Old Modine ceiling mounted heater

[Nitsuj]

Hi all. Great forum you have here.

So I need to heat my 2 stall detached garage. I have an older Modine ceiling mounted NG heater I plan to hang from my 10' ceiling. My question is on venting it. It's not power vented, so I guess I can't vent it horizontally? The garage has a second story above it I use as an office space, so I can't vent it straight up. Can I vent it out a side wall if the vent pipe runs at an upward angle?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[brokenknee]

Hi all. Great forum you have here.

So I need to heat my 2 stall detached garage. I have an older Modine ceiling mounted NG heater I plan to hang from my 10' ceiling. My question is on venting it. It's not power vented, so I guess I can't vent it horizontally? The garage has a second story above it I use as an office space, so I can't vent it straight up. Can I vent it out a side wall if the vent pipe runs at an upward angle?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I am thinking not. I had a modine furnance in my garage in when I lived in the city. It was new in about 1980 something I think. That one did not allow me to vent out the side.

I would sudjest you find out your model # and see if you can find any install instructions online. Not sure when they went to the direct vent.

 

[Nitsuj]

I am thinking not. I had a modine furnance in my garage in when I lived in the city. It was new in about 1980 something I think. That one did not allow me to vent out the side.

I would sudjest you find out your model # and see if you can find any install instructions online. Not sure when they went to the direct vent.

I have the model number, but they don't have the installation instructions posted anywhere. I guess it's too old. All the instructions Modine has on their site for their current models says its ok to vent out the side as long as the vent slopes 1/4" per foot. I hate to hire an HVAC contractor to come out just for this.

 

[brokenknee]

Post the model # here, maybe a member has some old installation lying around.

 

[Nitsuj]

Model num G50S. Serial 51J1101Y

 

[trythis]

If it is very old, make sure you check for cracks in the heat exchanger. Usually old heaters like this have very small cracks that release Carbon monoxide.

 

[Nitsuj]

If it is very old, make sure you check for cracks in the heat exchanger. Usually old heaters like this have very small cracks that release Carbon monoxide.

Terrific, something else to worry about! Lol.

Ok, I'll pull it apart tonight and have a look. How do you fix said cracks? Silver solder? Brazing?

 

[Nitsuj]

So I called Modine today, and they referred me to an outfit called Emerson Swan who handles all the Modine questions now apparently. This guy tells me my unit is from the early 60's and it's gravity vented. It can't be horizontially vented, they say. So I'm kind of stuck now.

Here's the issue, I can vent it vertically. I can run it up through the ceiling of the garage, and through the storage space of the room above. But, my detached garage is about 6 feet from my house and it has a barn type roof. I'd be mounting the heater on the house side of the garage, and since the roof is so low on the sides, I'd have a vent that ends about 10 feet from the side of my house, and it wouldn't be higher than the house. To,get the chimney cap above the peak of the garage roof and above the house would require about 15 feet of vertical pipe above the garage roof, and look quite silly.

One more delima, the output of the heater isn't round. It's an oval, about 6 by 3. It fits a piece of 5 inch single wall pipe perfectly if you smooth it into an oval. But it doesn't fit any type of double wall pipe I can find. So do I need to use double wall pipe? I have no code considerations, only safety considerations.

Any input wold be greatly valued.

 

[KCarGuy]

I had a Wood Stove when I first built my garage, used all single wall pipe.
I had to go through my ceiling, which was a floor for the second story, and through the roof.
I brought it over to about 3 feet from the wall, and went through using a larger pipe.
centering the smaller pipe by screwing Stainless screw through the larger pipe and leaving an air gap. About 2" all the way around.
Trust me, the smaller pipe got hot, But as long as It has good clearance away from everything, it worked great for 10 years until I switched over to a gas furnace.
I gave it to my Brother-in-law, who uses it in his garage...set up the same way I had it...with new piping of course.

 

[Nitsuj]

Got another email from Modine (Emerson Swan). Apparently my old Modine is causing quite a stir over there. The sales guy I talked to sent pictures of my unit to some old timers that work there. They say it's from the late 50's. They said if I'm not able to use it, they want me to remove the emblem and send it to them, I guess for display.

I really hope I can figure out a way to use this old thing. I really like the old art deco sort of look of it.

 

[KCarGuy]

Without Question, that thing is Way Cool Lookin'.
Much better style than the Plain Jane Units of today.
Uses a little more power and gives off a little less heat than todays units, but i would use that Ol' Modine unit in my garage!
I hope it checks out OK and you can set up the proper venting, Cause it is damned Cool looking!
Makes me want to paint mine a Cool Color Now, instead of looking at that Plain Gray Box!

 

[chevelle67]

Can I ask where did you get it from?

 

[Nitsuj]

I've been scouring Craigslist for weeks looking for a used heater for my garage. I wanted something newer, but got in a hurry and got that one for $200. (Its getting cold here and i run straight water with no anti-freeze in 2 of my bikes.) It was in a barn WAY out in the boonies. It's in excellent shape for its age. All solid no rot. The bottom part where it says Modine is chrome, it's a bit pitted but not much. The big M emblem on the top is metal and it's chrome is in great shape too. I'm not a heater collector or anything, but I dig old iron of any kind.

 

[dave67fd]

I have no code considerations, only safety considerations.

Nitsuj,
The main reason codes are written is for Safety. Your modine is nice looking and nostalgic but although it looks to be in good shape it is still old. It should be thoroughly inspected for proper operation by a qualified inpector if you haven't had it done already. The burner tubes and flue should be checked for rust as that is where condensation can occur as well as checking the gas valve and manifold for proper operation.

It is understandable that you don't have a premium location for the vent but don't choose beauty over operation, efficiency and safety.

They sell oval to round pipe adapters.

Dave

 

[adamrabe]

I just bought that same model modine heater at an auction. I am trying to figure out if it runs on propane or natural gas. I need it to run on natural gas, but the seller said it runs on LP, and the tag says NG. Anyone know where I can find a natural gas orfice for this old model?

 

[rsa]

Cause it is damned Cool looking! Makes me want to paint mine a Cool Color Now, instead of looking at that Plain Gray Box!

What has The Garage Journal done to me? I can't help but think of the 12-Gauge Garage when looking at that Cool Color.

 

[Sidekick]

you heater can be vented horizonally using a tjerlund draft inducer, but I don't think you would know how to wire it in to be safe. Plus the vent has to terminate in a legal area that means that it cannot terminate near an opening window or a walkway or an alcove- it is best to let the professionals set this up.

 

[ajfriz]

I found this thread while searching for information on my old modine. I have a model g75a. I called modine, who wouldn't answer any questions and referred me to a third party, who said they don't keep info on heaters made before 76. I've been trying to find a wiring diagram because this didn't have a transformer or relay. Is yours complete? Would you be able to show me how your thermostat is wired? I'll post a picture once I can get photobucket working again.

 

[Yooper1]

Hey guys,

I know this is unrelated to the thread but I thought i would share some before and after images of the Modine I just finished restoring. The only other one I have ever seen is pictured in this thread.

Enjoy!

 

[48RON54]

I'm really impressed by those heaters.... reminded me of the heaters we had in the quonset huts in the marine corp.....I'm off to CL to search for one myself!

 

[Yooper1]

For any non-members wanting to check it out:

 

[jvitez]

Yooper 1: very nice job! Thanks for posting, and welcome to GJ.

 

[jharris26]

i know this is an old post, but i just picked up a similar model heater and i'm having trouble finding a vent fitting that oval. any suggestions on where to look?

 

[Pointbock]

post #8 mentions that 5" single wall fits when shaped/pressed into an oval

I don't know how much different these are than the PA/PAE/PD models (not power vented.)

 

[csp]

HVAC supply houses have oval. That said, I make a piece of single wall round work.

 

[jharris26]

Thanks, not sure how I missed the 5inch comment

 

[yamahauler99]

Hey man. Just ran accross your old post. Did you ever make any headway with the old Modine heater??

Steve

 

[nadogail]

Hey man. Just ran accross your old post. Did you ever make any headway with the old Modine heater??

Steve

Welcome to the forum, in that this thread was started in 2011, I am sure the original poster has either solved the problem or has lost interest.