Cloudy, so Out to Greenhouse!

[digitS']

Would

tarps over the greenhouse

be an adequate thing to do, @Collector ?

Steve

 

[digitS']

My horoscope: "The road to success stretches out before you and disappears into the distant horizon. Although your ambitions continue to fuel your actions in the present moment, you might wonder if exhaustion will set in before you finish your journey. Nevertheless, you don't have the luxury of spending valuable time lost in contemplation."

Furnace failure. It did this several times in 2016. I had the furnace repair guy there to start it the first time in March 2017. Worked fine but he had an idea of "the problem." He was wrong.

By the time the part he ordered, and I had prepayed for, arrived, the gas furnace had failed several times. I had video of the failure lights. He didn't even bring the part out of his van - claiming the furnace should be replaced and that an electric would be more reliable in a greenhouse. Or, new natural gas but move it outdoors to avoid indoor humidity. Expensive!

I figured that I could live with its failure rate of what I guessed at about once every 50 starts, backup with small, electric heaters I already own. Did that for 2017. This year, the furnace has run without a problem for 2 weeks - until yesterday!

Oh. This time it's putting out some heat but it's about half the BTU's as normal. Electric controls failing, I was told last year.

Greenhouse fell to 49°f yesterday before I noticed. Shut off the power and the furnace clicked back on at normal. Checked thermometers again late last night: waay low! Go out. Plug in the little bathroom heaters. I've been out twice last night to check on things ... stressful!

Well, not bad. I see now real danger. Trying to get their little thermostats set right. One doesn't have a fan so additional fan means 3 devices are taking up room and there is a power cord for digitS' to fall over!

I'll get things better organized, for tonight. Probably kick the furnace on for our rainy days coming up tomorrow since its performance won't be as critically important during daytime ... tired.

Get it set up right, Steve! Get the stress monkey off your back!

digitS'

 

[Collector]

Would

tarps over the greenhouse

be an adequate thing to do, @Collector ?

Steve

That is a good idea I have an unused RV tarp here I could use. This am it is 26* outside and 35 in greenhouse under the small plastic tent I put together with small ceramic heater. Problem is I have more and more plants that are going to need to be moved out there. The only concrete blankets available at work are pretty old torn and covered in chemicals I’m sure so not anxious to put them in greenhouse. The tarp idea though has me thinking...

 

[catjac1975]

Ack!

Something chewed 2 of the peppers off at the soil line!

Sunny days and newly transplanted so they were on the floor in the shade. I can imagine a slug or two down there. Wow! March. Okay, the peppers will be lifted and slug bait shaken under the flats ...

Steve

That is usually wire worms. A small wrapping of foil at the bast will protect the rest until they are bigger.

 

[catjac1975]

My horoscope: "The road to success stretches out before you and disappears into the distant horizon. Although your ambitions continue to fuel your actions in the present moment, you might wonder if exhaustion will set in before you finish your journey. Nevertheless, you don't have the luxury of spending valuable time lost in contemplation."

Furnace failure. It did this several times in 2016. I had the furnace repair guy there to start it the first time in March 2017. Worked fine but he had an idea of "the problem." He was wrong.

By the time the part he ordered, and I had prepayed for, arrived, the gas furnace had failed several times. I had video of the failure lights. He didn't even bring the part out of his van - claiming the furnace should be replaced and that an electric would be more reliable in a greenhouse. Or, new natural gas but move it outdoors to avoid indoor humidity. Expensive!

I figured that I could live with its failure rate of what I guessed at about once every 50 starts, backup with small, electric heaters I already own. Did that for 2017. This year, the furnace has run without a problem for 2 weeks - until yesterday!

Oh. This time it's putting out some heat but it's about half the BTU's as normal. Electric controls failing, I was told last year.

Greenhouse fell to 49°f yesterday before I noticed. Shut off the power and the furnace clicked back on at normal. Checked thermometers again late last night: waay low! Go out. Plug in the little bathroom heaters. I've been out twice last night to check on things ... stressful!

Well, not bad. I see now real danger. Trying to get their little thermostats set right. One doesn't have a fan so additional fan means 3 devices are taking up room and there is a power cord for digitS' to fall over!

I'll get things better organized, for tonight. Probably kick the furnace on for our rainy days coming up tomorrow since its performance won't be as critically important during daytime ... tired.

Get it set up right, Steve! Get the stress monkey off your back!

digitS'

What about a different repairman?

 

[digitS']

@catjac1975 ,

That is a possibility. Those guys put the furnace in 20 years ago and have repaired it twice before. (I had some trouble getting a refund for the $100 prepayment on the part that wasn't used - wrote them a letter saying, "give it back!")

If a new one lasted 20 years I'd be nearly Dad's age by the time it would need to be replaced . What's the problem? Why electric? Why gas outside? It's the smallest gas garage furnace from that manufacturer. I can't say that it has been trouble-free. Repairs were in the hundreds of dollars. I think the real problem is that it sits for 10 months, just hangs up there on the ceiling.

Steve
i'll begin moving tomato seedlings into 4-packs, today

 

[catjac1975]

@catjac1975 ,

That is a possibility. Those guys put the furnace in 20 years ago and have repaired it twice before. (I had some trouble getting a refund for the $100 prepayment on the part that wasn't used - wrote them a letter saying, "give it back!")

If a new one lasted 20 years I'd be nearly Dad's age by the time it would need to be replaced . What's the problem? Why electric? Why gas outside? It's the smallest gas garage furnace from that manufacturer. I can't say that it has been trouble-free. Repairs were in the hundreds of dollars. I think the real problem is that it sits for 10 months, just hangs up there on the ceiling.

Steve
i'll begin moving tomato seedlings into 4-packs, today

Around here electricity rates are the highest in the country . I would ner==ver go that route. Maybe look into a solar heater annd see what they run. I never worry about what I spend on something that gives me joy, and whether it is cost effective to my age.

 

[flowerbug]

@digitS' fire it up once a month over the off season? i do that with the furnace and that keeps the spiders/etc. from setting up shop.

 

[digitS']

It's been Twelve Hours of problem-free performance from the greenhouse furnace. There was a mid-day break when the sun almost came out but the light rain thru the afternoon helped cool the sunshed and kick the furnace back on.

Two electric heaters with an extra 2 fans - set up and ready to go tonight as they were last night. It takes about 5 minutes to move them in or out. They were in the way for our potting up this afternoon. At some point, finding room for the extra equipment overnight may be a problem.

Of course, the weeks pass and the weather is likely to warm. I somewhat doubt that we will set up the shed-attached hoop house in the neighbor's garden this year. Didn't do it in 2017. It's nice to have it but takes almost a full day of work for set-up. I'm keeping a positive attitude that the transition to a warm growing season will be a gentle one and overflow from the greenhouse won't get outta hand. I'm olde enuf that stress is no longer looked at with bright anticipation ...

Or, it's just that I'm beat this evening from spending 5 hours in the lazyboy last night ... Funny how I can often sleep better here than returning to bed.

Steve
wow! electric rates in ID/Wa are in the bottom 5 in the US.
http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/204.htm

 

[digitS']

They also serve who only stand and wait. ~ John Milton


I don't really have the tomato plants so close to the heaters in case they have to be turned on but I wanted to show those they serve ...

The Natural Gas Furnace continues to provide heat with the Ready Kilowatt heaters only standing by.

It's a late lunch for me but I'd better struggle not to dose off afterwards. Need some inserts for more plant flats so had better run get them while it's still daylight.

Steve