Electric Heat

Just to add.....I have found those oil filled electric heaters are absolutely great. Yes, they are not as efficient as gas, but a lot better than baseboard or element style heaters.
 
Any kind of electric heater is nearly 100% efficient because all of the power is converted to heat. Gas is always less efficient, but almost always cheaper. Oil filled heaters feel better because they have more thermal mass; they smooth out the temperature variations. In a building with good insulation and no drafts you probably wouldn't feel a difference.


Steve Shannon
 
As has been said, electric heat is nearly 100% efficient. However it takes a 15 kw electric heater to equal the output of a 50,000 btu torpedo heater.
 
Jester966 said:
My shop is a single car garage in Ontario Canada with no heat. In the winter I typically preheat the garage with a propane heater (cracking the overhead door for ventilation) before I start working. I know this creates moisture as a bi-product but fortunately I haven't had any rust issues yet. I always spray my machines down with WD40 and/or way oil when I'm done with them.

I recently purchased a 1500w infrared heater with the idea of keeping it on low (500w) all the time in order to keep the garage slightly above the outside temperature, and turn it up when I'm actually going to work. It's been relatively mild since I bought it so a bit hard to really test it yet, but it doesn't seem to be helping much if at all. I understand that infrared heaters don't heat the air but rather the objects, but was given the impression it would heat the floor and equipment which would then slightly warm the surrounding air. Even set on high though it seems as though it's not really keeping the garage any warmer - I have to literally stand within a few feet directly in front to feel any warmth and am wondering if it's actually making any difference at all by leaving it on.

Anyone else heating their shops with electric heat, even just to raise the temperature a few degrees? Any thoughts on infrared vs other methods? I've met one guy who leaves a couple of spot lights on during the winter, though it seemed unnecessarily inefficient. I know electric is probably the most expensive but it's my only option right now. I was lead to believe that infrared was the most "efficient" way to produce heat electrically, but at $400 for the unit I'm not so sure I made the right decision.
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To answer the question about radiant heating, heat is conveyed by one or more of three mechanisms, conduction, convection, and radiation. With conduction, heat in the form of energized molecules energizes adjacent molecules, passing the heat energy along. With convection, warmed liquids or gasses rise due to decreased density being replaced by cooler fluids and circulating the fluid.

Radiant heat transfer happens because infrared light is radiated to absorbing objects. The intervening space is not heated. We get heat from the Sun by radiation. The space between the Earth and the Sun remains close to absolute zero. Just as standing in front of a blazing fire only warms the side facing the flames, a radiant heater is not going warm the back side of a machine. Its value is like that of a fireplace; to give you that warm and cozy feeling. You can be in an otherwise cold room but have a fire going and feel warm. The same with radiant heating.
 
I have a 26 x 36 shop. It is insulated, R19 on the walls and R32 in the ceiling. I have a small electric heater that can warm it up on a cold winter day after a cold winter night. This winter has been mild, so I have not had to upgrade my heater.

I am looking for a heater, I am not sure I will go electric. My other options are propane, wood or coal. Do I flip a switch or do I load up the stove and empty the ash pan. I will probably go propane. I can hang it off the ceiling and not take up floor space.

I am not a fan of electric heat, it works great but the cost is too high.
 
Conversion for Watts to BTU/hr: 1 Watt = 3.4 BTU/hr. Tractor Supply Company sells an electric heater for about $280 that puts out 17,000 BTU's which they say will heat a 500 square foot area. 17,000 BTU's is roughly 5000 Watts. That means your 500 Watt heater will heat about 50 square feet or 7 x 7. Of course, it all depends on the temperature delta and the amount of iron you're trying to warm up. Our electric cost is about $0.11 per kilowatt hour. That TSC heater would cost me about $0.55 per hour to run.

My shop is 32 x 40 with my metal side taking up about 20 x 32. I use a 30,000 BTU propane heater that raises the temp about 20 degrees in 30 minutes. I have a couple of ceiling fans to help keep the warm air down. I leave them on in the spring just to keep air moving in the shop and to help with rust. I have a 100 lbs. tank which easily lasts me a season. Propane weighs 4.2 lbs. per gallon so my 100 lbs. tank holds a little over 20 gallons. Propane is running around $2/gallon this year so around $40 to fill the tank. I don't have an hour meter on the propane heater, but am pretty sure I'm run it for at least 80 hours over the past two winters. It figures out to about half the cost of electricity for me.

Bruce
 
I would still like to find or build a forced air heater that uses used oil, they had one in AK at the Auto Hobby shop that would heat a 20 bay shop with some of he doors open to a nice temp, and with doors closed you would be sweating working in there. All it used was used engine oil and used ATF. and I get enough of that from the cars all year long. (drive to much I guess)
The other thing was it was osha, and epa approved. Or at least they said it was. But for right now in our warm winters, I use a small propane heater that is designed for indoor use. It will heat the single care garage up to short sleeve temp in about 1/2 hour then turn down to med/low and maintain it.
 
Hi Jester :)

I have no experience with infrared heaters. But, I do heat my shop (26' x 36') with electric baseboard heaters. They will come on if the temperature gets below 5º C. My ceiling height is 10'6", but it only takes an hour or so before it's comfortable enough for just a t-shirt. I certainly notice the rise in my power bill when I'm using the shop a lot, but we're only talking about $40.00 a month more. I have zero issues with rust and condensation for the last 8 years. I have a total of 6 windows and a 10'x8' garage door, so I think that my heating bills for all of the enjoyment I get out of it is worth every penny.

Brian
 
Brain, that's how I feel too. I just leave the thermostat set to 65F. I can walk out there and work for ten minutes or two hours.


Steve Shannon
 
Jester966 said:
My shop is a single car garage in Ontario Canada with no heat. In the winter I typically preheat the garage with a propane heater (cracking the overhead door for ventilation) before I start working. I know this creates moisture as a bi-product but fortunately I haven't had any rust issues yet. I always spray my machines down with WD40 and/or way oil when I'm done with them.

I recently purchased a 1500w infrared heater with the idea of keeping it on low (500w) all the time in order to keep the garage slightly above the outside temperature, and turn it up when I'm actually going to work. It's been relatively mild since I bought it so a bit hard to really test it yet, but it doesn't seem to be helping much if at all. I understand that infrared heaters don't heat the air but rather the objects, but was given the impression it would heat the floor and equipment which would then slightly warm the surrounding air. Even set on high though it seems as though it's not really keeping the garage any warmer - I have to literally stand within a few feet directly in front to feel any warmth and am wondering if it's actually making any difference at all by leaving it on.

Anyone else heating their shops with electric heat, even just to raise the temperature a few degrees? Any thoughts on infrared vs other methods? I've met one guy who leaves a couple of spot lights on during the winter, though it seemed unnecessarily inefficient. I know electric is probably the most expensive but it's my only option right now. I was lead to believe that infrared was the most "efficient" way to produce heat electrically, but at $400 for the unit I'm not so sure I made the right decision.
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Hello , while it is a bit warmer here- 200 miles from Mexico I heat my shop with a electric heater hung from ceiling, while I don't bring the temp up to 70 I've found found that 45-50 is arm enough with a light jacket on. My shop is 30x40 with 8'6" height with R-19 in walls and R-32 in ceiling. The biggest problem is leaving the heater on when I leave the shop (it is resistance heating with a forced air fan,that turns off when up to temp) My wife is not very kind when the electric bill comes in..
 
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