OCD 2017!!!

OCD Chilehead · May 21, 2017

PaulG said:
Now, that's a greenhouse, my friend!
You are more than ready for the season, Charles!

Thanks Paul!

I think so. I'm really looking forward to seeing it in action, in the Fall.

OCD Chilehead · May 21, 2017

Devv said:
+1 on 436!

Well done Chuck!

Sorry, I didn't know 'yall used Apple products.

Thanks Scott!

Well that statement is kinda true. I use my IPhone 7plus 99% of the time and the toshiba windows the other 1%. I use to have a Apple desktop. Had a power surge and surge protection didn't work. So I went to a HP, Toshiba, Asus... there has been so many of them. I used a iPad for a long time until I got a smartphone. My girlfriend has the MacBooks. I'm allowed to use it but don't. They are so expensive and she uses them for work that I wouldn't want to damage them. So more than likely I'll be using the 2007 toshiba.

karoo · May 22, 2017

OCD Chilehead · May 22, 2017

Well, I almost lost a few plants in the ground. Temps reached 120f. I was surprised only 3-4 plants were affected. I don't want a repeat. After work today, I did some rough electrical. I wired the thermostat/humidistat. I put a plug and cord to the thermostat. Ran some heavy gauge extension cord with a surge protector. Works great!

I wouldn't usually feel comfortable doing this, as I'm not a electrician. I do know the fan only puts out 2.6 amps. Plus it only comes on when it gets to 90f. Not running all day. It will work fine for a little while. I have a roll of romex. I'm going to wire the house with 3 outlets for future use. This will give me time and piece of mind until I tackle that project.

OCD Chilehead · May 22, 2017

Have some soil left, but need to make some more. Going to plant a bunch of plants in pots this week. Got some more goodies.

stickman · May 23, 2017

OCD Chilehead said:
Well, I almost lost a few plants in the ground. Temps reached 120f. I was surprised only 3-4 plants were affected. I don't want a repeat. After work today, I did some rough electrical. I wired the thermostat/humidistat. I put a plug and cord to the thermostat. Ran some heavy gauge extension cord with a surge protector. Works great!

I wouldn't usually feel comfortable doing this, as I'm not a electrician. I do know the fan only puts out 2.6 amps. Plus it only comes on when it gets to 90f. Not running all day. It will work fine for a little while. I have a roll of romex. I'm going to wire the house with 3 outlets for future use. This will give me time and piece of mind until I tackle that project.

It's always surprising the first time just how much warmth the combination of solar mulch and hoophouse or low row cover will produce on sunny days. Glad to know it's working as advertised for you Chuck. [emoji106] Good thing you've got the ventilation and thermostat installed too. Keep 'em rolling buddy! [emoji2]

Sent from my LGL44VL using Tapatalk

randyp · May 23, 2017

Trial and error Chuck is part of the game.Looks like you are on top of it.

OCD Chilehead · May 24, 2017

randyp said:
Trial and error Chuck is part of the game.Looks like you are on top of it.

Im being put through the trial for sure. I left one end that is a 4 x 6 foot opening open today. Set the fan to come on at 70. Stopped by the house really quick when I was in town and the fan was going and it was 105! I think I'm going to add another layer of shade cloth. Don't know if it will help.

Any suggestions, feel free.

bpiela · May 24, 2017

Are there fans on both sides? Or maybe put a standing fan inside that pushes the air towards the exhaust?? I don't know...

OCD Chilehead · May 24, 2017

bpiela said:
Are there fans on both sides? Or maybe put a standing fan inside that pushes the air towards the exhaust?? I don't know...

Thanks Ben.

I have one fan at the end and the other looks like this, but with the plastic rolled up. The fan is rated for 1400cfm. Maybe I need more? I was thinking that I don't have a door on it. Maybe its swirling around in there. If I put a door and shutters on both sides of the door, at the bottom. Maybe it would create a suction and cool it off better. The shutters would be low to the ground. Hot air rises theory. Just thinking out loud, silently. LoL!

karoo · May 25, 2017

I'm no expert , but all the greenhouses I have seen have some kind of top/roof vent to let the rising hot air escape.
Good luck.

Superhot Sim · May 25, 2017

I'd make a frame and door the other end , cover the door front and back with the same stuff you used for loop house. Be a breeze through there all the time, plants will like it, if it gets cold at least you can shut it.

Sent from my VFD 900 using Tapatalk

Devv · May 25, 2017

I agree, you need cross ventilation, so the cooler air can draft in as the fan runs.

I've been wanting a greenhouse forever. The main reason I've yet to construct one is to automate the temps is cost prohibitive for me. Once I retire I'll be home to manage the temps more closely. If I leave for work and it's 26°, by 10AM on most cold fronts it's going to get too hot in there. And I only need one for such a short time in the season. Area AC for the garden would be neat :shh:

Your situation is way different, way cold than hot in the afternoon.

Brain working here: If the vents are open for the daytime heat, and it's a cold morning where you would need a heater set to a certain temp. It would be really cool to have the fan turn on and the power to the heater turn off so they don't compete. I know they make relays for DC that have 5 poles. 2 for the coil (to turn it on) one for power supply. One connected to power when the coil is off, for the heat, the other to the fan. So heat is always on, until the fan temp turn on is satisfied. Then the relay is energized by the fan sensor. The fan runs now and the power to the heater is off. The only other thing I can think of is two timers, one for each. The heater would have it's own thermostat.

Rambling I know, but food for thought

OCD Chilehead · May 25, 2017

karoo said:
I'm no expert , but all the greenhouses I have seen have some kind of top/roof vent to let the rising hot air escape.
Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I wish I had that option. I can't cut holes in the roof. Its stretched plastic. I've seen were they roll up the sides at the bottom. I was originally going to do this, but didn't want to rely on that method. Trying to be automated. I would like the freedom of leaving for a week and not having issues. This thing is going to be awesome when it gets cold.

OCD Chilehead · May 25, 2017

Superhot Sim said:
I'd make a frame and door the other end , cover the door front and back with the same stuff you used for loop house. Be a breeze through there all the time, plants will like it, if it gets cold at least you can shut it.

Sent from my VFD 900 using Tapatalk

Thanks Sim

I'm seriously thinking of something like that, temporarily. Couldn't do any harm. Just a little framing.

OCD Chilehead · May 25, 2017

Devv said:
I agree, you need cross ventilation, so the cooler air can draft in as the fan runs.

I've been wanting a greenhouse forever. The main reason I've yet to construct one is to automate the temps is cost prohibitive for me. Once I retire I'll be home to manage the temps more closely. If I leave for work and it's 26°, by 10AM on most cold fronts it's going to get too hot in there. And I only need one for such a short time in the season. Area AC for the garden would be neat

Your situation is way different, way cold than hot in the afternoon.

Brain working here: If the vents are open for the daytime heat, and it's a cold morning where you would need a heater set to a certain temp. It would be really cool to have the fan turn on and the power to the heater turn off so they don't compete. I know they make relays for DC that have 5 poles. 2 for the coil (to turn it on) one for power supply. One connected to power when the coil is off, for the heat, the other to the fan. So heat is always on, until the fan temp turn on is satisfied. Then the relay is energized by the fan sensor. The fan runs now and the power to the heater is off. The only other thing I can think of is two timers, one for each. The heater would have it's own thermostat.

Rambling I know, but food for thought

Thanks Scott!

Ramble on. I was originally going to just do the hoops. That's how they do it down at the nurseries around here. They cover in plastic when its cold and when the heat builds up they remove the make shift end walls. Then when it really gets hot I've noticed they remove the plastic and cover with shade cloth. They also run pvc the length of the house and attach it to the center of the roof. They have sprinkler heads facing downward. That's how they water. Pretty cool. It would have been easier for me to do it that way, but that's no fun. LOL! The permanent endwalls was deal breaker.

I like your thought on the fan heater setup. I don't know the language your speaking, but makes you sound smarter than me for sure. LOL! Electrical is not my forte. Unless I start growing something else in the garden, I wouldn't be able to afford the utility bill. LOL! I think I will be able to harvest every last pepper this year. I usually throw out a few pounds of greenies.

Thanks for the suggestions.

OCD Chilehead · May 25, 2017

I took drastic measures. Stopped by and picked up a fan. I busted out the extra shade cloth and stretched it over the rest of the house. I feel a lot better. I'll see how it works. If so, I'll wire it into the thermostat as well.

LocalFart · May 26, 2017

Just a thought. but black shade cloth sitting on the plastic would be counter productive right?

I may be wrong or the sun may be different here but you may need to raise the shade cloth above the dome so the heat can dissipate from the cloth?

ThatBlondGuy101 · May 26, 2017

+1 What LocalFart said above (#458)

I would've thought that having the black shade cloth on the cover would block light, but conduct the heat into the greenhouse? I thought that Black absorbs heat, but has to send it somewhere, so it would channel it into the house?

I might be completely out of my mind, but I would think that the shade cloth wouldn't fix the heat problem, only reduce the light... :think:

Genetikx · May 26, 2017

I think you need a fan on one side like you have and keep the door open in the other side. I'd get rid of that black cloth, only thing I see it doing is blocking light... You don't want to block what's coming in as much as you want to make sure what comes in has an easy way to escape. As someone else mentioned, only other thing I'd consider is a standing fan on the other end by the door

Btw, you're killin it Chuck! Super impressed with plants and greenhouse

OCD 2017!!!

OCD Chilehead

OCD Chilehead

karoo

OCD Chilehead

Attachments

OCD Chilehead

Attachments

stickman

randyp

OCD Chilehead

bpiela

OCD Chilehead

Attachments

karoo

Superhot Sim

Devv

OCD Chilehead

OCD Chilehead

OCD Chilehead

OCD Chilehead

Attachments

LocalFart

ThatBlondGuy101

Genetikx