| Review by motthunter | posted 333 days ago | 1045 views | 0 times favorited | 7 comments |  |
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- Superior Radiant Products Shop Heater
- Brand: Superior Radiant Products | Category: Shop Gear
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I had debated for a long time to find the best solution to heat my garage shop at home.
Forced air is no good since the filters will be clogged with dust all of the time, and a heater that burns the shop air has too many drawbacks including humidity control, possible fires, and consumption of oxygen in the room.
I decided that whatever heater I get had to use outside air and vent outside. My choice was this radiant tube heater from SRP. I have it hung and in the photo was still testing it, but I already love it. It heats all of the contents of the room first, so the heat is maintained well. The other advantage is the flu system. The flu is two concentric pipes (one inside the other). So there is an outer round duct that brings in fresh air from outside and an inner pipe (like a muffler pipe) that acts as the exhaust. The advantage of a concentric system like this is that I only had to bore one hole in the wall, and as the unit draws air from outside it passes over the inner flu pipe allowing the cold air to be preheated before it gets into the burner.
The install is a 2 man job as the unit is heavy and awkward to hang. No surprise as it is around 10 foot long. also, you do need a tall ceiling for this to be effective. I am lucky to have a 12 foot clearance in my garage. The other thing to keep in mind is that it can be vented wither through the ceiling or with a straight shot through the wall. I had to rent a core drill to bore the hole through the block and brick to install my flu. Be sure to mark it perfectly before you drill as the pipes are rigid and if you are off, you will be sorry.
Finally, you will need a 110 outlet to control the unit and thermostat as well as a 1/2” gas line.
As I said before, this unit has worked perfectly for me and I really recommend it to anyone looking to heat a garage with a high ceiling.
-- making sawdust....
7 comments so far
Scott Bryan
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20784 posts in 721 days
posted 333 days ago
Thanks for the review. I have been looking at various heaters for the shop. Right now I am simply running an electric space heater that does a passable job but when the temp gets below 20 degrees it helps to be “acclimated to the cold” to be able work in there. This one looks pretty good.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
HokieMojo
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1142 posts in 627 days
posted 333 days ago
this is interesting. what kind of energy usage will this involve?
Tim Pursell
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392 posts in 681 days
posted 333 days ago
We had this type of heaters installed a few years ago, in a garage I worked in. I know the boss loved how much they cut his gas bill. I also know all the guys loved how much more comfortable the shop was to work in.
-- http://www.grandprairiewoodworks.com http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6453794
motthunter
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2079 posts in 698 days
posted 333 days ago
HokieMojo, you ask what kind of energy usage. I don’t have a number yet, but it is far less than other gas burning devices since it is radiant heat and heats objects rather than air. I also insulated the ceiling to keep heat in and installed an insulated garage door that is well sealed.
-- making sawdust....
HokieMojo
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1142 posts in 627 days
posted 333 days ago
hmmm, I like this idea. I think I am going to need to investigate this further.
TPE
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8 posts in 501 days
posted 333 days ago
I have this same heat system in my shop. When I purchased the house, the detached shop already had this installed. My shop measures about 30’ x 40’, and the system I have is about 20’ long. It is really amazing how quickly I can heat up that shop in these cold Minnesota winters. I did install several ceiling fans, and this helps disperse the heat quit a bit. Unfortunatlely, I am not able to spend a lot of time in the shop, and for this reason, and of course the cost, I do not keep it heated at all times. Another reason it is so nice to have a system that heat up the area quickly. Sorry, but I have no idea what the cost is relative to other systems. I do have access to a lot of fallen trees, and have considered a wood burning stove. But the radient system is so convenient, I can’t really see myself going this route.
motthunter
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2079 posts in 698 days
posted 319 days ago
an update. Got my first gas bill.. looks like it cost me about 60 dollars to heat the shop last month and it was really cold for the whole month
-- making sawdust....