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How to make bottom heat?
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Posted by mari11 z5a Toronto (My Page) on Sat, Nov 3, 07 at 19:58
Please, give me suggections - what materials I need, where to buy, how to make... Has anyone ever made it?
BTW, my email address in forum profile is incorrect and I can't change it. Please, post your answer here. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How to make bottom heat?
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| I made a box with 1 x 6 boards, and a piece of plywood for the top. Inside, I mounted two light sockets. I wired the sockets in series so that ordinary 60-watt bulbs would last a long time, and consume less power. I made it about 18" by 4' long so I could mount a fluoresent shop light fixture above it. I also used two pieces of aluminum inside, to deflect and even out the heat. You could also use a dimmer switch instead of wiring the bulbs in series. By doing that, you have better control over the amount of heat it provides. Still, I prefer the two bulbs in series and no switch, since it's less likely to ever get turned off by accident. I've been using this box for about two years, and am still using the original bulbs. You could also drill holes in the top, for better heat flow, but be careful when watering your plants. If you'll search my blog, you'll find pictures. John |
Here is a link that might be useful: My blog
RE: How to make bottom heat? Another idea.
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| You'll find a good picture of my bottom-heater on my September 18th blog post, "Weekend Chores". If you'll look closely, you'll see a tiny window in the front. I put that in so I could see if the lights are on. FYI Because my plants are in an unheated sunroom, I also built another useful device. I've mounted a small fan, and a lightbulb, and a heat deflector inside a sealed box. It draws in room air, heats it, and passes it through some pvc pipes that are behind my plants. The pvc pipe has small holes about every two inches. This gives my plants a little extra heat when they need it. I'm planning on controlling this with a thermostat. John |
Here is a link that might be useful: My blog
RE: How to make bottom heat?
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| I just got this heated mat with a wire rack that goes around it to keep the seedlings a little bit off the mat. Anyway, you can set a temperature and it maintains it thermostatically. I'm waiting to use it because it's still a bit early but I'm really excited. Anyone used one of these? Any tips? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Gro-Mat
RE: How to make bottom heat?
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| If you want bottom heat then some sort of heating applied from below is the way to go. Sound too obvious to be true! Heat mats are a simple solution. For larger areas, you can bury a heating cable in sand below your plants. Active heating like this requires a thermostat. Some cheap mats don't include a thermostat, sooner or later you will kill your plants. Other sources of bottom heat include the top of your fridge. It is barely warm to touch but you are trying to maintain a temperature at the roots of perhaps 5F above the air temperature, not cook a chicken! Lastly, I rarely use bottom heat. I use an enclosed propagator which is heated by the lights. The problem is nearly always providing enough ventilation to keep it cool and I have no need for additional heat. |
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