Tube or fan survey

[Brian]

The temperature is down to 5 degrees this evening. Perhaps USA weather is on the way:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/

My modest 8 x 6 greenhouse (with mixed cacti & succulent collection crammed in) is fully bubble wrapped with electricity now supplied which is only used for the radio! I could do with keeping the temperature above 4-5 degrees, so I am not sure whether to buy a tube heater like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hylite-HHT205-S ... r+electric

or a fan heater like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Botanico-2-kw-G ... n+electric

I am inclined to go for the fan heater because it should move air around. Which type of heater do forum members find best?

[Peter]

Must be fan for all reasons. The tube won't generate enough heat, whereas the fan heater is adjustable, 1/2KW. Just be sure that the supply will be adequate.

[Lindsey]

From the title I assumed it was a survey of people who are fans of cacti and other succulent plants, maybe something to do with YouTube

[purzo]

I know someone who uses a fan heater very similar to this one. He recently complained that the built in thermostat is too close to the heater element so it heats it up and switches off the heater before the greenhouse gets heated up. To get round this he is buying a separate plug-in thermostat with cable sensor.

I use tube heaters but I think you'll find the one you linked to won't be powerful enough as Peter said. I bought mine from TubeHeat.co.uk. I use 3 twin-tubes 5 feet in length with 80w/foot. This gives me 2.4Kw in total, each is connected to a Bio Green thermostat, I try to keep my (12 x 8) greenhouse between 8-10C which it just about does, but as a backup I keep my most sensitive plants inside heated propagators as well.

If you contact tubeheat they will calculate how much tubing you need for your greenhouse. I found them helpful but a bit disorganised. Of course you need to insulate the greenhouse before heating it and you've already got this aspect covered.

As Peter pointed out you need to ensure that your power supply to the greenhouse is rated high enough for whatever solution you decide to go for.

[Jim_Mercer]

Both

In my 8x6 greenhouse I have a fan heater and soil/air warming cables. The cable has its own thermostat and runs around the wooden staging one one side and the end of the greenhouse, not buried in trays, so there is some heat going into the corners. The fan heater is positioned with its back to the short length of metal staging on the second side of the greenhouse.

[BrianMc]

Hi Brian,

In my opinion it has to be the fan. Heat will be better distributed and the plants will benefit from the movement of air. Less stale air hanging round the plants, promoting botrytis!

[rodsmith]

I have an 8' x 6' greenhouse and use a fan heater very similar to the one in the link, plugged in to a separate thermostat. This keeps a minimum temperature of 4 degrees C. I also have another fan heater of the same type which is on permanently, all the year round, circulating air at ambient temperature. This helps to prevent stagnant air from collecting in corners and under staging.

[Brian]

Ha ha Lindsey, nothing to do with You Tube or football fans. Just a trick to make sure folk read the post!

[DaveW]

I don't have greenhouse heating but have a fan heater in the house and agree that inbuilt thermostats are useless since they become more like timers, switching the heater off in the time it takes the heater internals themselves to warm up to that temperature rather than the temperature of the room or greenhouse surrounding it, with the heater internals needing to cool down before it switches on again. You need a fan heater with a remote thermostat to be effective.

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/abc-guide- ... eaters.asp

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/electric-g ... eaters.asp

http://parwinheatersuk.imcompany.co.uk/ ... aters.html

[Peter]

Brian: it is very easy to outlay an awful amount of cash on a sophisticated heater and thermostat, I would suggest that the type of fan heater that you originally proposed would be ideal for your requirements.