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  • From: Robert Schuler <sunnfarm AT verizon.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bench heating in greenhouse
  • Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:01:29 -0600 (CST)


Sorry Kate, But I use a fairly expensive remote sensing thermostat. It will
control 4 units and costs around $120. I have a remote sensing stat built by
Johnson controls that sells for around $52 from Grainger that I use on my hot
water system that will work well if you know how to wire it... Bob.

Thanks for the details; I'm looking to do something similar. Where/what type
of thermostats did you use? The probe ones I find at the greenhouse supplies
are pretty pricey. I'm guessing you found something more economical.

Kate
Puget Sound, Zone 7

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Robert
Schuler
Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 9:00 AM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bench heating in greenhouse

Rachel, The cable is a loop. Mine were 48' long. I carefully spaced the
cable on top of a sheet of aluminum foil covered 1" thick home insulation
board held in place with temporary nails until glued with silicone. cutting
the board 3.5'x3.5' is just right to hold 8- 1020 size seedling trays and
provide uniform heat. I would pick up and store the units after the
germination season was over. I did not cover the cables with soil. The built
in thermostats seldom work and I had to use a remote thermostat to control
each unit... Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.


Bob,

Thanks for your advice. That definitely looks like a less expensive
solution. I'm wondering one thing: did you bury your cables in soil (or
something other) to distribute the heat? Or did you find the heat
distribution was even enough with out burying them in some medium?

Thanks,

Rachel
Sunshine Organics
North Central Washington

On 2/9/08 8:41 AM, "Robert Schuler" <sunnfarm AT verizon.net> wrote:

> Rachel go to the Wrap-on web site and look up their Gro-Quick soil
> warming cables. Before I went to a hot water system I had a 3.5'x 60ft
> bench electrically heated with a series of 14 of the 48 ft 168 watt
> cables. I could germinate 120 flats at a time on a single layer and I
> could germinate up to three layers of seedling trays at a time or 360
> trays... I still use some of them for seed germination... Bob.
> Sunny Meadow Farm
> Bridgeton, NJ.
>
>
> Hi, All.
>
> I am wondering if I could get some more information on how people have
> set up bench heating systems for starting plants.
>
> Last fall we put up a 20x48 double inflated poly greenhouse. It's got
> a modine heater (not hooked up yet so not familiar with it yet) , but
> I also want to set up a hot-water bench heating system for starting
plants.
>
> I used to start plants in the basement under lights but it was too
> messy, and now we're doing too much volume.
>
> I've seen a farm where they ran tubing from a hot water heater over a
> bench that had several inches of gravel on it, the tubing buried in the
gravel.
> Is the gravel (or sand?) really necessary, or can you just run the
> tubing directly under the benches?
>
> Are there websites or other sources of info that I should look at to
> see how to do this right?
>
> Is there a certain type of tubing to use? Or guidelines about the
> diameter, or how far apart the loops of tubing should be, etc?
>
> I'm thinking I'll set up a heating bench that's about 4'x40'. I do
> have some heavy duty germination mats that I could use to start
> peppers and tomatoes on if I wanted a warmer spot...?
>
> Thanks for any input!
>
> Rachel
> Sunshine Organics
> North Central Washington
>
>
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