No central heat; how to keep my orchids alive?

[Leafmite]

Interesting thread. Perhaps the cheapest option would be to buy a large tank (can often find these very cheap, second hand), fill the bottom with water, use a submergible heater to keep the water warm, place the orchid pots in tall bowls or containers, and set the containers in the water. Water is usually more stable temp-wise and this is a cheaper solution than running a heater. A similar method is sometimes used commercially. Just an idea.

[SJF]

Are all of your orchids in one room? Perhaps one of the small Vornado heaters. They have fans built in and don't use a tremendous amount of electric. The type of fan they use keeps the temperature constant from ceiling to floor. I bought one with a thermostat built in for My husband for Christmas. He has a desk that he works at in our unfinished basement. It doesn't hav heat or central air and took the area (it was a whole room type heater) from the low forties up to about seventy degrees. It has lots of safety features too.

[Purple_phal_gal13]

I like the aquarium idea. And yes all my orchids are in the same room.

The aquarium with a glass versa lid I think would work well to keep the plants warm and would provide humidity.

Has anyone else ever done the aquarium thing?

The vornado also is a great idea. Thanks for all the suggestions.

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[Laserbeak]

I live in a 1920s building in NYC but I hardly ever have to even turn on the radiators even with the windows open. I guess it's just the heat from the building and the apartments around me insulate it. I'll be rearranging to make sure the orchids that do like the cold like the Masdevallias get some of the cool air and make sure the ones that really can't tolerate it don't get any drafts, but I don't foresee too many problems.

Usually only a few days a year does it get cold enough here I have to shut all the windows and turn on the radiators, like when it drops below 10F.

[Bolero]

The plants will probably be ok as long as it doesn't get below 50F.

[Leafmite]

I have never used the aquarium method but I know that some commercial greenhouses have deep trays filled with temperature controlled water instead of heating the greenhouse. Same idea. I will look for something on the Internet for you.

[Orchid Whisperer]

An enclosure/tent surrounding whatever light/shelving setup you have will help hold in the heat from your lighting and also humidity. If you are the handy/crafty type, you can probably make a "tent" from the type of plastic sheet sold for painting drop cloth.

I would invest a few bucks in an electronic meter that measures both relative humidity and temperature; I picked one up from Walmart for less than 10 bucks. See how far the "tent" and lights get you before investing in heaters, etc.

With cooler temperatures, go easy on the water, you especially do not want water sitting on the leaves or in the crown for long.

[Leafmite]

I know I have heard of the trays of water being used but I didn't find any articles about using this method. Most articles I found use pipes underneath the benches or on the floor to provide the bottom heat.
You could use a seedling mat, instead, if there is concern for fungual problems with too much humidity. Bottom heat should really be great for root growth. The aquarium should keep the heat in nicely and protect the orchids from cold drafts.
Here are a few articles, the first from a commercial standpoint. Hopefully, they will give you some ideas.

Heating systems for the greenhouse | Maripositas

Using Bottom Heat

DIY bottom soil Heater