The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: PK on November 29, 2017, 03:47:51 pm

Title: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: PK on November 29, 2017, 03:47:51 pm
What is the possibility of constructing a DIY wind turbine to heat a small greenhouse? Is that a practical means of heating? Has anyone here done it?
Title: Re: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: bazzais on January 15, 2018, 10:39:21 am
You could dump one of these in a barrel of water in the corner of the greenhouse?

https://www.splashandrelax.co.uk/products/Pool+Accessories/Pool+Heating/Solar+Pod+Solar+Heating+Kit+For+Swimming+Pools/3758104545 (https://www.splashandrelax.co.uk/products/Pool+Accessories/Pool+Heating/Solar+Pod+Solar+Heating+Kit+For+Swimming+Pools/3758104545)
Title: Re: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: Rupert the bear on January 15, 2018, 07:22:10 pm
You could dump one of these in a barrel of water in the corner of the greenhouse?

https://www.splashandrelax.co.uk/products/Pool+Accessories/Pool+Heating/Solar+Pod+Solar+Heating+Kit+For+Swimming+Pools/3758104545 (https://www.splashandrelax.co.uk/products/Pool+Accessories/Pool+Heating/Solar+Pod+Solar+Heating+Kit+For+Swimming+Pools/3758104545)
I rather like the look at that, I may get one to see how it goes , maybe a solar fountain pump would provide sufficient flow
Title: Re: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: mab on January 15, 2018, 08:44:51 pm
technically it's doable I suppose - though I don't know of anyone who's done it. The was a chap in north America (somewhere winter gets properly cold) who used a wind turbine to stop the horses water trough from freezing - a vertical rotating shaft went down into the trough and turned a paddle wheel underwater, effectively friction-heating the water.

I know of someone who's ducting heat from a large compost heap to heat his greenhouse - but he does need to regularly agitate and add to the compost to keep it heating, and of course taking the heat out of the compost slows the decomposition.
Title: Re: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: cloddopper on January 22, 2018, 11:49:23 am
You could dump one of these in a barrel of water in the corner of the greenhouse?

https://www.splashandrelax.co.uk/products/Pool+Accessories/Pool+Heating/Solar+Pod+Solar+Heating+Kit+For+Swimming+Pools/3758104545 (https://www.splashandrelax.co.uk/products/Pool+Accessories/Pool+Heating/Solar+Pod+Solar+Heating+Kit+For+Swimming+Pools/3758104545)

 It's good for frost free weather  to heat  small pools .  My pal Paul made something  similar 10 or more years ago & put it it on his garage roof out the way , used a small solar panel to drive a small fountain water pump to get the hot water down into the covered insulated pool . The pump was on the hot side delivery pipe ., think it was to do with the syphon effect being better used .

 Would it be any good in winter .. I doubt it Paul's wasn't  , you'd need saltwater or an antifreeze mix  in itin a closed loop with an expansion tank  to stop it freezing up in winter as well
Title: Re: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: Terry T on January 22, 2018, 08:20:12 pm
The details say to put away in winter in a frost free location, so might not be the answer.
Title: Re: wind turbine to heat greenhouse
Post by: landroverroy on January 22, 2018, 10:38:15 pm
What is the possibility of constructing a DIY wind turbine to heat a small greenhouse? Is that a practical means of heating? Has anyone here done it?


Not likely to be very effective during one of  those very cold but frosty spells with no wind that we get sometimes in the depths of winter.  :sunshine: