Looking for some guidance on heat for my shop

I am in the preliminary stages of remodeling and upgrading my existing 24x32 pole barn into a woodshop and was wondering if anyone is heating there shop with a product similar to this:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DAY...839?Pid=search

I have natural gas ran to my barn and was initially thinking of putting in a forced air down flow furnace placed on blocks, but it looks to me like the efficiency just wouldn't be there....as well as the constant filter changes.

I like the idea and efficiency of these radiant tube heaters even though the initial cost is high, I would think that it would pay for itself in the long run. If anyone has any experience with these, please let me know.

Steve

Hi again Steve. The shops I mentioned having the t5's in, in the lighting thread, are heated with these radiant heaters. We have to use propane, which is pretty pricey here, natural gas would be way cheaper. They work well. Simple and trouble free. I think you would want to make sure the dust buildup is minimal at first startup each season, but beyond that, hang them and forget.

That being said, I don't like the feel of radiant heat bearing down from above feels like a fever or something I think. It can be minimized by having enough heaters that they don't have to run all the time. They are great for quick reheating of the space after one of the big doors has been opened to let a machine in or out.

Steve, your shop looks amazing from the pics. in your lighting thread! How did you determine how many BTU's you needed to heat each barn? I'm also noticing that the higher the BTU, the higher the minimum ceiling height needs to be. I have 12' sidewalls in my barn. What brand did you use in yours?

Have you though about radiant floor heating? I have this in my shop and it is very efficient and provides very comfortable heating. There is a company that will sell you all the components to install it yourself. I would think your final cost wouldn't be much more that what you are looking at. I think the company I used is called Radiant Floor Company.

Larry,
I don't believe that radiant floor heat would be an option. I already have a concrete floor......or is this something that can go on top and then frame a wooden floor over the concrete?

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Originally Posted by Steve Goetz

Larry,
I don't believe that radiant floor heat would be an option. I already have a concrete floor......or is this something that can go on top and then frame a wooden floor over the concrete?

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Yes you could do that, but it would add to the initial cost. The added benefit would be that you would have a wooden floor in your shop which is much easier on your legs and feet, not to mention how it would treat a dropped chisel. You could also use the space to run electrical for floor plugs, and even DC ducting if you framed it tall enough.
Just a thought, it might not be an option for you, but I thought I would give you one more thing to think about! Also you would have lots of fuel choices besides gas. I have a 30X40 shop that I can heat all winter for around $400 using propane. I think natural gas is probably less. You should go check out their website before abandoning the idea. http://www.radiantcompany.com/

Steve, I have an upflow gas furnace, the best thing you can do with one is build a platform for it to set on, so you get the return filter up off the floor. I have a central air unit hooked to mine, works well on hot days. If you use central air, you have to have something to hook it to, either a furnace or an air handler. A buddy of mine has one of those tube heaters in his concrete non-insulated shop. Works well, as it heats objects instead of air. Never asked about the bill, but there is a propane tank setting by his shop.

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Originally Posted by Steve Goetz

Steve, your shop looks amazing from the pics. in your lighting thread! How did you determine how many BTU's you needed to heat each barn? I'm also noticing that the higher the BTU, the higher the minimum ceiling height needs to be. I have 12' sidewalls in my barn. What brand did you use in yours?

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Thanks, hope I get to work in it, not on it some day. BTW, I am using forced air in it so I can have air conditioning too. I don't know the answer to the btu question, I just had it speced out by the seller. I can look at the brand tomorrow, and the btu's that they put out.

Steve,

I am going to post some pics and details after this weekend, but I have finally made the decision, and went with a ductless mini split, heat and air conditioning from www.heatandcool.com.

There are MANY options out there, I went a bit of a chepaer route, but basically, I am using a 12000BTU mini split made by Klimaire.

I plan to install this weekend, and have an appointment Monday for the AC guy to come and vacuum, purge and make the final connections.

I'll post next week, hopefully, everything goes as planned.

Radiant hydronic heat in the floor is what I have. No filters, no pilot lights, no hot surfaces, no drafts.

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Originally Posted by Steve Rozmiarek

Thanks, hope I get to work in it, not on it some day. BTW, I am using forced air in it so I can have air conditioning too. I don't know the answer to the btu question, I just had it speced out by the seller. I can look at the brand tomorrow, and the btu's that they put out.

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Steve, here is a pic of the heaters we use. They are Space Ray brand, and I cannot find the btu spec. These are good heaters for the farm, but I think they may be massive overkill for an insulated woodshop. They engineer the system to fit your space though.

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Insulation is the first thing to consider when heating a shop! You only have to pay for it once. My 26' x 26' x 9' shop has fiberglass in the walls and 1.5" of foam on top of that and the ceiling has the same. I heat the shop with a 5200btu oil filled radiator and have no problem heating it for a few dollars a month.

FYI, the shop I posted pics off with the tractor is insulated. We like the radiant in there because of the fast recovery times when the doors have to open, a lot. It is also the welding shop, so ventilation is nice, and radiant makes a heated makeup system unnecessary Agree completely with Chris though, and most woodshops are FAR better insulated than this drafty steel building. You can see how huge the heater is, in a woodshop, the same technology would be far smaller.

Steve, thanks for the pics and information. I am planning on insulating well. It is a pole barn that I helped my grandfather build 15 years ago. We are living here now and I want to convert it to a dedicated wood shop. I'm going to frame interior 2x6 walls which will allow me to have R-19 in the walls and I will try for R-38 in the ceilings. This is going to be a big conversion project that I want to do right....and only once....so I'm in the "planning" stages of everything from wiring, to wall covering, to lighting, to heat. I will definitely check into Space Ray and see what they have to offer. Sounds like they have been good to you.