HVAC: What's best for cold climates?
- Thread starter Harvey
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gorgonzola
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- Jul 21, 2020
although I did see one this weekend painted like a giant watermelon which was pretty coolIf you have the excavator on site, bury it. Above ground tanks are eyesores.
Harvey
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- Jul 15, 2020
We decided to bury it. This thing is sitting right where I want to put the tank, and it's rented for a month, so why not. From what I read it may actually be safer to bury it.
Thinking about the garage, I am leaning towards full electric, Runtal or something with a radiant component. I'd like the option to leave it completely unheated, and I assume with a hydronic system you can't let it freeze. I think it's rare that I will want to heat the garage to room temp. Maybe just enough to cut the cars a break when starting on a cold day. Yea I could use a block heater, but I'd also like the option to warm up the room if needed or wanted.
Thinking about the garage, I am leaning towards full electric, Runtal or something with a radiant component. I'd like the option to leave it completely unheated, and I assume with a hydronic system you can't let it freeze. I think it's rare that I will want to heat the garage to room temp. Maybe just enough to cut the cars a break when starting on a cold day. Yea I could use a block heater, but I'd also like the option to warm up the room if needed or wanted.
Milo Maltbie
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- Jul 21, 2020
What’s a Runtal? Is that some kind of designer radiator? That’s not what you need in a garage.
If you are only going to heat the space occasionally get a space heater. It’s cheap to install and it’s the only thing that will bring the temperature back up quickly after you open the doors. If you only want a comfortable spot to work you can get an overhead IR heater but that won’t do anything for the cars. Either ( or both) of those would be cheaper and work better than a hydronic system without any concerns about freezing.
mm
If you are only going to heat the space occasionally get a space heater. It’s cheap to install and it’s the only thing that will bring the temperature back up quickly after you open the doors. If you only want a comfortable spot to work you can get an overhead IR heater but that won’t do anything for the cars. Either ( or both) of those would be cheaper and work better than a hydronic system without any concerns about freezing.
mm
Sbob
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- Apr 20, 2021
Arctic Heat pumps - Cold Climate Air to Water Heat Pumps for Homes and Pools
Arctic series cold climate heat pumps are both advanced and cost effective air source heat pumps with the ability to heat your home, office, pool and more.
www.arcticheatpumps.com
Air to water heat pump for radiant. Even if you don’t hook it up right away I would install radiant. Antifreeze can be used to prevent freezing. Radiant is slow to respond so should be left on .
If you want to heat the area quicker you can use a ceiling hung unit heater.
Harvey
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- Jul 15, 2020
A Runtal is a baseboard radiator (can use either pure electric or hydronic) that is built from steel. It provides more radiant heat then a standard fin-type baseboard.
I might use a space heater. I've certainly thought about it. How long to you have to run a 1500 watt delongi to heat up a 28x36 garage, with some insulation at zero degrees?
I thought with a "system" it could work with wifi or internet. If I live there maybe that doesn't matter.
Also would I really work out there? The basement will be pretty warm, and I will have a lot of space down there. Maybe that is where I put my workbench.
Sbob
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- Apr 20, 2021
A conventional heat pump (Air to air )as most people are familiar with uses an outside unit with a fan and coil along with a compressor to remove heat from outside by making the refrigerant colder than the outside air . It travels through refrigerant piping inside to another coil with a fan (air handler)that heats the air as the refrigerant condenses back to a liquid.
In an air to water system the outside unit is the same but the inside unit has a pump that circulates water through a helical heat exchanger that transfers heat to water instead. The downside is that the temperature maximum is 115-120°f .The lower the heat temperature of your water used for heating the more efficient they are. So if your keeping your garage 50 or 60°f this system would be a good choice. Water to water is perfect for radiant but not for conventional baseboard.
Some air to water units are packaged and have all the components in one.
Air to water In cooling isn’t good at humidity removal and I wouldn’t recommend it for cooling.
Where’s yer kiln gonna be?
Harvey
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- Jul 15, 2020
Sbob thanks for your continued help and advice.
I think I want straight up electric in the garage. If you decide to let it go unheated it's no big deal.
I have been looking into propane fireplaces for our great room and I don't see something that is ideal.
I want the fireplace to be an actual heating device not a decoration. The "ventless" units basically say "don't run it for more than three hours, you might die!"
The vented units pose a different problem, because where the fireplace is located doesn't lend itself to a simple exhaust. Does the fireplace vent have to go higher than the roof peak? Can it come out horizontally or run any kind of horizontal distance?
Has anyone seen a propane fireplace you recommend?
I think I want straight up electric in the garage. If you decide to let it go unheated it's no big deal.
I have been looking into propane fireplaces for our great room and I don't see something that is ideal.
I want the fireplace to be an actual heating device not a decoration. The "ventless" units basically say "don't run it for more than three hours, you might die!"
The vented units pose a different problem, because where the fireplace is located doesn't lend itself to a simple exhaust. Does the fireplace vent have to go higher than the roof peak? Can it come out horizontally or run any kind of horizontal distance?
Has anyone seen a propane fireplace you recommend?
