Heating for new shop. What to use?

[Redneck in training]

I just pulled a trigger and ordered new building for a future shop. The building will be 36 X 75 X 12, fully insulated to R12 walls and R35 ceiling. I have about 6 months to decide what type of heating I will use. I like floor heating but the problem is that is has to be ON pretty much all the time due to large time constant of 2 deg/hour. Since the shop might not be used all the time I am exploring other options such as
Comfortzone Radiant Heaters
or
Two-Stage Gas Fired Infra-Red Tube Heaters

Does anybody have experience with those or have another suggestion?

Thanks
RIT

 

[wedge40]

Is it going to be completely open? If you're going to section it off at all I'd still consider Radient floor heat.

Wedge

 

[tungularafishcamp]

Those units look pretty slick RIT but I never saw a price on either site for them. I know some boats are putting electrical radiant heaters in the bait shack and the crews love them and fight who gets to bait right under them. I am in the middle of putting up a steel 26x50x16 but have to go with the low tech solution. A double barrel stove between the shop and storage areas, I think it will heat up quicker than a cast iron stove and hopefully not cause too much condensation in the tool storage areas. We have a lot of waste oil available in town so probably half the shops in town have gone that way but doesnt work in the bush

 

[dstig1]

Whatever you decide, before you pour the slab, layout and put down PEX tubing for in-floor heat. It's one of those things that cost a few hundred bux, but you just can't go back and add it later. I should also mention that you would put down foam board first for insulation below the slab. The insulation alone will help keep moisture out of the slab and make it warmer in general.

Where you are, you may well be able to do direct solar hot water to heat the slab. In which case, just leave it on all the time...

 

[davo727]

Wont those radiant heaters just fill your shop with carbon monoxide?

If it was me I would use some type of seperated combustion heater where it pulls in outside air for combustion and has powered exhaust venting.

Heats your shop air and vents poisonous exhaust outside.

 

[Dixie379]

I don't know a lot of the techy/specs, but my dad's shop uses the outdoor wood burner (along with the house) that pipes in the coolant? and blowers push heat out overhead. In his paint booth he has the floor heated to keep the blower air and dust issues down...seems like its all off the same system but I really don't know for sure, sorry. I can ask if it's something anyone wants more info about. It all works really well, once in awhile something goes awry but what system is foolproof?

 

[Redneck in training]

Wont those radiant heaters just fill your shop with carbon monoxide?

If it was me I would use some type of seperated combustion heater where it pulls in outside air for combustion and has powered exhaust venting.

Heats your shop air and vents poisonous exhaust outside.

I think they exhaust outside.

 

[crazyal]

A friend of mine has heaters like those in his shop. They felt like they worked well. If you are going to keep the heat on all the time I think they'll be fine. He doesn't let the heat get below 55 and rarely heats it up past 65 though.

I would insulate under the slab no if you use radiant heat or not.

 

[Trails2004]

I believe this type of heater requires tall bays- 12 feet might be the minimum. I used 2 wall mount radiant heaters from Mr Heater for my 30 x 40 X 10 Mr. Heater - America's Most Popular Portable Heaters

 

[mjncad]

RIT:

I don't have direct experience with the ceiling hung radiant heaters you're looking at; but I would seriously consider them if I were building a shop and didn't go the in-floor heating route. The nice thing about radiant heat is you're not heating air that collects at the ceiling where it doesn't do any good. Plus shop buildings tend to be drafty due to the garage door(s) and forced air heat just leaks out the cracks. Why pay to try and heat the world? Just make sure the units you are looking at are rated for your ceiling height.

To answer another poster's concern about CO. Radiant tube heaters are vented outside like any other gas heater. I also believe they may be sealed combustion, which uses outside air for the heater's oxygen requirements.

If you can afford it, putting PEX in the floor is good advice should you want to change to or add in-floor heat down the road.