The supply of vegetables from distant southern countries in winter provided the shelves with tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, eggplants and other exotic agricultural products. The first euphoria from such abundance did not last long: buyers quickly realized that for the beautiful appearance of vegetables they had to pay a high price - their health.
Agricultural chemistry and genetic modifications make it possible to produce products that can withstand long-term transportation and long-term storage, reaching the shelves in perfect condition. More and more buyers are consciously abandoning overseas products in favor of greenhouse vegetables and fruits.
Boiler for heating a greenhouse
The greenhouse industry in our country is actively reviving , powerful complexes and numerous private farms are appearing that supply quality products to our tables.
The specific climate of the country forces us
to take the heating of greenhouses and greenhouses seriously a soil and air heating system must be equipped to maintain optimal temperatures. For this, it is worth choosing an economical boiler with high efficiency, which will minimize the cost of growing agricultural products in the winter. Don’t forget about modern technologies, such as gsm modules , which will allow you to control the operation of heating equipment online using a smartphone .
Criteria for choosing a heating system
What should you consider before installing a greenhouse heating system?
- Finance. We must be aware that a winter greenhouse will require certain expenses.
- Plants. It is necessary to take into account what crops will grow in the greenhouse and what level of heat they need.
- Availability of fuel.
- Features of the climate.
- Arrangement of a greenhouse and its purpose.
- The size of the heated room.
- Greenhouse location.
- Ability to exercise constant control.
What kind of boiler is needed for a greenhouse?
The classic water heating system is perfect for a greenhouse. It allows you to simultaneously heat the soil and air. To do this, pipes are laid in the ground, and heating radiators are installed outside. The specificity of the operation of this system is the large difference in coolant temperature at the inlet and outlet. After circulation in the system, the water can cool down to 45-50 degrees! Not all heating equipment can cope with such a difference; the most correct solution would be to install a condensing gas boiler. This technique has the following advantages :
- Low fuel cost;
- High equipment efficiency;
- Use of steam energy;
- Compact dimensions;
- Simple controls.
A condition for efficient operation of condensing gas boilers is a low return temperature. Steam condensation occurs at 50ºС and according to this indicator, the greenhouse water heating system fully complies with the requirements of equipment manufacturers. Under such conditions, efficiency reaches 107-109% , which ensures economical heating of farm greenhouses.
High technologies do not always contribute to high quality greenhouse heating. Long-burning solid fuel boilers and pyrolysis models are popular among fans of autonomous heating due to the availability of fuel and its environmental friendliness. It is not recommended to use this technique for heating a greenhouse, since the low temperature of the coolant in the return will cause condensation to form on the internal walls of the boiler and the heat exchanger. When mixed with combustion products, aggressive solutions are formed that destroy the walls of expensive equipment.
In the absence of gas heating, the best choice would be a classic solid fuel boiler . He will cope with the task perfectly, but will require increased attention.
If you have already purchased a pyrolysis boiler or a solid fuel long-burning model, then you will need to consider a system for heating the return to a temperature above 50ºС .
Soil heating system from convectors
Convectors are good for everyone, but they cannot solve the problem of heating the earth. There is, of course, a way out - to lay pipes and blow warm air through them, but these are complex systems that are developed by professionals. You can build a similar simple homemade system using any unit: dig a hole, install a stove with a convector casing in it. You lay the chimney in the ground parallel to one of the walls and take it outside the greenhouse and only lift it up there.
Heating of both air and soil with one convection oven
The idea is simple but effective. Firstly, the air and adjacent soil around the stove are heated by thermal radiation emanating from the body (it must have a convection casing, which will provide an intense upward air flow along the walls). Secondly, combustion products, passing through a chimney located in the soil, warm it too. But problems may arise with the selection of material for such a pipeline: it should not have too good a heat transfer, otherwise the soil will become hot. In addition, these pipes must be sealed - you can’t joke with combustion products - you can get caught. They must also withstand high temperatures - at the boiler outlet the smoke temperature can be 350°C or higher (depending on the boiler and the type of fuel used). Asbestos pipes are more or less suitable for inexpensive materials, but they cannot be called environmentally friendly and require care with sealed connections.
This solution also requires the presence of a smoke exhauster in the pipe - a long horizontal section of the pipe does not at all contribute to the presence of draft. Therefore, a smoke exhauster is required and its power must be decent. It needs to be installed closer to the end - the temperatures there will be lower and it will work longer. But during installation, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of frequent cleaning - soot will accumulate: with a vertically located chimney, it mostly flies away, and in our version it is deposited on the pipes and blades of the smoke exhauster. The pipes will also need to be cleaned frequently, so some kind of inspection windows are needed here too. In general, it is problematic. But if you build a couple of such pipelines, you will be able to heat your greenhouse economically.
Where to install the heating boiler?
For large greenhouses, you can build a separate boiler room ; in medium-sized greenhouses, it is better to install heating equipment directly at the entrance to the room . Is it necessary to fence the boiler? This is not necessary, especially in the case of using gas heating equipment. If preference is given to a solid fuel boiler, then you should make sure that there is a supply of dry fuel next to the boiler. If the air humidity in the greenhouse is high, it is worth making a separate room for storing fuel.
Internal thermal insulation
To make heating more efficient and cheaper, you need to pay attention to thermal insulation.
The base can be sheathed with a suitable material - penoplex or polystyrene foam. Then polycarbonate is mounted on top, which is covered with foil-isolon or simply foil.
Decorating walls in a greenhouse with foil
The frame part can be thermally insulated using double glazing. It would be optimal to use polycarbonate. The inside can be additionally covered with bubble wrap.
Source of the article: https://mrdachnik.com/proekty-otopleniya-teplicy
How to choose a boiler for greenhouses: advice from experienced farmers
A boiler for greenhouses is the equipment that will allow you to get a good harvest even in severe frosts. Everyone knows how much vegetables cost in winter, so bringing your own vegetables during this period is a very profitable solution. But every vegetable grower who decides to start heating a greenhouse may face the difficulty of choosing a boiler, because there are several varieties on the market. Which one should you choose for this or that site? Or maybe it would be easier and cheaper to make it yourself from scrap materials?
Bubafonya
Potbelly stoves have low efficiency and require frequent refilling of fuel. Craftsman Bubafonya came up with a homemade design that differs in the principle of fuel combustion.
Features and device
The main difference in the Bubafoni stove is the upper intake of the air mass, which led to such positive properties as:
- longer fuel combustion;
- there is no need to frequently load the firebox;
- better heat retention;
- economical, because such a stove can be made from scrap materials: barrels of iron or metal; You can use not only firewood as fuel, but also boards, chips, cardboard or shavings. The Bubafonya stove also works autonomously, that is, without the use of electrical energy.
There are also disadvantages to this design:
- looks unpresentable in appearance;
- average heat transfer;
- carbon formation on the walls of the furnace;
- condensation forms, which freezes in winter and blocks the main pipe;
- during air intake, fire sometimes appears from the air duct;
- When installing such a stove, it is necessary to take care of ventilation in the greenhouse.
To make Bubafonya yourself, you need to know the structure and operating principle of the stove. Air enters through the top pipe and the fuel begins to burn. When burned, ash will accumulate on the surface of the fuel and prevent it from burning. Because of this, you need to take care of installing the press in the form of a metal pancake, the diameter of which is slightly smaller than the barrel. A hole is drilled in the middle of the pancake for an oxygen pipe.
The fuel burns and the press lowers, displacing the ash between the pancake and the wall. Such ash cools down and leaves through the chimney with the rest of the combustion products.
Manufacturing
After studying the drawings and diagrams of the stove, understanding the principle of operation, you can make Bubafonya with your own hands. An important point is the choice of container. It can be used as a large diameter pipe, a barrel, or an empty gas cylinder.
Whatever it is, you will have to finish the design:
- get rid of the lid;
- to obtain a container with an open top, you need to weld the bottom;
- preparing the press: a metal sheet circle is suitable for this;
- drill a hole in the center for the pipe and attach the pipe by welding;
- a pipe with a large diameter is also welded onto the cover so that the first pipe can slide freely;
- to create a gap so that air can pass between the surface and the fuel, attach a metal profile to the pipe;
- for the firebox, make a door from an iron sheet and attach it;
- Make a hole for the chimney on top of the container and attach a pipe;
- make legs for the stove if the bottom is not “standing”.
When making a chimney, it is necessary to take into account the need to create resistance, which will allow longer heat retention.
Before installing the furnace, it is necessary to make a foundation of bricks and a substrate of galvanized sheet for it. This will help avoid heating the bottom of the stove, which leads to the death of nearby crops. The foundation also retains and distributes heat.
After installing the stove, it is necessary to line it with bricks to improve heat transfer.
Boiler options for greenhouses
At the moment, the following boilers for greenhouses are widely used:
- wood;
- combined (wood-coal);
- pellet;
- gas;
- electric.
Conventionally, they are classified into two more subspecies. Solid fuel boilers are the first three types above. Long-burning boilers are included in a separate category, since the principle of their operation is not based on the combustion of materials, but on their smoldering, for which a system of controlled oxygen (air) supply is used. They are the most effective and economical, but are quite expensive.
The simplest heating boilers for greenhouses are gas and electric. However, it is impossible to call them economical and profitable in the current situation. Gas and electricity are already too expensive for heating, and further price increases are expected in the future. Therefore, such boilers are used only for emergencies, when other heating options are simply unavailable for some reason.
You can cook a wood-burning boiler yourself, but it will turn out to be a banal potbelly stove. Its advantages are low cost and efficiency, but its disadvantages are the inability to regulate the temperature, the need to constantly add fuel (wood or coal), as well as uneven heating of the greenhouse area. Their use will be justified only if we are talking about a polycarbonate or glass greenhouse with steam heating (or where the pipes are laid in the ground at a depth of about 50 centimeters). And such a boiler for heating a greenhouse is suitable only for small areas. If the greenhouse occupies more than 50 square meters, then several “bourgeois” will be required. Keeping track of them is extremely difficult and troublesome.
But there is also a very big advantage for wood-burning boilers and long-burning boilers for solid fuel greenhouses. The product of their waste is ash and ash, which are extremely useful “ingredients” for growing any vegetable and fruit crops. And in the case of beets, for example, ashes allow you to get rid of any insect pests and thereby save a considerable amount on the purchase of agrochemicals (pesticides and mineral fertilizers). For a vegetable grower, this is not the least advantage.
Electric boilers
Electrical systems are used to heat the air and soil. Most often, an electric boiler is purchased to heat large greenhouses in which plants that require light and temperature grow. An electric boiler allows you to accurately set the temperature that should be maintained inside the greenhouse and use electricity to additionally illuminate the plantings.
Types of electric boilers:
- The simplest convectors will be an excellent choice for a polycarbonate greenhouse. The heating coil, through which air flows, uses little energy, but cools quickly and is not suitable for heating the soil;
- Heaters are distinguished by the fact that air circulates through the heating coil forcibly and in large volumes. The heater is equipped with a thermal fan, and the heated air goes not only into the space inside the greenhouse, but also into pipes laid underground and along the walls;
- Heating cables are laid in the soil and heat it, and this, in turn, increases the air temperature;
- Water for hydronic heating is also heated using electricity. This system is used both to heat the soil and to increase the overall temperature in the greenhouse. This heating option is recommended for use in large rooms, since electric boilers for water heating are usually sold as powerful ones, intended for farms and private homes. An alternative option is to make a wall-mounted greenhouse and install heating to it from the common boiler of a private house.
An alternative way to heat a greenhouse using electricity is to use IR heaters. These devices are shaped like regular ceiling lights, but they emit bright light that heats the objects it hits rather than the air. Infrared heaters work from the mains, and they can be used in greenhouses of any size and type. The only drawback of this heating option is the high cost of the device and the small area on which the light falls. Attaching an IR ceiling heater with your own hands is no more difficult than hanging and connecting a regular lamp.
A separate category of heating systems for greenhouses is combined boilers. They usually operate on two types of fuel at once, for example, gas and solid fuel or gas and electricity. Such complex systems are used to save one of the resources or for greater security. For example, at night electricity may cost less than during the day, and not every summer resident will decide to leave a boiler running on gas or coal for several days. Additionally, combined systems come in handy in areas where power outages occur frequently.
Choosing the most suitable boiler for heating a greenhouse is a difficult task. Its decision depends not only on the size and conditions of use of the greenhouse, but also on the preferences of the gardener. Some people choose simple gas stoves, while others choose a complex and expensive long-burning system. But in any case, installing a convector allows you to increase productivity and extend the time of use of the greenhouse by at least twice.
Which boiler to choose for a greenhouse
When choosing a boiler for heating greenhouses, you need to take into account both the area of the heated room and your financial capabilities. Ideal - long burning, but they cost an average of 100 thousand rubles. But their consumption is 2 styling for 24 hours. In large greenhouses, they completely pay for themselves in just 1-2 seasons (if the firewood or coal is purchased). In small ones, with an area of about 15-20 square meters, the payback will stretch over almost 10 seasons.
For the latter option, simple solid fuel heating boilers or those that run on gas would be ideal. The efficiency of the system will be significantly higher if it is supplemented with a pump for pumping water through pipes. This, by the way, will ensure uniform heating of the heated room.
An electric boiler, as practice shows, is a pointless waste of money. They are inefficient, use too much electricity, and only increase the temperature at the top of the greenhouse. The volume near the ground remains cold, which leads to freezing of plants.
Combined long-burning boilers are classified as industrial boilers.
They should be purchased only if the greenhouse is over 100 square meters and crops that react extremely sharply to changes in microclimate are grown in it.
These are, for example, bell peppers, strawberries, strawberries, raspberries, eggplants, carrots, potatoes. They cost accordingly - from 200 thousand rubles. But the savings are huge! And boilers of this type also operate on liquid fuel (meaning recycled oil, fuel oil, oil industry waste).
A few words need to be said about the pyrolysis boiler, which is conventionally a derivative of long-burning solid fuel. Its operating principle is based on burning wood gas. It has very high heat transfer, since a flame is supplied through the nozzle as if from an autogen, thereby quickly heating the water tank. The heat can be dissipated into a steam heating system or by a fan through a radiator. Such a boiler is both productive and economical, but it occupies quite a large space (including in height). Not suitable for small greenhouses, as they can burn plants. The landing distance from the boiler is at least 50 centimeters.
Comparison of furnaces and traditional heat generators
Most heating devices operate on the principle of rapid combustion of fuel. It is set on fire from below, and the fire goes upward. In this case, oxygen access to the combustion zone is open. The disadvantage of such a system is that the temperature constantly fluctuates. The fuel resource is not completely consumed, and as a result of combustion, soot and soot are formed. Throughout the operation of the unit, it is necessary to constantly adjust the draft and frequently add fuel.
As for long-burning units, their operating principle is somewhat different from heat generators. In this case, the fire moves in the opposite direction: from top to bottom. This makes it possible to fully load the firebox as much as possible. The fuel burns gradually. Oxygen is supplied directly to the fire itself. Burning is slow. This generates less heat. Thanks to this, it is possible to create a comfortable temperature that is optimal for greenhouses.
Among the most efficient units, it is worth highlighting gas generator or pyrolysis furnaces. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that with the slow combustion of fuel, flammable vapors are formed, which subsequently also enter into the combustion process. Thus, the efficiency of the unit increases and fuel costs are reduced. The disadvantage is that when gases are removed, condensation forms in the chimney. Therefore, the pipe must be insulated.
A gas boiler has the following advantages:
- Economical and high efficiency. Fuel is relatively inexpensive. In this case, it is possible to use wood and other things. Such units are relatively inexpensive. The efficiency of the unit is close to 85%.
- Easy to maintain. It is enough to do only a few downloads throughout the day. When the desired temperature is reached, the operation of the unit is controlled using the combustion chamber draft.
- High functionality. The stoves are ideal for the construction of heating systems of various types, as well as hot water supply.
Modern units can be built independently or purchased ready-made. To make the right choice, it is worth considering the main characteristics of existing models.
Emergency heating boilers
An experienced vegetable grower always has different types of heating boilers at his disposal, since one of them may turn off due to an interruption in gas supply, electricity, or simply break down. So, for emergency situations, electric ones are ideal, where the heating element is heated, and the heat is dissipated by a cooler. But they should be supplemented with an autonomous generator.
The most ordinary wood-burning stove is also an excellent solution for emergency heating of the greenhouse volume. But its construction should be done in advance. Smoke removal can be done in several ways. But we must not forget that vaporous gas is not harmful to plants and reduces thermal conductivity. Thanks to this, the cooling rate of the greenhouse will be significantly reduced.
Every vegetable grower could use a mobile pellet boiler. It is quite easy to transport, but it is useful for burning any solid fuel, including corn cobs. At the same time, heating occurs quickly and evenly. The only drawback is the need to have a chimney, and in strong winds it will blow in from the outside. That is, a large amount of smoke will enter the greenhouse. Plus, pellet boilers are demanding to maintain. They quickly accumulate moisture, which can only be removed mechanically. In any case, this is an excellent option for emergency heating, in which fuel can even be combined (for example, kindling with wood, maintaining temperature with coal or peat).
Homemade “bubafonya” with long burning
Using a grinder, cut off the weld seam from the top end of the barrel and smooth out the sharp edges.
The result is a cylinder and a lid with a finished flange. Using a hammer or sledgehammer, bend the edges of the cylinder inward. And bend the flange of the lid outward. Turn the cap over and place it on the cylinder. The lid will sit securely in place without slipping. Using a chisel, cut a hole for the blower pipe in the center of the lid (so that it fits freely into the hole, it is enough to use a diameter of 102 mm).
Assembly diagram for “bubafoni”.
The hole for the plug on the lid can be sealed tightly, but it is better to leave it: by looking inside you can regulate the combustion process.
Then, at the top of the barrel, a place is marked for attaching a piece of the chimney pipe.
The intended hole is cut out and a piece of chimney pipe 20-25 cm long and 150 mm in diameter is welded. You can install a shut-off valve directly inside the pipe. The stove body is ready.
Next in line is the air supply device. For greater rigidity, the edges of the pancake are bent (so that the pancake does not curl from the heat). A hole is cut in the center of the pancake for the blower pipe, and it is welded. If a lid from another barrel is used for the pancake, then the hole for the cork is sealed tightly: during combustion, gases will pass only around the circumference of the pancake. Channels or corners are welded to the pancake from the bottom side. The air supply device is also ready.
It will be inserted inside the cylinder. An adjustment valve of the same diameter as the pipe is placed at the top of the blower pipe. A threaded pin is welded vertically to the inner wall of the pipe; a hole is drilled at the edge of the damper for this pin, ensuring that the damper mounted on the pin closes the pipe exactly.
After installing the damper, tighten it with the wing nut. By loosening the nut, moving the damper towards the edge of the pipe and tightening the nut back, it will be possible to regulate the flow of air into the firebox.
Place the lid on top and the entire stove is ready.
All that remains is to install the chimney pipe. Its diameter must be less than 150 mm, otherwise combustion products will not be completely removed. For good traction, it is better to have a pipe 5 m long. Install it near the stove, preferably on legs. Weld the bottom of the pipe hermetically.
Connect the stove end-to-end to the elbow, which is welded to the chimney pipe, tighten it with a clamp, placing fiberglass under it for tightness. To drain the condensate that collects in the pipe, a ball valve is welded under the pipe elbow (a rod can be used to clear the blockage).
This tap is absolutely necessary, since freezing of the condensate can cause the weld to rupture. Condensation, in addition, can flow into the stove, and through leaks in the connecting clamp - out.
Now you can now heat the “bubafonya” stove. After removing the cover, pull out the air supply device. Place the firewood - the height should not exceed the height of the lower edge of the chimney elbow. If you place firewood vertically, more will go in. You can choose large logs, up to 20 cm in diameter - they will burn without any problems.
A top layer of finely chopped wood chips is formed. Place a rag or paper on top and pour a little kerosene on it. Now the firewood is covered with a pancake of the air supply device, and the stove lid is strung on top. When opening the air damper, throw a piece of lit paper or rag inside the air supply pipe (matches quickly go out due to strong draft).
When the firewood flares up with a characteristic crackling sound, the blower damper is completely closed. Bubafonya can work in this mode without any supervision for days.
This long-burning wood stove produces little ash due to the fact that the wood burns almost completely. The ashes may not be removed for a long time.
As you can see, it is quite possible to construct “Bubafonya” stoves with your own hands. Many craftsmen make them not only from barrels, but also from old gas cylinders and large fire extinguishers. The main requirement for a future furnace is strong steel walls.
Boiler for heating a greenhouse: wood, electricity and gas
Now we will look at the options for boilers for heating a greenhouse and see which one to choose. This can be a wood-burning, gas or electric boiler.
Currently, a healthy lifestyle is being massively popularized. A person’s physical condition depends, first of all, on what foods he consumes. Therefore, today more and more people are trying to eat healthy.
As you know, vegetables and fruits that lie on store shelves are stuffed with nitrates and other poisons, so many decide to grow their own food and resort to using greenhouses. In order for plants to grow well, it is necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature in the greenhouse, especially in winter when the air temperature is low.
Moreover, for the normal growth of your vegetation, it is important to heat not only the air, but also the ground. If this is not done, the grown products will simply die. To prevent this from happening, it is worth acquiring a boiler for heating greenhouses. This is the equipment that will act as a source for maintaining the desired temperature in your “winter garden.”
The main factors that influence the choice of heating method for greenhouses are cost and temperature stability. Therefore, it is important to choose a good heating unit.
Boilers for greenhouses are:
- solid fuel;
- gas;
- electric.
Greenhouse stove manufacturers
You can make a stove for a greenhouse yourself, or you can buy it in specialized stores, decide for yourself.
Currently, manufacturers offer many different options for greenhouse stoves:
- Buleryan.
- Butakov's stove.
- Slobozhanka.
- Vologda.
Let's consider these models in detail.
You can regulate the process of air supply into the combustion chamber using a damper. Thanks to it, you can increase or decrease the volume of oxygen supplied, which affects the final combustion rate.
Buleryan
People rarely choose such stoves for heating greenhouses, but these units guarantee long-term combustion of fuel and maintain a comfortable temperature.
Construction of the Buleryan furnace
Buleryan is a convection-type device in the form of a barrel with extended tubes, the fuel for which is firewood. It also contains:
- door for loading firewood;
- smoke damper;
- draft regulator
Externally, the Buleryan stove resembles a classic “potbelly stove”, but the principle of operation is different.
Heat exchange is carried out by:
- thermal radiation;
- heat transfer;
- convection.
In fact, it contains three devices that have different functional purposes:
- heater;
- bake;
- gas generator.
They function as follows: firewood smolders in the chamber, pyrolysis gas is produced and burned, thanks to this the process of heat transfer is carried out.
These furnaces were developed in Canada, and the German company has a patent for the production of such devices. In Russia, Buleryan is produced under the name Breneran; in terms of technical parameters, the Russian rebranding is no different from the original.
Despite the ease of use of such equipment, it has some disadvantages:
- are not equipped with regulators to adjust the temperature;
- not easy to install;
- their work must be constantly monitored.
Their price varies from 8,000 to 25,000 rubles.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3egYpX2IPns
https://youtube.com/watch?v=3egYpX2IPns
Butakov stove
These are conventional stoves, named after the professor by whom they were developed.
The design of Professor Butakov's furnace
The furnace body is a parallelepiped, it contains air duct pipes and a two-chamber firebox. In addition, the device is equipped with:
- ash pan;
- flap;
- chimney.
The operating principle of this type of stove for greenhouses is absolutely identical to the Buleryan stove.
Price of such devices: 10,000 - 35,000 rubles.
Slobozhanka
Slobozhanka is characterized by high quality and efficiency. This type of stove is also called “super potbelly stoves”.
Slobozhanka stove
Structure:
- the combustion chamber;
- air supply and distribution channel;
- convection shirt.
In this stove, the ignition system is top-based; accordingly, logs are also loaded through the top; in addition, a special cylinder is used that exerts pressure on combustible materials.
There are three main types of these furnaces:
- With an L-shaped pipe for lateral oxygen supply into the combustion chamber.
- With air supply through the central part using a guide pitoid.
- With air supply from the lower side part.
Regardless of how air is supplied to the combustion chamber, the heat exchange process will be carried out with maximum efficiency.
You can connect a water circuit to Slobozhanka and create a heating system with radiators.
Slobozhanka is a profitable solution for heating greenhouses, since various materials can be used as fuel, from firewood to pine cones.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=DHXc7EKmD30
Vologda
Furnace Vologda
This model of long-burning stoves for heating greenhouses has a number of advantages:
- high heat transfer;
- high efficiency 80 - 90%;
- it is necessary to lay firewood several times a day;
- low price.
If you choose such a stove, you will not need to monitor how it functions all the time. To supply the coolant, flexible hoses are used, which are attached to the back of the boiler and connected to the coolant tank. For the water to heat up to a temperature of 60°C, 30-40 minutes will be enough.
Cost: 4,000 - 6,000 rubles.
The Vologda brand manufacturer produces models that can simultaneously be used for heating both greenhouses and private houses; for this you will need to connect a water circuit and install radiators.
Infrared heaters and heating boilers can also be used to heat the greenhouse.
Solid fuel boilers
Today, wood heating units are the most common and affordable. This is due to their high productivity and efficiency, because the fuel for them is ordinary firewood, waste from furniture and woodworking industries, wood trimmings, branches cut from trees and even dry garbage.
You can choose among the following types of solid fuel boilers:
- wood (conventional or pyrolysis);
- coal and wood;
- pellet (work on compressed pellets of wood, seeds, straw, and various waste).
Solid fuel boilers for greenhouses have many advantages:
- environmental friendliness;
- cheapness;
- availability;
- safety;
- aesthetics;
- non-explosive.
The efficiency of such boilers is in the range of 75–90%.
Using solid fuel boilers as a method of heating the greenhouse, you can be content with fresh vegetables and fruits all year round.
However, such devices also have some disadvantages:
- To store such devices, you need a “solid” size area.
- It is necessary to prepare fuel in advance.
- They require regular maintenance (cleaning the boiler firebox from ash, adding fuel).
How to make a boiler for a greenhouse with your own hands
If you want to save money and do not want to buy a ready-made unit, you can make a solid fuel boiler for heating a greenhouse with your own hands.
To do this you need to perform a number of actions:
- Get a barrel with a volume of 3 cubic meters.
- Using a drill, drill three holes in it, which will serve for the outlet of the chimney, drain and expansion tank.
- At the next stage, a 5 m high chimney is attached to the barrel. This device will be responsible for removing carbon dioxide from the greenhouse.
- An expansion tank must be attached to the top of the barrel; you can weld it yourself.
- Then you need to lay a heating system throughout the greenhouse; the best and cheapest way is plastic pipes.
- Using a special soldering iron, you need to weld the pipes together.
Plastic does not rust or corrode and is able to remain operational despite temperature changes and high humidity.
Making a greenhouse boiler with your own hands
The first step towards self-installation of heating equipment in order to create a heated greenhouse in a personal household should be a detailed drawing of the planned heating installation. The required power is also calculated based on the area and volume of the room, type of boiler, type of fuel, operating time, etc. After a painstaking process of theoretical pre-preparation, one should proceed to the main stages of creating a boiler.
You will be interested to know how to insulate a greenhouse for the winter with your own hands.
Materials and tools
For a simple solid fuel boiler model you will need:
- A metal barrel with holes or an old gas cylinder, sawn in half.
- Water circuit or coil.
- Hinges, metal handles, matching latches, etc.
- Welding machine.
- Cutting tools.
Construction and connection
The most common model of a homemade boiler looks like this:
- The cylinder (barrel) is placed in a metal oven.
- A chimney pipe is welded to the resulting structure, through which gases will be discharged from the greenhouse premises to the outside.
- The last stage is welding pipes (plastic, metal) together and their further installation.
Video: how to make a solid fuel boiler with your own hands
Gas devices
Gas boilers for greenhouses are a good option. They ensure that the greenhouse operates smoothly and is heated at a level suitable for the vegetation. The automation of the boiler ensures its autonomous operation, while human participation in this case is limited.
Using gas heating, you can heat the greenhouse in one of the following ways: air, water, infrared.
Infrared gas heater for greenhouse
Most often, infrared gas heaters are installed on the roof. This is due to the fact that gas infrared heating of a greenhouse in winter has one important advantage: the soil is heated first, and only after it the air.
The disadvantage of such heating is the need to install ventilation to remove combustion products.
The second option is to heat the greenhouse with a gas boiler combined with a water system.
Gas boiler for greenhouse
To put this heating method into effect, it is necessary to install smooth pipes with a diameter of no more than 40 mm over the entire area. They need to be laid along each bed 20-30 cm above ground level. The following types of wiring are allowed:
- The supply line is along one wall, the return line is near the other. They are connected to each other by transverse pipes running between the beds.
- The supply and return lines are laid along one wall. Each heating pipe runs along one bed and returns past another.
- The pipe is laid in a snake pattern over the entire area of the greenhouse, forming a single heating circuit.
Shut-off valves must be installed on each branch so that it is possible to turn off the circuit in the event that there is no vegetation in the greenhouse.
In a greenhouse heating system using a gas boiler, the main advantages can be noted:
- autonomous operation of the device;
- ease and speed of boiler maintenance;
- high efficiency.
- It is difficult to supply gas to the greenhouse: you need to call a special service.
- High cost of gas tariffs, especially in the summer.
Infrared heaters
If you have already built it, then it is impossible to heat the greenhouse using a heating cable. In this case, ceiling infrared heaters are suitable for you. They are capable of not only warming up the room, but also doing it in a semi-automatic mode. A typical infrared heating scheme in a greenhouse looks like this:
If necessary, you can place the heating of the greenhouse using infrared heaters on the wall.
Electric boilers
Electric boilers are easy to use and accessible wherever power lines are installed. But if you want to purchase an electric boiler to heat the greenhouse, then you should understand that such equipment is quite expensive, and its use is not always appropriate or justified. In addition, now there are often blackouts, and during such a period your vegetation may simply die.
However, such heating, calculated per unit of heat, is the most expensive. In addition, to connect an electric boiler, a separate line is required, and often not 220 V, but 380 V, and wiring such a line is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process, and besides, this option is not possible everywhere due to the lack of technical capabilities.
The advantages and disadvantages of an electric boiler for greenhouses are as follows.
Advantages | Flaws |
Low price of equipment. | The need for a permanent connection to the power grid. |
Availability. Can be purchased at any large hardware store. | High energy costs. On average, electricity bills when using such a heat source increase by 10-20%. |
Convenient control system, so there are no difficulties with operation. | |
No combustion products, no need to install a chimney. | |
Minimal maintenance. The electric heating element does not need to be cleaned of soot or dirt, as, for example, in solid fuel boilers. Maintenance is required approximately every 2-3 years. | |
Convenient to locate, do not take up much space, most devices are wall mounted. |
A greenhouse is a great opportunity to please yourself and your loved ones with fresh and natural vegetables and herbs not only in the summer, but also in the winter. In order to successfully grow vegetable crops and ultimately harvest a good harvest, you need to ensure a good temperature in the greenhouse. Helpers in this matter are boilers for heating greenhouses. Each heating method has pros and cons, so in each individual case one or another option may be the most optimal.
Based on your capabilities, you can choose the appropriate option and ensure the fruitful growth of your plants.
About agricultural economics
Heating a greenhouse with electricity is by no means a cheap thing. Such solutions are not used in the agro-industrial sector; they are unprofitable. You are not the first to come up with such an idea, but if you are interested in the economic side of the issue, calculate the costs and compare with the possible benefits. All your predecessors abandoned the idea of heating greenhouses with electricity; it is much cheaper to buy vegetables and fruits.
For comparison - a comparison of the cost of installing heating equipment using different energy sources, using different energy sources
And operating costs. The data is given for the Moscow region; in a particular area, the cost of solid fuel can be much lower. Electric heating with low initial costs is extremely expensive to use
Boilers for heating greenhouses
Today, many people prefer to eat vegetables and fruits grown in their own garden plot. Everyone wants to see fresh food on their table all year round. For some, it is proper nutrition, and for others, it is a way to earn money.
To achieve the possibility of growing various crops at any time of the year, regardless of weather conditions, it is necessary to properly equip the heating system in the greenhouse.
You can entrust the installation of the greenhouse heating system to professionals, but if you have the desire and some knowledge, it is better to do it yourself.
Types of heating
You can heat a greenhouse in various ways and each of them has its pros and cons.
To learn about the applications and types of induction heating boilers, click here.
You can read about the design, principle of operation and leading manufacturers of double-circuit electric boilers at the link -
Also read about the types and features of operation of solid fuel and liquid fuel boilers.
Air heating
The simplest and cheapest type of air heating has the following structure: a three-meter steel pipe is brought into the greenhouse at one end, while a fire is lit under the other. As soon as the pipe begins to heat up, hot air enters the greenhouse, thereby heating it.
This type of air heating is not particularly convenient due to the need to constantly keep the fire burning, so it is used only in emergency cases. If instead of a fire there is a modern heating boiler, then the process of heating the greenhouse will become much easier.
With the help of a boiler, the greenhouse heats up quickly and efficiently, but there is also a disadvantage - drying out the air in the heated room.
The air in the boiler washes the firebox and heats up, after which it is distributed throughout the greenhouse using air ducts. The lack of humidity can be compensated for by placing buckets of water inside the greenhouse or using modern air humidifiers.
The combustion products of a heating boiler have a high temperature, which can be used to heat the soil (through pipes).
Water heating
Heating greenhouses using liquid coolant is the most common. The main elements of such a heating system are: a boiler, heating circuits (radiators, coils), a circulation pump, pipelines, fittings and protective elements.
To uniformly heat the greenhouse, it is necessary to install several heating circuits at different height levels and an underground “warm floor” coil. Regulating the air temperature in the greenhouse can be entrusted to automatic sensor-relays. The temperature will be regulated by decreasing or increasing the intensity of coolant movement.
If you install your own circulation pump and temperature relay for each heating circuit, you can set an individual operating mode for each circuit.
If we compare water and air heating systems, then:
- An air heating system warms up a room faster than water heating.
- Air heating has a simple design and does not require a lot of additional equipment, unlike water heating.
- Water heating has a labor-intensive installation process and requires the installation of additional equipment, but is more efficient than air heating.
Boiler selection
The choice of boiler for heating a greenhouse directly depends on the preferred type of fuel, the size of the greenhouse and the outside air.
Depending on the type of fuel, the units are:
- Solid fuels burn coal, peat, and firewood. They come in regular, long-burning and gas-generating types.
- Liquid fuel boilers burn diesel fuel or kerosene.
- Combination boilers can operate on different types of fuel.
- Gas boilers operate on natural gas or a propane-butane mixture.
- Electric boilers do not burn fuel. The coolant is heated using heating elements.
The power of the unit is selected in accordance with the calculation of heat losses of the greenhouse and its dimensions.
Wood-fired air-heating boilers
Air heating units that burn wood can quickly heat the air in a greenhouse, while installing the boiler is not a labor-intensive process.
The operating principle of an air-heating boiler is based on creating natural air circulation in the greenhouse: the air heated in the boiler is sent into the greenhouse, thereby displacing cold air back into the boiler and this cycle is constantly repeated.
Air-heating pyrolysis (gas generator) boilers are a regular solid fuel boiler, but with an additional firebox. It is needed to burn flammable gas, which is released when burning wood with oxygen deficiency.
The furnaces of the pyrolysis boiler are located one above the other. Firewood is loaded into the lower one and ignition is carried out. During the combustion process, pyrolysis gas is released, which accumulates in the upper firebox and ignites there, releasing heat.
Advantages of pyrolysis boilers:
- High coefficient of efficiency (efficiency).
- Relatively cheap compared to analogues.
- Easy to install.
- Quick heating of the room.
- Long service life (from 20 years).
Disadvantages of pyrolysis boilers:
- The need for fuel procurement and storage.
- The need to constantly remove ash and clean the chimney.
- When the boiler is operating, a burning smell may be released.
Read about household floor-standing double-circuit gas heating boilers in the article.
You can read about automatic long-burning boilers using wood materials in the following link:
Infrared heating
In addition to its direct purpose, infrared heating of a greenhouse also favorably promotes plant growth and does not harm human health.
The air is heated using a special infrared thermal film, which is completely safe, easy to install and connect. The heating of the film is controlled by an automatic system and reaches 20-500C.
Principle of operation
The infrared film has instructions for its installation. This process does not require special skills; you just need to deepen it into the ground to the specified depth. Next, you need to connect to the electrical network. You need to set the desired temperature and the greenhouse will begin heating automatically.
When installing several temperature controllers, it becomes possible to configure an individual mode for each bed.
The efficiency of infrared film is 95%. In this case, all the heat is used gradually and for its intended purpose - the soil is heated, and then the air is heated.
Electricity consumption
The average electricity consumption is 60 Wh per 1 m2 of infrared film. The maximum electricity consumption is 240 W/h per 1 m2. Such consumption occurs only when the film is heated from a cold state. Further heating operation is more economical - the lower the maintained temperature, the lower the energy consumption.
Heating a greenhouse can be arranged in various ways; the choice of equipment is very wide, so choosing the right one will not be difficult.
Specifics of maintaining temperature
Heat leaves the greenhouse through the ceiling and walls, as well as as a result of fresh air entering through the ventilation holes. To compensate for such heat loss, it is necessary to organize an efficient heating system. Before starting any installation work, experts recommend insulating the structure. It is important to minimize the entry of outside air.
Important attention should be paid not only to the material with which the frame of the structure is sheathed, but also to the features of its installation. The greenhouse should fit as closely as possible to the ground. The best option would be to build a foundation that is laid at a shallow depth. It is additionally insulated. At the same time, the strength of the base is important, which ensures reliable installation of the structure.
The depth of the foundation should be 30 cm. Such conditions are imposed even on structures that are erected in regions with harsh climatic conditions. Through the soil, which is located inside the greenhouse, heat escapes in very small quantities. As for heat loss around the perimeter, it can be reduced with the help of ordinary snow, which is a natural seasonal insulation.
Solid fuel boilers are ideal for greenhouses
To ensure normal plant growth, it is necessary to establish optimal temperature conditions, as well as ventilation of the structure. If all systems are properly organized, the ground temperature will be the same as in the summer.
The depth of soil freezing depends on the geographical features of the region. To overcome any natural limitations, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for plant growth. Thermal energy can be directed both into the surrounding air and into the soil itself. In the latter case, the optimal condition is to install an underground pipeline.
Heating a greenhouse entails considerable material costs, which depend on the following factors:
- The area of the walls, as well as the roof of the structure. The smaller the surfaces, the lower the heat loss. In this regard, experts recommend using semicircular or rectangular frames to build a greenhouse.
- Thermal conductivity of the material. If the coefficient is low, the material will retain heat well.
- Difference between outside and inside temperatures. With a significant difference in temperature conditions, heat loss is significantly high.
- The presence of cracks and places where the finishing material does not adhere tightly to the greenhouse frame. Through them, cold air will flow into the structure, which will lead to a decrease in temperature.
There is a large selection of greenhouses on the modern market. Therefore, there is no unified system for organizing the heating of a building. In each case, it is necessary to develop an individual project.
The unit can be built by hand or purchased ready-made
We make boilers for greenhouses
In recent years, an increasing number of people are thinking about a healthy diet without nitrates and other poisons present in purchased vegetables, fruits, herbs. And many decide to grow their own food using greenhouses. For some, this becomes a profitable business that brings pleasure and tangible income.
Boilers for greenhouses
But it’s not enough to install a greenhouse; you also need to heat it on cool days to get early vegetables. The heating issue can be solved in different ways. How to heat a greenhouse efficiently and inexpensively? What fuel should I use to heat it? Is it possible to do this yourself? Answers to these pressing questions can be found in this article.
Features of heating greenhouse premises
The main factor in choosing a heating method for greenhouses is the price of maintaining the temperature. After all, most greenhouses have enormous heat loss. Ideally, for good plant growing, the greenhouse should be built from metal profiles and plastic, with hermetically sealed double-glazed windows.
But most vegetable growers and farmers cannot afford this method of construction, so most domestic greenhouses are covered with polyethylene or polycarbonate. These materials are transparent to sunlight, but also release a large percentage of heat into the surrounding space, so heating the room must be well thought out and powerful.
Boilers for greenhouses
After building the greenhouse, it is necessary to begin creating a heating system, the central element of which will be the boiler. The most commonly used:
- Electric ones are simple, easy to use and available wherever power lines are installed. But using such a boiler to heat a greenhouse will cost a pretty penny, and now rolling or emergency blackouts are common, and then young plants can die from the cold.
- Gas - a stable supply of natural gas ensures good heating of the room, but the price of this energy resource is also quite high. Although many farmers use gas boilers to heat greenhouses because they are easy and quick to maintain, you only need to pipe gas into the greenhouse once and connect the boiler - and the problems are solved. Regulating and maintaining the desired temperature is easy and simple, and the efficiency of gas heating has been proven for years. Often, greenhouses are heated with gas by those whose premises are located next to a gasified house.
Gas boilers are available; a regular home floor-mounted version of suitable power is suitable for a greenhouse. Combustion products do not need to be removed outside the greenhouse, because all carbon dioxide is processed by plants during photosynthesis. And automation allows a person not to think about maintaining the temperature in the room.
But there are also disadvantages:
- Supplying gas to a greenhouse is quite complicated and requires the participation of special services, which will result in significant financial costs.
- During peak hours, the gas pressure may decrease, which is why the boiler sometimes goes out, and this is dangerous for the normal development of plants.
- In the winter months, gas tariffs increase with excess consumption, and to save money it is necessary to reduce the temperature in the greenhouse, which can negatively affect the growth of vegetables and fruits.
- Solid fuel boilers, or pyrolysis boilers as they are also called, are used very widely, including in heating greenhouses. This is explained by their high productivity and efficiency, because for heating you can use firewood, wooden trimmings, waste from furniture factories, branches cut from the garden plot and even dry garbage. These types of fuel are cheap and available, which makes such boilers attractive to greenhouse owners, since savings on heating allow plants to be grown much cheaper. After all, when heating with electric boilers, you can get golden vegetables and herbs; the cost of growing them significantly exceeds the price of selling them. And solid fuel boilers are not only economical, but also easy to use. Most modern models are fully automated and require fuel only twice a day.
Heating of greenhouses with solid fuel boilers
Heating greenhouses with solid fuel boilers makes it possible to grow plants all year round, creating your own profitable and stable business.
Solid fuel boilers are divided into:
- wood-burning (regular or pyrolysis);
- coal-wood;
- pellet (work on compressed pellets of wood, seeds, straw, and various waste).
Advantages of solid fuel boilers:
- environmentally friendly;
- cheap;
- aesthetic;
- available;
- safe;
- after their work, ash remains, which is an excellent fertilizer and means of pest control.
- large areas are required for fuel storage;
- requires preliminary fuel procurement;
- regular maintenance (filling fuel, cleaning ash).
Furnace models
Vologda
- The principle of operation resembles a gas generator; such a stove for a long-burning greenhouse is economical to operate and has high heat output.
- It is enough to do the laying of firewood two to three times a day. Depends on the volume of the firebox and the overall size of the device.
Thanks to this, the equipment has received a great advantage, since there is no need to constantly be near the firebox and monitor the combustion.
Vologda efficiency is approximately 80%. The coolant enters from the rear through specially installed flexible hoses that connect the device to the water tank. The liquid heats up to 60 degrees from zero in 40 minutes.
There are models that can simultaneously heat a greenhouse and a residential building, in which the heat will be distributed through water heating radiators. The instructions that come with the model describe this process in detail.
Plus
It should be noted that the process of switching from the gas-generating state to the normal heater mode is easy. Therefore, the equipment can also be used for baths.
Minus
Requires periodic liwa.
Buleryan
It is used quite rarely for greenhouses and greenhouses. A convection type oven can maintain the desired temperature for a long time.
Works on regular firewood and wood products. Naturally, the price of such a device is higher than a regular “potbelly stove”.
"Bulleryan" in the greenhouse
Minuses
- Temperature regulator not installed.
- Not very convenient to install.
- The firebox needs to be monitored frequently.
In appearance it resembles a horizontal barrel, with exhaust pipes located at the bottom and top. The smallest model is capable of passing up to 5 m3 of air per minute, but the body, coated with special paint, does not heat up.
Slobozhanka
The design is well suited for a small room. You can do it yourself without the help of helpers.
Previously
- Take a thick-walled pipe, make longitudinal grooves in it with a “grinder” or “autogen”. This will be a special device for uninterrupted air supply and activation of fuel combustion.
Air duct from a 100 mm pipe
- Install a metal penny made of 5 mm steel at the bottom of the device, which will act as a gate, and it will be possible to regulate the oxygen supply to the furnace.
Device for regulating air supply to the furnace
- Make a chimney in the upper part of the firebox from a piece of pipe with a diameter of 100 mm to remove combustion products.
- Take a thick-walled metal cylinder with a diameter of 250 mm.
- Cut a 100 mm hole in the center of a thick-walled steel sheet and weld it to the pipe of the future air duct.
- Make a heat-dissipating disk from a 10 mm thick sheet of metal that will be installed inside the device.
Homemade long-burning wood stoves: diagram and principle of operation
If the air supply is free and the draft is strong, dry firewood will burn very quickly.
If, with a full load of firewood, the combustion is transformed into smoldering by controlling the air supply, the heat release will drag on for hours or even days.
Here is the design of a simple but quite effective wood-burning stove, oriented towards long-term combustion, which repeats the design of the Stropuva boiler. This stove is popularly called “bubafonya” (after the name of the person who first posted the stove diagram on the Internet).
Diagram of a homemade long-burning stove.
Making such a stove is no more difficult than a potbelly stove, which is more familiar to the general public.
However, the combustion principle and design of such a furnace are completely non-standard. Combustion does not proceed from the bottom up, as in ordinary stoves, but, starting from the upper layers, goes down while the wood burns out.