If you have long been thinking about whether the window panes of a greenhouse can open by themselves in hot weather, then it is worth considering the thermal drive for greenhouses. Do-it-yourself design is quite simple. This device allows you to leave the garden for a week, without worrying about the need to ventilate the seedlings on hot days.
Some home masters express a negative opinion about the thermal drive because of its sensitivity. Therefore, they try to use an electric drive, which independently opens the transom in a matter of seconds, as soon as the temperature begins to change. However, this method is suitable only for those with electronics "on you". Many masters argue that the technological level of hydraulics is slightly higher than electronics.
Making a thermal drive from a cylinder from a chair
A thermal drive for greenhouses with your own hands can be made from a cylinder from a computer chair. This idea can be called very interesting, many summer residents have already managed to translate it into reality. For work, you will need a cylinder, on one side of which is a steel rod, while on the other - a plastic rod.
Methodology
The end of the plastic rod must be clamped in a vice and pulled out. In the depths will be able to see the metal pin. In the vice, at the next stage, it is necessary to clamp the 8-mm rod so that it looks 6 cm. You should install a cylinder on it, relieving it of pressure when pressed. The cylinder should be cut using an angle grinder by extruding the steel rod. It is important not to damage the ground surface and cuff on the cylinder itself.
If you decide to make a thermal drive for greenhouses with your own hands, then at the next stage, after a couple of layers of canvas tarpaulin, you need to clamp the rod and cut the threads at its ends. The cuffs are carefully removed using an angle grinder. Inside the cylinder there will be a sleeve that needs to be replaced. The remaining components should be discarded, but the aluminum piston acts as an exception. Rings are removed from it. All parts are washed in gasoline, this will remove metal chips.
Specialist recommendations
If you decide to make the thermal drive for greenhouses with your own hands, then install the stem in the inner sleeve and remove the end from the cylinder to prevent damage to the stuffing box. Now screw the nut onto the thread, which is required so that the rod does not fall into the cylinder.
An aluminum piston is inserted into the valve seat. Next, a piece of pipe comes into play, at one end of which there should be a thread. The element must be welded to the cut side of the cylinder. The elongated nut should now be screwed onto the stem thread. It can be purchased at the market where pipe clamps are sold. The fork for strengthening the lever is screwed into the transom or fixed to the window. After the system can be filled with oil, bleed air. On this, we can assume that you managed to make a thermal drive for the greenhouse with your own hands.
Oil filling system
In order to carry out these works it was convenient, a plug must be made at one end of the pipe, while a ball valve is installed at the other end. Next, prepare a liter plastic bottle, which will act as an expansion tank.
It is complemented by a ball valve and an L-branch. The bottle should be squeezed a little when the oil is filled, this will eliminate the creation of excessive pressure. In a compressed state, it twists, and then the valve closes, while the system is installed in place.
Reviews of summer residents
The manufactured thermal drive for greenhouses, the most positive reviews of which, should be lubricated with technical oils in the stem area every year. The thermal drive, according to summer residents, is best placed on the side that is located at the opposite end from the opening. Home masters note that the thermal drive responds to changes in temperature with some delay.
Using a hydraulic cylinder for manufacturing a thermal actuator
The thermal drive for greenhouses with your own hands (drawings you can do yourself) is sometimes made also from an automobile hydraulic cylinder. A hole should be drilled in it so that gas escapes, a thread is cut in the same place, which will allow connecting the hose. It is best to borrow it from Niva or purchase it in a car shop. It should be strengthened with a bolt with a pin, which will fix the hinge head in its place.
If you decide to perform a thermal drive for greenhouses, then at the next stage you should take care of the availability of a receiver, which can be ordered from a turner or made independently. In the next step, the air is displaced, and the system is filled with oil. The cylinder rod must be drowned completely. The design after manufacturing should be checked for leaks.
Features of manufacturing a thermal actuator from a shock absorber
To carry out the work, it is necessary to prepare two pieces of pipe, at the ends of which a thread must be cut. In the middle, they are connected using a tee. At the ends, plumbing plugs should be installed. Next, a shock absorber from the Niva is used, from the bottom of which a hairpin is cut.
In the bottom you need to make a hole with a diameter of 8.5 mm. You will also need a bolt for the brake hose, as well as a nut, the dimensions of which will be 10 x 1.25 mm. The bolt must be drilled through. If you are manufacturing a thermal actuator for greenhouses, then in the next step you should drill the plug in the center, and insert a bolt from the inside, screwing the nut. All parts are connected using paronite gaskets. It remains only to unscrew the plug and add oil.
Conclusion
Do-it-yourself thermal drive for the greenhouse makes sense. This design will cost less than the factory. To do this, even, you may not have to purchase additional spare parts, because all of them can be found in the garage or shed. The thermal actuator acts as an autonomous mechanism that does not require human intervention and does not need electricity, which can be called undoubted advantages.