Electric heater floor in hangar?

[tgmillso]

Keep your core temperature up (head, chest) and the body will be more likely to push blood to your extremities which will make your feet warmer.
On the building heating side of things, it would be hard to pass up an air source heat pump mini split. This will have far less thermal inertia than a in-slab heating system, and at a 7degC ambient temperature it will likely produce about 3.5kWh of heat for every kWh of electricity used. Sure the efficiency will deteriorate as you get down into the sub zero conditions, but when it’s super cold just use a cheap resistive element space heater in addition to the heat pump when it can’t keep up. Best split system heat pumps are generally by Dakin and Mitsubishi. Look for ones with R32 refrigerant and the highest Coefficient of Performance (COP) possible for optimum efficiency. You can also set the heat pump on a timer so that it kicks in during the middle of the day for a few hours in winter. This will ensure the heat pump operates at its maximum efficiency point, and the warm air in the hangar will keep the humidity low. Main thing is though, go big in the insulation during the build. It’s a lot easier to update the heat source in the future than it is to update the insulation. PM me if you have any more questions. I do energy auditing for a day job.

Tom.

[emsvitil]

What's the yearly average temperature?

If you dig a trench so deep (can't recall depth at the moment) the temp at that depth will be the yearly average.


Then circulate water thru that piping into the slab.

Slab will be at average yearly temp.


Doubles for cooling in summer................

[abwaldal@gmail.com]

Having retired from 41 years in the building industry I have found and proven that air leakage is the biggest robber of our heat and cool in the summer. NO air quality isn't the big problem people are afraid of when sealing up a building. You can't seal it up tight enough.
We have installed floor heating systems in the past and it is slow to heat,and costly to keep heating. It is Not a turn it on, go to work situation. As previously said it should stay on.
I don't live in Canada but I like heat and cool. My hanger was a leaky thing when I bought it, But after more insulation and sheet rocking and sealing any crack I could find. OH ya I insulated the %^ out of it including the door. It is pretty good now. 92 degrees outside and the inside is 68-71 usually with no help.
We built energy efficient homes and sealed the ^@#^@ out of them and got super good results. We couldn't seal them up tight enough because it isn't possible.
Up there I would use at least 2" under slab and 6 mil black visqueen for sure. Find a way to make a thermal break in/around the slab to the out side air connection.
The heating source is up to you but the In ground piping heating/cooling situation is questionable. The ground down there is warmer than the air we live in during the winter BUT the ground is a good insulator also. So once you have extracted the heat out of the ground around the pipes it doesn't keep giving you heat it just gets cold and the efficiency goes down.
I have a heat pump with back up electrical strips as standard.
Oh ya for comfort one can put commercial carpet on the floor for the contact cooling effect.
Yes I know I put all my three cents in and your mileage may vary.
Art

[MacCool]

Seal the obvious air leaks, spray foam insulation, and get a bullet heater that runs on kerosene/diesel/JetA. If the hangar has wifi, plug the heater into an Alexa-driven outlet, start the heater with the phone app when you leave for the hangar and by the time you get there itwill be toasty.

[gasman]

Originally Posted by MacCool

Seal the obvious air leaks, spray foam insulation, and get a bullet heater that runs on kerosene/diesel/JetA. If the hangar has wifi, plug the heater into an Alexa-driven outlet, start the heater with the phone app when you leave for the hangar and by the time you get there it will be toasty.

And all of the spiders will be DEAD.......

[terrykohler]

When I travel to Florida in the wintertime, I can always identify home of origin by the clothes folks are wearing:
Native Floridians are in down jackets with fur hats.
Michigan natives are in shorts and golf shirts, with baseball caps on top.
Canadians are on the beaches in swimsuits, oiled and with no sunscreen.

Floor heaters? Really? And you call yourself a Canadian?

On the other hand, getting old is not for sissies - this I know.

Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

[RickWoodall]

Funny. I dont mind the cold at all within reason. Only issue is I am relocating from a huge hangar with heat and epoxy floors and insulation and tons of room to a small t-hangar that is the most basic uninsulated tin shed you can imagine with bad bones and a badly heaved floor.

I am going to spend some $ and do spray foam insulation, all new concrete floor etc. Just trying to make it as nice as i can within reason and happy to spend a bit to make it something i am proud to own for the next 20 years.

With a new pad going in, just thought one of those driveway snow melting systems that heats up pretty quick might be cool to lay down under new pour and plug in for a few hours on work days and take slab from ice box to not bad during plane work days once some insulation is up. Very occasional use, but a fun toy/luxury
I have a blank slate on renovation ideas, just looking for ideas to make it really nice without getting all silly on the spend. There was a thread on here one time with nice hangar pics but cant find it lately. Just like seeing what people have done and what would be great to do.

[VA Maule]

Have no experience with the northern locations , but in the mid-Atlantic states we can get some significant snow events followed by a cold snap ( relative to what we're used to) . The absolute best defense against snow lingering in front of the hangar is Southern exposure. Northern facing hangars the snow will last in the shadow of the hangars for a week or more even when the daytime temperatures get above freezing, southern facing hangars sunshine melts the snow pronto.

[rv6n6r]

If you don't go with the in-floor heat or maybe even if you do, I'd recommend epoxy painting your floor. I was amazed at the difference in just general comfort -- "feels" less cold even if it isn't, somehow feels softer, keeps the concrete from weeping dust and moisture (maybe not as much of an issue if you seal underneath however), just all around a better surface than bare concrete.

[David Z]

I'd use an air or radiant heater of sorts. Electric, propane, natural gas, kerosene/diesel, wood, whatever's available. They're cheaper to operate and have a quick reaction time. Turn the heat on, and the hangar is warm in 30 minutes.

For the cold concrete, grab a couple 3'x6' pieces of old thin carpet and slide them around to wherever you are working. Not only is concrete cold, but it's also very hard and your joints will thank you for something softer to stand on.