radiant heaters

i am looking at installing one as well and have done some research, there are two types . low and high intensity. i have been told by a heating contractor that a low intensity type is the one for a woodworking shop. and that the more stuff you have in your shop the better they heat, as they dont really heat the air as much as the contents . the heat from them is great.

-- rob, ont,canada

I presume that what I posted would be considered a low intensity model?

-- Pabs

Interesting. What’s the biggest size they make?

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com

-- If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. Henry David Thoreau

they only have the one model at Lee Valley

-- Pabs

They work well when the heater can ‘see’ a lot of stuff and it can stay on for a while. The IR does not heat the air well at all. If you stand in front of it you face will feel warm but back will get cold. It will get the tools and table tops warm which will heat the air, albeit slowly.

-- Chris K

I have that exact heater. It’s largely worthless unless you’re within 5 feet of it. The best thing to do is point it at something large and stationary and let it heat that up. For instance, I had it pointed at my lathe for awhile.

-- Rich;) -"Dada make a big mess?" "Yes Dada made a big mess."

120 volt heaters (1500 watt) typically are not very good in heating up a cold room . They are better at maintaining a temp than bringing a frigid room up to a comfortable level.

Many use supplemental heaters like kerosene to bring the temp up quickly, and electric 1500 watt heaters to maintain the temp.

HD sells 240 volt electric heaters that have received good reveiws from woodworkers in forums. Those 240 volt heaters are quite capable of bringing up the temp quickly.

I use a forced air heater first to get the shop warm. After that I have a propane radiant heater to maintain the temp. The radiant heat doesn’t warm the shop up quickly, but you sure notice when you turn it off and the temp drops, especially in an uninsulated garage. Radiant heaters are definitely a lot quieter.

If you are wanting this to heat your entire shop to a comfortable working temp then I would suggest that you consider other options. These types of heaters are fine for spot heating but as soon as you walk away the effects will be lost. For a shop your size 5,000-ish BTU is extremely undersized.

-- If at first you don't succeed then maybe skydiving isn't for you.

oh you are talking electric radiant heat, i was talking about a gas tube radiant heater. sorry for the confusion. I dont think the lee valley elecric radiant heater will do it, or if it does will cost you a fortune in hydro.

-- rob, ont,canada

yeah it kind of sounds too good to be true…
man some days I wish I was rich and this was 50 years ago when there was no (or very little) environmental conscience… I would keep that place heated all he time at the same temp as the rest of the house!
ah well. at least I’m fortunate enough to HAVE a workshop…a luxury many would kill for, heat or no heat!

thanks for the tips guys

-- Pabs

The oil filled electric radiators work real well, though a bit pricey.

I think the wood stove is ideal heat for a shop. The down side is there are a lot of flammable materials around posing a fire hazard.