Anyone have experience with Simply Solar Greenhouse - Orchid Board

Becca · #1 03-12-2011, 10:37 PM

Hi everyone! So there is a Simply Solar Greenhouse for sale locally and I haven't heard much about them. I have found a website or two with info and that is about it. I'm curious if anyone is familiar with them or if anyone has any experience with them. I would love to hear any info if so!

dounoharm · #2 03-13-2011, 05:14 PM

what size is it? i am curious how one of those one piece design houses heats and cools and whether it will be possible to maintain a reasonable temp in them? if it isnt too expensive it would be worth it to experiment....

Becca · #3 03-13-2011, 06:08 PM

It's an 8' x 15'. Simply Solar Greenhouse. Not as big as I would like. The price is what is tempting...but to expensive to conider it being an experiment. I can get a fully loaded new Sun Glo for around 4K and comes with an electric heater but I'm still not sure I can adequately cool one in my area during the summer and I want to know what the heating and cooling costs are before going into buying a greenhouse. Wish there was some way to figure that out a head of time.

Connie Star · #4 03-13-2011, 07:40 PM

Looks interesting, but maybe a little too good to be true? A 1500 Watt heater is going to cost a lot to run in the winter, and it doesn't look like it opens up enough to cool in the summer. But, I've never had a greenhouse so others should weigh in.

Becca · #5 03-13-2011, 08:16 PM

Yes I don't think I would want to heat with the heater that the Sun Glo comes with since it is electric. The one with the Simply Solar Greenhouse is a propane or natural gas and that would be my preference for a greenhouse heater. I planned on having natural gas piped to the greenhouse (whatever I get) since we currently use natural gas for our home. It wouldn't be to far to extend it for where I want a greenhouse to go.

dounoharm · #6 03-14-2011, 08:30 AM

if you can get nat gas, thats the way to go...my 12 x 24 gh cost me 1500 to heat this winter, keeping temps at 55 with a propane heater....next year i am going down to 45 degrees to see what that does...i guess there is no way to tell heating costs till you experience them. i would not go elec for fear a power outage in the nite would freeze my orchids....invest in a temp alarm! i would think you would have to run an evap cooler too in the summer.....

Becca · #7 03-14-2011, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dounoharm

if you can get nat gas, thats the way to go...my 12 x 24 gh cost me 1500 to heat this winter, keeping temps at 55 with a propane heater....next year i am going down to 45 degrees to see what that does...i guess there is no way to tell heating costs till you experience them. i would not go elec for fear a power outage in the nite would freeze my orchids....invest in a temp alarm! i would think you would have to run an evap cooler too in the summer.....

Where do you live and how low do your temps go? Also when did you start heating your greenhouse for the winter? Also how much does it cost you during the warm months to cool? During July August and September, temps are usually around 90 to 100 degrees, sometimes just a tad over 100 for several weeks during July and August. I do have a window A/C unit that I already have to use to cool the room the orchids are in now due to the lights I run. The window A/C unit is in addition to the A/C we run for the house.

dounoharm · #8 03-14-2011, 01:32 PM

i live in the foothills of north carolina, and it starts getting cold at nite in sept....and i heat till april....so i have been heating for a major portion of the year....it gets very hot during the summer, and i just run fans and the exhaust fan and a misting machine....the summer electric isnt so bad....the mister runs year round, a jaybird model, and of course the fans etc run year round.....it gets upwards of 90 degrees in the summer, but the plants seem to love it....and i use heavy shade cloth...