Old fashioned heating ...

[nick the grief]

Can you still get good old fashioned solid fuel boilers for greenhouses? Im thinking of moving one of the greenhouses on to my new plot which has no power obviously, and i dont fancy putting £100 s worth of gas heater in there as it could be nicked... So an old fashioned boiler and pipes ( like my dad had) would fit the bill ...


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[AllInContainers]

There's potentially lots of options, but many will be prohibitively expensive. There's the old fashioned pot belly stove (no plumbing) which is probably one of the cheapest solid fuel options, wood stoves with back boilers, solid fuel boilers, diesel fired systems (bio diesel an option?) as used on narrowboats and such .... but you can easily start running into 4 figures in you're not careful I'm not sure what kind of thing you're dad had

[scarey55]

I think Snadger did something like that in his greenhouse - hang on, Oi'll have a look.

[Nicos]

Are you meaning the old Foulstone Forge type heater with the large pipes??
I think they were based in Barnsley?

You may see a few second hand ones about?

[scarey55]

Here it is, not sure how helpful it is.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ouse_4352.html

There is another one showing his heater made out of a propane bottle but you commented in that one so I guess you already know about it.

[Potstubsdustbins]

If you are thinking of something like the old fashioned gravity fed Beeston coke stove with 3" cast iron pipes, my advice would be FORGET IT!

Neither the stoves or the pipe have been produced for years. This type of system was used as there really was no alternative at the time and a lot of the stuff required could be got cheap second hand.

A modern multi fuel stove could be used as a heat source its the heat emitting side of things that would be difficult.

Nowadays you would either have to go for 3" screwed steel, mega expensive and difficult to work or a smaller bore of pipework with radiators. You say you have no electric on site therefore you could not use a pump so the design of the gravity system pipework would be critical.

Potty

[Potstubsdustbins]

Just had a quick check with my supplier just to give you an idea.

The costing is for new 3" black iron screwed pipe, you know the stuff that was used as a cheap alternative to copper.

100mtrs of pipe screwed with socket £3027.47 + VAT at 20 %.

1, 3" F & F elbow £50.57p +VAT.

Maybe that's why we use plastic these days.

Potty

[Scarlet]

Wow! That's super expensive!!

[Nicos]

Cor...that'd be worth nicking from a greenhouse!!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Yep it's considered specialist equipment these days. I gave a quote last year for some alterations to a 70s office block heating system, even I gagged at the cost never mind the client.

I went in at just over £27K and won the contract.

Potty

[SoulBroNo1]

I guess the cost is mainly in the materials

[Potstubsdustbins]

About 50/50 actually installing 3" screwed pipe is very labour intensive, even with modern machines cutting and tapping 3" pipe is a laborious job as is using 48" chain dogs to screw it together.

Potty

[Nicos]

It's clearly possible to do- and if you have the skills, to do it yourself at a much reduced cost.
Thing is I really wouldn't want to consider leaving something that expensive on an allotment site.
Back garden perhaps...but not somewhere with public access.

Buying stuff second hand makes this financially feasible , but then I'd want to protect it 24/7!!!

I suppose it depends on how safe you feel your site is???

[starloc]

I have just bought a wood power water boiler in Bulgaria , lots if not all diy stores sell them ( about £100 ) I am going to use as heating in a winter greenhouse for my citrus , Its about 4 foot high, about 10 inch round takes a 4 inch ( i think ) slot together chimney, its made for heating water for a shower or bath when people have no electric fitted ( quite common in Bulgaria ) , I am going to use it using convection to circulate the water round the greenhouse, chimney pipe will also run inside some way with chimney air radiators in it to remove heat as the smoke goes up.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Take it from me Nicos they aren't going to nick the pipe work when its installed, not unless they turn up with a gas axe.

Potty