Garage Heat

[Hambone]

I went with a different approach. It all comes down to the almighty dollar. I put in a standard horizontal flow 75,000 btu furnace. Went ahead and put in the A coil for a.c.
I installed duct work throughout garage. The heat is even and warm, recovers well. It works very well 980 square feet.
Just one more option on this long list....

 

[PineRidge]

Kevin that is a radiant tube heater. You see a lot more of those used in commercial applications such as service areas of auto dealerships.

Steve if I were planning A/C in my garage area I also would have also used a horizontal furnace/evaporator. It was a good choice. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GaryM]

If the heater has a sealed combustion system, and I think the HotDawg does, there should be no risk of fire or explosion. Unless perhaps sawdust could build up on the outside of the combustion chamber and smolder.

But you'd have a smoldering/smoking issue with most any heater other than perhaps hot water.

 

[Knight9]

Pineridge,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( You see a lot more of those used in commercial applications such as service areas of auto dealerships )</font>

Certainly true, however, they are making serious inrodes into the shop/garage/barn market in my area by making smaller models.

I can certainly see how the one you showed would be hot on the head! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Kevin

 

[Von]

I have one of those heaters, or one like it in the lower level of my shop. I have used it once when I first installed it! Seemed like a waste to me, but it was free so I hooked it up. (see attached photo) The heater in the top photo is what I use in the top floor of my shop. Puts out 65k BTU's and cost only $50. It cost me more to convert it to electric pilot! I keep the heat at 45F. to keep anything from freezing, plus the tractor starts better if its a tad warm!

 

[PineRidge]

I'm sure that a lot of folks are tickled with the infrared heaters as its just a personal choice. The same kinds of choices are presented to us with our tractors, manual, shuttle, hydro, and so on. I'm merely saying that I had and used an Infrared heater for one full heating season before changing the game plan. If you are interested in a rather inexpensive and economical heat then the Infrared unit may suit your needs. You be the judge

 

[NIXON]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I've got a moline "hot dawg " in my garage under the house ,and it is a great heater . But, I'm in the process of building a pole building (ran out of garage ). I'm very tempted to go with Radiant floor heat . Are there any significant advantages,or pitfalls to this type of system ? If I were to use radiant heat, I'd like to use an on demand heater (Takagi ) as the one I have in my house for heating water has proven to be bullet proof . Thanks , John )</font>

I hate to repeat this again , But I'd really like some opinions on radiant floor heat . Thanks for bearing with me , John

 

[Junkman]

trying to use radiant heat in the floor of a garage is like trying to warm bath water on the stove. It will take way too long for it to bring the garage to temperature that you would feel comfortable in. Garages are usually poorly insulated and the garage door isn't the tightest fitting door in the house. Add to that the concrete slab is usually poured over the gravel base without any insulation under it. Overall, I don't think that you would find it satisfactory for a garage. If you install the coils in the walls and ceiling, you are still up against the same problems... Poor fitting garage doors that usually will leak cold air into the space.
When I had my new insulated garage doors installed, I made certain that they were as tight as possible and that weather strips were used where ever possible. My garage isn't heated, and will stay about 38 - 40 degrees when the outside temperature is 10 degrees. I don't open the doors very often and I never let the door stay open for more that a couple of minutes.. I don't use the garage to keep the car in and we won't go into any discussion as to what the garage is used for.. Suffice it to say, that there is not enough room in there for much... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[thcri]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( trying to use radiant heat in the floor of a garage is like trying to warm bath water on the stove. It will take way too long for it to bring the garage to temperature that you would feel comfortable in. Garages are usually poorly insulated and the garage door isn't the tightest fitting door in the house. Add to that the concrete slab is usually poured over the gravel base without any insulation under it. Overall, I don't think that you would find it satisfactory for a garage. If you install the coils in the walls and ceiling, you are still up against the same problems... Poor fitting garage doors that usually will leak cold air into the space.
When I had my new insulated garage doors installed, I made certain that they were as tight as possible and that weather strips were used where ever possible. My garage isn't heated, and will stay about 38 - 40 degrees when the outside temperature is 10 degrees. I don't open the doors very often and I never let the door stay open for more that a couple of minutes.. )</font>

Junkman,

I guess I would have to disagree with you. As a mechanical contractor we are putting in floor in more and more garages everyday including bus shops, automobile repair shops and truck repair garages. And for no insulation in the concrete, everyone gets foam insulation under them. I have it in my garage and it is more efficient than any other heat out there even in a leaking garage. I keep my garage at 50 and I can go out there in a T shirt and work due to the heat constantly rising up over you. I can literally lay on the floor in a T shirt in a garage that is maintained at 50. The automobile repair shop next to our office has it and his door is opened twenty and thirty times a day and he never loeses temperature. More and more shops that come to us for quotes are asking for the wirsbo or in floor systems. If it was up to me, it is the only way I would go.

murph

 

[DougM]

This is the first year for me with radiant heat in the floor and
it seems to be just fine using 2 hot water tanks to heat the water building is 30x48 and In 2 hours i can have it 75 degs
But most of the time i keep it at 50 and it is very nice
So if I were to build the garage agn I would do it the same way run the tubing in the floor if u never ever use it
U can always change ur mind and it is there

Doug /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[lamarbur]

Your thinking in the old days here.. Just stood up two new steel bldgs, one fire the other highway dept. Both have in floor radiant heat in 6 inch concrete. Both buildings are keeping the promise of no more than 4 degrees difference between floor and ceiling.. Both buildings the ceiling (in center) is 18 ft with 15 ft outer wall height. We monitor this constantly and so far find a two degree difference. We had compacted base at 118%, tow layers of two inch styrofoam insul board placed on 8 mill poly, with 6 inches of poured concrete.. Radiant heat IS the way to go, if done properly.. BTW, one building has 3, 14 X 14 overheads and one 20 X 14 overhead,, the fire has 4 14 X 14 overhead doors..

 

[PineRidge]

In my opinion I think the determining factor is this: Do you want to maintain heat in the garage area all winter long? If you do then I do think the Wirsbo in floor system is tops. But if you only want to turn the heat on when you go out to work like I do then it may not be the best solution for your needs. It is slow recovery from a cold start because all that cold concrete is one big heat sink initially. Once you get beyond that initial start up phase its very easy to maintain an even temperature.

 

[bebster]

My strategy is a combination of those suggested. My garage is 30x54 and the basement of my barn in progress of building. I figure it is cheap to run radiant tubing in the slab, and will do so. I plan to keep the floor of the garage at around 45 degrees. This is a nice temp for vehicles to over-winter, and not too bad for humans making an occasional trip downstairs.

Now if I really want to spend some time in the garage, I'll need to get the temp up. So I'll install a 30,000 BTU gas-fired heater (Modine or Rannai probably) that will crank the temp from the ambient 45 to 70 pretty quickly.

I'll insulate the walls to R=10 (including R12 garage doors from Wayne-Dalton that are 8'6" tall for the tractor to get through).

 

[PineRidge]

Bebster you sound like a man with a serious back-up plan to me. Your going to have a warm garage one way or the other. Good for you, I like that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Junkman]

Guess that I am out voted on this one.... What I remember about radiant heat is that it was inefficient and expensive. Had I known this 2 years ago, I would have installed it in my new garage. Now I am going to build a new garage just to try it out.... That means that I have to buy more junk to put into it.... Thanks for the update.....

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> Guess that I am out voted on this one.... </font>

Junkman look at the positive side of this scenario. You can build another garage and install Wirsbo in the floor. But then it would be empty so you may need another larger tractor to help fill it sufficiently. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Get my drift?

 

[NIXON]

Thanks for the info guys. I should have stated up front that once the heat is on it'll stay on .(set at about 50-55 during the winter months ) I do plan to insulate the concrete , no matter what . It'll be a pole building so there'll be plenty of cavity space for insulation . For garage doors .. Raynor (high r value ) . I like the idea of a small secondary heater if immediate temp rise is called for ! The one thing I've never been happy with is Garage door seals .You'd think that there'd be a better system out there . Again , Thanks ! Gotta say I love TBN . There's nothing else like this site . John

 

[lamarbur]

He has a large cover-it system. I'm guessing 20 X 40 or so. If he replaced that with a one and half story pole bldg, he can try out the Wirsbo in the floor. Then, we probably wouldn't see him post much, he'd be in his new barn having fun..

 

[bebster]

What kind of R value are you looking to get for your garage doors? Highest I've seen is R=12.

You might look at this product for slab insulation: Insultarp Provides R=10 in a 1/2" thick blanket. I like it because it conforms to any soil contour irregularities, which I think will take the weight of vehicles better. Rigid insulation (eg 2" foam panels) might be prone to voids I think. These blankets cost about $0.85 per sq foot in rolls that are 12' x 50' (and smaller). Also serves as a vapor barrier. Julie Miller at the company put me in touch with a local distributor who stocks it (866) 698-6562.

 

[NIXON]

Bebster,
I'm looking at the Raynor Innovation series doors . Claimed R value of 18 . I'll have to take a look at Insultarp !
I had planned on 2" of rigid foam Cover with Astro Foil for vapor barrier and added insulation . I get the Astro foil Cheap ... My company sells it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif But I'll definately check out the insultarp . Thanks ! John