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tanie51

Freezing Sun Room

tanie51
9 years ago

Hello all,

I have a question doesn't apply directly to orchids but it's relates to it anyway, I hope some of you who has the same situation would be able to give me an answer.
This is my first month of my new sun room and it was COLD out there for last few days. It's -26 celcius which is -13 farenheit. I have humidifier in the room during the night which is about 50ish percent humidity. For last 2 mornings, I noticed that around the windows were ice and it melts during the day which is still cold out there. At night I lower tempt. from somewhere between 12 - 15 degrees cel. and at day I set it for 18 - 19. I am wondering the frost and ice around the windows is because of the humidity in the room or because of poor insulation of the windows built? I really hope some of you can give me an answer. Thank you and have a great day!

Tanie

Comments (11)

  • xmpraedicta
    9 years ago

    It is from the condensation. I have the same issues with my room and the -26C outside (yay western Canada). Even with double paned windows, the humidity will condense, and occasionally freeze.

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    Same thing happens here with a glass-house and the outside winter temps are always above 0C.

  • cooperdr_gw
    9 years ago

    Condensation is bizzare but I'd worry more about water dripping onto the floor than the plants being cold. Ice might even insulate a bit.

  • jane__ny
    9 years ago

    I wouldn't run the humidifiers at night. Frankly, depending on what you are growing, I wouldn't run it at all unless you have heat going on.

    Also, be careful what plants you have out there. I would suggest buying a 'high/low' thermometer so you can see what the lowest temps are during the night. Only keep orchids which like the colder temps there. Others could be damaged.

    Jane

  • tanie51
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I set day for 19 and night for 13. (in celcius) Do you think is this okay? I have blooming and spiking phals, blooming milts and one oncidium is budding. These happened when they were in my livingroom. I just moved them there about 3 weeks now. The spikes seem to grow at nice speed and the flowers look good in there (health wise) I hope the tempt I set is okay. If not, would any of you please tell me. I don't want them to suffer of course.

    Thank you,

    Tanie

  • arthurm
    9 years ago

    !3C is the recommended minimum for "Intermediate" temperature growers, but setting up a grow room is a whole new adventure. Where only real growers can give advice. (Zone 3b yikes)
    Have you a maximum/minimum thermometer and a humidity gadget so you can keep track of what is going on.
    Did you move everything out from where they did so well?

  • tanie51
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I know Arthur, I was kind of crazy about this sun room for last couple of years! On the other hand, if they don't do well and the cost for gas too much, I might shut it down for winter and bring them all back in my livingroom again! and use the sun room for other 3 seasons!!
    I don't know what is the humidity gadget? I have something like a thermometer to read the tempt. and humidity of the room. Is that the one? Thank you!

    Have a great day and believe it or not, I'm on the way out for a snowshoeing trip!!

    Tanie

  • jbraun_gw
    9 years ago

    Tanie 51, I experience similar problems in my older home. Even though we have all double pane windows we still get condensation but no freezing yet. When the outside temp is below 32F or 0C this occures on the lower part of the windows. We solved the problem by using a 3rd layer if insulation on the inside of the window frame. There are lots of brands of these clear plastic products at all of the home repair centers. You apply double sided tape to the frame then apply the plastic then smooth out any wrinkles by applying heat from a blow dryer. These are clear, crystal clear. You can't tell that they are on the window. You can see the difference though. I would imagine you will see some heating savings as well.

    I've seen another product that is bubble wrap that goes on the inside of the window. You lose clear vision with this product though. That product is reusable where the film is a one time use product that you take off in the springtime. I bought a bulk box that will do 10 3'x5' windows for $11.95 US. That was enough to do all of my windows. The only complaint I have was I had to wash all of my windows first.

  • cooperdr_gw
    9 years ago

    I lived in an apartment with a big sliding glass door and had the temperature set at 70 degrees f. The thing got all caked up with ice in the winter. Unless you're just a few feet away from the glass it doesn't mean you're in a cold room.

  • scorpio_bafh
    9 years ago

    Hi Tanie,
    I guess your window glass have metal framing, when that is the case the way to go is plastic insulation at the outside. Even when you put plastic bubble wrap on the inside there will be still a change of condensation between the plastic and the window. The disadvantage of bubble plastic is you have no clear vision to your outside anymore, but you have to do something for your great plants. I have used special bubble plastic used in plant nurseries over here, double sided, 13mm thick and big bubbles in between, it comes even as three layer (I have used the two layer, not Canada over here). I have no idea if you can get that somewhere around Galgary and the cost but I think worth a try.
    Greetings Alfred, still 10 Celcius outside but not much light.

    This post was edited by scorpio_bafh on Sat, Nov 15, 14 at 13:28

  • tanie51
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you all for your worthy advise. I turned the humidifier off last 2 nights and inside the room is still 40 - 50ish percents of humidity but there's no more ice around the windows. I will keep all your advise and shall try to use those if I see there's still ice on the window.

    Thank you very much. I know I can count on you when I need some answers.

    Tanie