sometimes this sucks!

it's 28 degrees outside. my op is in an old barn insulated and sheet rocked. well it's still cold out there. even drawing in from inside i can't get my temp above 64 degrees. so i've taken my kitchen timer and set it for every 4 hours. when it goes off i go out and burn kerosene for 1/2 hour or so. get the temp to 80 then go sleep for 3 more hours. they love the co2 from the heater but i heard temp fluctuations such as this are bad. i see no ill effect and my plants sure perk up with the heat. but my head is killing me from this schedule.

im not very expreienced but do you have an electric heater you can put in there to keep the temp stable?

yeah, but they are 250 $'s. i know the kerosene is great for them so i have to keep burning it. i am thinking of a small heater. my room is 3x6x6 with a 3x3x6 flowering space. i have my viewing chair in there so space is limited. and i'm concerned about electrical costs. any type of heating device is gonna use MEGA watts. it's a small garden so costs must remain low. any suggestions?

i also have birds in my eaves and i'm trying to keep them warm. i can hear them from inside. all chirpy, chirp, chirp.

The things we do for our hobbies...Admire your dedication. A ceramic heater [probably about $30-$40 for a decent one] should help you out, and are available at most big box stores. They are pretty energy efficient, and have auto shut-off's if case they get too hot. Only other advice I could give is to use more insulation, but I'm sure you thought of that...

Nelson

i may be over medicated. i'm just sitting out there thinking... why is my warm toasty ballast sitting OUTSIDE my room. little shelf inside should do the trick. bump it up about the 10 degrees i'm looking for. i am so smart.

I had this same issue until I started using the HPS. Went out and bought a small 1500 watt ceramic heater with a thermostat. Works fine if you limit the amount of space youre heating. Also conside that it may be cooler down low where your heater is (therefore the thermostat) so use a thermometer at plant level to adjust temps accordingly.

hell, just reminded myself...also consider using your light cycle at night when temps are cooler therefore generating more heat...

yeah i mean it's really cold. my lights come on at 8pm off at 8am just for the heat needed. if you see my gallery you can see my flower room. it's 3x3x6 within a 20x20 room. it is an old horse barn that it took over from the guy who used it as a grease shop. there are cracks and leaks every where. i had all kinds of fun with the spray foam. believe them when they say it expands and don't seal the crack around the door with it. (i sealed myself in).at this point i think my best option is leaning towards an old pot belly stove. if i did this how much co2 could i let in before i die? kidding. i think a nice little fire would be pretty cool.

get an old stove, put wood in it and light the wood. get a tub of water and boil it on the stove. get a pumping system that pumps the boiling water around the plants (radiator). may be a little ridiculous to do..

solved it. bought a smaller kerosene heater off craigslist. used once. 50 $. small flame. left on all night. temp held at 75 all night. now i can sleep again. thanks for the input.