New Tropical pond build

[jpm995]

Nothing at this point. Its single pain glass greenhouse with many leaks and lapped glass. I may add insulated curtains and rig up some plexi panels for the roof section but everything's new, I'm worn out, it's been an ordeal to get it this far. Just dug a trench and added a 220-volt line and a 24k mini split unit and so far it keeps the GH at 64 degrees. Sunlight gets it to mid 70's in the day. I run a wood burning stove at night to make it comfortable for me. I'm in zone 7 so it does get cold. The mini split is rated for 1200sq ft and the shed is 200 and the GH about 115 sq ft. What worries me is when i get the electric bill. That may push me to insulate. In the summer i'll have the exact opposite problem. I wanted a GH for many years, sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.

[pastry]

I'm barely in zone 9 (that's why I wanted to follow... b/c if it worked for you in L.I., it'd certainly work for me in Charleston: ). I'm about to insulate my "franken-bar-pond" in my garage with left over 2" polyurethane foam for 2 sides, then anything else (i.e., old blankets, sweatshirts, pillows, life-preservers, etc) for the rest. I have an electricity-guzzling rapid water heater that I use for my ooutside, 100 gallon aging barrel, but there's no temperature setting and it will get that water well over 100 in 2.5-4 hrs in 35-40 degree temps.

[jpm995]

It's really not a very valid comparison but my elect costs on Jan 15 bill was about $30 more than last years. This year was 4 degrees warmer than last year and i've been running a woodstove for a few hours on cold nights. A mini split heater would be perfect for your situation. These heaters were developed for moderate climates and are much more efficient in warmer climates. Their main drawback is the initial cost and installation. If your handy MrCool has a model with precharged lines that's a diy project.

[brewmaster15]

Nothing at this point. Its single pain glass greenhouse with many leaks and lapped glass. I may add insulated curtains and rig up some plexi panels for the roof section but everything's new, I'm worn out, it's been an ordeal to get it this far. Just dug a trench and added a 220-volt line and a 24k mini split unit and so far it keeps the GH at 64 degrees. Sunlight gets it to mid 70's in the day. I run a wood burning stove at night to make it comfortable for me. I'm in zone 7 so it does get cold. The mini split is rated for 1200sq ft and the shed is 200 and the GH about 115 sq ft. What worries me is when i get the electric bill. That may push me to insulate. In the summer i'll have the exact opposite problem. I wanted a GH for many years, sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for.

If its single pane glass you are losing a ton of heat ..might be worth adding these...

Screenshot_20240126-144717_Chrome.jpg

Maybe..they weight next to nothing and are easy to cut . They could easily be fastened to your existing glass panels with velcro I would think... you could then remove them in the summer.

[jpm995]

Al this is exactly what i was planning to do. Didn't consider Velcro was thinking of adding an aluminum track. I think they are about R2 or R3 value and maybe going with two and bubble wrap sandwiched between them. Then maybe adding thermal curtains for the walls. I'm kind of burned out from getting it this far will get through the winter and start project in the spring.