most economically.

In addition, infrared heaters are light and long-wave. The former are capable of heating various surfaces up to 600 degrees. Therefore, such devices are intended for commercial buildings with a large area. For medium and small greenhouses, it is better to purchase long-wave devices. They are less powerful than lights.

IR installations, depending on the mounting method, are divided into mobile and stationary. The first have legs or wheels with which they move from one place to another.

Stationary models can be ceiling, suspended, wall or baseboard. Film variations are universal. They can be placed on the ceiling or wall surface, as well as under the ground. In the first case, they are mounted in a vertical position around the perimeter of the greenhouse or between the beds. In the second, the device is installed under the soil at a depth not exceeding half a meter.

Suspended units are designed for mounting in specially prepared suspended structures. Ceiling units are attached directly to the ceiling using anchor bolts with a threaded pitch of up to 7 mm.

What version of the infrared heater to choose for the greenhouse will primarily depend on the size of the room and the conditions for using the equipment. First you need to decide which device you need - stationary or mobile. The first is suitable for small structures. It is easy to move it from one corner to another or even use it for several greenhouses. Such equipment is economical and inefficient, due to which it is not suitable for commercial use.

If the choice fell on stationary models, it is best to choose a ceiling modification. Such devices will not take up useful space, but at the same time they will be able to heat a large area due to the extensive range of radiation. Ceiling type heaters are most often used for large structures. Their number is calculated in accordance with the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room.

Less often, summer residents prefer floor heaters. If you buy such modifications, it is best to purchase products with a tubular or ceramic heating element. Such heating elements heat up quickly, serve for a long time (at least three years) and are economical (depending on the model, the power consumption ranges from 50 to 2000 W). Products with a tubular element are more expensive than ceramic ones, but they are more reliable and convenient to use. Their only drawback is the noisy work. The operation of such devices is accompanied by extraneous sounds - crackling or clicking.

It is recommended to refuse devices with a carbon heating element, since they have a short service life and consume a lot of energy. In addition, such aggregates emit a bright glow that irritates the human eye. When choosing, you should also abandon equipment with a halogen heating element. It has been proven that such installations have a negative impact on human health. Wall-mounted devices are most often chosen by gardeners who do not have children. Otherwise, the devices must be installed so that they are out of their reach. If you plan to place IR heaters under windows to prevent drafts, it is better to buy skirting products. They fit perfectly into the window opening.

When choosing an infrared heater, it is important to pay attention to its power. Devices should be selected taking into account the size of the room. Usually, for heating 10 m2, a device with a power of 1000 W is required, but it is better to purchase units with a margin. If a wall-mounted heater is chosen, it is important to find out the thickness of the radiator foil layer. Its performance should not be lower than 120 microns. Otherwise, a significant part of the energy will be spent on heating the ceiling.

It is important to know that manufacturers use a special insulator to prevent excessive heating of the heater body. Before buying, you need to make sure that the device uses a basalt insulating component. It is safe for human health. Some manufacturers use other raw materials and additives that release formaldehyde when heated.

Manufacturers produce models of heaters with various functions. It is necessary to think in advance whether they will be used during operation, otherwise there are great risks of overpaying for something that will not be useful in the future.

Devices can have the following options:

• regulation of temperature parameters;
• automatic shutdown of the device when it is turned over (mobile variations);
• shutdown of equipment in case of its possible overheating;
• turning the unit on or off at the right time.

Before buying a device, you should carefully inspect its case. It can be made from steel or aluminium. The first options are more durable, the second - stylish design. On any of the cases there should be no traces of mechanical stress or rust. Corrosion can reduce the life of the device, declared by the manufacturer.

How to do it yourself and save on heating?

To reduce the financial costs of heating a greenhouse located in a garden or in a personal plot, it is recommended to organize stove heating. This method of heating the room will allow you to heat the building to the optimum temperature, despite the weather conditions. In order for the heating system to be effective, it is necessary that the thermal power of the furnace is appropriate for the volume of the greenhouse.

Stove heating is in demand among gardeners due to the following factors:

• fast heating of the stove;
• affordable cost of the fuel used;
• easy installation and operation;
• the possibility of building a furnace with your own hands from improvised materials.

The main disadvantage of stove heating is the inability to make the heating process automatic. To ensure the optimum temperature, the grower will have to be constantly present in the greenhouse and put fuel in the furnace, since when it cools down, the risks of crop death are high.

For the arrangement of furnace heating, the following types of furnaces can be used.

• "Burgeon". Metal stove with a straight chimney. The design includes a combustion chamber, an ash pan and a door for loading fuel. During the combustion of coal or firewood, the metal walls of the furnace heat up, giving off heat into space. The advantages of using such a furnace include unpretentiousness to fuel (even garbage can be used for these purposes), rapid heating. Its disadvantages are low efficiency, rapid cooling, uneven heating of the space and the impact on humidity indicators.

• Buleryan. Bake industrial production with hollow pipes built into the housing through which warm air is supplied. The advantages of using buleryan are its high efficiency, economical fuel consumption and uniform heating of the space. The disadvantages include low heat capacity (the furnace cools down quickly, which is why it is able to heat the space only during the furnace).

• Brick oven. A building that can be used for year-round heating. Such a design can be performed in any shape and size (these parameters directly depend on the area of ​​the greenhouse). The laying of this furnace is carried out in accordance with the diagrams and drawings for bath structures. Such devices have a high heat capacity. They evenly distribute thermal energy throughout the volume.

To install a brick capital oven, you should consider a number of recommendations:

• the structure is mounted on a solid, horizontal, concrete base;
• parts exposed to strong heat should be at a distance from polycarbonate greenhouse walls (at least 70 cm);
Share with your friends

Polycarbonate greenhouses are currently the most popular and optimal designs for growing vegetables, fruits and flowers in suburban areas.

Thanks to their unique characteristics, in particular, increased thermal insulation and light transmission (up to 85% of sunlight), as well as affordability, polycarbonate greenhouses are in great demand.

However, it is important to equip an efficient and high-quality heating system for a polycarbonate greenhouse. Only in this case it is possible to guarantee the rapid growth of all plants and the exclusion of additional financial costs.

Polycarbonate greenhouses: how to heat in a cold winter?

In order to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse built with your own hands on a personal plot, you will not need any powerful and expensive equipment. There is no need to use all kinds of industrial equipment and units, the price of which may simply be incomparable with their performance.

At present, the heating of a greenhouse made of modern material(polycarbonate) can be organized in two main ways:

1. With the help of simple and practically free improvised means;
2. With the help of specialized, productive and technological equipment.

The main types of heating

As mentioned above, there are two ways to heat a greenhouse - using time-tested "handy" devices and equipment specially designed for this purpose.

• "Stove heating. This type of heating devices for greenhouses can be seen in many photos and videos from 15-20 years ago.
  As a rule, all kinds of stoves, boilers and even barbecues are used to maintain the optimum temperature in the greenhouse. Heat is obtained by burning various solid and liquid fuels.
  In most cases, stoves are installed in the vestibules of greenhouses, which will require the arrangement of ventilation and gas exhaust systems. The disadvantage of this category of heating in general can be called low efficiency and labor intensity;

• Heating a polycarbonate greenhouse using modern technologies . This category can be safely attributed.
  Such systems are distinguished by their increased productivity, efficiency and ease of maintenance, they allow you to obtain and maintain the temperature set and most optimal for each type of plant.

Heating polycarbonate greenhouses with the help of electrical systems involves the use of all kinds of convectors and heating elements. The instruction involves the installation of heating devices around the perimeter of the greenhouse, which makes it possible to simply and quickly increase and decrease the air temperature in the greenhouse, its uniform distribution throughout the room.

Water heating systems for greenhouse space are based on the use of boilers, pumps and pipelines. In this case, water is used as a heat carrier, while the heat itself is obtained by burning gas or using electricity.

Gas heating systems for polycarbonate greenhouses

Natural gas is an excellent type of fuel for heating greenhouses. By itself, polycarbonate perfectly holds heat, and therefore the cost of gas for heating will be quite insignificant.

It should be noted that modern catalyst burners connected to the main gas pipeline or cylinders are used to provide the greenhouse.

Tip: Gas heating of polycarbonate greenhouses does not require the installation of a powerful boiler.
It will be enough just to perform a preliminary calculation and choose a model whose power will be sufficient for efficient heating of the greenhouse, saving money and fuel.

Gas, made of a material such as polycarbonate, is an inexpensive and effective way to obtain the required amount of heat. With a rather laborious installation process, such heating allows you to get a lot of advantages, among which the high cost of gas is not in last place.

Soil heating in a greenhouse: system efficiency

In addition to, in fact, heating the air in the greenhouse, one of the most effective ways increasing the yield of vegetables and fruits is to ensure soil heating. The soil itself is a good conductor of heat, and therefore there will be no problems with providing inexpensive and high-quality heating for this component of the greenhouse.

In fact, the greenhouse soil heating system is the same warm floor, but it still has some differences from the technologies used in an apartment or a private house. So, for example, the laying of underfloor heating pipes in a greenhouse is carried out on a drainage layer. In addition, instead of concrete and other foundations (as it would be in a house), the pipeline is installed directly into the soil in contact with moisture.

In order for the soil heating system to work efficiently and without failures, it is necessary to work out the system correctly, competently approach the process of choosing the main components. The advantage of this type of polycarbonate greenhouse heating is the small volume of coolant in the system, the maximum heat exchange area and the increased efficiency of the boiler.

Conclusion

The arrangement of additional heating in a polycarbonate greenhouse is a great opportunity to increase the efficiency and productivity of such a room. It should be noted that if the issue of designing and installing a heating system is approached with all responsibility, it is possible to eliminate all sorts of unpleasant situations and unnecessary financial costs in the future.

It is impossible not to mention the fact that the use of heating systems in greenhouses (including those made from such material as polycarbonate) helps to make buildings universal. In other words, it will be possible to grow any plants in such greenhouses throughout the year, which is very convenient, because healthy vegetables and fruits, as well as fresh flowers, will always be on the table.

Possibilities of a heated greenhouse

Such conditions begin to take shape in the second half of March, so crops can be started around the middle of the month.

From April, by heating the greenhouse, you can harvest the first crop: first onions, radishes, parsley, dill, kale, lettuces, then cauliflower and early cabbage. Tomato seedlings are planted in the vacated places, and then cucumbers.

A heated greenhouse without lighting allows you to start the season about a month earlier than usual. Acceptable conditions for plants come from the moment when the soil warms up to + 5 ... + 7 ° С. Therefore, it is more important not to heat the air, but to warm the soil. This can be achieved in three ways:

• we put biofuel into the soil (the so-called warm beds, where a layer of organic material is placed under a layer of soil 30-35 cm high - dry leaves, food waste, fresh manure, which decompose with the release of heat and warm the root-inhabited layer of plant soil);
• we heat the greenhouse with an underground pipeline (but timely watering will be important, since underground heating dries the soil);
• we warm the soil with infrared heaters (the most natural, but also the most costly method associated with a high consumption of electricity).

Greenhouse construction

1. Covering material.

In the spring, no less a problem than heat is lighting. When choosing a material for coating, you have to look for the perfect balance of thermal conductivity and light transmission.

• glass allows you to get good lighting, but gives very poor thermal insulation;
• double-glazed windows are good in every sense except one: they are too expensive;
• cellular polycarbonate is the most acceptable option. For sheets with a thickness of 4 mm, the loss of light will be about 13% (twice as high as that of glass), but it is 4 times warmer. For comparison, when using even a single-layer film, we already lose about 40% of the light. In a greenhouse without lighting, which is “launched” in March, a single-layer polycarbonate is enough. In the presence of light, you can make the greenhouse year-round, then the polycarbonate is placed in two layers - outside and inside the frame (the same “four” is enough).

Frame.

Its strength is very important. The glass greenhouse allows heat to pass through from the inside - on a relatively clear day, the radiation from the heated soil is enough to make the snow come off the slopes. But on polycarbonate, especially two-layer, due to low thermal conductivity, no water film forms, and snow accumulates.

Requirements for the design of a heated greenhouse with an area of ​​3x6 m

In the drawing, the numbers indicate:

1. Polycarbonate with a thickness of 4 mm and a density of 860 g / m and above (for a given thickness). Lightweight is not good - it will bend and fall through the snow. High-quality polycarbonate will last at least 10 years.
2. Height must be balanced. The higher the greenhouse, the greater its thermal inertia (the volume cools more slowly, as if storing free solar heat for the night). But at too high a height, this heat will accumulate under the ceiling, and cold air will descend to the plants. In practice, it has been established that the optimal height of the greenhouse along the ridge is about 2 m. For example, 210-215 cm. It is convenient to walk along such a greenhouse, and it is not difficult to heat it.
3. Profile - welded square pipes with a cross section of at least 30 mm and a metal thickness of at least 1.5 mm. A bent profile (a steel strip folded with the letter “P”) is not suitable for our greenhouse: under load, it simply unbends, turning into a tape, and sags. Frame - fastened by lugs to pipes hammered into the ground to a depth of about 100 cm.
4. Expanded clay thermal insulation around the perimeter (easy to do with your own hands). If the roots of plants are allowed to freeze, then it does not matter what the air temperature will be in the greenhouse. Expanded clay dumping will protect against heat loss through the ground. For a spring greenhouse, a depth of 20 cm is sufficient; for a year-round greenhouse, we make thermal insulation to a freezing depth (70-100 cm). Expanded clay has a very low thermal conductivity, so a width of 10 cm is sufficient in a spring greenhouse, and 25-30 cm in a winter one. To prevent expanded clay from mixing with the soil, you can install a separator - plastic or roofing material. From above we cover the filling with a layer of soil (3-5 cm) so that it does not scatter. The backfill will also serve as drainage at the same time - it will prevent meltwater from the roof from going into the greenhouse.
5. Longitudinal bridges. The distance between them should not be more than 80 cm, otherwise there is a high risk of getting a "snow bag". Thus, at least 9 longitudinal jumpers are placed near a greenhouse 2 m high and 3 m wide. Some manufacturers, at the request of the customer, put 7 jumpers, but on the condition that the greenhouse is regularly cleared of snow. Of course, in this case we are no longer talking about a factory warranty.
6. cross section. Its length is not so important, since the polycarbonate ribs lie in the longitudinal direction. Usually make two-meter sections. Sections of shorter length are used in areas where the snow depth reaches 2 m, but this is rare.

Greenhouse heating by underground pipeline (pipes)

For the pipeline, metal-plastic or polypropylene pipes are needed.

They are laid below the root system of plants "to a depth of about 30 cm. The slope of the pipe from the top point (hot pipe) is about 1 cm per linear meter of the pipeline.

We maintain the temperature of the coolant at the level of +10 ... +15 ° С. You can use water or antifreeze - in the second case, the coolant does not drain for the winter.

The system is gravity flow: circulation in the circuit occurs due to the difference in the weight of warm and cold water.

The depth of the pit for the boiler is about 1.5 m (the deeper, the more active the circulation will be). It is enough to make a hole with a drill, install a wide metal pipe into it as a formwork and lower the boiler into the resulting “well” (it is a sealed pipe with a diameter of 10-15 cm with an inlet and outlet for hot and cold water).

To heat the coolant, you can use a conventional inexpensive electric boiler with a heating element (indirect heating boiler) with a capacity of about 1.5 kW. It serves for a long time, about 10 years.

For the sake of saving electricity, craftsmen replace the boiler by making a water jacket for it on their own, but the furnace needs an approach from below to lay firewood - in the end, such a structure will take up a lot of space.

At gravity system it is not recommended to arrange too long heating circuits (optimally about 25 m). To heat the entire greenhouse, splitters are attached to the boiler inlet and outlet. For example, for a two-row greenhouse with an area of ​​​​18 m 2, four contours are enough - 2 for each row 120 cm wide.

Components for such a system are inexpensive - it is quite possible to meet 5,000 rubles. But earthworks are expensive when laying a pipeline of great length - either you have to give up greenhouse tomatoes for one season and slowly dig with your own hands, or pay workers for double moving 3-4 cubes of soil.

Infrared greenhouse heating

The good thing is that it does not require serious preparations. Infra-red panels with a power of 0.7 kW are hung on wires to the ceiling of the greenhouse at a height of about 2 m - an electric sun is obtained. The panels do not heat the ceiling, they almost do not heat the air: the heat is directed to the soil and plants. For a greenhouse with an area of ​​18 sq. m you need 4-5 panels, they provide the necessary power even with a margin. It is not necessary to turn on all panels every night. At a night temperature of about 0 ° C, two extreme ones are quite enough, at -7 ... -5 ° C, three panels can be turned on (through one), and only if frost is expected below -10 ° C, all devices are used.

Infrared heating consumes more power than underground heating, the equipment estimate will be approximately 13,000-15,000 rubles, excluding the cost of the cable, which will also cost a pretty penny if the greenhouse is far from home. But infrared heating dries the soil less.

On a note:

Heating the entire greenhouse may be too expensive. To obtain radishes and early greens, as well as to plant the first batch of tomatoes, half or even a third will most likely be enough. Then the heated part must be separated from the rest of the space by a partition - at least with a dense plastic film.

On the drawing-figure 2:

On the right is an example of placing two heating circuits under a bed about 120 cm wide. It is important that the hot water lines cover the outer perimeter of the plantings.

Left: Heat rays from infrared heaters form an invisible volume in the form of cones, the bases of which overlap at the soil surface. Therefore, in relatively warm weather, it is enough to turn on 2-3 devices. They will warm up the entire greenhouse, although with less power. If frost is expected at night, all panels are turned on for more intense heating.

Yofeil gas gas burner-gun cooking burner soldering butane self-ignition Gas ...