Heater is running too much...

[Bubbles Galore]

Here is a picture of the heater I am using for both the equipment room and the dog wash...

Hanging Heater

I have the stat set at 62 degrees, but the heater is still running far too much and I'm concerned that my gas bill is going to go through the roof if I'm not careful. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I could help retain some of the heat that I am losing in my equipment room and the dog wash?

 

[MEP001]

You should have a return vent from the dog wash to the equipment room. If you don't, all the heated air pumped into the dog wash has to get forced out through gaps and is replaced by cold air sucked into the equipment room, then instead of reheating warm air you're heating fresh cold air.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I do have a cold air return...that has helped, but that heater is running about 10 times an hour and just isn't performing very efficient due to the heat loss...

 

[MEP001]

You might have to make the equipment and pet wash rooms as air-tight as possible so the air circulates between them and doesn't get lost.

 

[Waxman]

My equipment room is not well insulated at att.

But with my 2 Raypaks running in there and floor heat set at 46F and slab temp at 41F it stays 50F in there even when it's 12F out like last night.

How hot do you need your e.r.? You do have floor heat, right?

 

[Eric H]

10 times an hour?
Sounds like it may be short cycling. Is the room coming up to temp before it shuts off? Where is the t-stat in relation to the air coming out of the vent?
I've never seen a modine heater with ductwork attached. Is there a high limit between the coils and the duct? Is it overheating and tripping out then cooling down allowing the heater to cycle on/off?

 

[Bubbles Galore]

I am not too concerned about the equipment room as much as I am about the comfort of my customers in the dog wash. In one of my "dimmer" moments, I mounted the thermostat about 5-6' away from the incoming duct. It is set at 62 and has a +/- 1 differential. I wonder if I could set a range from say 63-58 that it would fire until it reached 63 and then wouldn't cycle until it hit 58...thoughts? Is something like that even feasible?

 

[pitzerwm]

IMO open up the differential in the stat and move the stat so the air flow doesn't affect it.

 

[MEP001]

You won't use less gas if it runs twice an hour for five minutes each time instead of ten times an hour for a minute each time.

If you don't need the heat in the equipment room, you could build a box around the heater so the air only circulates to heat the pet wash room.