Today I built a costco carport into a greenhouse

[2 Legal Co]

Just an FYI; Saw a vid on utube where they used insulation board laid flat on the ground 'outside' the GH. Covered the foam board with wood chips too.

They said the GH is now useable all the way to the wall,,, where before it froze a couple feet into the GH.

Does that keep the ground warm. and in turn keeps the greenhouse warm. interesting what about if i were to run irigation lines back and forth in the ground? then run hot water thru them. I wonder how that would work.

I think they'd serve to heat the 'mass', you just need to isolate the Mass from the outside surface temperature.

The insulation simply provides a 'buffer' or 'thermal break' between the outside and the inside. When the ground is frozen just outside the wall, there is a huge heat loss. Worse yet the loss is from the 'rootball' area of the plantings inside.

Just an example: My basement here in town has insulation board on the outside of the foundation. The air in the basement stays at 50*F or so until it gets really cold outside. I have exposed windows and is 'garden level' on about half of it. So the effect works well. It'd be even better if you heated the dirt as 'thermal mass'. You would, I think want to insulate from the outside air and mass, to keep the heat in. The heat will rise and be useable inside the GH during the night. I don't know how cold you get there, so all this Might be overkill.... time will tell.

By the way the temp of the water coming out of the hose (after a few gallons), will be the temp of the dirt at 5-6 feet down. Unless of course you are in warmer climate then it won't be buried quite that deep maybe.

 

[Littleleaf]

There is two heat sources. The first is the bell, it's the radiant heater that you can also cook on. Then the mass, it holds the excess heat that wasn't transfered at the bell.

The burn chamber can run as high as 3000 degrees F. The exhaust(with a big mass) is around 180 F with no smoke. Just CO2 and steam. Very efficient use of fuel.

Feeding the beast at the start is a little pita but once it's fire up. Just drop a big log in the feed and it will burn for a long time.

LL:
How long does it take to heat the 'mass'. I've looked at this as a possibility,,,,, but never touched one, nor have even seen one in person. Looks like a PITA to keep fed...sort of. That's the reason for the Mass heating question.

Thought about doing one in my fishing shack/doghouse. Think I may do a solar panel 'hot air', instead. And building a 'mass' into the shack for the cold nights. Lots of sun/solar gain at 7600 feet.

Probably will end up with a GH add-on, with barrels of water to absorb the heat. Growing season is short up there so a GH is a resonable project. I've pretty much decided that my 'tin shed' GH is too small of an environment to stabilize.

All of the above is Highly dependent on my supply of 'Round To-Its', however.

 

[2 Legal Co]

There is two heat sources. The first is the bell, it's the radiant heater that you can also cook on. Then the mass, it holds the excess heat that wasn't transfered at the bell.

The burn chamber can run as high as 3000 degrees F. The exhaust(with a big mass) is around 180 F with no smoke. Just CO2 and steam. Very efficient use of fuel.

Feeding the beast at the start is a little pita but once it's fire up. Just drop a big log in the feed and it will burn for a long time.

How big did you make your 'feed port'?

 

[Littleleaf]

6" I've seen plans for 10" feed. That's a big log.

I get my wood from the dump for free. Most cities have a brush/wood drop off. A great place to fuel up.All so they have a huge pile of wood chips for mulch. I have found out that, this chipped wood is all so a good fuel source.

How big did you make your 'feed port'?

 

[2 Legal Co]

6" I've seen plans for 10" feed. That's a big log.

I get my wood from the dump for free. Most cities have a brush/wood drop off. A great place to fuel up.All so they have a huge pile of wood chips for mulch. I have found out that, this chipped wood is all so a good fuel source.

thx LL: Good info.

 

[Primalraindrop]

OK I have a new plan. IM building a 30' x 12' greenhouse next to my 20' x 10' costco carport and im going to connect them with another costco carport but smaller thats only 13.5' x 10' Im going to build the rocket mass heater have its exhaust go thru the 30 x 12 greenhouse and warm that one. and im going to run some copper lines in the heating barrel and run that water over to my 20 x 10 greenhouse that i currently have. I will have pictures to come. This has just turned into a HUGE project and lots of work. Lots of pics to come.

 

[2 Legal Co]

OK I have a new plan. IM building a 30' x 12' greenhouse next to my 20' x 10' costco carport and im going to connect them with another costco carport but smaller thats only 13.5' x 10' Im going to build the rocket mass heater have its exhaust go thru the 30 x 12 greenhouse and warm that one. and im going to run some copper lines in the heating barrel and run that water over to my 20 x 10 greenhouse that i currently have. I will have pictures to come. This has just turned into a HUGE project and lots of work. Lots of pics to come.

If there's any chance of freezing, you might want to save some $s and use Pex or similar. Plastic doesn't split as easily as copper. Just a thought.

 

[Primalraindrop]

I honestly wasnt sure how i was going to do it. My initial thoughts were copper. but im deffinatly open to ideas. im assuming this water is going to get VERY VERY hot. so i need something that it will be fine

 

[2 Legal Co]

I honestly wasnt sure how i was going to do it. My initial thoughts were copper. but im deffinatly open to ideas. im assuming this water is going to get VERY VERY hot. so i need something that it will be fine

The reason for Pex is not heat it's the freezing part. The copper is not elastic and if you freeze it, the copper stretches and doesn't return to the same size.... fitting don't fit anymore, so you have to replace the whole run once it splits.... This is presuming that freezing is an issue.

Pex, or similar, is widely used now, in residences, but it's been used for years in the RV industry. For the whole system, so it withstands 'normal' hot water temps.

If your temps get too hot, you may need to recirculate more.

 

[Primalraindrop]

Costco carport #2

Costco carport #2

I got a ways on my 10x 13.5 costco carport. Basically I went thru the piles of stuff and i couldnt find another whole carport but, I found pieces and this is what i did with it. I bought the plastic and screws but i scavenged the wood and the carport.

 

[Primalraindrop]

and the inside and what not.

 

[Primalraindrop]

Little spider mite damage and this one is still out there.

 

[Primalraindrop]

OK I have a new plan. IM building a 30' x 12' greenhouse next to my 20' x 10' costco carport and im going to connect them with another costco carport but smaller thats only 13.5' x 10' Im going to build the rocket mass heater have its exhaust go thru the 30 x 12 greenhouse and warm that one. and im going to run some copper lines in the heating barrel and run that water over to my 20 x 10 greenhouse that i currently have. I will have pictures to come. This has just turned into a HUGE project and lots of work. Lots of pics to come.

A Month and a half later.... I have all of the greenhouses connected like i had planned. and i have a rocket mass heater burning pinecones that is heating all of em... its 27 or so degrees outside and its about 50? or so in the greenhouse colder near the ends... need to figure that out. Im not sure how to get pics to actually show this thing has become a monster.

 

[auto guerilla]

wow that is a full on project. looking good. keep us updated. very interesting

 

[Littleleaf]

So you did go with a RMH, cool.

my RMH proto type is coming along too. It's still not were I would like it, but that's the fun of building one for me. The tinkering.

If you want to super charge it use a duct fan on your intake/feed. I've had mine hot enough to melt lead.

 

[Primalraindrop]

This RMH was such a great thing. Ill be able to take it down in a month-2 months and put plants were it was. I think this is awesome! ill just be coming back to it next year. I am about to start a new project tho. turning my costco carport into a light dep. but for the black plastic to be on the inside so it doesnt get blown away by the wind. Ill be posting pics and updates in the near future here Thanks for tuning in. Im still plugging away!

 

[StanKDanK]

looks good man. I cant wait to see the GH full of ladies

 

[2 Legal Co]

A Month and a half later.... I have all of the greenhouses connected like i had planned. and i have a rocket mass heater burning pinecones that is heating all of em... its 27 or so degrees outside and its about 50? or so in the greenhouse colder near the ends... need to figure that out. Im not sure how to get pics to actually show this thing has become a monster.

I'm curious as to how much time is needed to keep the Rocket stoked? Is there a need to keep it going during the night?

Melting lead: New use for the Rocket eh? Now you can mold your own bullets. Like that too.

 

[meadowman]

hope your wearing a respirator smelting that lead.

 

[RoadRash]

Nice system you got there ! It sounds like where you live, your plants are safe in the Greenhouse.

I built a carport frame myself for about $30. I put a tarp over it in the summer, so that my car can sit in the shade.

How sunny is it where you are ? My experience with some plastic sheet is, one season in the sun and it's done. It might be a good idea to get a second batch of plastic film while the price is right, for next year.