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Got lucky (heat wise)

miller

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Tom Bean,Texas
Winter is coming, so time will tell.

Youngest son, an electrician, was working at DFW airport, re-working some of the terminals. Amazing what they will toss out the door, just because it's not new. So, the son brought me a 220/30 amp electric heater, he was told to toss in the trash. Had no idea, if it would work good enough in my shop.

Fast forward, finally mounted the heater, and wired it up. Shop is a steel 30x30, non-insulated building. Was thinking might need to add a thermostat, since only thing on the heater was a temp control knob. I'll add that this heater is fairly small, considering some I've seen.

Turned the knob to about half heat, flipped the switch, and let it run over-night. Next morning, walked into the shop...and had to turn the dang heater off! Entire shop was heated, all from that little heater. Also has a built-in thermostat, so it cycles, per the heat setting.

Almost looking forward to winter...and, I'm a warm weather guy.
 
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Probably nothing like where your at.
Been here, in the big city :D, 5 years, 25 miles from the Red River. First winter, was 'iced in', for two weeks, temp never above 25 degrees. It does snow here a little, but usually get ice, instead!
In the shop, only had a space heater, run 24 hours a day...just enough to keep things from freezing.
 
If 30 watts heats it, just turning the lights on ought to run you out of there.
 
I'm thinking the heater is 30 amps, not watts. I put one in my friends garage to keep the temp stable over the winter, where he stores his car. He seems to like it quite a bit also...
 
In NY you wouldn't like the electric bill, you can't even read it like 13 taxes and surcharges. But there is one local municipality which runs their own electric supply and they get a pretty good deal. For most of us electric heat is just way too expensive.
 
I'm thinking the heater is 30 amps, not watts.
That's why I'm not an electrician! Your correct, VANDAN. 30 amps.
Fixed my screw-up.

(I'll laugh about that, with a tee shirt on, in the shop. LOL!)
 
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For most of us electric heat is just way too expensive.
We're on a co-op here, prices pretty reasonable. Wired 220, so my son tells me, can't be much more than running that space heater.
Just pleased. High roof shop, door at the far end, from the heater, really feel the difference just walking in.
 
Nothing like being comfortable. Texas gets it's share of cold weather. Been in a ice storm in Amarillo back when traveling racing.Spent the night and came out of the motel to a trailer&truck that was a block of ice.
 
Coincidentally, I was just looking at some of those PTHP "motel" wall unit heat pumps for the garage.
I have a couple of those "milk barn" electric jobbers hanging out there now, supplemented by an oscillating
space heater - but they're all plug-in 110VAC units and it takes them hours to make any real difference in
room temperature.
Problem is, the garage is over 700 SF and has 10' high eaves and probably a 14' peak. It's all insulated,
but that's a lot of air to condition. Probably going to kill me on the electric bill to do it electrically.
I don't have natgas up here at all - it's a quarter mile away.
Still trying to figure this one out.
 
The best solution in a cold climate is radiant floor heating in the concrete slab.
You can do it with a hot water heater and a circulating pump.
Since the floor is warm, your feet are warm. It's comfortable in the low 60's in the room.
No condensation, recovers quickly if you open the door... the only way to go if you can afford the install cost.
Maybe some day. (We can always dream)
 
I bought this Modine electric years ago for $600 and have taken it with me from shop to shop. Originally we had it in a large shop that had plenty of insulation. Now it's in a 24' x 26' without any insulation. It does pull 30 amps, like a clothes dryer and it ran me around $100 extra per month when I was out there every day.
20181022_095146.jpg
 
In ways, I also lucked out on the 30x30 shop. When we bought the house, the seller had just had the shop built, so it was only a few months old! Bare bones, but good to go, all the electrical already done.
Seller had to re-locate for his wife's job reasons, and heard he passed away a year later. He was also a Mopar guy!
 
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