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06-07-2018, 07:26 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Coconut Creek, Florida
Age: 83
Posts: 128
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Questions about temperatures in Sun Room
Hello! members, sorry I haven't been around for a long time, I have been having problems with all my orchid growing. I've been growing my orchids in my Sun Room in South Florida facing SW for about 5 years with very little good results. My problem has always been to much heat in the room. I know I the answer was an AC, but, I live in a condo and putting in air conditions is 'against condo law' (similar to 'trump', sorry I digress). So I had to get permission to put in a portable AC with window kit, it took months and a lot of 'politics' to get permission to put in the AC. Now it's in. In reading about temperature control I keep reading that there should be a 10-15 degree difference between day and night temperature to get the best results in growing 'warm' to 'intermediate' orchids. My question is should I have the AC keep the room around 80 to 85 degrees during the day and at night put the temperature at about 75 degree. If I put the temperature below 70 degrees my electric bills will be 'TWO OVER THE TOP'. So I think that I can put the AC at 85 degrees Day time and 75 degrees at night. Does my plan seem to be correct. Keep in mind the AC will work most efficiently and work at maximum based on Ambient Temperature. I'm open to all suggestions and practical answers to my problems!
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06-08-2018, 07:17 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,194
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Sorry you went to all of that trouble and expense, but I frankly doubt that the temperature, itself, has been the issue, and normal day/night variation when the sun goes down is probably sufficient. If the sunroom is "livable" for you, it's fine for the plants.
As you haven't shared exactly what the issues have been - that is, the observed maladies - I can only guess that the issue may be that the plants were getting too much direct light, and that can be controlled with shade, via sheer curtains, at a bare minimum.
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06-08-2018, 09:36 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Coconut Creek, Florida
Age: 83
Posts: 128
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Sun room temperature problem
I'll try again (lost my reply to Ray earlier this morning), thank you for answering my post, I have all ways respected your opinion, expertise & knowledge. Before the AC the sun room was only bearable temperatures as high as 110 degrees F and that wasn't even in August our hottest month. I windows have sheer curtains and a slight tint on my impact windows. I have given my problem more thought. I am going to run the AC once the room gets to about 85-88 F, then turn the AC on and maintain either 85 or 88 F during the day, at night about 10-11 pm I will lower AC to 78-75 F to attain the needed(?) 10-15 degree change the orchids need at night. In the next day I will start the process over again. As for the expense for the AC (13,000 BTU) it will enable me to seat in the room comfortably, the room is about 100 square feet (got a good price on my Whynter AC). I would like to hear from you Ray and other members to my idea for hopefully solving my problem. Again thank you Ray, Zoren....
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06-08-2018, 11:28 AM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,194
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WOW! That is hot! Phalaenopsis (given enough shade) and vandas would love it, though.
I would be curious about a couple of things:
1) Can more shade (specifically Aluminet, as it reflects-, rather than absorbs the solar energy) give you some relief?
2) If you're stuck with A/C set in the mid- to upper 80's in the daytime, what does the room temperature do at night without turning the thermostat down?
I don't know that a 10°-15° nighttime drop is essential. That's going to depend upon the plants.
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06-08-2018, 01:37 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Coconut Creek, Florida
Age: 83
Posts: 128
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Sun room temperature problem
Ray, the night time temperature in the room doesn't change much or it will stay the same from day time temperature. The room faces SW to SSW and has some form of light from early morning to about 8 PM or so. To give you an idea of temperature change using today: #1 Shut off AC at 8 AM temp in room 75 F. #2 came home at 12:15 PM temp in room 86 F (that's with windows open-and ceiling fan at 3 and small window type fans in position 2). Just closed windows and put AC on at 86 degrees to maintain 80's room temperature. The outside temperature is at about 88 F & feels like 95 F. I will keep AC at 86 F until about 10-11 PM and reset AC to 75 F until tomorrow at 8 AM and stat the schedule all over again. Looking forward to your comment and any other comments from other member. Thank you for the interest...Zoren...
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06-09-2018, 10:59 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Zone: 6a
Location: Kansas
Posts: 5,219
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I'm with Ray.... WOW that's HOT!
Getting your temps down below 90 F should help quite a bit. I'd just follow that schedule for a few months and I think you'll see improvement... depending of course on what orchids you have. Definitely hopefully warm loving ones.
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06-09-2018, 12:51 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jun 2015
Zone: 9b
Location: Phoenix AZ - Lower Sonoran Desert
Posts: 18,645
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I have a sunroom facing SE in Phoenix. Not only do I have solar gain; ambient daytime summer temperatures are always over 104 F / 40C, and usually much higher. I get adequate cooling with a portable evaporative cooler, which probably wouldn't be enough in your higher humidity.
Many people here in Arizona use Aluminet instead of shade cloth. They say it reduces heat gain. I don't know whether you could get this past your HOA.
95-100F / 35-38C by day is fine for intermediate to hot growing orchids, if nights are cooler. I would save electricity by running your room a little warmer in the daytime.
If the sunroom physically connects to the air conditioned part of your home, consider opening the door at night. Your home air conditioner is more efficient than the wall unit and this will use less electricity.
Air conditioners dehumidify air. If you occasionally spray the surfaces in your air-conditioned sunroom, the water evaporating will provide some cooling. When waiting for shower water to warm up, run the cold water into a bucket. Throw that on the sunroom floor to increase humidity, and decrease temperature by evaporative cooling.
Good air flow lessens leaf burn. Sun on leaves can easily raise leaf temperature far above air temperature. A stiff breeze keeps leaves at ambient temperature as the moving air carries off heat. You will need to water more often with strong air circulation. I have had no leaf burn on small Vanda seedlings I put outside in full Arizona sun with a strong fan pointing directly at the seedlings, and ambient temperatures upto about 100F / 38C. I was afraid to go higher on temperatures so I really don't know how far I could push them.
I was recently in a Tucson greenhouse. The grower has almost exclusively Cattleyas. He has no shade cloth over the triple-layer polycarbonate shell. Every other greenhouse I've seen in Arizona is shaded. He uses an evaporative cooler with a very large fan. All the plants were swaying in the wind. He said 110 F / 43C in his unshaded greenhouse is no problem for Catts so long as air circulation is good. His Catts were amazing in the strong light.
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06-09-2018, 02:38 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Oak Island NC
Posts: 15,194
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Maybe the Aluminet won't be a problem with the HOA...
Unlike other shade cloths that absorb light and convert much of it to heat, requiring that they be outside the glazing, Aluminet shades by reflecting the light, so can be suspended as a panel inside without causing heating.
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06-09-2018, 07:44 PM
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Coconut Creek, Florida
Age: 83
Posts: 128
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Sun room temperature problem
I thank everyone for there suggestions, I am going to keep the schedule I came up with for awhile and see if I have better luck then I've been having. I will keep everyone informed on my progress, hopefully I will have good luck. I had a new quetion but I am unable to figure out how to start a new thread, so I added the new thread to this thread in the form of a reply, hopefully someone will see my new thread or question having to do with Dithane m-45 fungicide Thank you all again...Zoren...
Last edited by Zoren; 06-09-2018 at 09:21 PM..
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08-06-2018, 08:07 AM
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Jr. Member
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Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 2
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Air conditioning system is very important in the room so that our indoor plants receive good and healthy air. Conduct the regular inspection with the air conditioning repairs central NJ professionals to save extra future expenses.
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