generator12
Senior Chief Petty Officer
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2010
- Messages
- 666
Wanting to use my garage for more than storing cars during the long winter, but it gets COLD out there. I've used an old torpedo kerosene heater, but it's not very wise to work in its exhaust..! Same with an unvented propane heater which doesn't give me enough to make it comfortable.
So I looked at an overhead heater. At first I thought I'd go with a gas unit, but after looking at:
1. Bringing in a gas line
2. Cutting through both the dry-wall ceiling and roof, as well as my one-piece roofing material to install a vent
3. Dealing with the local inspectors over a permit and building code requirements
4. The fact that I have a 240 volt 30-amp welding outlet in the garage
...I decided to go with an electric one.
Farenheat sells a 7500 watt unit (FUH724) that can be jumpered internally to lower wattage. I got one and hung it up. Ran some t/w conduit and two wires to it (all control components are 240 volts), and was just about ready to go.
To get it down to less than the available 30 amps, I had to move one jumper. So with that move it's rated at 6260 watts, or about 21,325 BTU/hour. It draws slightly over 26 amps.
Well, the lowest it's gotten around this area so far is about 38 degrees, so I've not yet tried it in the zero to ten degree range, but at 38, MAN, it's nice! I get a 30-35 degree temp. rise, which makes my garage shirt-sleeve comfortable - at least so far. This thing has an adjustable thermostat, so it can be set at a reasonable temperature when I'm working out there.
At my present cost/KW-hour (about $.125), I can run this baby for about 78 cents an hour. For my uses, that's acceptable.
Downside? It cost me $450 for the heater. Another $20 for wire, conduit, fittings. I found belatedly that I could have gotten it for about $100 less on-line, but that's life I guess. So far I'm more than satisfied.
So I looked at an overhead heater. At first I thought I'd go with a gas unit, but after looking at:
1. Bringing in a gas line
2. Cutting through both the dry-wall ceiling and roof, as well as my one-piece roofing material to install a vent
3. Dealing with the local inspectors over a permit and building code requirements
4. The fact that I have a 240 volt 30-amp welding outlet in the garage
...I decided to go with an electric one.
Farenheat sells a 7500 watt unit (FUH724) that can be jumpered internally to lower wattage. I got one and hung it up. Ran some t/w conduit and two wires to it (all control components are 240 volts), and was just about ready to go.
To get it down to less than the available 30 amps, I had to move one jumper. So with that move it's rated at 6260 watts, or about 21,325 BTU/hour. It draws slightly over 26 amps.
Well, the lowest it's gotten around this area so far is about 38 degrees, so I've not yet tried it in the zero to ten degree range, but at 38, MAN, it's nice! I get a 30-35 degree temp. rise, which makes my garage shirt-sleeve comfortable - at least so far. This thing has an adjustable thermostat, so it can be set at a reasonable temperature when I'm working out there.
At my present cost/KW-hour (about $.125), I can run this baby for about 78 cents an hour. For my uses, that's acceptable.
Downside? It cost me $450 for the heater. Another $20 for wire, conduit, fittings. I found belatedly that I could have gotten it for about $100 less on-line, but that's life I guess. So far I'm more than satisfied.
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