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  #1  
Old 12-02-2010, 10:40 AM
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SMO SMO is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Salmon Arm, BC
Posts: 933
Default Shop Heat: Forced Air or Radiant Tube

I have purchased a property that has a ~1,000 square foot shop (12 foot ceiling). It has natural gas to the building but no furnace. I am waffling between going with an overhead forced air furnace or using radiant tubes hung from the ceiling. Cost of either system is about $1,000.

I am leaning toward the radiant tubes, but some folks tell me I will not be happy with these because they don't warm up the air. Can anyone with experience with the radiant tubes give me any guidance?

I want to keep the shop temperature at ~60 F minium year round, it can get to -25 F in the winter.
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  #2  
Old 12-02-2010, 10:53 AM
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If the shop is insulated well, go with a furnace. If its not insulated, go with radiant.
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  #3  
Old 12-02-2010, 11:01 AM
Paul K Paul K is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,004
Default radiant tube heat.

I have a very well insulated building, 10" blown in the walls and 24" blown in the ceiling, and have radiant tube heat. Even on a cold Michigan winter night, I can work in a T-shirt and over a 3 hour period, it may run for 5 minutes, once!

I found the tube system used from the paint line at an old autoparts plant, got it free!
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  #4  
Old 12-02-2010, 11:54 AM
CZ75shooter CZ75shooter is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Georgia
Posts: 36
Default I vote for radiant

I live in Georgia, so cold for me is 30 degrees. I have a 1600 sq. ft' insulated shop and heat with one radiant tube heater. The way the heater guy explained it to me was the radiant heat is like standing by a campfire. You can feel the heat but it doesn't heat the air between you and the fire. So the rediant heater heats the floor, you, the tools, and your project. The objects in the shop then heats the air. When you open the door you may lose less heat to air loss and through leaks I really like mine, have you ever bumped your cold stiff hand on a cold piece of metal with a cold wrench?
Larry
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  #5  
Old 12-02-2010, 11:58 AM
Mitch757 Mitch757 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Falmouth, MA
Posts: 355
Default radiant heat

I have a 44' by 40' insulated hangar and use a Space Ray natural gas tube heater. It is 75k BTU and will bring the temperature up to a working temp (from 30 degrees or so) in about an hour or so.

Now I just keep the temp set at 50 and it is comfortable very quickly.

My only caution would be if you had a fabric airplane placed near the radiant pattern. I would be concerned about the local heating then since it heats "objects", not air.

I am very pleased, especially since I got an energy rebate, making the cost around $600.

Mitch

RV4 flying
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  #6  
Old 12-02-2010, 12:00 PM
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Andrew M Andrew M is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Secluded Lake,Alaska (AK49)
Posts: 359
Default Radiant heat

I really like my shop/garage with radiant heat. I built the house myself, and installed 2" of blue board insulation under the slab. Adding radiant by pouring on top is doable, however the local contractors up here recomend adding the insulation under the pour to minimize the amount of heat lost to the ground. We typically see zero to 10 below with occasional cold snaps to 40 below. The air stays plenty warm as cold air falls and is heated, where "blower"' type systems will leave alot of the heat near the ceiling without a fan. Plus warm feet makes for real comfort.
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  #7  
Old 12-02-2010, 12:09 PM
David Paule David Paule is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 4,435
Default

It's a no-brainer: go with the radiant heat. You'll be MUCH more comfortable.

Good insulation is another issue. Make sure the walls and ceiling are very well insulated, foam is worth the money (it stops tiny leaks). Out here it costs about $.85 a board foot so it's a bit pricey. My shop has batt insulation in the walls, foam in the roof (no ceiling) and is quite comfortable. The hangar, with only batt insulation is decent but not as good.

The hangar, incidentally, has forced air heating - much less comfortable than the radiant heat in the shop.
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  #8  
Old 12-02-2010, 02:13 PM
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Noel Simmons Noel Simmons is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Lewistown
Posts: 161
Default radiant

I have tubes in the floor, LOVE the radiant heat.

1000 seems a little light by twice.
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  #9  
Old 12-02-2010, 02:50 PM
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N8RV N8RV is offline
 
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Location: Elkhart, Indiana
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I have a huge GFA prehistoric monster (the nameplate says "Bedrock Smoke and Fire Company, Ltd.") that belches out 200,000 btu to heat my 30' x 44' hangar. The hangar is insulated, but not as well as I'd like. I keep it set at 40* from late November till spring, and it seems to work well. When that sucker kicks on, it's loud and blows a lot of nice, warm air. Only takes a few minutes for the temp to get toasty. And the clicking sound from the gas meter as the hands whirl around has a beat you can dance to.

However, because I'm sure it has an efficiency rating of something like 5%, I've contemplated replacing it with a more efficient, modern unit. I hadn't considered radiant tube heating.

Since it heats objects instead of the air, I'm wondering ... are there any deleterious effects of radiant heat directly over a canopy?
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Last edited by N8RV : 12-02-2010 at 02:54 PM.
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  #10  
Old 12-02-2010, 05:20 PM
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Doug Lewis Doug Lewis is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 184
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A friend who owns an HVAC company insists radiant tube is the only way to go in most shops for efficency and effectiveness. The installed price is nearly identical. I have forced air in the current shop which works fine, but when the other side's done it'll be tube.
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