Garage/Shop Heater Installs?

[dragoneggs]

Let me tell you what I do for shop or small house heat here in the Colorado Mountains and see if any of this helps with your project.

In several shops now I've used a small or medium size Rinnai Direct Vent Wall Heater. The heater typically sits on the floor next to the wall and the exhaust/intake goes through the wall at a spot you pick within 3 or 4 feet of the heater. Pick natural gas or propane. A size EX17 is good for a two car size shop in a fairly cold climate. The Rinnai is the absolute top of the line natural gas or propane heater - thermostatic, silent 110v. blower, use outside air and very efficient, has internal smart self-checking routines for safety.... Real quality stuff. Set it and forget it.

Rinnai has made their same basic model for decades now and constantly making it better. You can also set it low for freeze protection or to come on at a certain time.

They heater comes as a kit with all the parts to do a simple thru-the-wall double shielded combination outside air in and exhaust out.

Here in the mountains of Colorado we don't have natural gas, so what I know about is propane. I've run them temporarily in my shop using an outside 20 gallon propane tank - which is good for almost a month of workdays in a 2 car size insulated shop in the Colorado winters. But it is better to just order a 250 gallon propane tank and have it filled once a year.

Costs.... I think the Rinnai heater and install kit for the EX17 size runs in the $1500 to $2000 range delivered. A 250 gallon propane tank delivered and set up is around $600. Our propane company will also run a regulated line from tank to your shop for price of the line & regulator plus $100 when they deliver the tank. Line and regulator is another $100. Filling the tank at today's propane price is 80% X 250 gallon x 1.70 = $350.

So it looks like it would run in the $2500 to $3000 range complete if you just ordered things and had someone else do the real work. All you'd do is drill and assemble the supplied wall-thru - which takes a couple of hours max. and then plug it in.
rScotty

Thanks for the post Scotty.

I received two quotes from HVAC companies in my area. One for a Modine unit/install and one for a Reznor unit install. Both were sealed combustion and would be on thermostat control. Total price was $6500 and $7000... ridiculous! I priced out the Reznor on line for just under $2K and bought it (includes 45kBtu unit, thermostat, horizontal vent kit/pipe and ceiling mounting bracket.

The local HVAC guys seem to be attempting to rob me on the install so it is DIY time me... or find a one man band operation to install for me at a reasonable price. I too was thinking about $1K. Can't be more than one day job.

 

[Rebeldad1]

I installed a 75,000W Hot Dawg in my 26x34 shop myself. went with a 120 gallon tank I could put next to the shop and ran black iron pipe along the outside wall to get to the other end of the shop. Fire Marshall was very pleased with the install.
Being outside vented never any moisture.
Very quiet
Easy to install
7500W was overkill. next one will be smaller
Very efficient.
Never any issues with it. Had it for over 12 years before I moved.

 

[ovrszd]

The local HVAC guys seem to be attempting to rob me on the install so it is DIY time me... or find a one man band operation to install for me at a reasonable price. I too was thinking about $1K. Can't be more than one day job.

I was lucky to have a local guy that moonlights at this. He hooked up my Hydronic Floor Heat in my shop for $300. He had to charge me $350 to do my house because there were more circuits.

 

[mapper]

GET A DUST SYSTEM!
Then you don't have to worry about your lungs, dust in paint, etc.

I'll second that. I used to get nosebleeds after a day of sanding, now with a homemade down draft sanding table, my clothes don't even get a little bit dusty. And no more nosebleeds!

 

[ultrarunner]

Have an old 1970 Reznor ceiling mounted gas heater in the shop vented vertical... it came with the house and installed by the previous owner.

Only used it a few times and heats up a 22 x 30 shop in minutes.

The standing pilot gas use was significant for the time I ran the unit... so I turned off the supply about 10 years ago... people still comment on the heater when they see it in the shop...

I came across the bill for it and it was under $300 new... but new water heaters cost $88 back then too!

 

[dragoneggs]

Have an old 1970 Reznor ceiling mounted gas heater in the shop vented vertical... it came with the house and installed by the previous owner.

Only used it a few times and heats up a 22 x 30 shop in minutes.

The standing pilot gas use was significant for the time I ran the unit... so I turned off the supply about 10 years ago... people still comment on the heater when they see it in the shop...

I came across the bill for it and it was under $300 new... but new water heaters cost $88 back then too!

Do you know the Btu output?

 

[zoedog2012]

Thanks for the post Scotty.

I received two quotes from HVAC companies in my area. One for a Modine unit/install and one for a Reznor unit install. Both were sealed combustion and would be on thermostat control. Total price was $6500 and $7000... ridiculous! I priced out the Reznor on line for just under $2K and bought it (includes 45kBtu unit, thermostat, horizontal vent kit/pipe and ceiling mounting bracket.

The local HVAC guys seem to be attempting to rob me on the install so it is DIY time me... or find a one man band operation to install for me at a reasonable price. I too was thinking about $1K. Can't be more than one day job.

I thought all the highway robbers lived in Colorado, not WA.

 

[PEJ5]

I was thinking of a mini-split for our well-insulated workshop. I'm hesitant for a few reasons:

1. I'm not sure how well they handle dust (my wife does a lot of woodworking in there, we do not have a vacuum system, and she's not the greatest about using the shop vac to clean up). Is it going to be clogging up regularly?
2. We don't keep the shop heated all the time. In the winter, we use a space heater to keep it at about 40˚F until we'll need it. I've heard that heat pumps are not great at bringign the temp up quickly
3. We have yet to find a heat pump that will let you set the temperature beow about 55˚F (the Rinnai propane heater in the room above our garage has a "frost protect" mode that allows settings in the 40s)

I'm wondering if any of you have experience with Mini splits in these situations

Miniplit is the was to go. They are more than 400% efficient down to -15 deg C/5 deg f which means when consuming 1000w of electricity they will produce 4000w of heat. My heat pump draws 2 to 4 amps at 240v when heating.

It has a fan so dust is not great.

They will bring up the temp like any other 4000w heater, but they are so inexpensive to operate, it is cheaper to leave the temp up somewhat.

I have a Daikin and I can set it as low as I want unlike most brands. I leave mine around 50. I would not go much lower, because it needs heat to do a defrost cycle on the outdoor unit.

 

[dragoneggs]

Miniplit is the was to go. They are more than 400% efficient down to -15 deg C/5 deg f which means when consuming 1000w of electricity they will produce 4000w of heat. My heat pump draws 2 to 4 amps at 240v when heating.

It has a fan so dust is not great.

They will bring up the temp like any other 4000w heater, but they are so inexpensive to operate, it is cheaper to leave the temp up somewhat.

I have a Daikin and I can set it as low as I want unlike most brands. I leave mine around 50. I would not go much lower, because it needs heat to do a defrost cycle on the outdoor unit.

No offense but 400% efficient? Please explain. If I could get close to 100% I would be dancing.

 

[aczlan]

No offense but 400% efficient? Please explain. If I could get close to 100% I would be dancing.

It is like an AC unit, but operating in reverse. Therefore it is able to create more BTUs of heat than is using electricity because it is not actually heating, it is just pumping the refrigerant from one side to the other and the refrigerant is doing the work of moving the heat.

Aaron Z