Near Disaster in the Greenhouse

Earl · March 18, 2006

Last night's temp was supposed to drop to 24, and all day yesterday I worked my butt off finishing up the insulation and getting the shade net on the GH. I'd bought two small heaters and they'd been keeping the temp in the uper 50's, so I felt pretty good about the situation getting all the insulation finished up.

I use one of those wireless themometers to check on the inside GH temp. This morning when I looked at it it read 33!

Yes, I nearly passed-out. I went flying outside in my bathrobe. I didn't hear the radio playing as I approached the GH so I knew the electricity had gone off. After peeking inside [I figured my tomato plants would all be folded over in a frozen state, but they looked ok.]

Back in the house, I headed for the switch box and sure enough, the breaker switch had been tripped. The temp didn't get down to 22 like it was supposed to, only to 27. Had the weatherman been right the temp inside would have dropped into high 20's.

Lesson learned, don't put two heaters on the same breaker switch unless you know it can handle the load.

Sherry_AK · March 18, 2006

I've done the same (the quick trip in a bathrobe part). Some of those wireless thermometers have alarms built in. Mine does. So more than once during the night I've run outside to check. I provide minimal heat here when I first move my plants outside ... it would be cost prohibitive to do otherwise. So occasionally I have to add an additional heater. Fortunately, I think the power supply to the greenhouse can handle it. Glad disaster was averted for you!

chilhuacle · March 18, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Earl

I use one of those wireless themometers to check on the inside GH temp. This morning when I looked at it it read 33!

Glad to hear everything was OK. You'll have to get a thermometer with an alarm to wake you up from your tomato dreams. 8)

Earl · March 18, 2006

Yes. I will most definately get one with an ALARM!

dokutaaguriin · March 18, 2006

The early morning greenhouse dash story.....
I, too, use one of those wireless temp. thermometers and have been awoken just before 5 am to its beep beep beep beeeeep beep beep......
It scared the living daylights out of me at that time...as in 50 plus plants frozen to death in the greenhouse. I think I had set it for 3C to allow for a margin of error. So I checked the plants and another thermometer in the greenhhouse and figured I could reset it for 1C and pray that the temp won't go lower. I gambled and won!!! No damage to the plants but lesson learned about insulating the greenhouse....this year's project.
(I had put the thermometer very close to the north wall so as to get a reading for the "coldest possible temp inside the greenhouse". )
Jeff

clay199 · March 18, 2006

Earl,
You should not be sleeping. Priorities have to be maintained. You can sleep after the maters get into the ground.

Tania · March 19, 2006

phew! first 'adventure', uh?

Beautiful greenhouse - now you are going to be beating us with all the early tomatoes in April, right?

We finally had the snow melted here yesterday, and I was surprised that my unheated cold frames provided adequate protection to the lettuce in these 22-30F nights that we had for the last week or so. Hopefully it is the last 28F night here in Vancouver BC...

to spring!

feraltomatoes · March 25, 2006

The padded professional moving blankets have been working great for me this year as a nightime insulator on clear cold nights, they get very heavy if wet from rain and are hard to dry out but the coldest nights are usally clear.
I toss them up on the greenhouse and slide them into position with a broom and take them off in the morning.
Huge difference and much easier on electric bill.
This has been the coldest and wettest start I ever remember here in CA. In fact it is causing me HUGE problems so I am hoping for a turn around.

March 18, 2006	#1
Earl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,278	Near Disaster in the Greenhouse Last night's temp was supposed to drop to 24, and all day yesterday I worked my butt off finishing up the insulation and getting the shade net on the GH. I'd bought two small heaters and they'd been keeping the temp in the uper 50's, so I felt pretty good about the situation getting all the insulation finished up. I use one of those wireless themometers to check on the inside GH temp. This morning when I looked at it it read 33! Yes, I nearly passed-out. I went flying outside in my bathrobe. I didn't hear the radio playing as I approached the GH so I knew the electricity had gone off. After peeking inside [I figured my tomato plants would all be folded over in a frozen state, but they looked ok.] Back in the house, I headed for the switch box and sure enough, the breaker switch had been tripped. The temp didn't get down to 22 like it was supposed to, only to 27. Had the weatherman been right the temp inside would have dropped into high 20's. Lesson learned, don't put two heaters on the same breaker switch unless you know it can handle the load.

March 19, 2006	#7
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	phew! first 'adventure', uh? Beautiful greenhouse - now you are going to be beating us with all the early tomatoes in April, right? We finally had the snow melted here yesterday, and I was surprised that my unheated cold frames provided adequate protection to the lettuce in these 22-30F nights that we had for the last week or so. Hopefully it is the last 28F night here in Vancouver BC... to spring! __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

March 18, 2006	#2
Sherry_AK Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Alaska Zone 3/4 Posts: 1,857	I've done the same (the quick trip in a bathrobe part). Some of those wireless thermometers have alarms built in. Mine does. So more than once during the night I've run outside to check. I provide minimal heat here when I first move my plants outside ... it would be cost prohibitive to do otherwise. So occasionally I have to add an additional heater. Fortunately, I think the power supply to the greenhouse can handle it. Glad disaster was averted for you!

March 18, 2006	#5
dokutaaguriin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Z3a Posts: 905	The early morning greenhouse dash story..... I, too, use one of those wireless temp. thermometers and have been awoken just before 5 am to its beep beep beep beeeeep beep beep...... It scared the living daylights out of me at that time...as in 50 plus plants frozen to death in the greenhouse. I think I had set it for 3C to allow for a margin of error. So I checked the plants and another thermometer in the greenhhouse and figured I could reset it for 1C and pray that the temp won't go lower. I gambled and won!!! No damage to the plants but lesson learned about insulating the greenhouse....this year's project. (I had put the thermometer very close to the north wall so as to get a reading for the "coldest possible temp inside the greenhouse". ) Jeff

March 18, 2006	#6
clay199 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Beyond Hope, British Columbia Posts: 201	Earl, You should not be sleeping. Priorities have to be maintained. You can sleep after the maters get into the ground.

March 25, 2006	#8
feraltomatoes Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Home=Napa Valley/ Garden=Solano County Posts: 245	The padded professional moving blankets have been working great for me this year as a nightime insulator on clear cold nights, they get very heavy if wet from rain and are hard to dry out but the coldest nights are usally clear. I toss them up on the greenhouse and slide them into position with a broom and take them off in the morning. Huge difference and much easier on electric bill. This has been the coldest and wettest start I ever remember here in CA. In fact it is causing me HUGE problems so I am hoping for a turn around.