In bay heat recommendations

[cityview]

When the temp gets -15 to 5 or so, my auto bay starts freezing up. The weep keeps the lines from freezing, but creates ice towers from my auto to the floor.

What we normally do is, since the wash is closed, head over there at 6 am, run a torpedo heater in there for an hour manually to keep things from icing up too much, then swing by and run it again for a few hours in the evening, but its terribly inconvenient especially when I'm traveling (I travel a lot for work)

I was thinking about trying to find a cheap electric heater or something (Cheap is relative... I mean not $60k- what it cost me to put heaters in my warehouse) so I can keep the temp about 15-20. Put it on a thermostat probably about 20. I could do gas too, but I would estimate it would only run about 15-20 days a year, so electric would probably be better.

I do have floor heat, so when its 20 outside its about 30 inside and its fine.

I looked online, and I see some recommendations for infrared tube heaters. I also went to menards, but didn't see any there that I felt comfortable having in such a wet environment.

Any recommendations is appreciated!

 

[Robert2181]

We use a radiant heater. (Mr. Heater). Ceiling or wall mount. At least 25,000 btu or more on a thermostat. $350.00 plus depending on size.

 

[Randy]

Some of the operators here have made curtains out of tarps that they close when it gets real cold to keep automatic bays to keep them from freezing up. They use a gas heater inside the bay to keep it from freezing. No operator that I know of here has floor heat, we don't get enough cold weather to justify installing it.

 

[mjwalsh]

cityview & others,

When my domestic water in our laundromat is not calling ... then its hot closed system140°- 160° boiler water goes to a Spirec Heat Exchanger that on one side is protected from freezing antifreeze solution. That solution is pumped to our three enclosed by overhead doors car wash bays. When out in the bays the heated antifreeze goes through a Trane Unit Heater coils that blows down within the bay & the cars keeping also the inside bay fog down too! This has worked great since about the year 1990.

The only thing better would be if the Trane Heaters were built with stainless steel jackets so their appearance would be prettier! Also, I am leaning towards redoing the pumps arrangement this coming summer similar to what 2Biz did with his pumping in series higher lift requirements.

I notice you wrote within your AUTO so that spatially you may have issues with the hanging heater bit. On the other hand it seems like Infrared Heaters take up some space too???

 

[Robert2181]

Infrared take up no space at all.

 

[soapy]

Ambi rad is the brand of radiant tube heaters I use in addition to Ultimate products. I much prefer the Ambi Rad heaters that I buy direct without the ultimate product name on it. I have at least 75,000 BTU burners in each bay. I like the units that have the heater and blower in one box on the same end of the tube. Since they heat objects it keeps the automatics ice free in whatever temps.

 

[dukeofsuds]

CityView, am in West Virginia similar to you.

Last year I bought a Mr. Heater 50,000 BTU for less than $500 on Amazon. It's natural gas, and on a thermostat. I set the thermostat to 45 and the doors close at the same temp. Set it and forget it, basically. Hassle free when those 25 days come, and peace of mind to worry about other things.