Topic: PROUD OWNER

[cambourne7]

I am now the proud owner of a 8x10 Rhino greenhouse which was put up this morning.

will take some photos tomorrow when its brighter it was quite dull when he finished (started at 8 and finished around 4).

I am so excited :)

I am going to pick up some sealant to go around the base to stop anything sluggy getting in as the concrete is not quite as level as I would have liked and there are a few gaps they could get through.

Tomorrow i am going to move a few things around in the space and take the things i have been collecting in the house for the greenhouse out :)

but kind of thinking ... what now :)

Any tips :)

[Tee Gee]

I don't know about tips but you are welcome to see what I did:

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Greenhouse%20heating/Greenhouse%20Heating.htm

[Obelixx]

Thanks for that link Tee Gee.  Food for thought as we're hoping to move in the next year or so and I will, by hook or by crook, have a new greenhouse to play with.

My current one is just 8 x 6, aluminium frame and unheated.  It serves to shelter treasures over winter and start and grow on seedlings in spring and I can grow good cucumbers but toms have been a disappointment so far and I really want to grow toms I can't get in the shops.

Have fun with yours Cambourne.  So exciting for you.

[Vinlander]

In New England (where the winters are much colder) the traditional tried and tested method is to put a blackened oil drum full of water in greenhouses and coldframes. This acts as a heatsink and while there is ANY un-frozen water in it, it works as a heat source because latent heat of fusion comes OUT of water when it freezes.

An old metal coldwater tank is a good substitute for us city dwellers and a plastic one would still work.

It is actually more reliable at keeping frost out than any high tech solution (short of multiple redundancy plus UPS).

But it's only good for the (many and useful) plants that can stand being close to Zero C for long periods. Possibly the most exotic thing it works for is Strawberry Guavas.

In my greenhouse I also have a peat bed (in a shallow trough made from black plastic with a raised edge of bricks) that is plumbed in to make a giant capillary mat - mainly for holidays but the water content also gives some frost protection. More importantly it ensures that no plant ever has too much water in cold weather - brilliant for nearly-hardy citrus like Mandarin/Satsumas and their crosses (like Meyers Lemon and Rangpur Lime).

Cheers.

[Paulines7]

I am pleased to hear that you have your new greenhouse erected after all the trouble you had with planning.  It has come at the right time too, just in time for your seedlings in the spring.

[cambourne7]

Photo now on Blog :)

http://mylittlepeaceofparadise.blogspot.co.uk/

[Tee Gee]

Photo now on Blog :)

Impressive I like the roof vents.

Do I see louvred vents on the side?

Only one comment. I thought the carpet might look better if it was coloured red.

[Paulines7]

Three of the automatic roof vent openers have broken on my Rhino so I must ring the Company to see about replacements  and ask if the design is now any better than the ones I bought from them.  The aluminium has actually snapped in the same place on each of the openers.

[lezelle]

Hi Ya, Interesting to hear about your vents Paulines 7, I have one gone but it's the screw bracket to the frame. I wonder if it would be cheaper to buy from else where or the company. My greenhouse vents are 6 foot long and have two openers each so one side is out of action at the moment. I have had my Rhino g/h for about 10 years and I know the vents have to be assembled separately these days but mine came ready assembles and they are quite heavy. Be interested to see how you get on and the out come. Where abouts did yours snap? A picture would be good if possible. Good luck

[Tee Gee]

Three of the automatic roof vent openers have broken

Oddly enough I was wondering if you had auto vents fitted and how many.

Personally I would only fit an auto vent to one of the openers as I see this as sufficient.

To explain: If the opener does its business and opens the vent then it will only open it as much as conditions dictate.

If I found that the vent had opened to to around its maximum then I would open the other vents manually to alleviate the pressure on the opener.

The reverse of that is, if the auto vent closes then I would know to close any other s that were open.

Now as you have three then by all means use them but if you find that you are going to have to replace them at YOUR expense then I think I would only buy one.

This way you would save around forty pounds.

But then again you might not be as tight fisted as me 

[Paulines7]

Thank you for your replies.  I have taken some photos of where the vent openers have broken and have posted them below.  I may also send a copy to Greenhouses Direct for their comments.

Tee Gee, we have four x 6ft long vents with two automatic openers on each. These all came with the GH.  My OH thinks that one opener on each vent would not be sufficient, given the weight of the vent with its 4mm toughened glass.  I do need them to be fully automated as we are often away during the summer.  The replacement Rhino de luxe vent openers are £29 each and are supposed to be of high quality for a long life.

It seems that I am highjacking your thread, Cam, sorry, but on the other hand as we have the same make of greenhouse and it would be interesting to see if your vent openers last any longer than mine.  Are the vent openers supplied with your GH the same as mine, Cam?

[Tee Gee]

6ft long vents

I didn't realise these vents were that long because they are sub-divided into three panes. I thought the openers would be around 2ft wide (like my Alton openers are) meaning one auto-vent opener would suffice for each pane/opener.

Plus I didn't know about the toughened glass!

So yes I agree with OH

Looking at where these openers have broken it suggests to me that it could be possible that the vent openers have not been fitted quite square to the opening and subjected this pivot point to undue stress, add the weight of the toughened glass and this would aggravate the situation even more.

Then again it could be an inherent flaw in the openers design as you suggest.

Best of luck with your dealings with the manufacturer, have you sent them a picture?

[Paulines7]

Tee Gee, the vents are fed along a narrow channel so they go into the correct place and fit square to the opening. It wasn't an easy job as they are really heavy but we managed by supporting them on scaffold boards, using ladders.  Once we got them to the right height, it was then relatively easy to feed them in. 

From what I remember, the screw holes are predrilled for fitting the automatic openers.

I haven't sent pictures yet.  I thought I would give them a ring next week.

[Tee Gee]

the vents are fed along a narrow channel

Ah! I know what you mean, my coldframes are constructed like that and even at a low level they can be a pain to slot in.

I hope you get sorted out with the manufacturer....Tg

[cambourne7]

Photo now on Blog :)

Impressive I like the roof vents.

Do I see louvred vents on the side?

Yes there are 3 manual ones at the back for hot windy days in a sheltered position and 2 on front there slightly high to accomodate the growbags i have in and there are the automatic vents on the roof

Only one comment. I thought the carpet might look better if it was coloured red.

[cambourne7]

Hi All

If it helps i have found the leaflets that came with the automatic vents thre by Bayliss Percision Components Lts in Derby www.baylissautovents.co.uk email bayprec@aol.com The ones i have at the Bayliss XL autovents might be worth checking if they made yours?

The only addition i made to the greenhouse is having it coloured all the vents were included in the deal :)

Hijack away :)

Cam

[Paulines7]

I rang Greenhouses Direct services department and was told that there was a fault with a batch of the auto vent openers, when I bought my gh just over 3 years ago.  The aluminium wasn't strong enough and they told their supplier that they would not buy any more from them unless they improved the strength of them.  They came back with a better product.   

Unfortunately, Greenhouses Direct didn't know which customers had been sent the faulty ones.  The lady I spoke to apologised.  She looked up my sales records and confirmed what size gh I had bought and then said she would send 8 new ones out to me straight away.  She said that although only 3 of my openers had broken, I should replace them all, as it was only a matter of time before the others would break.

I call that good service.   

[galina]

Result!  Congratulations Pauline 

[Paulines7]

The eight auto vent openers have just arrived!  How's that for service! 

They look exactly the same as the faulty ones so we are hoping that the weakness in the aluminium has been put right.

[cambourne7]

brilliant news !!