WORKSHOP HEATING

[Gord in Newmarket]

It's that time of year again people,lets drop the gloves and go at this topic. Which do you prefer, radiant tube gas or electric heat and most importantly why?

[Bob Turner Salmon Arm B.C]

Like radiant heat Gord because it warms everything in the room. Six mo ago I might have felt different with cost of propane ( no NG in my area ) so high, but down to 35¢ a litre now. Also the radiant heater has an enclosed flame.

Bob

[J.P.Rap (Hamilton)]

I like what I got... Heated basement shop. I'm heatin the basement anyhow.
If I had a seperate shop I would definatly go for the radiant heater. I know a lot of places that use them and haven't heard a complaint yet.
On second thought... If I could have anything ,I would give serious thought to in floor heat.
J.P.

[Mike]

I'm building a new shop and have installed the floor radiant system. I hope to have it up and running next winter. Got to finish building shop first. Tubing only $0.50/ ft.

[incola]

I use a oscillating ceramic heater, I don't have a big shop, but even in the coldest winter it keeps the place warm. As far as I know there is very little fire hazard with these heaters. For small and inexpensive units, they throw an impresive amount of heat but I have never taken the time to figure out how much they cost to run.

[silsen]

my shop is 14 by 32 feet. it is not yet heated. the ceiling is 8 feet high. why would you use radiant heat rather than a small vented gas furnace?

[Mike King Sherwood Park,]

Silsen, overhead radiant heat is more efficient than the usual gas furnace that heats the air and blows it around. Radiant heats objects including the tools and the floor, and the heat is better stored there than the air. There's a three year payback on the higher cost of gas radiants over furnaces. For your shop, you could install a gas radiant of 33000 btu in an upper end wall and have all kinds of comfort from it.

If I were building a new shop now, based on my brother's experience, I'd consider in-floor heat. It's even more comfortable.. Cost of operation depends on your energy source. Some provinces have reasonably-priced electricity..

[Dave in Petawawa]

All right Gord, here's what I've found. Radiant heating may be all right but be sure to have at least a 9 ft ceiling. I can't really comment on the in floor heating but I'd find it hard to justify the inital outlay. My new shop will have a NG wall furnace. Sits on the floor, direct vent to through the wall and has the air come in the top and out the bottom. Cost including running gas line 75 feet underground approx $2000. My 2 cents.

[Bob Turner Salmon Arm B.C]

Dave, I have radiant heater in my shop with an eight foot ceiling, no problem. It is mounted at one end over the workbench. The required clearances on a radiant heater are minimal, 4" from the ceiling, 4" from the wall.

One hugh advantage is that you don't have dust blowing around if you are finishing. As mentioned previously the heat is stored in the objects in the room, more efficient than the air. The only thing that I think can rival radiant heat in the workshop would be in floor heat, once again no air being blown around.

Bob

[J.P.Rap (Hamilton)]

It's been stated that the big plus of overhead radiant heaters is the fact that it heats the objects below it. including yourself, if your standing under it.This is one of the factors that make it so efficient. Haveing worked in shops with radiant heaters, I agree.
The obvious advantage to floor heating is that heat rises.Since most shops don't have heated space under them ,the floors are usually cold(as well as about a foot from the floor).Floor heaters would heat the floor first and the rising warm air would heat the shop.
My question is this... Other than heating the floor first, does a floor heater not just heat the air in the room? Therefore would it not take just as long to heat the objects in the room as other heaters?If so and (as some of us do) you only heat your shop when your in it ,is there realy a savings in heat costs or eficiency?
Or am I missing something?
Right now my shop is in the basement so it's not really an issue for me but I don't plan on being here for ever and my next shop will be detached(if I get what I want)so the type of heating I use will be a factor.
J.P.

[Meritt @ the Lake]

I have gone with in floor heat in my new shop (1200 sq ft). The reason for this is its quiet - a shop has enough ambient noise, dustless and makes a concrete foor much more pleasent. The downsides are in an extreme climate this type of heat is fairly slow responding - your overhead radiant tube heat would be quicker to "feel" warm. I have three zones in my shop and am planning on running them at the same temp. The perimeter run is the shortest to allow more heat in that area as this is where in-floor heat has its greatest heat loss. One cost I had not figured on was the Glycol (as its a stand alone building this was recommended) @ $150 a pail its not cheap. I would certainly always put in the tubing in a new concrete pad - its cheap and then you have options on your heat source, my long winded $0.02 worth...... Meritt

[Brent in Mississauga]

Bob,

I just bought a radiant heater, but haven't installed it yet. The only place I can really put it is smack dab in the middle of my garage. My ceiling is almost 11 feet high. Am I going to feel this thing beating down on me when standing right below it?

[MIKE Smith]

i just installed a radiant heater 45000 btu i have 9ft cieling the atvantage is more floor space i hung it on an angle in a area less used there is no filters the intake air is from outside it rated at 87% efficent it cost $699 plus $250 for gas pipe and venting my shop size is 23 by 36 the big thing is floor space we always need more