root zone heating

17 years ago

Hi. Yes, I'm new, but I've read through the forum and couldn't find anything exactly on point. Here's my question:

I have a small well insulated greenhouse (8x10) and I plant everything in boxes which sit on a poured concrete floor. I am off-grid and have no electric except for a 12V battery system charging off a 90 watt solar panel. In the bottom of the boxes, I run 1/2" plastic tubing spaced three inches apart for the length of the boxes. I have a 12V water pump that runs on about 1 amp (12 watts) that circulates that water through the tubing. I have a heavily insulated cabinet where I store an aluminum hot water tank (with no heating element). All of the tubing is insulated between the tank and the grow beds and when I add hot water, it stays hot for 24-36 hours.

I am looking for a way to add additional heat to the water tank. Every 12V system I looked at would drain my batteries in about an hour or two. Someone said there is a "Peltier" system that I could affix to the outside of my aluminum tank and it would keep my water from freezing.

Has anyone, anywhere ever heard of such a thing? Has anyone, anywhere had any experience with it? Does anyone, anywhere have any other ideas for keeping the water in the tank relatively warm. 60-70 degrees (F) is more than enough to allow me to grow all winter.

Thanks.

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Comments (3)

greenhouser2
17 years ago
If such a thing existed we would all be using it. Have you considered some kind of propane heater?
sfallen2002
17 years ago
Somewhere - mother earth news or www - I read about a water heating device that was essentially an insulated box. Do some research into solar water heaters and see if anything makes sense to you.

I hope your floor is insulated in some way - if not, you can make your heat work harder by growing using insulated containers rather than trying to warm up the winter ground.

You might be able to use a propane heater set to low or "pilot light" strength too, depending on how cold things get in your neck of the woods.
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karin_mt
17 years ago
I haven't had any experience with this, but I wonder if you could use solar panels, the kind used to heat water, to add warm water to your tank. Of course this would only work during the day and during sunny times, which may not be reliable in your neck of the woods. Just a thought.