I had the Empire DV-25-SG LP gas heater professionally installed by the same company that provides my propane. The installation of the heater needed to be preceded by the installation of a gas line to the greenhouse. We decided that this could be accomplished most simply by extending the LP gas line that already went to my rear deck, about 25 feet away from the greenhouse.
Code required that the line be buried underground, about 18 inches, I believe, for the distance covered from the deck to the greenhouse. Once inside the greenhouse, the line could be attached securely to the foundation frame above ground level.
The contractor also had determined that the pressure in each of the regulators for my other gas appliances (i.e., BBQ grill, gas fireplace, and emergency generator) needed to be increased to allow for an adequate flow of gas to all appliances, including the new heater.
The heater comes with a template to determine the location where the penetration needs to be made in the greenhouse’s glazing. I had the heater mounted on the rear wall, just below the rear window. The heater was attached to two 2'x4' pieces of wood that then were attached to the aluminum frame of the greenhouse. The 7" exhaust/intake pipe went through a hole the contractors made in the lower rear center panel. No insulation was necessary, because the exhaust travels through the center of the exhaust/intake pipe. I had purchased and installed the optional vent cap extension, so the exhaust is further separated from the polycarbonate before being mixed with the outside air. This protects the polycarbonate panel from being adversely affected by the exhaust heat before the exhaust cools in contact with the outside air. The spaces between the exhaust/intake pipe and the polycarbonate panel were filled with a silicone sealer.
The contractor demonstrated that the installation was safe by having me touch the back of the heater (closest to the polycarbonate panel), which I observed was not hot, even though the heater was in steady-state operation).
The heater comes with a “millivolt” thermostat. This provides for control of the heater to maintain a minimum “indoor” temperature, without the need for AC power or a battery (that could run out). The electric current used to control the heater is generated by a thermoelectric effect that is utilizes heat from the pilot light. We strung the thermostat wire from the base of the heater to a location midway down the length of the greenhouse, because we didn’t want the thermostat to be unduly influenced by the hot air directly given off by the heater, nor be unduly affected by cold air inflow that might occur near the front door. I may experiment with the placement of the thermostat some more before I finally settle on a permanent location.
Code required that the line be buried underground, about 18 inches, I believe, for the distance covered from the deck to the greenhouse. Once inside the greenhouse, the line could be attached securely to the foundation frame above ground level.
The contractor also had determined that the pressure in each of the regulators for my other gas appliances (i.e., BBQ grill, gas fireplace, and emergency generator) needed to be increased to allow for an adequate flow of gas to all appliances, including the new heater.
The heater comes with a template to determine the location where the penetration needs to be made in the greenhouse’s glazing. I had the heater mounted on the rear wall, just below the rear window. The heater was attached to two 2'x4' pieces of wood that then were attached to the aluminum frame of the greenhouse. The 7" exhaust/intake pipe went through a hole the contractors made in the lower rear center panel. No insulation was necessary, because the exhaust travels through the center of the exhaust/intake pipe. I had purchased and installed the optional vent cap extension, so the exhaust is further separated from the polycarbonate before being mixed with the outside air. This protects the polycarbonate panel from being adversely affected by the exhaust heat before the exhaust cools in contact with the outside air. The spaces between the exhaust/intake pipe and the polycarbonate panel were filled with a silicone sealer.
The contractor demonstrated that the installation was safe by having me touch the back of the heater (closest to the polycarbonate panel), which I observed was not hot, even though the heater was in steady-state operation).
The heater comes with a “millivolt” thermostat. This provides for control of the heater to maintain a minimum “indoor” temperature, without the need for AC power or a battery (that could run out). The electric current used to control the heater is generated by a thermoelectric effect that is utilizes heat from the pilot light. We strung the thermostat wire from the base of the heater to a location midway down the length of the greenhouse, because we didn’t want the thermostat to be unduly influenced by the hot air directly given off by the heater, nor be unduly affected by cold air inflow that might occur near the front door. I may experiment with the placement of the thermostat some more before I finally settle on a permanent location.
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