edwin
gardener
Posts: 141
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Post by edwin on Feb 29, 2012 20:27:00 GMT -5
Our 100 mile grocery store found out their icecream freezer would no longer work. Repair costs were the same as buying a new one. To make a long story short, we got it   It was sunny yesterday so I gave it a test drive. Took it out of the garage around 1, and came back about an hour after sunset.   Left it out overnight -7C. The high for yesterday was 0 and the low was -12. I figure that if I wait until mid march I should be able to roast chicken in it! ;D |
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Post by oxbowfarm on Feb 29, 2012 20:32:15 GMT -5
The Rodale Solar Growing frame was a lot like that freezer, the problem you'll have is venting it to keep from cooking stuff.
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Post by traab on Mar 11, 2012 8:38:26 GMT -5
Have you been monitoring the temperatures on this? I am wondering how it is working out? Even to shuttle plants in and out each day it could be very useful. Rodent proof it could be used for storage in other seasons. Keep us posted on using this.
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edwin
gardener
Posts: 141
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Post by edwin on Mar 12, 2012 9:29:20 GMT -5
It's been pretty cloudy - actually blizzardy. It probably would have been worth while to have measured temperatures when cloudy - but I didn't.
Yesterday it was hot and sunny and I wheeled it out of the garage. From 11-12 am the temperature went to 45C. Opened up both ends and the temperature dropped . Was able to keep it below 35 and above 25. It definitely needs a bit of watching to avoid over heating.
We are sprouting some egg plant and chili seeds in paper towels (coffee filters actually) and we put them in. Normally we keep them by the fireplace, but it was quite warm - into the double digits so the fire place was off.
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Post by templeton on Mar 12, 2012 16:47:30 GMT -5
Edwin, for about A$40 you can get automatic greenhouse vent openers that should be easy to adapt to automatically open the lid, if you want a set and forget option.
I imagine they would be cheaper in north america.
T
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edwin
gardener
Posts: 141
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Post by edwin on Mar 14, 2012 20:38:43 GMT -5
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edwin
gardener
Posts: 141
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Post by edwin on Mar 14, 2012 20:46:22 GMT -5
On a cloudy day it gains around 6C when the outside temp is 11. On a sunny/cloudy day it is pretty much impossible to maintain a temperature within a 10C swing.
Indeed a automatic vent of some form is perhaps required.
I haven't monitored it particularly at night though I would think an incandescent light bulb would be quite adequate as a heat source.
I would also think that a large pail of water in the bottom would make an excellent heat sink to moderate nighttime temperature. Right now it is quite mobile - making it easy to move for best solar gain. With a heavy load of soil that would no longer be the case.
Don't think we at this time have a need to do anything like that. Perhaps next year we will set it up for lettuce over the winter. Right now it is keeping our pepper seeds warm during the day until sprouting.
I think that I have a pretty good feel for it and will not be doing too much further experimentation at least until we try planting something in it.
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