EQ room heater

[Eric H]

I am installing 98% efficient boiler and tankless units next week. One of the loose ends I need to tie up is how I am going to heat the EQ room. The current 80% eff boiler throws off enough heat to keep the room at about 60* in the winter. My heating contractor has recommended a 30,000 BTU hot dawg heater. They are only about $500.
Is this the best solution? Are you doing it some other way?

 

[Indiana Wash]

I am installing 98% efficient boiler and tankless units next week. One of the loose ends I need to tie up is how I am going to heat the EQ room. The current 80% eff boiler throws off enough heat to keep the room at about 60* in the winter. My heating contractor has recommended a 30,000 BTU hot dawg heater. They are only about $500.
Is this the best solution? Are you doing it some other way?

I have one of those hanging gas heaters with no fan hooked up to a thermostat set to 55. It is plenty to keep my equipment room warm. I think they are in that price range too. They also come on without electricity which is nice. If the power goes out, you still have heat. I would assume your boiler was the same way.

 

[Reds]

I use a 30,000 BTU ventless Mr. Heater brand heater. It has a fan, but still puts out heat if the power goes out. It has a standing pilot, not an electronic pilot, so it will always run. I had a different brand that had electronic controls but it died after 1 1/2 years. So I am sticking with the Mr. Heater that is mechanical and will run any time, power or not. I have 2 equipment rooms and one has had the Mr. Heater for 5 years with no trouble. It even got dunked in a flood, and still works.

 

[Eric H]

Is this the one you have? http://www.heatershop.com/vent_free_garage_heater_vfg30tbng.html

I was looking at this unit:
http://www.qcsupply.com/modine-hot-dawg-heater.html?gclid=CL21gqeA8awCFcbd4AodcE9RNw

 

[I.B. Washincars]

If I had it to do over again I would definitely go with the type heaters that Reds uses. I have had several power outages where they would have saved me a lot of grief. I have one in my basement and my garage and love having them as a lifeboat.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

This would work well in my dog wash. Any reason I should be wary of installing this in the dog wash?

 

[2Biz]

I bought this one from Northern Hydraulics. The MR Heater Maxx 45,000 btu model. So far it has worked fine...But will be worthless in a power outage. I like the thoughts of the ventless mentioned above. How well does the thermostat work?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200307959_200307959

 

[Eric H]

IS the heater you have a blue flame or red flame? I copied the following text from the FAQ section on one website I found:

What is the difference between the blue flame and the infrared heaters ?
Blue flame heats air molecules, heating the air in a room. When an exterior door opens heat loss can be significant. Blue flame is best suited for spaces that are insulated, have average ceiling height of approximately 8 feet, and are non drafty.
Infrared heats people and objects which, once warmed, deflect heat to other parts of the space. Objects actually absorb the radiant heat and when an outside door opens the room experiences less heat loss. Infrared is a good choice for drafty rooms lacking insulation, suffer frequent opening of exterior doors, and/or rooms with soaring ceilings.

 

[washnvac]

Go to Mcmaster.com and put in 17855k37. This is a gas radiant heater 22,000btu for $341. I have 2 of these units installed in two different equipment rooms. They work very well, and do not require electric or venting. Bigger size is not much more in price; if needed.

 

[Whale of a Wash]

As long as you have a boiler just put a modine heater in, the one you showed was a furnace the ones i have are a modine that is more like a radiator with a fan, and get your heat off the boiler. The only thing to wear out is a fan.

http://www.modinehvac.com/v2portal/..._com/commercial_hvac/level_3_content2_025.htm

 

[sparkey]

I have a ventless heater with the blue flame. I like not having to worry about heat when the power goes out.

 

[Greg Pack]

Another vote for those pilot IR heaters that has the ceramic "bricks" in them. They seem to do the job just fine. You can get them with or without thermostats. I have had these installed in addition to HVAC at a couple of places just for the emergency backup. They have been very reliable and keep me from worrying about the occasional winter storm. Only downside is they do take up wall space and there is an area around them where you don't want employees placing things that are combustible. I actually mounted mine kinda high behind my SS pump stand at some places. It was a little pain to get to, but I didn't fool with it very much anyway.

 

[Reds]

My heaters are blue flame Mr. Heater Model MHVFB30TBLP - propane fired. They take the chill off of my equipment rooms but I would not use them as a primary source of heating in a room where I was working all day without a jacket on. My equipment rooms are 15 x 35 x 13' high with block walls. I have had these heaters running when it is below zero without any freeze up issues. But I do not leave my doors open when I am at the wash. They are intended to take the chill off of the room, which they have done so far.

 

[bigleo48]

All, I don't understand how you can be burning fuel and not require a vent?

I use a fan-coil to transfer heat from the hot water/glycol to the air.

 

[2Biz]

All vent free heaters are required to to have an ODS sensor (Oxygen Depletion Sensor). It is designed to turn the unit off if the oxygen level drops to unsafe limits...I've had ventless gas logs and the ceramic wall mount type heaters in my home for years. I Monitor with a co2 sensor and its never registered anywhere close to being unsafe. Although I never leave the heaters on when leaving the house or when we sleep. You can't beat the instant heat they put out or having them when power is out.

 

[I.B. Washincars]

I've had people ask me how you can have a gas heater and not have it vented. I respond with "A gas stove isn't vented." That usually ends it.

I run mine in my basement all the time. If it's not very cold I leave the furnace off and let it heat the whole house.