Hello, folks:
I’m just doing a bit of research here and hope some of you can help me out.
I was recently speaking with a gentleman about a radiant tube heater system, powered by propane. He is considering it for his two-car garage workshop. We talked about some of the pros and cons, etc. But one of the most difficult questions to answer is how efficient it is and what the actual cost of running it will be. Speaking to the people who sell the units isn’t exactly unbiased and you usually get answers like “it depends on how much you use it”. Very true, but I would like to get some concrete stats on this from real users, not from the manufacturers.
I would love to hear from people who actually own these systems. If you could answer the following questions, it would be very helpful to me.
1) What is your shop size, including ceiling height?
2) What is the insulation situation in your shop (e.g. concrete slab on grade, 2 large windows, 2 garage doors with R10 insulation, R40 in the ceiling, R13 in the walls, etc.?
3) How many BTUs is your radiant tube heater?
4) What did it cost you for the heater, including installation?
5) How many hours do you tend to work in your workshop on average (per week, per month, etc.)?
6) How many heating months do you have where you live (average temperatures in the colder months, etc.?)
7) How large is your propane tank?
8) How many litres of propane do you typically go through in a heating season?
9) What seems to be the average price of propane in your area these days?
10) What would be your estimated annual cost to run your radiant tube heater?
11) How does the unit heat your shop compared to other systems you’ve tried (i.e. does it only heat certain areas and leave many cold spots in others?)?
12) Would you buy it again and why or why not?
People can email me at [email protected] if you prefer. Or you could post the results on the forum if you think others might benefit from it.
I should mention that I don’t own one of these systems myself and I’m not planning on it anytime in the near future. But I would like to collect more information that I can pass on to my students or during any seminars that I do.
Thanks a million.
Hendrik
Replies
Why don't you research some heating forums? I think it's a mistake to limit your research to just woodworking shops. Waste of time!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi, Rick.
I didn't know there was such a thing as a heating forum. Do you know of any off-hand? If not, I guess I'll just do an internet search.
I'm researching the issue specifically for use in small woodworking shops, such as the types of shops home hobbyists are likely to have. That is why I've started my search on woodworking forums.
Thanks for your input.
Cheers,
Hendrik
Hendrik,
There is a section on Furnances, Heating and Cooling over in the Breaktime Forum.
I can't answer your question, I use kerosene heater(s).
Enjoy, Roy
Need to locate a Heating Forum?? Look no further..Ding Ding Ding we have a winner..
Heating Forum ===> http://www.heatinghelp.com
take care.. ToolDocProud Member of the Delta & Klein Tradesman Club & Milwaukee HD Club & Knots Bad Boys & Girls Club..
A Non ~ Member of the Knots Bandsaw Guru Club..
In my opinion radiant heaters should be called garage heaters and relegated to that function only.
I have a single car garage converted to woodworking shop - for hobby only , I hardly ever get to spend more than 2 hours a day in there. The heat source is a 35,000 BTU natural gas U-tube type radiant heater. I have no trouble maintaining room temp through the worst Canadian blizzards. The same gas line feeds the house so I can not break down the cost for you.
My troubles start when I leave my wood projects where the direct rays of the radiant heat can "cook" them. Warped , twisted , and cracked are not the words I like to use when describing my work. The areas off to the side are safe enough but directly in front you will need 15 feet of free space. Wood left in this area with the heater on will warp within a couple of hours!
Hi, Sprucegum:
I'd be very interested in hearing more about your warped wood problems. I guess a radiant tube heater is the equivalent of putting your wood in direct sun?
So what does this mean in practise? You have to keep the direct "rays" of the heater away from your wood pile and even finished projects, or work-in-progress, must be moved out to the outer walls every day before you leave the shop? This sounds highly inconvenient. Or I suppose that you would have an area of the shop that the rays don't hit directly and that's where you'd move your work-in-progress? Wouldn't that area be a "cold spot"?
That leads me to another question. Do you have cold spots in the shop where the radiant energy doesn't directly warm objects?
Thanks for your input.
Cheers,
Hendrik
Yes , these rays act just like heat rays from the sun.
I may have over emphasized the problem , ie: a completed carcass will probably stay straight but the precut pieces left on the bench will not. I have arranged my shop so that my projects are automatically off to one side , my tablesaw needs that space in front of the heater anyway.
The good news is there are no cold spots. The heat radiates into the floors and walls and everything else and then radiates back out into everything again. Everything is warm and dry, really dry.It's not what you chew, it's how you chew it
I just wonder how far above the floor your heaters are? The smallest Ambirad units need to be at least 10 ft above floor level and I've heard from a couple of people now about cowboy salesmen telling customers that they can be hung as low as 7-1/2ft. I run a comercial shop and I'm seriously considering these units, partly because I already know of several other successful installations.
Scrit
Yes , I bought my heater from one of those cowboys just before he rode off into the sunset. My ceiling is only 8 feet which puts me too close for comfort.
The other concern I would have in a busy shop is "recovery time". Using radiant heat means the air is the last thing to warm up. If you have a large door that is frequently opened you will feel a chill in the air so that even though your thermostat tells you you are at room temperature, your employees/coworkers will want to turn it up.
Radiant heat can be a very comfortable heat ; objects are always warm to the touch and you can really soak up those rays when its -40 outside , but every silver lining has a little cloud in it....It's not what you chew, it's how you chew it
Hi, Sprucegum. So what I'm hearing is that you have a single car garage with an 8-ft. ceiling and a 35,000 btu unit. Is that number of btu's a little too much for the space? Does it get too hot?
You say it's a bit too close for comfort. Do you mean in terms of hitting it with objects, or do you mean that the heat really blasts you on top of your head?
If you can't break down what it's costing you to run it, do you have any idea at all of how it's done compared to other options you might have considered? Did you consider a large electrical heater at all? Or any other options?
Would you do it again, or would you do something else if you had the choice?
Also, you didn't mention where in Canada you're located. I'm in the Toronto area, so I'm wondering how cold it gets where you are.
Thanks for your time.
Cheers,
Hendrik
I'm right on the border between Alberta & Saskatchewan and I too am wondering how cold its going to get here. The wind chill factor was close to -20 C last night and its still October.
35,000 BTU is more than I need for my space but that was the smallest unit on the market at the time and I figured it would just run for shorter durations. Natural gas was so cheap cost was not considered an issue.
The heater is as close to the ceiling and one wall as it can be and rays out at 45 degrees , I seldom hit it but those rays have addled my pate more than once!
I have been thinking about a forced air furnace modified to act as a dust collector at the same time. Either the heater or the DC I have will have to break down before I get serious about though.It's not what you chew, it's how you chew it
I was also going to warn you about the affect that a radiant heater has on wood but the previous post summed it up nicely.
John W.
I think we are talking about two different kinds of heaters. I think the original post was about heat tubes cast inside the concrete subfloor rather than some sort of portable or above ground unit.
Can you be more specific?
Michael
Hi, Michael:
Sorry for the confusion. Actually, I'm not talking about the floor tubes, but rather the radiant tube heater that hangs from the ceiling. It's sometimes a straight tube and sometimes U-shaped. It runs on propane, natural gas or sometimes oil. And it's vented to the outside. Apparently, it has a completely sealed heat chamber so that explosion risk is virtually eliminated.
I should have been more clear, but thanks for pointing it out, Michael.
Cheers,
Hendrik
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled