How to save $$ on heating bill: curtain?

[Seabornman]

I've just finished building a 32'x64'x12'-6" garage, heated by a Midea minisplit. The minisplit is at one end of the building. I haven't seen an electric bill yet, but it's already been below zero here. The unit seems to do a great job. Apparently most minisplits don't allow setting the thermostat below 60 degrees, and that's where I've set it.
I don't need the whole building at 60. I've been looking at partitioning off half of the building with a curtain. I see some that are quite expensive, so I'm looking at cheap Harbor Freight tarps, maybe held up with aircraft cable. Has anyone done something similar?

 

[dcg9381]

Splits are directional. If you're heating a curtain will help keep it directional as long as it's hung all the way to the top. We do something similar with RVs.

 

[zendriver]

I use HF tarps (the expensive silver ones ), using "cup hook" type fasteners screwed into the ceiling.

The hooks are positioned where the tarp eyes are. with the tarps being marked with the proper end and the direction, so that they can re reused easily each winter, aligning to the hooks.. I get almost a full ceiling to floor height.

The ones I use are not this nice,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0FCLJSV69/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Makes all the difference in the world on heating. You could do something similar hanging with a cable or rod

 

[PoorUB]

My experience with plastic tarp for a room divider is any savings is miniscule. It barely saved enough money to pay for the materials. 2x4s, sheetrock an insulation made a huge difference.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Insulated tarps are <= an r1 insulation value. It does help. I'm going to tarp off a small 8 x 12x 15 area using insulated tarps. The tarps will cost me $C100.00. The savings in fuel may not match for this winter, but comfort level will be much better in -27C°, and I will still have tarps to use later.

 

[zendriver]

My experience with plastic tarp for a room divider is any savings is miniscule. It barely saved enough money to pay for the materials. 2x4s, sheetrock an insulation made a huge difference.

I posted the tarps as a good temporary solution to save money, heating only when used (more or less).

You are correct that if the OP plans to run the heater constantly, they won't really save much money at all.

 

[Seabornman]

I use HF tarps (the expensive silver ones ), using "cup hook" type fasteners screwed into the ceiling.

The hooks are positioned where the tarp eyes are. with the tarps being marked with the proper end and the direction, so that they can re reused easily each winter, aligning to the hooks.. I get almost a full ceiling to floor height.

The ones I use are not this nice,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0FCLJSV69/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Makes all the difference in the world on heating. You could do something similar hanging with a cable or rod

Thanks for the link for the hooks. I'd like the flexibility to open them, so I'll have to look at options. Im only looking for a small difference in temperature.

 

[JeepYJ]

I’ve used HF moving blankets, they are sometimes free with a coupon. Adding grommets makes them easy to hang.

 

[zendriver]

Thanks for the link for the hooks. I'd like the flexibility to open them, so I'll have to look at options. Im only looking for a small difference in temperature.

I only heat when I'm working in the garage. The tarps let me concentrate the heat in one area and warm it up quickly. Otherwise it takes too long to heat the whole garage, since other vehicles and metal equipment in other areas absorb the heat.

You have a fixed heat source, so that will be a consideration.

 

[PoorUB]

Years ago I built a wall from 2x4s and plastic to divide off a shop area. It was a bit warmer, but was pretty much a waste of time.
The 2x4 and plastic wall was reasonably tight, where a tarp ganging on hooks leaks air at the top, bottom and sides terribly.

 

[toolmiser]

Anybody done a temporary wall with something like sheets of styrofoam? I know it wouldn't pass fire code.

 

[NakeDiesel]

The way I set up my hvac for my 40x80 shop is i have 20' of canvas duct shooting air on the first 2 door/main work area and the thermostat is recessed under there. I can set my thermostat low, normally on 55 in the winter unless I'm out there working.

20240217_151125 by NakeDiesel, on Flickr

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Anybody done a temporary wall with something like sheets of styrofoam? I know it wouldn't pass fire code.

I did that for years in my old shop. Sectioned off a 12 x 28 portion of my 28 x 28 building that I had added on to the original structure. Used pink 1” x 2’ x 8’ t&g foam panels. Worked great, especially because the section not heated included big overhead doors that did not seal well along the sides and bottoms. I used to put the wall up in Nov/Dec and take it down around the end of March. Warmer months I stored the panels in the overhead loft.

 

[kngelv]

I've just finished building a 32'x64'x12'-6" garage, heated by a Midea minisplit. The minisplit is at one end of the building. I haven't seen an electric bill yet, but it's already been below zero here. The unit seems to do a great job. Apparently most minisplits don't allow setting the thermostat below 60 degrees, and that's where I've set it.
I don't need the whole building at 60. I've been looking at partitioning off half of the building with a curtain. I see some that are quite expensive, so I'm looking at cheap Harbor Freight tarps, maybe held up with aircraft cable. Has anyone done something similar?

You would just be wasting money. Unless you have an external thermostat the opposite end of the building it won't be at 60 degrees anyway. If you are using the internal thermostat then it operates off of the return air temperature. The return air is coming from the area in front of your blower. My garage is 62 near the blower but in the mid 50's right next to the main garage door which is 24' away. To get the opposite end warmer I'd have to use an external thermostat and then it would be warmer by the blower. I'm fine with it since 80% of my work is near the back wall.

James

 

[Seabornman]

Just a follow up. I bought 2 HF cheap tarps and strung them on aircraft cable. Even with the gap at floor and ceiling I'm getting an 8 degree difference between sides, which works for me right now as I'm doing woodworking and finishing in the cooler side, and it's about as cool as I want it. I might restring the cable higher and tighten the tarps later if I need to lower the temperature a little more.

 

[PoorUB]

Getting the cable tight to the ceiling may help, plus having the tarp a little long and laying a couple boards or weights across it to keep it tight to the floor might help some. When I did this the air wanted to circulate no matter what I did and trying to seal it off without going crazy was about impossible. It is kind of surprising how much the temperature difference from the floor to the ceiling can push and pull the tarps in or out.