Greenhouse Heater

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GARDMAN-GRE...UTF8&colid=2NHHQRHDA6FUS&coliid=I86SOJJ6U7BRC
Considering one of these as will be home this winter and would like an early start,perhaps with thermostatic plug ??
Opinions ,running costs ,efficiency ,all welcome, Obviously dependent on how hard winter

 

Waste of money. Takes ages for the heat to "spread" around the greenhouse, and you will get hot/cold spots. Get a [greenhouse] fan heater instead (they too are around £30).

Worth spending money on a high-quality thermostat (you might easily spend same, or more, on a thermostat) as cheap thermostats will only turn on/off (hysteresis) over a range of perhaps 5C, and overheating your greenhouse by 5C is very expensive! so good thermostat will pay back over a year or two.

Fan will keep the air moving, and for overwintered plants that are prone to rotting running the fan (with no heat) will help.

Electric is probably the most cost effective winter greenhouse "fuel". Truly thermostatically control means you will use the minimum possible, so even though electricity is an expensive energy source the overall cost will be less; in mild winters you will use very little fuel indeed.

Short of using mains-gas, the alternatives (bottled gas and paraffin) are relatively expensive these days.

 

I've been recommended this one a few times http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=905345 some say the internal thermostat is okay but personally I'd stick with kristens advice of getting a decent external thermostat

 

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The first heater you mention is commonly known as a tubular heater, you can get them cheaper elsewhere. I have a 2 foot one for a corner of my shed, I say corner because that is all they are good for. They will "just about take a chill off a small area" (which is just what I want / need) but heat a green house, no.

I also consider most electric heaters to be expensive to run for a big space, have you considered something else?

 

like the new avatar I will be starting off in the house but as they get more and more ,was just doing early research, what do you use

 

removed link as personal details included

i am ordering this ,Beat the rush

 

They ought to be available 1/2 price this time of year - shop around?. Maybe buy 2 if you see them half price (set one thermostat a bit lower and that will only kick in if the first one is struggling on a really cold night). I bought my electric greenhouse fan heater for next winter back in May ... 50% off ... but it's, ermmm, a bit bigger than the ones you are looking at!

Forgot to mention: electric heaters no good on a night where you have a power cut - which you might after a very heavy snowfall

 

ordered it as it did seem a fair price, asking advice on the thermostatic plugs now,as i remember from a previous post of yours ,you think must buy,for better accuracy so 8'x6' G/H .hope I don`t need it all winter ,but would like to get some seeds under way in house then transfer to greenhouse.

 

I have read a post here (by Shiney perhaps?) about how much energy a heater uses, and how often it comes on etc. It varies from Winter to Winter, but in an average winter is really quite modest.

The more you pay attention to insulation the less it will cost you though .... so go all-out on bubblewrap insulation and making sure the greenhouse is as air-tight as possible (no broken window panes for example! and if you can make the door fit properly so much the better)