Radiant Heaters

Stockmanreef · #1 11-03-2013, 04:59 PM

I live in MI and it is starting to get cold. I just plumbed up and turned on a 40,000 BTU Radiant heater. The garage is a 24 by 24 with 10' ceilings. SO far this thing works great. We will see what happens in the middle of winter.

David Paule · #2 11-03-2013, 06:35 PM

I've got about that here in Colorado, in my 19 foot square garage. Mine are four 3 kw electric heaters, which total just over 40k BTU/hr.

What I've found is that seems to be too much heat for my smaller, well-insulated garage. It quickly gets uncomfortable. Fortunately I can control the south two separately from the north two. They have separate switches and thermostats. I generally run just half the set, and try to arrange things so that it's the set farthest from me. With a low thermostat setting and keeping just those two heaters active, it's often pretty pleasant there.

Dave

wirejock · #3 11-03-2013, 07:09 PM

Wow. You two installed some serious heat. I must like it cold. Here at 7,500' in Colorado my garage is about 24' square also. It's insulated 6" wall so it never drops below 50. I put in a Little Buddy 18k btu. It runs off a small 20lb propane bottle. I turn it down to 9k when it warms up to about 58 and turn it off at 62. Any warmer and and I'm cookin'.

rockwoodrv9 · #4 11-03-2013, 07:26 PM

Ken,
Sometime while I am out here in Michigan, I want to come up and see your project. Im heading back home this coming weekend, but sometime I'll be up to see your 14. When I sat in the 14 at Vans, I wished I was building it rather than the 9. Maybe after I get the 9 built, a 14 is in my future!

pierre smith · #5 11-04-2013, 04:54 AM

I have two similar heaters in my hangar and the beauty of radiant heat is that your toolbox and tools will be warmed, as well as your airplane.

Absolutely love mine.

Best,

Stockmanreef · #6 11-04-2013, 04:42 PM

It might be overkill, but it was only $450 shipped to my house plus a few things from HD. I had the garage plumbed for NG, so no propane tanks. Once the room is warm, I turn down the thermostat. It is toasty in there right now. Hopefully it will be that way when the temperature drops to 0 F.

rockwoodrv9--let me know when you are in the area. Where are you when you are in MI?

Ken

flyboy1963 · #7 11-04-2013, 05:04 PM

ok, so some of you guys ( in Georgia)

have heated shops????

Ken, just be quite aware that this type of heater is likely a pretty good source of ignition, so don't be doing a lot of rattle-can priming indoors with the heat on!

rockwoodrv9 · #8 11-04-2013, 07:42 PM

Ken,
I am in East Lansing. I have been here most of the time since June. I should be around off and on for the rest of the school year. Im heading back to Colorado this weekend but some Sat or Sun I will have to come on up and see your project.

bobnoffs · #9 11-05-2013, 03:31 AM

i live in n. wi. so below zero is common all winter.in my shop i have a conventional vented wall furnace and a wall mounted UL approved unvented gas heater. while the unvented is 100% efficient it also really pushes up the humidity and i have noticed that things slowly but steadily rust in the shop using the unvented heater. the past few winters i have used strictly the vented furnace.
always a downside to everything.
lately when the temps are around freezing i start out the day with the furnace to get the temp up and then use a couple electric space heaters.probably using 500-1000 watts /hour. at these ''warmer'' outside temps i figure with the furnace's 70% efficiency and its start ups getting furnace to temp just about make up the difference in cost between elec. and gas. at least for these moderate temps.
one last thing.....although i did notice an odor with the unvented unit when i tested for carbon monoxide it was almost zip.......perfectly safe.

Stockmanreef · #10 11-05-2013, 07:33 PM

I had not thought about the humidity issue. I will have to keep an eye on that. I have a CO monitor plugged up out there.

I had not really thought about the ignition source and spray painting. I have a paint booth at the back of the garage where there is a 9' by 7' door, which I open up when painting with fans turned on. I don't paint in an enclosed room. I don't like to get exposed to the fumes.

rockwoodrv9: shoot me a PM @ stockmanreef@gmail.com. Easier to get a hold of me that way.

Ken