How To Heat Your House with a Greenhouse, This Is So Cool!!!

Check out how I heat my house with my greenhouse! It's so easy to do and it gives us (almost) free heat, as well as many other benefits. This could easily be done in an off grid situation too. Grow food, get healthier air, feel more comfortable AND get free heat? Oh yes we can!
Greenhouse panels: amzn.to/2o8NQrV
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[@kubota247]

11 years ago I built a new home that had 4500 sq ft of heated area. I put a 12x26 commercial greenhouse on the south end of the house. This would heat the entire house in northern MN during the day as long as the sun was shining. I had many many 1 gallon milk jugs painted black and filled with water to store the heat. The air was circulated passively, without any fans or electricity. But, during extremely cold days I would run the furnace blower a little to temper the air and aid in circulation so the north end of the house could be heated equally. It was a $16,000.00 gamble at the time but it performed excellent. Summers were very manageable also. Just my 2¢.

[@frugalgreengirl]

Nice! Thank you for sharing your experience with all of us!

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

it adds up quick though. I spend about $400-500 a month in the winter on heating. Surprisingly running 4 window mount a/c's costs me less in the middle of summer, Since I heat my home 5 months of the year with the first and last month being slightly less expensive a commercial greenhouse would pay for itself in no time. 8-10 years is nothing when you aren't a wandering soul anyway.

[@heathergreen4184]

lonny demil I just found this, thanks for the info. I’m planning to build a pretty large house, and want to build a very large greenhouse (two story,, big enough for trees) and have been gathering information on how to use the greenhouse for energy. (My original idea was just to have produce all yr around in Montana, but someone suggested I use it for more!) Sustainability is attractive to me, so I’d like to do this right from the beginning! If you have any more information, I’m interested!

[@1caramarie]

I also live in northern MN. I don't have an attached greenhouse, wish I could afford one, but my living room has a wall facing south which is mostly windows. It never occurred that maybe that's why my gas bill for the MN winters is so low compared to other people. My total for the 7 months of cold is only $600 total. One of my neighbors with a house similar to mine would pay more than that for just one month. I keep most of my tropical plants in that room during cold season. They do just fine there. I guess I have a greenhouse without having one.

[@TheRealHonestInquiry]

@@heathergreen4184 Look up permaculture design

[@michellemarie1197]

I saw a video on youtube about this couple in Switzerland who build their house inside a greenhouse and it kept it so warm and I thought it was genius

[@Ansley212]

*One thing to mention:* Even in the winter when not actively heating the house by trapping the Sun's energy...The green house still serves as insulation from the heat in the house leaving. In effect the greenhouse reduces the amount of exterior house in contact with the harsh winter cold. And since heat moves to cold, the greenhouse acts as a buffer zone. Therefore...even at night when no Sun is accumulating in the greenhouse, the greenhouse is acing as an "air blanket" for that section of exterior wall/window/door. *So even without Sunny days, the greenhouse still serves a valuable function.*

[@theuglykwan]

I noticed when we moved house that the new house was a fair bit colder without the conservatory acting as a buffer.

[@samueltanh]

Good job Frugalgreengirl, you don't have to turn the fan above, if your house is well insulated. The hot air will flow into the house from above by it self if you have a small opening down below. That way cold air from inside the house automatically flow into the green house. carbon Dioxide is 1.33 heavier than Oxygen, therefore it flows down under out with cold air. If you want to go further, I will not suggest solar panel. Farm Tilapia (Herbefore) down under in buckets and circulate the water up to feed vertical farming plants, you will have complete circle. You don't have to do much to water the plants, nor clean the water. At the same time you quadruple your plants production. Keep me posted, I am European Architect/Engineer focusing to Passive Energy and Organic Products, helping the world to get drinking water, producing foods and shelters. If you decided to do vertical farming, ask me for the stacked pots, you could make them out of recycle PET bottles. I will help you and you could post it.

[@MetaView7]

if you keep a barrel of water (or jugs), it will work as a thermal battery and hold the "heat" during the day and release them during the night.

[@zeffur7]

Good video. Passive solar heating is good, however, here are a couple of tips: 1. You might want to use a heat exchanger instead of venting the warm moist greenhouse air directly into your living space. This would eliminate moisture & any airborne microbes (bacteria, spores/fungi, etc) that could irritate the sinuses of sensitive people (this may not apply to you) and reduce the chance of mold/fungus growing within your house. 2. When showing your temp gain, it's usually a good idea to show what the normal temp gain is in your home when you do NOT use your passive solar heater & then show the temp gain when you use your passive solar heater. This is best done on 2 consecutive days that have the SAME outdoor conditions. Also helpful would be to provide your viewers with the square footage measurements of your greenhouse & the total areas (SF) within your house that are heated. Thanks for sharing!

[@leslielandberg5620]

I think that's way above her level of comprehension.

[@nutritionalsolutions1872]

The greenhouse also benefits from this arrangement. A free-standing greenhouse loses heat on the north side, especially in fall-winter. By situating the greenhouse on the south (equator facing) side of the house, you're "insulating" the north side of the greenhouse. To prevent excess heat-gain in summer months, you can plant deciduous trees or shrubs in the yard to the south or southwest of the greenhouse for shade, plant a summer vining crop up the wall (like cucumbers), or have a roof overhang just deep enough to prevent excess solar gain when the sun arc is higher in the sky.

[@larrypeterson526]

Great, your simplistic approach is refreshing. I would, however, make a suggestion, I have learned from heating with wood for many years. The physics is the same, you're trying to move air from the heat source, towards cooler parts of the house. In that pursuit, I discovered that moving the colder air near the floor, is a more efficient way. The colder air is more dense and tends to flow more like water, if that makes sense to you, hot air is light and fluffy and harder to move, so I began using a fan, not to blow the hot air away from the heat source, but the cold air towards the heat source. That naturally displaces the hot air from the room and sets up a circulation that is more efficient. I could tell an immediate difference and the temperature difference from the farthest room in the house was much less, more evenly distributed. Anyway, good luck. Keep doing what your doing. I enjoy the video's.

[@SirPrancelot1]

Sounds like an excellent tip, thanks. Surprised that there are no comments.

[@theuglykwan]

Would that require 2 holes in the wall then? One lower to blow the colder air into the green house and a hole higher for the hot air to flow in?

[@brendamcloughlin7384]

Larry Peterson cool ad ice man.

[@robertnemoyer7166]

theuglykwan Yes, you would need two holes so the cooler air would come inside the greenhouse and the warmer air would come into the house, but she used the door and window to bring the cooler air in. The door was the most effective because it brought the air along the floor in. You should close the door at night when the glass of the greenhouse loses heat.

[@974Deimos]

Not sure if anybody mentioned this, but try switching the thermostat fan button from auto to on. That will turn on your blower and circulate the air from your greenhouse to your home through your central a/c ducts. Will probably make the heating more uniform throughout the home.

[@malsprower]

We used to live in Wisconsin where it dropped down to -40ºF and our apartment had all south facing windows, we never had to use heat once since we were second story and south facing. Sometimes it got so hot in the winter that we had to open windows.

[@SandiRose2008]

A month ago I decided I'm going to build a greenhouse onto the back of my mobile home for the convenience of being able to walk into it from the house like you said. Well, I had NOT thought of heating my house with it. Great idea!!!

[@rachelkingsley2469]

Great video and instruction. I built a temporary lean-to greenhouse out of PVC and plastic that covered a door and two windows. The outside temps were around 16 degrees Fahrenheit (outside Chicago), but in the green house it was 80. We opened the windows during the day and heated the house with it. It really does work! Thanks for sharing. I hope others will give this a try.

[@frugalgreengirl]

Wow, That's fantastic!! Thanks for sharing, I really hope the word gets out on how easy and effective this is too!! Thanks Again!!

[@maddmaxx9077]

I can watch your videos all day..you inspire me..

[@frankihauser4126]

In regards to your goal of solar power to run the fan... it is an excellent idea, but there is something that uses NO electricity (is not expensive and simple to install) that is used in attics for when they get too hot. It is an exhauset fan. It uses the heated air , that naturally rises because heat expands the gases that make up the air...oxygen being the one we are most interested in. That alone causes a movement of the air and blades...from an area of warm air to an area of cooler air. It may not move as quickly as a regular powered fan, but it does move air from warmer to cooler areas based solely on the expansion of gases. It works in reverse (again, power free) when the house gets too warm, like in the summer. Just a thought, that could help you to reach your goal of power free movement of heated air, a bit quicker. You can still add power to it, at a later date, if you so choose.

[@NateBuker]

I met an old couple in a bad area of Detroit once who had built a large greenhouse around three sides of their house. They incorporated vented 50 gallon water barrels that I was told absorbed a huge amount of heat energy that would release in cooler times. Furthermore they'd cut multiple 4 X 8 foot areas out of their house's exterior walls that opened up into the greenhouse area. I was told that even in the worst winter cold spells the interior of the house would be 40+ degrees without the aid of their furnace. In this greenhouse (which was rather crudely built and in a precarious state of maintenance) they had an 8 foot banana tree as well as other tropical vines and plants that would never survive in the natural climate. They are gone now and the house has fallen to ruin but have pics of the house (unfortunately in its current state) but you can see what they did. I'll never forget the level of ingenuity they had that was basically a scaled up version of these principles.

[@verasmayhem]

can i get those pics?

[@NateBuker]

hit me up at [e-mail]

[@marshaburgess1388]

Nate Buker ppl 30.all

[@klegz1]

Full time green house living is my dream, Love it.

[@plummyplumage]

In sum, attach a greenhouse on south side of your house, have fan blow into greenhouse ideally from lower on wall than it's vented into your home, to increase house warmth, oxygen, and air quality (transpiration scrubs pollutants).

[@tucopacifico]

This is a great example of a simple thing to do that makes a big difference, kudos! If you are just running that fan, I don't think you would need a very big solar panel, look forward to seeing it if you do that after all. The only suggestion I can think of would be if you could make a simple duct to the floor level and put your fan there, so the warm air would circulate better. Great vid!

[@diannaskare7829]

as long as moisture is controlled it would work wonderfully not to mention some of the cleanest air on the planet in your home 😁

[@theuglykwan]

They can open some vents at night in the greenhouse and i assume there will be some air vents inside the house. Also if you bottom water plants via the saucer the top remains dry. Even if you top water, if there is sun it will dry the top up really fast.

[@individualm6712]

Sweet heavens, woman you are doing the damn thing! Just found you and you make me feel LESS helpless to turn my situation around. A lot less. I have only considered doing what you are. I sometimes get so caught up in the consumer culture I forget how I can aid my family DIRECTLY! God bless you & thanks 🤗

[@numbereight886]

The only downside I'd see is the humidity and consequential mold etc that could arise from it.

[@sugarhoneysweets]

I'm not sure that would be an issue as usually the air in the winter is super dry.

[@maryellen6153]

Have you ever spent much time in a greenhouse? Do they smell moldy? The reason they don't, is because air is circulated forcefully, to maintain even heat. And when it gets warmer than 75 degrees, windows go open! In Summer, air is forced through the structure, to keep temperatures down. LOTS of ventilation is the rule. Another mitigating factor against mold growth is sunshine. Mold grows in dark places. Like basements. Or houses where there isn't enough light or air flow. Both of which do not equate with a functioning greenhouse. I'm leaning toward a greenhouse southern side and half-roof, using fiberglass panels instead of glass, for health reasons. I've been diagnosed with low Vitamin D levels, which a very high percentage of Americans have, and don't know. Glass stops the ultraviolet light we need for our skin to make Vitamin D. but Fiberglass allows it through. I'm growing older, and as one grows older, it gets increasingly harder to get enough Vitamin D.

[@ai-man212]

Mold would not be an issue from a south-facing air-ventilated greenhouse. Mold likes things cool, damp, and dark. UV kills mold easily.

[@khione8044]

Good to see people using Natural ways to Heat a House! So much can be achieved Naturally! On top of Solar Panels to generate Electricity, as you mentioned, you might also want to think about what Thermal Mass Walls can do for you as well. With the Greenhouse to heat the House, the Thermal Mass will help to store that heat, so it doesn't get too hot, and release the Heat at Night, when it starts to get colder. For those in less Sunny areas, a wood burning stove will help to Heat the House, in addition to the Greenhouse.

[@judichristopher4604]

Excellent video... Thank you so much for sharing this great video. I am thinking about putting my Vintage TINY Travel Trailer in it... One reason is my tiny travel trailer has (almost) stolen and I think the Greenhouse would be so cool... I'd feel safer too. Love this idea... Love this video.

[@williammedford6031]

I appreciate your straightforward approach. I have wanted to do this, but over-thought it. Just gonna do it. Thanks.

[@frugalgreengirl]

Yes! Just do it! We love it and I'm sure you will to, its so simple and easy yet saves us lots of money!

[@AmazeWebs]

+frugalgreengirl does the fan cost much on electricity to leave running like that?

[@SuzanneWho]

@@AmazeWebs Very late to this, but the fan should not cost much to run, but if you look at one of the other comments, you’ll see info about air/heat generated fan use.

[@finnianmurphy88]

This is incredibly interesting. i have a "turret" on the top of my house, entirely glass, and i have thermal batteries in the room below to store heat.

[@ai-man212]

I like that idea. Might look into it.

[@Raqueem]

Throughout the idea I had one point of critique, but you mention it clearly at the end: this goes for regions with plenty of sunshine (even with lower temperatures), but actual sunlight remains important for this to work. Other than that, I have true love for people who are doing their best to live in harmony with nature. There's so much in the way we were constructed that naturally stimulates us to live in a perfect symbiosis with nature; and you seem to be such a person. Great!

[@curiosity2314]

I missed this video so long ago now, but I have channels I watch that could pass this information on to others. Makes sense and the cost can be kept fairly low as a startup. Simple DIY automation could make this a nicer setup. New home construction should offer this feature without paying an arm and leg. You are correct "This is so cool" and warm at the same time.

[@m1aws]

My mums conservatory cooks the whole house up in the summer. She loves it. In the lesser months it saves on the heating. UK winters are iffy but it supplies an extra layer against the cold outdoors. (UK).

[@chandlerdavis952]

add a fan to the duct work that goes from your heater vent that is in the room blowing hot air into the ductwork install a valve like on a wood stove by the gas heater in the plenum so that it does not back feed into the heater in the furnace, Then back pressure would shut it and then it would vent to the whole house using your in place heater system. Would vent though the house more evenly. inexpensive mod. for daytime use and putt a few barrels of water in the greenhouse and it will capture the heat during the day and the release as the temp goes down at night will help keep the temp stable.

[@theuglykwan]

Our conservatory was too hot in summer and too cold in winter unless it was sunny. So in the end we used it to hang and dry our laundry since our climate is wet. The only other use was to use it as a heater by opening the patio doors and letting the hot air into the house. Never thought of using a fan however. We did try drying foods in it but in the summer it cooked them! lol The summers can be a bit meh outside so i took my greens inside and they did much better inside. Moved house now and I think we might get a lean to greenhouse to use as a heater again!

[@carlostavares6052]

Thank you. Great job. I just learned something that is very helpful - the air changes you need in a living space due to CO2 and other things in the air and the O2 rich environment in your green house. Great. I think the subject The Thermodynamics of Plants is not available without some excruciatingly painful research and thinking, but the processes you were talking about especially the CO2 - O2 relationships were perfect. Thank you. Exactly what I need. If I can help you a little: 1. Study the difference between air that is heated and how it relates to the air it was in before heating took place. Heat added to air will make it expand which will then make the 'air' molecules more separate(d). The molecular mass of the gasses will then be lower as there will be fewer molecules per unit volume. Density is mass/volume (not weight/volume very important difference say factor of 32.2 or 980 or 9.8 so very important difference. Molecular 'weight' in periodic tables is Molecular mass. It is not weight. Again very important difference. So your density becomes less. And a principle is that 'buoyancy' comes to have the hotter or less dense on top of cooler more dense air. Hence the hotter air is 'pushed' up (actually buoyed up which is pushing from all surface area) as heat is added. When heat stops being added or taken away the air stops moving from this effect. Heat is a very difficult thing to deal with because it is energy and does not exist. You can't hold it or keep it in a box or things like that. You cannot see it, feel it, smell it, etc. The only thing that exists is the air molecules moving at a faster pace thanks for heat going there. But we do know that heat does something. It always goes away from a hotter object if a colder object is 'touchable' by it. So think about your future work in terms of this. Because you will discover your earth beneath your home is the best heat storage place during your daily cycle. It has to do with conduction and the different materials such as concrete and earth and the rate at which heat moves through each. The conduction in earth is such that by the time all the heat of the day goes there it is not so far that it comes right back at night because the concrete that got it there goes at just the right speed and brings it back. It is just as magic as the perfect pairing of the CO2 to the O2. Just as magic as that - earth - concrete. It is the best for your heat needs in winter as well as removing your heat overages in the summer. If you can learn to think this way a lot of mistakes can be avoided. Simply do not let heat go where you do not want it to go and vice versa. Insulation is the key to the first not letting it go and conduction is the other making heat go where you want it. Convection either natural or with a fan is great and faster when you need greater velocity of the heat by your design. Radiation is very dangerous at night if the sky is clear all the heat in your green house will 'disappear' to the very cold universe - remember hot to cold. So careful with radiation. You need total radiation during the day and zero radiation at night. Clouds hamper radiation to and from the universe, but not to and from the objects directly outside. Clouds are too high to block the near radiation. Solar panels: If a solar panel is 15% efficient that means the energy (not heat, not light, not etc. It is energy) from the sun which is all of it or 100% only uses 15% for electricity. So where does the rest or 85% go? Some returns to the outside things that are cooler but that is just technical palaver. Most of the 85% energy will be heat. Don't know how much but someone will be able to calculate it given the plants etc around - again the thermodynamics of plants will be necessary. So think about it. If you have solar panels - good ones - say monocrystaline - inside your green house you get just a little less energy than if the panels were outside, but you get all the energy that comes into your greenhouse! Not only do you get electricity you get heat! So think about panels inside. And don't forget insulation, radiation stopping at night, and isolating the earth beneath your home and greenhouse so it connects only to your living growing space and not the outside air and away you go - you will never need to turn your heater on when you get it right. Thanks again, great job. CO2 - O2 inside outside. Thanks you very much.

[@MidwestGardener]

Very cool idea. This makes me want to do something like that.

[@frugalgreengirl]

You should!!

[@JohnGuest45]

+Midwest Gardener Fitting a hygrometer would be good idea as plants transpire considerable amounts of water vapour. You should be aware that water vapour (a gas) represents latent heat that doesnt raise the air temperature, only the humidity. Greenhouse RH% levels peak at night as the air cools down.

[@minikas27]

+frugalgreengirl Hey, I wanted to ask what transparent material did you used covering greenhouse walls? Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@frugalgreengirl]

I used polycarbonate material. It's the best choice for a greenhouse, in my opinion.

[@fernandoolalde1743]

The best green house idea !

[@pamelagalloway3493]

I LOVE THIS.... THIS WILL BE GREAT FOR MY TINY HOUSE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO

[@frugalgreengirl]

Thanks Pamela, Good luck with your Tiny House!!

[@ghayath2011]

Your greenhouse looks so clean.

[@CSSIandAssociate]

I totally agree with you I have been wanting to to this for a long time. Also you can add to this as well. If there were tubes of water in there you can run a pipe into a living space. Run it through a radiator with computer fans behind it temp controlled the fans turn on and you will probably get a high single digit or a double digit in heat for the area. And it is quite because you control the fan speed. Since it is only a couple of inches thick easy to hang on the wall. With a decorative enclosure.

[@jamesvandamme7786]

If you need heat storage to even out those cold nights, the best that I've found are recycled black HDPE 55 gallon drums filled with water. They're $15 or so (maybe zero). Water is cheap, dense & easy to move. I use some as storage and pipe cold well water through copper pipes run inside the barrels, to preheat DHW.

[@MaryGatdula]

I know 2 years have passed, but could you elaborate on how you piped your cold water in and hot water out of the barrels? And are those barrels plastic or metal?

[@anniehouston7963]

We have a sunroom that collects on the south side of my house. our huge bedroom window is direct south as well. It heats our house TOO well in winter and summer. BUT if I handle it right, it works perfectly. So worth finding a way to collect passive heat or air. Cold air from the root cellar is our next project!

[@SkyKing101010]

Oh for a south facing wall that has something other than the shade of tall trees on it. I can't even cut the trees down because they belong to my neighbour. Aaaauuuuhhh! Other than that, it's a great video, great info (I especially liked the plants breathing, people need to know that) and a great idea over all. Thanks.

[@hikerdude1000]

Juat an idea for you to get more heat out of your green house is paint the internal surfaces flat black you will produxe more heat, you can also line the back wall with small barells filled with water to absorb the suns heat and when the sun goes down you can transmit more heat from the barrels into your space via heat from the water in the barrels and extend how long you get heat from the sun thanks for your video . i am planning on building a crazy efficent house and useing solar as one of the main heating sorces for the new england winters to offset the burning of any thing . and a small wood stove for our 3-5 day runs with no sun when we have foul weather. or liquid solar panels to store heat as water in ytanks for the cloudy days as well as domestic hot water .

[@SiCkDiAbLo]

Smart Gurly, thanks for the tips on the Greenhouse Heating!

[@jeanniemassey8352]

What a smart idea! :) Thanks for sharing ! !

[@frugalgreengirl]

+Jeannie Massey Thanks! we love it!

[@abra3cadabra3]

What a great idea! Why don't we all do this all the time? I think we should.

[@tainonative4941]

Thank you for the information - Best wishes - thanks for being a good example to my girls and son as well.

[@terrydubay9113]

Sounds very efficient. :) depending on the temperature differance you could use it to cool the house as well by venting it straight up drawing cool air from other side of the house.

[@grahamrdyer6322]

Another good idea, Thanks. If you get a nice Solar Panel and one 12v fan you will be surprised on how much air it will move......loads. XX

[@christate3393]

excellent video!!! I will be building a house in about 4 years and will be trying this idea. Thanks for the information.

[@Fenikkusuuk]

Take a bow young lady! Very Smart!!!! Thank you for doing your part to help the planet. The rest of the people here who consider themselves to be citizens of Planet Earth thank you! I don't know if you feel comfortable to do this... I am interested to know what state you are from and what time of year it was (and did we see what the outside temp was? ) when you showed us your results! It would help us all to gauge how effective such an idea may be in our own particular climates. I am using a wall of passive solar in my chicken coop! A similar idea though I don't expect great results in New England, but I am hoping that I will be able to keep the use of heat lights to an absolute minimum!

[@jefflaporte2598]

I love all the fig trees your growing. I grow a lot of different varieties as well. Good job on the video. I live in a passive solar home and love it. Good job on the video. You covered it pretty well.

[@tonyvanntruth2969]

You can also put multiple, (12-24), 35 gallon metal drums, stacked 2 high, filled with water, painted black on the outside of the drums, and placed against the back wall of the greenhouse, where the sun will shine on them all day long. The black surface of the barrels will get hot from the sun shining on them, and transfer the heat to the water inside the barrels. At night, when the sun goes down, the barrels, full of hot water will emit the heat that has been collected in barrels from the sun, and continue to heat the inside of your home. This is called a passive solar collector system.

[@theuglykwan]

Do you just drain them in summer?

[@tonyvanntruth2969]

No, I paint them high temperature satin black, (Wood Stove Paint), on one side and bright high gloss white paint on the opposite side. In the Summer Months, I rotate the barrels so that the white side is exposed to sunlight . I have 34 windows facing to the South. The sunlight coming through the South facing windows in the Summer months, will simply be reflected back into the solar green house by the white paint, and the water inside the barrels will stay at ambient room temperature. In the Summer months, the Sun is at a high point, (almost straight up), in the sky. In the Winter Months, I rotate the barrels so that the black side is exposed to sunlight, (pointing South). The Sun is at a lowest point in the sky in the Winter months. The heat of the sunlight will be absorbed into the water all day long, warming the room for free on cold Winter days. At night the hot water will cool off, and emit heat into the room all night long. It is a good idea to place the barrels on barrel wheels, and secure them to the back wall with a tether and "Eye Bolt "system. It is also a good idea to have the barrels tack welded together for stability. I do not put any glass or "Sky Lights" in the roof as this would heat the attached passive solar green house in the Summer Months, turning it into a "Hot House".

[@theuglykwan]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like an amazing system you have. Do you have any pictures? Didn't expect it to be roofed and still work! That part surprised me although the hot houose thing is something i experienced with our old conservatory, didn't dare open the patio door in summer as you'd get blasted with heat!

[@tonyvanntruth2969]

Yes, I learned the "HOT HOUSE" reality from a friend who bought a free standing PVC framed greenhouse, that literally drooped the PVC structure from the summer heat, and killed all of his plants. You don't want windows in your greenhouse roof in the summer time ! I suppose it could be OK if you had a method for completely covering the roof windows from exposure to the Sun in the summer. Remember the Sun is almost strait up over head in the Summer sky. Regarding pictures, I am currently living out of state for work reasons, and I have rented my house out for the time being. So, I cant supply you with pictures at this time. Also, You could just paint the barrels all black, and then just cover them with a white tarp in the summer time, if you didn't want to go through the ritual of turning the heavy barrels twice a year. Then you wouldn't need the expensive barrel dollies either. Just a thought.

[@nzzenith]

water does not hold heat long. waste of space. bricks on sand on the floor works much better.

[@hottubmobileneil]

I am not Neil , love your video it is practical , logical , informative , and creative , well done . There is a lots of KZbin videos on how to make a solar system out of a CD that can run a small fan , I have not done this myself yet but it looks inexpensive and simple , it maybe good for you ? They also suggest it can charge a cell phone .

[@plantgurugangsta7299]

All I have to say is..GENIUS.🤩

[@RaJo6697]

I love it, especially the breathing part.

[@aplaceinthesunyt]

Thank you.

[@WayneVogeler]

Thanks for posting this video I am going to do the same thing at my house. Adding a east and west greenhouse. Just the insulation from the green house would make the house easier to heat.

[@bmllz]

Great idea, I love it!

[@Bushcraft412]

My plan for the spring is to build a small wood frame greenhouse to get seeds started and to extend the growing season a bit. I'm hoping to make it so that It comes apart and can be stored in my garage for the winter. Wouldn't be hard to install a fan and some ducting to a window! but I don't think the wife will allow anything permanent.... yet!

[@johnnypoppyhead4116]

This is right on..in building codes this should be required! Or glass over part of the roof and have green house addict with small fan (running off solar energy ) pulling the hot air down to bottom of house..

[@akbychoice]

My grandmother lived in a place that had a brick wall that absorbed heat during the day when the sun was low on the horizon ( winter ) because of a special glass that was cut in a way that in the summer the sun rays higher on the horizon didn't over heat the house.

[@AnastasiaBurchick]

I just found your video and im so excited to learn something new! Thanks so much for your content!

[@pyr8at40]

very nice....you have rapidly become one of my favorite channels....always good stuff...thanks

[@determinedfarmer7656]

Great idea the whole house acts as a heat sink at night time and during the day you have a good spot to dump the extra heat from the greenhouse.

[@johnlysic6727]

this is cool - thank you for sharing your project and results - very interesting indeed

[@KSliauderis]

Very interesting idea. I currently plan to build a greenhouse by my house on the south side, and there is one window high up. so through that window, a warm air will come to my house.. but maybe I need to drill some small hole further and low to the ground so the greehouse would suck that colder air from my house if opened. and the reality, that we will start to serve for plants as their nourishment. the co2, which we breath out in turn plants feed us not only with vegetables salads and etc. But also with oxygen. that sounds like a recipy for immortality. thank you for sharing, I hope you've managed to get that solar panel connected to your fans through some sort of light sensor.. will check your other videos, maybe i'll find out that :)

[@holdenboy1960]

very constructive idea indeed & ty for sharing the idea , job well done

[@ai-man212]

I notice your AC fan is on Auto. Continuous would probably heat and distribute the warm air much better. If so you'll have to replace your filter more often, but I use a washable air filter which I spray down every few days. They're also easier on your AC system than high-density filters.

[@AcvaristulLenes]

What's the coldest temp during winter and how many minutes/hours do you need to heat the house when it's cloudy or at night? I like your structured way of thinking. Keep up the good work!

[@wmkk808]

quite genius, and your plants look great too.

[@galehainstock1235]

What a lovely idea. Well done.

[@Rico-Suave_]

ah now I really put it together, this is exactly what the earth ships are, they just create a very very large green house in the front of the house. and that warms the house. a little different then the net zero house where there is no barrier between the house and the thermal mass area(green house). So setting it up as two separate areas helps with when the thermal-mass area is colder then the living-area. because some people on youtube pointed out that the thermal-mass-area can also work in reverse which would work against you when you are trying to heat the house.

[@nereidapr1]

That's awesome. If I lived in a cold area I would try this. but I.m going to share in fb because I really think this can help some one. Loved and Subbed My outside garden finally it's growing

[@timhark6819]

This has some basic Earth ship qualities to it. I like it and have thought about doing this same thing. There is all so a video on here where she uses a mini window green house to cook in and when not used for cooking, it heats her kitchen.

[@lancedavidson5940]

Good video keep it up!

[@frugalgreengirl]

Haha, no need to be friend. I don't know what you living situation is as far as if you rent or own, apartment or house etc. but if you do get the chance (or have any interest) to build a greenhouse in the future I would seriously consider attaching it to the house. Even a cheap greenhouse kit would work, like the little ones harbor freight puts on sale for $199 every now and then. With the amount saved on heating costs a person could easily get that back in a year or so.

[@veronicaconway9362]

have you tried setting up a solar oven in your greenhouse, to cook with?? brilliant idea using the greenhouse to warm your home.

[@TheGrilledCheeseSandwich]

Awesome information. Very unique video. Thanks!!

[@jamesoliver5688]

Using what is provided in nature , clearly makes fantastic sense ! Have a look also at Earthships by Mike Reynolds . Earthship Biotecture really is over the top ! Good going Frugal Gal !

[@suzanstacy1215]

i am really loving learning from you thank you

[@leeforex8441]

Excellent idea! Love it! Thank you for sharing.

[@eddydianne]

you're right, air transfer is more efficient having this set up, also when you have an indoor shower, a hanging plant is useful in the bathroom, transferring gasses to its soil, :-)

[@melodieporter546]

WOW this is such a great idea! Thank you!

[@CarolineVendette]

Thank you forsharing your experience. You are really inspiring!

[@cdgarrett1]

I like the idea. I have had plans to attach a greenhouse to the Southern end of my home but didn't know if it was a good idea because of the humidity. I like your idea but possibly a smaller greenhouse attached to my home for small scale potted plants and solar heat. it would be no more of a humidity problem than a glassed in porch or Florida room. Then have a larger greenhouse attached to the garage for aquaponic gardening.

[@aliverseidge]

Fantastic information. Your explanations were great. Thank you for sharing.

[@Mokieyezplaytime]

Great tips, you're awesome!

[@railroadDon]

very cool idea ,I could do something like this for my shop thanks for posting your idea

[@BenGeorgia]

Thank you!

[@darrellbarron6901]

ya is nice idea but where i live at -40c and lower in the winter and it can last up to 9 months. ive even seen some ppl have there whole house inside a greenhouse thats pretty cool as well

[@rambolambo5754]

simply amazing greengirl got to love that sunshine ....12volt fantastic fan- solar panel -2 6volt golf cart batteries good to go..

[@boondogle123]

You could install a bathroom exhaust fan in the upper window and run the ducting from the fan to the existing duct in that bedroom and blow the heat thru your whole house.

[@NightSky777]

You can buy a Solar Fan (they make them for Attics in the South). I think Lowes or Home Depot carries them

[@laragreene8328]

i LOVE IT! and 76deg is plenty warm for me!! I'll probably do this soon!

[@boondogle123]

You are using fans to move the air. If you installed a few solar cells to run the fans, this would be totally solar powered heat!! This is a GREAT Idea, thanks for posting it!!! whoops just watched it till the end, solar cells are a great idea.

[@SuperHurdman]

You should consider building a rocket mass heater and setting it in the green house with the mass it would heat up giving heat threw out the night almost eliminating your furnace. you could fire the rocket mass heater for three or four hours and once the mass heats up it will give off heat all night! another bonus is you could go and grow produce all winter long as it would keep the air warm.

[@reforgedcriterion1471]

My evolution today went from building a solar furnace that gets piped to a window, to building a solar furnace that covers a window, to building a solar furnace that sits inside the window [since my 118 year old home still has single pane windows downstairs with storm windows so no low e here] to building a window popout greenhouse to just building a greenhouse! lol! WOO! I still have no idea which way I'm going to go with this. Probably cheapest first which will just be a heat sink inside the window and go from there. Soon enough I'm sure though I'll be in neck deep.

[@Chimonger1]

Even in the winter in the Pacific NW, with cloudage, we get solar gain. Granted, if using this type of greenhouse, needs more daylight. Yes, this greenhouse DOES help clean and re-oxygenate the air--extremely good. .. BUT, the moisture + mold from the potting mix MIGHT be a thing to remediate using really good air filter media at the air intakes into the house. Good idea to monitor indoor humidity in the house, and to use a dehumidifier if necessary, to keep that no higher than about 50%. That said, one can make any type of solar air-heater panels to augment daylight heating of greenhouse and house. The [2] 4x8' solar air heater panes we made at our last place, used aluminum can stacks to concentrate heat more; those saved between 100 to 300 kWh per month, approximately, off our electric heat bills, even in the darkest 2 weeks of the Pacific NW winters, for several years..and that was even leaking their hot air to the great outdoors due to only having cheap corrugated plastic greenhouse panels as cover "glass" [we would avoid using that type of plastic as cover, as it melts/deforms at the temps those panels reached!] We will be making more of these at a different location, using lessons learned from the 1st ones...this time to heat the house even more effectively.

[@markanddanielsmom]

Very informative and very simple thank you for sharing best wishes

[@gardeningtipswithphil2244]

That is a great idea and makes a lot of sense. Really great video.

[@jasonreich5340]

Good idea. A recommendation to those that want to both extend the growing season of their green house and heat their home passively. Research "Dallas Flynn Extending Growing Season" This Northern Minnesota farmer is growing from March 1 - Nov 9th. He adapted solar hot air panels to a green house. He heats the earth inside the green house. Look it up adapt it to ur own uses...

[@lnwolf41]

I would say its a supplemental heat source; 63 degrees is just a tad to cold for me. I might add a solar heater with a thermal mass to provide a better night time temp. As for the air exchange that is a big plus.

[@frugalgreengirl]

So maybe just a supplemental heat source in the day time and use the furnace at night? You wouldn't have to turn it off entirely (like I do) and go all solar when I can.