Don’t do this. A paraffin heater relies on small flames to heat its chimneys.
The greenhouse heater is already paying off. We saw no movement on the beans or sunflowers for a couple of weeks before we started using it and now, after just three days, we already have half a dozen strong shoots poking up through the soil. It could be coincidence, but I don’t think so.
The benefit of a paraffin heater over an electric or water one is that as well as heat it pumps out carbon dioxide, which plants positively love. It’s as important to them as oxygen is to us, and a nice generous supply like that put out by the heater helps then put on a spurt.
For that reason it’s tempting to burn it too fiercely in the hope of generating more heat and carbon dioxide, but it doesn’t work like that. Instead you just end up creating soot.
The most efficient way to use a heater, then, is to make sure that your wicks are well soaked in paraffin by leaving it at least half an hour between filling up the well and lighting it for the first time. (Don’t touch the wicks as you’ll get paraffin on your fingers, which is dangerous when you’re using matches.)
Then, with a little bit of wick showing, light them, and use the wheels on each one to taper them so that you have a flame of around half an inch showing. Now put the chimneys in place, using gloves so that you don’t burn yourself, and leave the heater to do its business. Open a window or vent to ensure the flame has a good supply of oxygen or it may go out.
The actual warmth given off comes from the heating of the chimneys, which is why they have a hood on the top, so you really don’t need a big flame at all – just enough to get the chimneys hot. You’ll use less paraffin and, as a happy consequence, do less harm to the environment.
The results, in our experience, have been excellent. We’ve seen an increase in night-time temperature of around five degrees inside the greenhouse, and the plants clearly love it.
Smaller flames are the order of the day
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Sounds like you had a good time with the paraffin heaters. I am glad the plants “love it.” However I do believe electric heating for the greenhouse has far more advantages.
For one leaving a vent or window open over night due to the fumes and oxygen can cause problems depending on what plants you are growing. Also the flame risk can be high. Fear of the paraffin heater been knocked over have kept me up many of nights.
I just believe the electric heater is a better selection. Sure granted the heater can be a tad harder to handle but with the time and energy spent with a paraffin heater you can use to get the correct output how you want.
I got my green house heater from the link I posted (No need to repost it really is there?) I believe it is something all greenhouse enthusiasts should try out. I hope you give a quality electric greenhouse heater a try before you turn to the paraffin!
THANK YOU!!! At last, someone has explained this to me like a 5-year-old. EXACTLY what I was looking for!! I just wanted to know how to light it and how high to set the flame. Perfect, thanks again