Shop heat??

[David - WI]

We have a 45k BTU vent-free fireplace in the basement... basically 100% efficient and it adds needed humidity to the air; and has a built-in blower to circulate the heat down there. We keep the basement about 70F all winter, which heats the floors above and acts just like in-floor radiant heat. When the floor is warm, you feel warm but it also heats the rooms and the underside of the bathtub/shower.

Big thing for me is that you can light it manually if the power goes out, so the house doesn't freeze up.

[olboatman]

One other thing I should mention is insulation in my homes.... we spray 2" of hi-des foam in all exterior walls(seals them TIGHT) then ad R19 fiberglass to that(R29 total) also my celings are 12'' thick R 36. One thing I have just tried is adding an insulation additive to all interior wall paints, I will find the link for that and post it. I got this idea from a employee of mine that used it in his house and saw a difference in his HVAC costs. It consists of micro glass spheres and is used by NASA. I am planning on using sheet foam on the exterior of my work shop under the siding instead of spraying due to the cost. BTW Gary it looks like you understand spot heating and supplimentation very well and more people should take note! Hope this info can help someone as I have about 30+yrs into R+D into this. Gary

[RobF]

just put 2 new gas fired tubes in my shop, havent fired them up yet but it should be a huge difference over any kind of forced air unit, key is to just leave them on then everything in the shop becomes a conductor of the heat and its even more efficient


check local utility company for rebates, I got back $450 each tube , you should get another rebate for programmable thermostats, for wifi thermostats its $75 rebate here

[Robby321]

Off subject, but I gotta admit if building a shop from scratch, I would go in floor radiant heat! Friend here built a 4 bay shop, and one bay sealed off for his wood working shop. Damn, 40 outside and toasty warm in there! Heat source simple water heater. Another friend mine built a house and whole basement (pool room/gun room/more) is simple tits! Heat source Heat pump.

Anyway, I really think running propane still the best idea. And there has to be somewhere online that sells used heaters got from shops, factories F/S. New are pricy, and running line and vents a bitch, but ya only gotta do it once.

Or the easiest cheapest and no work or money needed? Wait for "Global Warming"!

[olboatman]

Under floor radiant heat has its place. One is where you are going to keep the heat at a steady temp all the time. Another is when there is no basement that is heated or you are working next to the floor. Its biggest disadvantage is when the temp is being turned down during idle times ( takes way to much energy to reheat the floor) and the time it takes to bring the temp up. For people like Robbie that spend their upright hrs in their shop it would be by far the best. IMO Gary

[David - WI]

Off subject, but I gotta admit if building a shop from scratch, I would go in floor radiant heat!

Me too.

[olboatman]

I see people in northern Maine ( up tp 25 nights to 30 below zip) heat small to med. well insulated shops or garages with in floor (concrete) rad. heat using high eff. LP fired WATER heaters! Cheap to build and cheap to heat. Gary

[Dave Strong]

I see people in northern Maine ( up tp 25 nights to 30 below zip) heat small to med. well insulated shops or garages with in floor (concrete) rad. heat using high eff. LP fired WATER heaters! Cheap to build and cheap to heat. Gary

Great deal if your building a shop or pouring a new floor.

Dave

[Robby321]

Pic another friends shop here. Of course helps if ya got bucks, but has a out of pic ceiling PP heater, big, like 4x4 industrial type Crank it on, and warm shop in no time.

[Robby321]

Hey Gary, got a idea..(oh boy he's thinking again)" Why don't ya do way cheaper and get 3 of these? 4800 watts each puts ya at close 15000 anyway. And now easy zone heating and portable too. Only hard wiring involved is extra 220 outlets. Yeah, cable not cheap and need outlets, but save ya 700 bucks what ya looked at. Plus the size yer shop one 15000 might not work so well heat whole place.
I have 200 amp panel house, and when shop wired many 110 outlets (never enough!), as 220 ran from the house to far side shop for my 220 welder. Think 50 amp breaker on the panel. I'm thinking to buy one these as cheap and see. Just has a NEMA 6-30P plug, and will not fit my diff style outlets. But easy to change plugs. or find adapters. Think it. And as less $100 too. And not a big fan of heat off the ceiling either as running a big fan for air movement down. Heat rises. And ceiling fans work super. Put these on the floor and will warm the cement and anything around and "heat sink it" And the more "stuff" in shop, more heat sink. Like sun hitting the cement. Holds heat. Get initial heat up shop, and more heated and kept up slowly the heat sink will help out much! Anyway..link

https://www.menards.com/main/heating...83107743307321

[Robby321]

Also get on the Garage Journal forums and ask away this in the electrical/lighting forum. Lots wizards there.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

[Instigator]

Hey Gary, got a idea..(oh boy he's thinking again)" Why don't ya do way cheaper and get 3 of these? 4800 watts each puts ya at close 15000 anyway. And now easy zone heating and portable too. Only hard wiring involved is extra 220 outlets. Yeah, cable not cheap and need outlets, but save ya 700 bucks what ya looked at. Plus the size yer shop one 15000 might not work so well heat whole place.
I have 200 amp panel house, and when shop wired many 110 outlets (never enough!), as 220 ran from the house to far side shop for my 220 welder. Think 50 amp breaker on the panel. I'm thinking to buy one these as cheap and see. Just has a NEMA 6-30P plug, and will not fit my diff style outlets. But easy to change plugs. or find adapters. Think it. And as less $100 too. And not a big fan of heat off the ceiling either as running a big fan for air movement down. Heat rises. And ceiling fans work super. Put these on the floor and will warm the cement and anything around and "heat sink it" And the more "stuff" in shop, more heat sink. Like sun hitting the cement. Holds heat. Get initial heat up shop, and more heated and kept up slowly the heat sink will help out much! Anyway..link

https://www.menards.com/main/heating...83107743307321

Great thinking Robby.

Was actually thinking similar when at the store.
I really like the built in aspect though and the big one comes w/a wireless controller too that I really like.
And as you say, I'd have a couple hundred $$ in material to wire drops and labor.

We'll see.

[olboatman]

Robbie that is a great idea as long as elect. is cheap. I pay over 15 cents /KW so that my add up fast. The reason I like the mini-split heat pump is that it steals most of its energy from the outside air and they are efficent down to about 5 deg. now. They also have a fan at the coil in the building to move the heat. In the summer it operates in reverse to cool. Gary

[Ludgate]

I heat my 40x50 shop with radiant floor heat to 60deg with a wood boiler. When I need it warmer the hanging forced air unit gets turned on to get the desired temp for the project at hand. We also heat the garage and in law apartment floors using a instant on variable btu water heater. I don't think I would ever build anything without in floor heat.

[RobF]

im sure everyone is just getting off subject having a conversation but in floor radiant heat does not sound like it is an option for the OP

for new construction yes its probably the best heat and safest as long as you really plan it out around any lifts and pay attention to what kind of loads are going to be on that concrete