Frosty winters have long taught gardeners how to heat a greenhouse in dozens of ways. To understand which one you need, decide whether you will be on the plot all the time or on weekends, and what vegetables you want to grow. Heating also depends on the size of the greenhouse.
Before you start work, you need to properly prepare the greenhouse for winter. Check the foundation, walls and roof to make sure there are no gaps, otherwise you will be heating the street.
Heating options
You can find many ways to insulate the ground and warm up the air in a greenhouse - from industrial installations to laying foam and insulating material with your own hands.
The main power supply for most heaters is:
- electricity,
- solid fuel,
- Sun,
- water.
We will analyze the most popular designs, highlight the pros and cons of each - all you have to do is choose the one that suits your greenhouse.
Electric heaters
Among the variety of these heaters, several groups stand out: working on the principle of the sun (infrared emitters), warming the air (heat guns), warming the ground (heat mats).
Pros:
- easy to install by yourself;
- For power you only need an outlet;
- easy to remove and move to another place;
- big choice.
Minuses:
- do not warm up the air and soil at the same time;
- you need to take care of protection from moisture so as not to damage the electronics;
- a large greenhouse requires several emitters.
Tip: To get rid of moisture, you can use an exhaust fan (install it in advance).
Warm floor
It also runs on electricity and completely covers the base of the greenhouse. You need to remove the soil, lay down the insulating material and cable, then fill the beds again - and the heating is ready.
Pros:
- the soil heats up evenly – up to 40°C;
- soil heating is automatically regulated;
- economical - it is a simple system that only has cable and insulation;
- you will install it yourself, even if you are not involved in construction and design.
Minuses:
- it is necessary to monitor humidity so as not to damage the cable;
- does not warm up the air.
Tip: to ensure that the beds do not freeze, raise them above the ground by about 40 cm.
Water heating
It works the same way as home heating - hot water moves through a pipe and warms the ground. You can run it directly from your home, or install a separate boiler. Place pipes around the perimeter of the greenhouse and between the beds.
Pros:
- installing such heating is quite cheap;
- you can assemble this system yourself;
- warms up the soil and plant roots well.
Minuses:
- almost does not warm the air;
- may not cope with severe frosts.
Solar heating
Sunlight is the most natural heating for plants. To preserve the meager heat that the sun provides in winter, install a collector or special panels on the roof of the greenhouse.
Pros:
- convenient for residents of the southern regions.
Minuses:
- In order for the system to work, it is necessary to constantly clear the snow;
- the greenhouse should be in the brightest place on the site;
- more suitable for glass greenhouses;
- even if you collect daytime heat to the maximum, a sharp drop in temperature at night can bring all your work to naught;
- expensive equipment.
Stove heating
Many people still put potbelly stoves or homemade stoves in greenhouses, despite the fact that this is an old-fashioned way. If you are interested in such a system, you can buy a stove of the required size and make autonomous heating.
Pros:
- easy to use;
- you can make it yourself and adapt it to your greenhouse;
- you can choose a stove for the available fuel - coal or wood;
- economical way.
Minuses:
- fuel must be added constantly;
- the design is quite bulky, it is difficult to move it to another place;
- heats the air unevenly - it’s too hot nearby, it’s cool in the far corner;
- will not be able to maintain a high temperature if severe frost hits.
Air heating
It is provided by large installations that circulate warm air throughout the greenhouse. This is complex equipment, so it is installed by specialists during the installation of the greenhouse.
Pros:
- distributes warm air evenly over the top;
- does not burn leaves with hot air.
Minuses:
- cannot be installed by yourself;
- does not warm the soil;
- expensive equipment.
Biological heating
This is organic matter - most often horse manure, which is placed in the ground. You need to remove the soil from the bed, fill it one-third with manure and fill it again.
Pros:
- manure maintains a temperature of 60-70° for up to 120 days;
- warms the soil well;
- additionally fertilizes, moisturizes the beds, and nourishes the roots.
Minuses:
- difficult to obtain;
- cannot be replaced with ordinary humus, as it quickly loses heat;
- more suitable for southern regions.
Conclusion: how best to heat a greenhouse
In order for a modern polycarbonate greenhouse to produce crops even in winter, it is most profitable to install electric heating.
Infrared emitters are the most popular: they are easy to install, they do not require constant attention and complex maintenance. In addition, they imitate sunlight, which will benefit the plants.
When buying a greenhouse, decide in advance whether you need it in winter or not. It is much easier to heat it in the spring - the ground thaws faster than outside. With the first plus you can already start planting.
To obtain a good harvest of greenhouse crops in the cold season, even a very high-quality polycarbonate greenhouse must be equipped with a heating system. There are many heating options, differing in fuel type, cost, design and other parameters. Let's take a closer look at all these nuances and find out whether it is possible to build a greenhouse heating system yourself.
Construction of a polycarbonate winter greenhouse
A typical polycarbonate greenhouse consists of a foundation (monolithic strip), a supporting frame (wooden beams, plastic or metal pipes) and a covering material (polycarbonate sheets).
Although polycarbonate retains heat much better than glass and plastic film, a greenhouse using this covering material requires additional heating in winter. However, with appropriate insulation of the structure during the construction process, the cost of additional heating will be much less.
Insulating the greenhouse from cold winds
In order to protect the structure from cold winter winds, you must initially choose the right location. The most suitable area is one that is open to sunlight, where one side of the greenhouse is closer to a building, or the greenhouse is located between two stationary walls located at some distance from it and not blocking sunlight.
In addition, for the construction of a winter greenhouse, polycarbonate with a thickness of at least 10 mm should be used. If thinner sheets are available, you can lay them in two layers.
It is imperative to take care of the tightness of the joints of the structure. The gaps between the frame and the covering material, as well as between the frame and the foundation, should be protected with roofing material or waterproofing.
Did you know? The first greenhouses in the Russian Empire appeared during the time of Tsar Peter I. He ordered the establishment of the so-called “Apothecary Garden” in St. Petersburg, where numerous medicinal herbs and exotic plant species brought from distant countries grew.
Joints can also be treated with sealants, and it is better to choose those that form a plastic structure, since solid sealants may begin to crumble under the influence of sudden temperature changes.
To seal the gaps between the metal frame and the foundation, you can use rubberized gaskets.
Foundation insulation
The foundation is the basis of the entire structure and significantly affects the heat inside the greenhouse. And although some farmers place polycarbonate greenhouses directly on the ground, to effectively retain heat it is better to build a reliable insulated base.
The most popular greenhouse basics:
When building a concrete foundation, you should create a gravel-sand cushion in the pit, which will serve as an insulation layer. A good option would be to backfill the layers onto a waterproofing film laid on the bottom and walls of the trench.
The resulting foundation is covered with roofing felt, foam is laid around the perimeter from the inside and sand is poured in, which additionally protects the structure from low temperatures and moisture.
Soil insulation
The simplest and most effective method of soil insulation is raising vegetable beds. To do this, raise the soil and place foam or similar material under it so that the beds are about 40 cm higher. In addition to regular beds, greenhouse plants can be planted in boxes and placed on racks.
Types of heating polycarbonate greenhouses in winter
To choose how to heat a greenhouse, in addition to financial possibilities, you should take into account the climatic conditions of the area, the size of the room and the type of crops grown. Cold-tolerant plants, such as spinach, dill or celery, require minimal heating, while heat-loving tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers need higher temperatures and constant heating of the greenhouse.
Pechnoe
The basis of stove heating is a solid fuel stove or boiler that burns coal, wood or briquettes. Furnace combustion products, harmful to plant crops, are discharged through a chimney that goes outside.
- Advantages of stove heating:
- inexpensive energy materials;
- simple design and operation;
- rapid heating of the room;
- possibility to make it yourself.
- Flaws:
- the need for frequent fuel supply;
- lack of process automation;
- uneven heating of the room;
- reduction of air and soil humidity.
If there is no greenhouse humidification system, you can place a wide container of water to prevent plants from drying out.
Important! For safety reasons, it is necessary to constantly monitor the normal operation of the chimney and periodically clean its internal surfaces from solid particles deposited from burnt fuel.
Potbelly stove
One of the simplest designs has a fairly common solid fuel stove - a potbelly stove. It consists of an ash pan and a closed combustion chamber and is a standard metal stove equipped with a direct chimney. 
As the fuel burns, the walls of the potbelly stove heat up and the greenhouse fills with heat. At the same time, using a fan will help protect the plants closest to the stove from overheating.
Video: Heating a greenhouse with a potbelly stove
Brick oven
A brick oven is a fairly voluminous structure that can provide gradual and uniform heating of the room. Its dimensions and design are taken depending on the heated area. One of the undoubted advantages of a brick oven is its long cooling time - up to a day.
The oven is arranged as follows:
An improved type of potbelly stove, equipped with hollow pipes through which air continuously moves during the combustion of fuel, is a buleryan stove.
Compared to a standard potbelly stove, such a stove heats the entire area of the greenhouse more evenly and does not burn the beds.
Vodyanoye
Such heating is usually used in places with harsh climatic conditions and outside air temperatures down to -40...-50°C, when it is necessary to pay special attention to the microclimate of the greenhouse and, accordingly, more complex solutions are needed here.
For water heating, a boiler using solid fuel, gas or electricity is required, as well as a closed piping system with circulating heated liquid. During operation, the liquid in pipes located under the ground or indoors gives off its heat, after which it is heated again by the boiler.
- Advantages of this type of heating:
- safety and ease of use;
- the ability to maintain a constant temperature;
- no “drying” of greenhouse air.
- Flaws:
- complexity of the device with your own hands;
- quite significant material costs.
In this case, it is better to use not water, but a special antifreeze antifreeze. And it is better to choose plastic products as a material for laying pipes under the soil - lightweight, inexpensive and resistant to corrosion.
Important! Since condensation does not form on polycarbonate, any excess moisture during the operation of the heating system will additionally moisten the soil.
Electrical
Electricity is a fairly expensive source of energy, so it is usually used if cheaper heating is not possible. As a rule, electrical systems are installed where the temperature is moderate with rare drops below -20°C.
Electricity is used for water, air or infrared heating. In the first case, an electric boiler is installed to heat the liquid circulating through pipes laid in the ground or along the greenhouse. The placement of pipes depends on the climate of the region, the heated area and the type of plants.
For the most expensive - air heating - heat guns are used that pump warm air into the room. 
The third method is the most economical. Infrared heaters are placed on the ceiling of the greenhouse and directed at the plants, without wasting energy on heating all the air in the room. This type of heating is similar to sunlight and is safe for greenhouse crops. The lamps are installed in specified areas and create their own microclimate for each type of plant.
Biological
If the greenhouse is located in a moderately warm climate region, then its heating can be provided in the most economical way - warm beds with biofuel.
For this, a mixture of horse manure and chopped straw is used, which prolongs the decomposition period, or compost from household waste. Under the influence of various microorganisms, organic components begin to decompose with the release of heat.There are also multi-component warm beds. To build them, you need to make trenches about 60 cm deep and enclose them with walls made of slate, brick or boards. A drainage layer (stones or expanded clay) should be laid at the bottom, then a layer of wood pieces, filling the space between them with bark, sawdust and small branches. 
Next, you need to place a layer of manure or compost, water it with water and biobacteria, and cover the bed with cardboard or paper in several layers. The next layer, 30 cm thick, is a mixture of mown grass, dry leaves and weeds. After this, you can fill the beds with soil mixture to the top, level them, water with warm water and cover with film for 5–7 days. After a while, the organic matter will begin to actively decompose, and the bed will begin to generate heat.
In case of short-term frosts, you can provide a backup heating system by laying an electric cable in a pipe along the beds or installing a fan heater with a thermostat.
Did you know?Great Britain is famous for the largest greenhouse in the world. The structure consists of two adjacent domed rooms, where more than a thousand species of plants from all over the world grow - from tropical to Mediterranean.
How to make heating in a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands
Despite the apparent complexity, you can set up a greenhouse heating system yourself without the help of professionals. You just need to prepare carefully and stock up on the necessary tools and materials.
How to make a brick oven
The installation of stove heating is not particularly difficult; almost any greenhouse owner can handle its installation.
Necessary materials:
Step-by-step instruction:
- A foundation for the slab is laid: height - 20–30 cm, base size - 70x100 cm. For this, a trench about 45 cm deep is laid.
- Formwork is laid around the perimeter of the trench, reinforcement is installed, and concrete is poured.
- The base area is covered with a 20 cm thick layer of sand.
- To create a firebox for filling and an ash pit for waste disposal, 4 initial rows of the structure are laid out with red bricks on clay mortar.
- A cast iron ash pan door is installed.
- Rows 5–12 are laid with fireclay bricks with fire-resistant adhesion. In row 5 a grate is installed, rows 6–8 are equipped with a combustion door. Rows 9–12 form the arch of the firebox.
- Rows 13–22 are laid with refractory bricks. The furnace roof is covered with rows 13 and 14, and a cleaning door is installed in row 15.
- The chimney channel is rows 17–21. The first smoke damper is installed in row 22.
- Rows 23–27 - continuation of the smoke channel. The narrowing of the channel begins from the 28th row, and in the 29th row another smoke damper is installed.
- The furnace roof is rows 30 and 31. Starting from the next row, a smoke exhaust pipe is installed. It is created with a bandage and is built from 4 bricks.
Water heated oven
Despite its cost, water heating has many advantages. It is convenient to use, makes it easy to maintain a given temperature and operates on any combustible material - gas, gasoline, biofuel, peat, garbage, etc., which allows you to choose the type of fuel with suitable prices.
Video: Do-it-yourself water heating of a greenhouse
Required equipment and materials:
- heating boiler using gas or electricity;
- two radiators;
- expansion tank;
- metal pipes;
- chimney;
- thermostat.
- Lay the pipes in the ground: laying depth - 40–60 cm, step between axes - 30 cm.
- Lay the second circuit of pipes along the beds of the greenhouse. The distance between the outer pipes is 1–1.5 m.
- Place radiators and thermostat.
- Make a foundation for the boiler made of steel or asbestos cement.
- Install an expansion tank at the highest point of the greenhouse next to the boiler.
- Equip the system with a pressure gauge and shut-off valve.
- Bring the chimney outside and insulate the joints.
Important!Since during heating the water is first directed to the expansion tank, and from it disperses throughout the entire heating system, all pipes are installed at an angle.
How to make heating in a greenhouse economical
Most summer residents and farmers probably face the need to reduce the cost of maintaining a greenhouse, because heating it often takes from 40 to 80% of the total costs.
To make heating in a greenhouse economical, you should:
So, now you know that installing an effective polycarbonate greenhouse heating system in winter will allow you to maintain a favorable microclimate and grow a rich harvest of various crops at any time of the year.
Almost every summer cottage and garden in the private sector has a greenhouse. They are used mainly in the spring and summer for growing seedlings and summer heat-loving vegetables. And sooner or later, every greenhouse owner begins to think about its profitability. You can increase its efficiency only when you use it all year round, or when growing very early products, when everything is very expensive on the market and in the store. Now it has become fashionable to create winter gardens and grow greens, radishes, cucumbers for the New Year and flowers for March 8 during the cold season. Of course, it’s great to have fresh produce from your greenhouse for the holidays in winter, but for this you need to make it heated, because our winters are long and harsh.
- means increasing its efficiency
But for early or year-round use of the greenhouse, heating is needed, because it is severely frosty outside in winter, and sub-zero air temperatures are not uncommon. And then the question arises of which heating to choose, which is personally acceptable for your household, because any of them requires a financial investment. Here you need to figure out what you have enough money for and which heating will be less expensive to maintain. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the durability and efficiency of the selected type of heating.
Heating a greenhouse is the most important part of the microclimate in the life of plants, as is watering. It is advisable to think about what it will be like before construction begins. It’s better to do it right away, as it should be, so as not to have to redo it later. Let's consider different heating methods, the pros and cons of the selected options and choose what is most convenient and least expensive.
How to heat a greenhouse in early spring?
It is not necessary to use any heating to grow seedlings and early summer produce. To do this, it is enough to make greenhouse beds on rotted manure. It is necessary to remove the fertile layer of soil; instead of beds, you will get trenches. It is advisable to make the sides for future ones from boards or other available materials. Place a thick layer of rotted manure mixed with straw or peat on the bottom. Pour a fertile layer of soil on top. Manure rotting below will release heat and moisture. Plants planted on high, warm ridges will feel comfortable.
When it’s still cold outside, you can put a second layer of film over the greenhouse. An air pocket is formed between the main layer and the additional layer, which will also retain heat. The greenhouse should be positioned so that it is exposed to the sun as long as possible. The sun's rays will penetrate the film or cellular polycarbonate and heat the surface of the earth in the greenhouse. Thus, natural heat will condense in it. This is how you can “naturally” heat a greenhouse, just don’t make the roof too high, then it will warm up more. Experience has shown that greenhouses with an arched structure have the highest efficiency in terms of heat retention.
But there are some disadvantages. If you don’t have your own manure, you will have to buy it, and this is now quite expensive. In addition, it must be stocked in the fall. And make the ridges anew every spring. This is a very labor-intensive process. Making heated greenhouses with your own hands is not easy. And in winter such “heating” will not be enough.
Stove heating
How to heat a greenhouse without gas and electricity? One of these methods is to make an ordinary stove, and run a chimney from it horizontally along the walls of the greenhouse. It should gradually rise up and finally come out. This way the greenhouse will be heated. The firebox must be made so that it opens outside the greenhouse, because soot and smoke cannot penetrate into it. Then the quality of vegetables will suffer.
You can install a stove with a boiler in which water will be heated, and then it will circulate through pipes that will be laid on the ground along the length of the greenhouse. Hot water will heat the air.
While the efficiency of such systems can satisfy the user, the complexity of the process is very tiring. The point is that you need to constantly monitor the temperature and add solid fuel frequently. Not everyone can quit their job and be a fireman in their greenhouse all winter. And is it worth it?
When building heated greenhouses with your own hands, you should keep in mind that film and glass do not retain heat well, and therefore they need to be heated better. Cellular polycarbonate, due to its design, retains heat well, and therefore heating costs will be lower.
Heating with heat generator boilers is also a good option. Unlike simple stoves, a heat generator with solid fuel needs to be charged no more than 2 times a day. Diesel fuel systems are available. The efficiency of such heating is not the highest.
Gas heating
Gardeners are interested in how to make a heated greenhouse using gas. If it is small, then you can use bottled gas. If the greenhouse is of an industrial scale, then you need to take a permit and use a natural one. For this purpose burners of conventional heating and infrared are used. A conventional water heating system based on AGV is also used. Gas, of course, is profitable because it is cheaper than electricity.
When using such heating with burners, it is necessary to provide ventilation, and this already reduces the heating efficiency. If you make water heating based on heating water with gas, then the system can be fully automated. Without constant human control, the microclimate in the greenhouse will be maintained. The main thing is that it is profitable from a financial point of view, and the costs can soon be recouped.
Heating by heating air
How to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse by heating air? This heating can run on liquid fuel or electricity. Most often used in large greenhouses. The unit heats the air, which is directly blown out in the center of the greenhouse and circulates through polyethylene perforated hoses laid out along the length of the building. Thus, the air inside is heated.
Convectors will also work
You can heat the greenhouse with electric convectors. They are installed on the walls of the structure and on the floor. Convectors heat the air well, they have timers that can be set to a certain temperature, and they will turn on and off themselves. One drawback is that they are quite energy-consuming, and electricity is now expensive.
Hot air heating
There are many other ways to heat a greenhouse in winter. Some heat with portable heat guns (fans) or heaters. These devices actively blow out hot air, quickly heating the room. The main thing is to arrange them so that they do not dry out or burn the plants. It's good if they are equipped with thermostats. Then you don’t need to constantly monitor them, just set the desired temperature that they will maintain.
Warm floors in a greenhouse
A do-it-yourself heated polycarbonate greenhouse can be made with complex heating. After all, it is necessary to heat not only the air, but also the soil in which the plants grow. To do this, some use the “warm floors” design. A sand cushion is laid, a protective mesh is placed on it, then a heating element or cable, then a protective mesh again and a sand cushion on top. Then the soil is poured in a layer of up to 20 cm. It is necessary to install a thermostat so that the soil does not warm up more than 45 degrees, otherwise the roots of the plants may be damaged. This method of electric heating is very economical, with high efficiency. The sun warms the greenhouse from above, and the cellular polycarbonate retains heat. The soil below is also warmed up, and the heat from it rises.
The most efficient heating method
There is another way to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse in winter. These are infrared electric lamps and heaters. These devices are good because they do not dry out the air and act like solar energy. As is known, the sun's rays, reaching the surface of the Earth, heat objects and are reflected by heat. Lamps and heaters with infrared radiation also work. If they are placed along the entire length of the greenhouse, under the ceiling, then they will heat the soil, plants, walls, and, being reflected, the heat will accumulate in the room. They are absolutely harmless, with very high efficiency. Because they provide a lot of heat, but the energy consumption is small. Such heating can be very easily adjusted to create the desired microclimate in the greenhouse.
Perhaps, today this is the safest and most profitable method of heating a greenhouse in winter.
It is important not only to heat the greenhouse, but also to save heat
In order to be profitable, you need not only to heat the greenhouse well, but also to use all possible means to retain this heat as best as possible.
To do this, it is good to apply all knowledge in a complex. A well-chosen place to build a greenhouse, no shade, all day under sunlight. The greenhouse should be located so that the wind does not blow away the heat. Good, warm foundation. The greenhouse covering is better made of cellular polycarbonate. There should be no gaps in the structure: in the cold winter, any draft is destructive.
You can use warm, high beds with manure, which will also accumulate heat. You can grow seedlings on shelves. It is good to combine heating of the greenhouse: increasing the temperature of the air and soil. By the way, you can use waterproof mats to create the effect of warm floors. They are convenient to use in greenhouses with shelving, placing heating mats underneath them. Heat always rises from below, heating the trays with plants and the air.
Should you make the heating yourself or order a ready-made one?
You don’t have to invent a bicycle at all, but when ordering a greenhouse, immediately buy a heating system and fully maintain the microclimate. Specialists will deliver the structure and install it in the shortest possible time. They will equip it with all the necessary options, which is called “turnkey”, and will also give a guarantee.
Everything, of course, depends on your financial capabilities and desires. Every year, new products appear on the market that will help make the greenhouse pay for itself all year round. What kind of heating you want depends, of course, on how you want to use it: to grow something all year round or in the early spring and summer.
Winter greenhouses made of polycarbonate have long ceased to be a rarity: modern technologies make it possible to create the necessary microclimate in them and grow herbs, vegetables and even berries for your table or for sale. In heated greenhouses you can also make a greenhouse or winter garden. The main task when building a winter greenhouse is to choose the right design and equip the heating system.
In many ways, design requirements depend on the region. In areas with a mild, warm climate, where the temperature in winter rarely drops below zero, a polycarbonate greenhouse does not need to be insulated; it is enough to install temporary heating sources in it and use them as needed. Polycarbonate itself retains heat quite well due to its internal cavities, and while heating up during the day, the greenhouse does not have time to cool down to critical temperatures for plants.
Important! To preserve the thermal insulation properties of polycarbonate, its ends must be closed with special plugs. This will prevent cold air from entering the cells.
In areas with temperate and cold climates, the thermal insulation properties of polycarbonate are not enough to maintain a stable positive temperature in the greenhouse, and they have to be equipped with a constant heating source. In addition, to improve the thermal insulation characteristics, it is necessary to make a number of changes to the design of a standard greenhouse.
Insulation from cold winds
To do this, the greenhouse is located in the direction from north to south, a main wall is installed at its northern end, or, even better, a vestibule made of bricks, blocks or timber. The entrance to the greenhouse is made through the vestibule, and the southern end wall is made solid. The design of the vestibule makes it possible to prevent the greenhouse from blowing out through the cracks in the doors and vents. In addition, it acts as a thermal curtain: when opening the doors, the plants will not be affected by the flow of cold air.
In the vestibule you can mark out heating equipment - a stove, a boiler. In this case, the chimney is brought out through the north wall, and the polycarbonate will be insulated from the hot chimney pipes and possible sparks. When heating with electricity, an electrical panel is placed in the vestibule. In addition, the vestibule can be used as a storage room.
Foundation and insulation of the blind area
The greenhouse is placed on a strip foundation, concrete or made of blocks, and an insulated blind area is made around it. This will protect the soil inside the greenhouse from freezing.
The blind area is made as follows.
- The turf around the foundation is removed to a width of 50 cm and formwork is made from boards.
- Cover with a leveling layer of sand.
- Insulation is laid - polystyrene.
- Fill the blind area with concrete over a reinforcing mesh or lay paving stones on a layer of sand.
Soil insulation
Insulating the soil from below allows you to isolate the fertile layer in the greenhouse from the colder underlying layers. At the same time, heating will be more efficient and heating costs will be reduced.
A popular method of soil insulation.
Step 1. At the site of future ridges, a pit is made at least 60 cm deep, and a layer of sand 5 cm thick is poured onto the bottom.
Step 2. Lay the insulation boards, aligning the grooves at the joints.
Step 3. A layer of expanded clay about 10 cm thick is poured on top of the slabs. It acts as drainage and at the same time protects the polystyrene from damage when digging.
Step 4. Fertile soil is laid on top or a warm bed is arranged.
Note! In particularly cold regions with high levels of snow cover, the bottom of the greenhouse can be made of foam concrete, brick or wood for effective thermal insulation.
The bottom of the greenhouse is made of blocks
Greenhouse heating systems in different climates
The choice of heating in a greenhouse is greatly influenced by the region in which it is installed. So, in the south there is no point in installing an expensive heating system with a boiler - it will be used for several weeks a year, and the costs of its installation will not pay off soon. In the northern regions it is impossible to do without constant heating.
Winter greenhouses in warm climates
For the southern regions, it is often enough to build warm beds with bioheating and install a backup heating source in case of frost - for example, electric convectors.
The main source of heat in such a greenhouse will be solar energy. Warming up during the day, the air and soil in the greenhouse gradually cool down overnight. When the minimum permissible temperature is reached, convectors are turned on, supplying warm air to the plants. The soil is additionally warmed due to the processes occurring in the warm bed: it is filled with organic residues, which actively release heat when decomposed.
The cost of installing such a greenhouse is not too high. It is important to correctly install polycarbonate and insulate the north side, especially in regions with strong winds. The greenhouse must be equipped with a ventilation system, since in bright sunshine, even in winter, the temperature in it can rise significantly.
Winter greenhouses in temperate climates
In regions with a temperate climate, solar energy in winter is not enough to warm up the greenhouse, so you have to resort to insulating the blind area and installing heating devices. A budget option is to stove with wood or other fuel. It is installed on the north side of the greenhouse or in the vestibule; heating of the entire area is carried out due to natural convection or air ducts laid along the ridges. Heat the stove in the evening and when the outside temperature drops.
Warm beds with manure or compost as biofuel are also effective for heating the soil. A properly laid warm bed warms the soil for 5-8 years, and heating costs are significantly reduced. Plant roots remain warm, and most crops tolerate even significant fluctuations in air temperature.
In case of peak temperature drops, additional heating can be installed. Infrared lamps or heaters are perfect for heating the soil: directed radiation warms the surface of the soil and the plants themselves, while the objective temperature in the greenhouse may be low. The air is heated using convectors or fan heaters.
Winter greenhouses in cold climates
In cold climates, winter daylight hours are short and the sun does not have a significant effect on the temperature in the greenhouse. Its heating must be continuous. This task is best accomplished by a water heating circuit laid around the perimeter of the greenhouse. It may consist of registers or radiators connected by pipes. At the same time, a curtain of warm air is created along the walls; the plants do not experience the effects of cold from the walls of the greenhouse.
Heating the soil using biofuels in cold climates may be ineffective: when the beds freeze once, the activity of soil organisms stops and the release of heat stops. Therefore, beds in winter greenhouses in the northern regions are insulated and equipped with artificial heating using an electric cable or heating pipes, which are placed at the bottom of the beds and covered with soil.
Additionally, during peak frosts, infrared heaters can be used to heat the soil; convectors are more effective for quickly heating the air. With properly installed water heating, you usually don’t have to resort to them.
In addition to the region, the choice of heating system also depends on the crops that you plan to grow. If the winter greenhouse is intended for cold-resistant herbs and greens, you can get by with soil heating and backup electric heaters. Heat-loving tomatoes and peppers require a stable microclimate, constant heating and additional lighting.
Heating a greenhouse with solar energy
The space inside the greenhouse is traditionally heated by solar energy. The walls of greenhouses are made of light-transmitting materials. The soil and air in the greenhouse heat up during the day under the influence of radiant energy and cool down at night. In spring and summer, this heating is quite enough to effectively heat greenhouses.
In autumn and winter, sunny days are shortened, and the sun is low above the horizon. As a result, the penetrating ability of the sun's rays decreases, they illuminate the soil at an angle and it heats up worse.
To increase the efficiency of solar heating of winter greenhouses, do the following.
- Create a slope for the greenhouse to the south. This will allow the sun's rays to better illuminate and warm the interior space.
Solar heating is used both as an independent heating system and in combination with other systems. At the same time, the costs of artificial heating are significantly reduced.
Biological heating
The second type of natural heating of greenhouses is the arrangement of warm beds from organic components. Under the influence of soil microorganisms, organic matter begins to decompose with the release of heat.
Step 1. At the site of future beds, trenches are made with a depth of 0.5-0.7 m. They are enclosed with walls made of boards, bricks, blocks or slate. A drainage made of stones or expanded clay or a layer of sand is placed at the bottom.
Step 2. The first layer of a warm bed is made from large pieces of wood: logs, chocks, stumps. Between them fall branches, sawdust, and tree bark.
Bottom layer - wood and branches
Step 3. Lay a layer of manure or compost and spill it with water containing biobacteria. Cover the bed with cardboard or several layers of paper.
Step 4. The next layer is a mixture of dry leaves, weeds, and mown grass. The thickness of this layer is at least 30 cm.
Step 5. Fertile soil is filled to the top of the fences, leveled and watered with warm water.
Step 6. Cover the beds with covering material or film for 3-7 days.
Within a few days, soil bacteria begin to actively decompose organic matter, and the bed begins to generate heat.
Prices for covering material
covering material
Electric heating
Heating a greenhouse using electricity is available to every gardener.
Electric heating can be implemented in several ways:
- using a heating cable buried in the ground;
- using electric heaters or convectors;
- infrared heaters or lamps;
- using an electric boiler.
Advantages of electric heating:
- availability of electricity;
- ease of installation and operation;
- low price of heating devices;
- rapid heating of air and soil;
- high level of automation.
Flaws:
- high price of electricity;
- It is not always possible to connect devices of the required power.
A special heating cable is laid inside heated ridges and is used to heat the soil and protect it from freezing in the northern regions. The cable laying diagram is shown in the figure.
Convectors or radiators are placed along the main walls - the devices create protection from cold air currents. It is better not to install them in the immediate vicinity of polycarbonate - during operation, the body of the convectors heats up, so the material may melt.
Infrared heaters do not heat the air, but the surfaces on which the rays fall. As a result, the soil and the plants themselves, paths, ridge fences, equipment and irrigation systems heat up. Heaters are mounted on brackets or hangers to the greenhouse frame. The radiation spectrum of infrared heaters is close to that of the sun and is beneficial for plants.
Electric boilers for heating greenhouses are quite convenient, but require the installation of a water circuit, which increases the cost of installation. At the same time, their efficiency does not exceed that of other types of electric heating.
Note! Despite the large list of advantages, due to the high price of electricity, electric heating is more often used as a backup source of heating.
Another option is a film heater
Prices for infrared heated floors
infrared heated floors
Stove heating
Stove heating allows you to heat the air to the required temperature in any weather, the main thing is that the thermal power of the stove matches the volume of the greenhouse. The stove is usually installed in the coldest place - near the north wall.
The distribution of air masses can be carried out in several ways:
- natural convection;
- using fans;
- through air ducts.
Firewood, branches, briquettes, and waste from wood processing industries are usually used as fuel for the stove.
Stove heating of greenhouses is popular among gardeners due to many advantages:
- quick start of the furnace and warming up of the greenhouse;
- inexpensive available fuel;
- simple installation and operation;
- the possibility of making a stove with your own hands from scrap metal or old bricks.
There are also disadvantages. The most significant of them is the impossibility of automating heating and the need for constant presence, especially in the northern regions, where heating of the greenhouse in winter must be continuous.
Stoves for heating greenhouses can be of different designs. The most popular options are described below.
Potbelly stove
It is a metal stove with a direct chimney. It consists of a combustion chamber with a door for loading firewood. In the lower part there is an ash pan, separated from the firebox by a grate. When fuel burns, the walls of the potbelly stove become very hot and release heat into the greenhouse space.
Advantages of a potbelly stove:
- fast warm-up;
- simple design;
- easy to do yourself;
- Any fuel is suitable, including garbage.
Flaws:
- high consumption of firewood;
- low efficiency;
- uneven heating of the greenhouse space;
- dries the air in the greenhouse;
- low heat capacity - the oven cools down quickly.
To improve the characteristics of the potbelly stove and increase efficiency, it can be equipped with a water circuit. It is made in the form of a tank installed on top of the stove and connected to a coil or to the heating system. You can improve the convection of heated air and protect adjacent beds from overheating using a fan: by blowing through the stove, it moves the heated air deeper into the greenhouse.
Prices for potbelly stoves
potbelly stove
Buleryan stove
An improved industrial stove. The difference between a buleryan and a potbelly stove is that it has hollow pipes built into it, through which there is constant air movement. Cold air is drawn in through the bottom of the pipes, flows around the furnace body and exits at the top. At the same time, the air does not heat up to a hot state, but remains pleasantly warm and does not burn the plants.
Advantages of Buleryan:
- high efficiency;
- low fuel consumption;
- compact dimensions;
- The stove does not burn and heats the space evenly.
Flaws:
- an industrial oven, making it yourself is quite difficult;
- low heat capacity - heats only during combustion.
You can connect air ducts to the Buleryan pipes and use them to deliver warm air to remote parts of the greenhouse. There are also models with a water circuit.
Brick oven
A capital structure, it is installed in greenhouses for year-round use. The stove can have any size and design depending on the area of the greenhouse. Usually they are carried out according to the laying schemes for bathhouses or heating stoves and are placed in a vestibule or against a main wall.
Advantages of brick kilns:
- high heat capacity, the oven does not cool down within 12-24 hours;
- low wood consumption;
- brick emits heat in a spectrum useful for plants, similar to solar thermal radiation;
- heat distribution throughout the internal volume occurs gradually and evenly;
- large selection of designs.
Flaws:
- a foundation is needed for the stove;
- laying a stove requires special skills or a master stove maker;
- The design turns out to be quite expensive.
A brick stove is the most heat-intensive option of all mentioned; it is convenient to use for constant heating of winter greenhouses. Such a stove is heated once a day, in the evening, after which it heats the air until the morning. During the day, the greenhouse is additionally heated by the sun's rays.
Rules for installing stoves in a polycarbonate greenhouse.
- The stove must be installed on a solid horizontal base to prevent it from tipping over.
- Very hot parts of the oven should be located no closer than 60 cm from the polycarbonate, otherwise it will melt.
- The chimney is exhausted through one of the walls or the roof, and it is necessary to use heat-insulated pipes.
- The passages through the wall or roof are equipped with penetrations with thermal insulation, and the pipe is secured.
For maximum heat transfer, the pipe can be positioned at an angle and passed through the entire greenhouse. In this case, heating will be carried out not only from the furnace itself, but also from the pipe, which will increase efficiency.
Note! When choosing a stove, it is important to take into account the fact that the nominal volume of the heated room indicated in the passport is designed for a well-insulated building made of brick or wood. The thermal insulation properties of polycarbonate are much lower, so a reserve of thermal power is required.
Brick prices
Water heating
The most reliable way to create the necessary microclimate in winter greenhouses made of polycarbonate.
Water heating is a whole complex of equipment:
- boiler;
- heating circuit made of pipes, registers or radiators;
- expansion tank;
- circulation pump in case of using forced circulation;
- security group.
Installation of such a system is expensive, so it is usually installed in large greenhouses used for growing vegetables, berries or flowers for sale. If the greenhouse is attached to a house heated by a boiler, it can be connected to the home heating network. A separate building is usually connected to a separate boiler.
For water heating of greenhouses, you can use different boilers:
- gas;
- diesel;
- solid fuel;
- electric.
All of them have their advantages and disadvantages, they are described in Table 1.
Table 1. Comparison of different types of boilers for heating greenhouses.
| Boiler type | Advantages | Flaws |
|---|---|---|
| Low fuel cost. High efficiency. Safety. Compact dimensions of the boiler. Possibility of using a coaxial chimney. | Requires connection to a gas main. Most boilers are energy dependent. The cost of boilers is quite high. |
| Safety. High level of automation. High efficiency. | High cost of fuel. It is necessary to arrange a tank for diesel fuel. |
| Independence from communications. Availability and low price of fuel. Low cost boilers. Energy independence. | Automation is only possible when using pellets. Efficiency depends on the fuel. A chimney installation is required. |
| Safety. High level of automation. High efficiency. No chimney needed. | High cost of electricity. Energy dependence. Over time, efficiency decreases due to scale. |
The choice of boiler type is made depending on resources and personal preferences. The installation of the heating system is not much different, the only difference is that gas, diesel and electric boilers are often equipped with a built-in circulation pump and a safety group, so when installing them, connecting these elements is not required.
Step-by-step instructions for installing a water heating system are given in Table 2.
Table 2. Installation of water heating in a greenhouse.
| Stages, illustrations | Description of actions |
|---|---|
| To calculate the required boiler power, you need to know the volume of the heated room. To calculate the volume of a greenhouse, you need to multiply its geometric dimensions: length, width and height. Dimensions are taken in meters, the result is obtained in cubic meters. Example: greenhouse with dimensions L=6 m; W=3 m; H=2.5 m. Volume V=6·3·2.5=45 m3 |
| The boiler power is calculated using the given formula, based on the volume of the greenhouse. The specific power required for heating 1 m3 is taken equal to 50 W. The result is obtained in kW - it is in these units that the rated power of most boilers is indicated. Example: P=45·50/1000=2.25 W. The result obtained is rounded up to the nearest denomination, for example, 4 kW. |
| Radiators, depending on their design, have different thermal power. This indicator is usually indicated in the passport per 1 section for prefabricated models and for the entire radiator for soldered ones. Indicated in watts. The number of radiators is calculated based on the boiler power, taking into account losses - for this, a coefficient of 1.5 is introduced into the formula. The power of the radiator section is assumed to be 170 W. Example: n=4·1000/(1.5·170)=15.7 sections. The result is rounded to a larger integer and distributed over the required number of radiators. |
| The foundation for floor-standing boilers is made of reinforced concrete 10-15 cm thick. To do this, soil from an area of about 1 m2 is removed to a depth of 15 cm and a 5 cm layer of sand is poured. The sand is watered and compacted. Install wooden formwork 10-15 cm high, assembling the boards with nails or self-tapping screws. Reinforcing mesh is placed inside, concrete is mixed and poured into the formwork. Dry for 1-2 weeks. |
| The boiler, depending on its type and method of fastening, is installed on a pre-prepared foundation or hung on a solid wall. When installing, it is important to align it with the hydraulic level - misalignment can lead to the formation of air pockets in the heat exchanger. Volatile boilers are connected to the electrical network. Connect the expansion tank and, if necessary, a heat accumulator. If necessary, a hot water supply system is connected to the boiler. |
| The type of chimney depends on the type of boiler. For gas and diesel engines, a coaxial chimney is used, which is discharged through the wall. The coaxial chimney has a channel inside for the flow of fresh air, so additional ventilation is not required. For solid fuel boilers, a stainless steel sandwich chimney is usually used. It is connected to the boiler smoke pipe and discharged through the roof or wall. The pipe must be secured. A spark arrestor is installed on the top of the pipe - if sparks hit the polycarbonate, it can melt. |
| The water circuit is connected to the boiler according to the diagram shown. Install a safety group at the boiler outlet. The circulation pump is installed at the entrance to the boiler on the return pipe. A bypass with a balancing valve is installed between the forward and return pipes. A coarse filter is installed in front of the three-way valve on the return pipe. |
| Radiators are connected to pipes, shut-off valves and Mayevsky taps are installed on them to bleed air. If radiators are equipped with balancing valves, the latter are opened fully. Mayevsky's taps are turned on. Plugs are installed at free entrances. |
| Pressure testing is carried out with air from the compressor. The pressure test is usually indicated in the passports for the boiler and radiators. Apply pressure testing to the system. Joints and connections are sequentially lubricated with soap foam and checked for leaks, which can be detected by the bubbles that form. If air leaks are detected, the units are re-installed and sealed. |
After pressure testing, the boiler is ready to be filled with water and started. The first start-up is carried out in accordance with the instructions in the technical data sheet for the boiler - depending on the model, they vary.
Circulation pump prices
circulation pump
Video - Water heating of a greenhouse. Part 1
Video - Water heating of a greenhouse. Part 2
By installing a heating system in a polycarbonate greenhouse, you can grow herbs, vegetables and other heat-loving crops in winter. A heated greenhouse is a good help for the family budget and an exciting hobby for amateur gardeners.
