I’m narrowing down my choices for an electric heater to have rapid-start heat in the shop (pellet stove takes a whhhhiiiilllle). I’ve linked the 3 models below, 2 are hardwired, all have a thermostate knob, but only one has the knob on the front of the unit. But in the long run, seems I’d like a thermostat that is wall-mounted rather than up high, an add-on as it were.
So, how does one go about hardwiring one of these? The recently-installed electric scheme in my shop provides two 240V outlet boxes, it’s all put in that surface-mounted conduit (as opposed to behind any drywall). I doubt that both would be used for tools (currently, only the Unisaw is wired to 240V).
And, how complicated is it to rig up a thermostat to run the thing?
Here are the units:
Cheap, 4K watts
Inexpensive
Top of my budget
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Replies
http://www.ouellet.com/residential-heating-system-usa.aspx
The Ouellet site has some info on wiring and mounting as well as thermostats that can be added.
Last year I had the smallest OAE unit installed in my fathers shop in Salmon Arm BC along with adding some other 220 circuits. If I remember correctly he used armored cable from the panel to the heater. You should be able to have the outlet removed from the box and after the wires are connected, it gets a cover plate.
The electrician put an basic thermostat (it wasn't an Ouellet thermostat) on the wall as you want to do and either added it in line, or in place of, the built in one.
The wiring by the electrician only took about hour or so for the heater and thermostat part of the work, after I screwed it to the ceiling. The unit comes with brackets for wall or ceiling mounting.
Thanks for the info, QC, it's encouraging.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
FG, if at all feasible, go for a hardwired unit--even if it comes with a cord and plug. Thoise units pull a good amount of energy and every effort to reduce loose connections will ultimately be to your benefit. Also, make sure that your thermostat is located in a position that will give you good, even heat.
Considerations for the unit, as I am sure you have researched, would be the size of your shop (width, height and depth) as well as insulation.
When determining where to place the unit, consider the proximity to your electrical service. You may run the wiring (in conduit) from the unit to a sub panel/cutoff (recommended), and from there to your panel. Hopefully, you have enough "juice" left to allow for the new circuit without having to sacrifice either of your 240v outlets.
If my calculation is correct, a 4000 watt heater on a 240V circuit would require under 17 amps, so that's good news. One problem I've not had with the new outlets is things being loose! A couple of 'em are hard to get the plugs into, LOL. But I'll take your advice to heart.
I'm looking around a little more, our temps have come up out of the abnormally low range they were in last week, so I'm not feeling so pressed about getting immediate heat. Some of the heaters get bad feedback due to the noisiness of the unit. Want to get one that won't drive me nuts.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
If it were me, I would feel much safer having it hard wired. Just treat it like an a/c unit or even a furnace.
Hi FG ,
Don't be fooled by a few decent fall days , it's time to get the heater setup.
I use an electric furnace and air handler not unlike the units on a heat pump only there is no out door part of the unit and no A/C .
Mine cost about $500 14 years ago and I had to build a plentum (sp) to create a place where the air can enter the unit .this unit sits on the floor up on the plentum.
The one thing I regret and strongly advise to you , sounds like you plan on installing a separate thermostat as I have but if there is the option of a programmable thermostat by all means get it , don't try and save a few bucks here get the programmable model .
You simply set it to come on at say 7am so at 8am it is nice and toasty in the shop . Currently I have to trod down to the shop in rain slush and snowy wind to turn the heater on , not to mention how many times I forget to turn it off at night . I'll bet the savings on electricity would more then pay for the better thermostat within the first year of use .
It does cost a bit to run no lie on that fact ,but to me it is worth 4 or $5 bucks a day to stay warm and have good glue drying temps .
regards dusty
Hi, Dusty. I may have to forgo the separate thermostat this year, add it on next year, but that's OK. Shop time is quite curtailed these days, as I spend most of my time working with the horses. When I come home, I need some down-time, so the shop can be heating up while I take a breather.
A programmable timer, though, is a great idea. I can see it being very valuable when I glue something up just before leaving the shop for the night. Set it to keep the heat going for 4 or 5 hours, that would be great!
Sounds like you deserve a programmable therm for Christmas! Is it hard to swap out the old for the new?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
You simply replace the existing thermo , no additional wiring requirements to my knowledge , I'm no expert at thermos but if I could wire and hook the heater up and put new breakers in the service box I'm sure you can do it easily .
I followed instructions
warmest of shops to you
d
I'm confused, Dusty -- are you still trudging through the slush, or did you go to a programmable thermostat.
We're really being set up this weekend, it's so warm!!! I'm sure Mother Nature's carefully preparing a cold front for us to enjoy next week, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I am still using the old school thermo , it's not broke so you know the saying .
It would really be a convenience to trudge once , is that a word ?
BTW wiring of the thermo was some kind of lower voltage lettered wires .
d
We have a programmable in the house, but we need to replace it. The temperature swings are way to big, e.g., if it's set at 64, it'll get down to 61.5 before the heat comes on and then it heats up to 66 or better before it turns off! Lettered wires, that's a good thing....
Insulating under the house will help, the next project after (a) finishing the deck and (b) getting through hunting season. ROFL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Check to see if you can set the tolerances on your programmable. All thermostats operate on a range so that the furnace (or a/c) is not running constantly, but some you can determine what that range will be. Even so, we did some checking on the 'net and found a good one (7 day programmable) that was in the neighborhood of $30 that works very well. Our monthly heating bill last year was under $60. (That doesn't look to be the case this year, however).
Thanks, Heart, I'll pull the cover and take a look. If we do replace it, I'll be looking for something that's a little more user-friendly than this one. The mental contortions one must go through to program it are unreal!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
You can get a line voltage thermostat at either of the Big Boxes -- they are used for controlling elec baseboards. Just wire one up in series with the outlet for the heater, and set the t-stat on the unit all the way up so it's always calling for heat. Then the wall unit, set at a lower setting, will control.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Oh Jamie, I wish you lived next door. I would supply you with the heaters you need and one thermostat. Another thermostat for a spare. (Some of that junk that I need to get rid of.) I installed a thermostat in every room of our home about thirty five years ago. I also have replaced a bunch of them in apartments. I have in line (line voltage) thermostats which are a little different that the low voltage thermostats. As far as I know, they don't make a programmable in line thermostat though. Something to consider. As someone mentioned, even if the heater came with a thermo mounted on the chasis, I would put one at a convenient place. Be sure to place it so the sun doesn't shine on it. I put geothermal heat in the house a couple years ago so am slowly remodeling each room and removing the old thermostats.
"Be sure to place it so the sun doesn't shine on it." Hah, hah, you have no idea how funny that is!! My shop is right up against the side of a rise (not quite a hill) forested with 50- to 125-foot trees, the sun doesn't make it through the one window in my shop!
I envy you the geothermal heat, that's great. Sounds snuggly, LOL!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 10/19/2008 10:39 pm by forestgirl
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