Paraffin Heaters..

[SmileySue]

So my lovely new greenhouse is, FINALLY, built!! It took two days hard labour, but we got there.

Now, I have a paraffin heater for if it is cold, and it is currently on it's trial run. I've been to check the temperature in the greenhouse, which is fine, but my question is this....it STINKS! Which I suppose is to be expected from a paraffin burner, but will the fumes hurt my plants??

[Lesley Jay]

Congratulations on the new greenhouse!!!!

The paraffin heater in my greenhouse stinks as well - maybe they all do??

[SmileySue]

My next question.....on it's trial run it was kicking out lots of black smoke, so I turned it off!!

Isn't the flame supposed to be blue and smokeless??

[Lesley Jay]

Yes it is supposed to be smokeless Sue. This is my OH job - his field of excellence! I know that you wind the wick up, light it, then wind it right down and I think this is when the flame becomes the right colour. I hate to admit it Sue but I think we need a man on this question!!

[SmileySue]

Ha ha ha!!! Well, I did all the right things, I let it soak the wick - lit it - then wound it right down. But it was still smoking after a couple of hours so I turned it off and spent the next hour cleaning the inside of the windows to remove the soot. Perhaps it is just rubbish?!

I cannot use an electric heater as the greenhouse is too far away from the house and I cannot have a lead trailing across the garden! A gas one will be too expensive at this stage and also I think far too big for my small greenhouse...

Tsk. Might have to buy a different and better one!

[malcolmx]

don't be too disheartened if you have tender plants close green house at about 4 o'clock and cover with some fleece

frosts now are not that severe and a fleece will give some protection i do not heat my greenhouse for general plants but i do use soil cables so think about power if you can i buried part of my cable and tacked the other part to the top of the fence but defiantly junk the paraffin (flint stone technology

[SmileySue]

Hmm...well having read many reviews on paraffin heaters before i shell out for another one, most complain about the fumes and the smoke. So I think I will chance it for now...I could look into power, but I really don't want to go too overboard at this stage since it is my first venture into gardening of any kind.

I've heard a barrel of water can keep some heat in - i.e. it absorbs it during the day and gives it off at night. Is this true do we think?

[1969are]

havn't tried but apparently a bag of fresh manure will do the job.Also smelly but far more wholesome than paraffin fumes.