How to Get the Best Performance from Your Greenhouse

 

Seasonal maintenance is the key to maximizing the performance of your greenhouse. Whether you do the maintenance yourself, or you hire a professional crew to do it for you, create a preventive maintenance program and stick to it. It will save you tens of thousands of dollars in repair costs and lost productivity costs. The following is an abbreviated listing of Jāderloon’s® recommended annual preventive maintenance items. Note that our fans and shutters use only sealed bearings and do not require lubrication.

• Check thermostat calibration and operation - Thermostats may be damaged if greenhouse temperatures exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep fans running when the greenhouse is not in use. Excessive heat will rupture the thermostat diaphragm causing the thermostat to operate at inappropriate times or not at all.
• Inspect and adjust fan drive belts - Readjust belt tension after 8 to 10 hours of operation as new belts may stretch a little by this time. To inspect tension, push in on belt between the blade pulley and motor pulley with your finger. The belt should move about ½” with approximately 5 lbs. of force applied. It’s a good idea to keep replacement belts on hand. Check belts at the beginning of the cooling season and several times during the year. Look for polished sides, cracked, dry, and or brittle material. Replace if there are any signs of deterioration or the belt has been in service for several seasons. It is better to replace a good belt than to have the fan break down at a critical time. A good option to consider adding is an automatic belt tensioner.
• Clean fan blades and louvers - Any accumulation of dirt and debris will reduce the efficiency of the fan and increase power costs. Use compressed air to remove any foreign material from the blades, the motor, and inside the fan housing.
• Clean and adjust inlet shutters - If the louver does not open fully or momentarily opens and then closes, the chain attached to the motor lever arm may need to be adjusted. Adjust the chain so that in the middle of the louver range between fully open and fully closed the chain is perpendicular to the motor lever arm. Clean louvers as needed with a rag or compressed air. Any accumulation of dirt and debris will reduce the efficiency of the shutter.
• Horizontal airflow fans - Clean the guards and blades at the beginning of each heating season. The front guard may be removed to access the blade. Any mild detergent should remove most of the build-up.
• Unit heaters – The heater Installation, Operation, and Service manual provides detailed maintenance recommendations. For serious service issues contact a qualified local heating and air-conditioning company.
• Polyethylene cover - Clean the polyethylene using a low-pressure hose-end sprayer with soap and water. Rinse thoroughly, ventilate and allow to dry. Repair cuts and tears to polyethylene with POLY-PATCH® greenhouse repair tape. POLY-PATCH® is available in four different roll sizes (2”x 48’ #2PP0248, 4”x 48’ #2PP0448, 6”x 48’ #2PP0648, and 10” x 24’ #2PP1024). The cover must be clean and dry around the area to be repaired. Refer to greenhouse installation and Kwic-Klip® installation manuals for replacement of polyethylene film covers if needed.
• Inflation blower - The inflation blower runs continuously and must be oiled at least every six months. Use six drops of SAE 20 oil in each of the 2 oil holes.
• Evaporative cooling systems - At the beginning of the cooling season, rinse out the reservoir and fill with clean water. Do not leave in ground tanks empty as ground water may float them out damaging plumbing lines in the process. Also clean the filter at this time and several times throughout the cooling season.