Finally bought my shop heater GG120

[khp]

Well I finally bit the bullet and purchased my GG 120 Sterling. I have been lurking here for quite some time and reading all the info on shop heaters.

I have a 40x40 insulated pole construction shop and I am going to install it my self.

I already got the permit from the county ( over $100 ouch) but it's pretty cheap if there is ever a problem and I have to deal with my insurance company.

I am going with the horizontal venting and I also purchased the concentric Vent box at the same time I purchased the heater from ACF greenhouses. Everything arrived 2 days ago and I'm ready to start installing it this weekend.

I'm going to hang it from the ceiling rafters. It is going to hang a long ways because of the 3' below the eave requirement and the corner it's going into.

Here are a couple of questions I have and maybe you guys can help me.

1. If I use Unistrut rails mounted to the rafters with lag bolts and 3/8" rod about 5' long is that going to be sturdy enough to keep the heater from swaying when it runs? I guess I can mount some support brackets to the walls if it does. I was wondering if anyone has issues with mounting their heaters and swaying issues.

2. I am going to have to add a 45 deg elbow to my venting to go out the wall. In the instructions it says this.

The equivalent length of the vent system must not be
less than 5 feet (1.5m) and must not exceed 30 feet
(9m). The equivalent length equals the total length
of straight pipe plus 5 feet (1.5m) for each 90° elbow
and 2.5 feet (0.76m) for each 45° elbow.

Am I reading this right? If I add a 45 deg elbow I need to add another 2.5 ft of vent pipe? Sounds like that is the case.

Anyway I'll post pictures of the install this weekend. Thanks in advance for any tips you guys can give me.

 

[ishiboo]

Well I finally bit the bullet and purchased my GG 120 Sterling. I have been lurking here for quite some time and reading all the info on shop heaters.

I have a 40x40 insulated pole construction shop and I am going to install it my self.

I already got the permit from the county ( over $100 ouch) but it's pretty cheap if there is ever a problem and I have to deal with my insurance company.

I am going with the horizontal venting and I also purchased the concentric Vent box at the same time I purchased the heater from ACF greenhouses. Everything arrived 2 days ago and I'm ready to start installing it this weekend.

I'm going to hang it from the ceiling rafters. It is going to hang a long ways because of the 3' below the eave requirement and the corner it's going into.

Here are a couple of questions I have and maybe you guys can help me.

1. If I use Unistrut rails mounted to the rafters with lag bolts and 3/8" rod about 5' long is that going to be sturdy enough to keep the heater from swaying when it runs? I guess I can mount some support brackets to the walls if it does. I was wondering if anyone has issues with mounting their heaters and swaying issues.

2. I am going to have to add a 45 deg elbow to my venting to go out the wall. In the instructions it says this.

The equivalent length of the vent system must not be
less than 5 feet (1.5m) and must not exceed 30 feet
(9m). The equivalent length equals the total length
of straight pipe plus 5 feet (1.5m) for each 90° elbow
and 2.5 feet (0.76m) for each 45° elbow.

Am I reading this right? If I add a 45 deg elbow I need to add another 2.5 ft of vent pipe? Sounds like that is the case.

Anyway I'll post pictures of the install this weekend. Thanks in advance for any tips you guys can give me.

No. If you add a 45 degree elbow, it decreases your TOTAL length by 2.5 feet. In addition, if you have an elbow you only need 2.5' of vent pipe.

So a straight pipe you could run 30 feet max, with one 45 degree elbow you're limited to 27.5 feet run, because the elbow adds resistance.

5' with allthread will have some movement, it will likely be too much for gas piping. I would mount it on unistrut braced to the wall and suspended from the allthread.

 

[khp]

No. If you add a 45 degree elbow, it decreases your TOTAL length by 2.5 feet. In addition, if you have an elbow you only need 2.5' of vent pipe.

So a straight pipe you could run 30 feet max, with one 45 degree elbow you're limited to 27.5 feet run, because the elbow adds resistance.

5' with allthread will have some movement, it will likely be too much for gas piping. I would mount it on unistrut braced to the wall and suspended from the allthread.

Thanks for the reply. I thought I would have to brace the heater to the wall. I didn't like the idea of it dangling from the allthread alone.

 

[khp]

Well my heater install is about finished. The propane company is coming tomorrow to install and hook up the tank. Like all my projects I changed my mind after starting this one. I didn't hang it from the ceiling I decided to mount it in the corner from the walls. Very stable that way. I have a couple more questions though.
1. Does the propane line I ran need to be grounded to the heater with a bare copper wire? Can't find anything in the the install guide.

2. I mounted a 120v disconnect switch at ground level for the heater. Should that be closer to the gas shutoff valve up by the heater? I can't see what the advantage would be by placing it up higher. To kill power I would have to find a ladder.

I'll post pictures tonight if I have time. I have the fan running to see how loud it will be and I had to take the fan off and retighten the mounting plate for the motor. It was noisy as heck but it's all good now.

 

[khp]

Propane tank is hooked up and I test ran the heater and everything worked great! I purchased this GG120 from ACF Greenhouses and the ordering, shipping and install went fine. This website is a great source for info for the DIYer.

The propane tank installer said that heater will burn about 1.25 gallons of propane per hour (yikes) but I will probably only run it went I'm working out there.

I will install a couple of ceiling fans in as soon as I get a chance. Anyway here are a couple of pictures. Thanks for all the info.

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[isb cornbinder]

That is a nice looking heater.
Twenty one years ago, when I built a 900 square foot shop, I had to go through the Board of Variance with the city to get the extra square feet. I'm told that I was the last variance garage build. While I was at "The Board" I asked for city water and sewer hook-up so I could have a toilet and a place to wash. I also got permits for 100 amp power and built in vacuum and a ten foot ceiling. I hung my heater, a horizintal forced-air furnace, with ducting and grills to the end of the shop. The furnace is hung with threaded rod 12 inches from the ceiling. It was stable enough to pass final instection, by the City.
The heating system never worked to its full potential until I installed ceiling fans.
My opinionated neighbor suggested that ten foot ceilings were trouble and it might take the light too long to travel the extra distance to the floor. At 186,000 miles per second, I just might be able to wait, although, Im kinda busy now that I retired

 

[green.bubbly]

KHP, does your building have roof trusses or is it an open ceiling? I do not see any trusses in your pics. I ask because I would love a pole barn type construction but I want open ceilings.

 

[psjoyal]

KHP - thanks for sharing the pics of your install. It looks great and must be nice to have the heat!

 

[JoeMopar]

Propane tank is hooked up and I test ran the heater and everything worked great! I purchased this GG120 from ACF Greenhouses and the ordering, shipping and install went fine. This website is a great source for info for the DIYer.

The propane tank installer said that heater will burn about 1.25 gallons of propane per hour (yikes) but I will probably only run it went I'm working out there.

I will install a couple of ceiling fans in as soon as I get a chance. Anyway here are a couple of pictures. Thanks for all the info.

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Does anyone know of a vendor that sells the " Termination Cap" or one similar to the one shown in the last picture above?

 

[khp]

KHP, does your building have roof trusses or is it an open ceiling? I do not see any trusses in your pics. I ask because I would love a pole barn type construction but I want open ceilings.

It has a truss in the center( 21' kayak hanging from it) It up there a ways and is not an issue for me. It's not an issue even with the kayak hanging from it.

 

[khp]

Home Depot sells them.

 

[khp]

KHP - thanks for sharing the pics of your install. It looks great and must be nice to have the heat!

It cost me about $2000.00 with 320 gallon propane tank install, filling the propane, etc. Worth every bit of it too. With the cold weather ( 8 - 9 degs.) at night a couple of nights ago I worked out there and really enjoyed it.

 

[teleman37]

How has the heater worked out for you? I'm thinking of getting one of these for my shop and would sure appreciate your input on how it has worked for you so far?

Kevin

 

[NoSloCoupes]

Nice, just got my GG 90 today. Going to start the install tomorrow, got the piping all mocked up....took me a bit to figure out the concentric kit,lol! Got to do some more reading of the instructions tho.

Wonder if it matters how the concentric box is mounted...horizontal like you did, or vertical?

 

[dave67fd]

1. Does the propane line I ran need to be grounded to the heater with a bare copper wire? Can't find anything in the the install guide.

No. As long as the heater has a proper electrical ground and your electrical system is grounded correctly.

2. I mounted a 120v disconnect switch at ground level for the heater. Should that be closer to the gas shutoff valve up by the heater? I can't see what the advantage would be by placing it up higher. To kill power I would have to find a ladder.

A switch should be local to the heater for service reasons so power can be cycled as required. I have a lower emergency switch and one on the upper wall close to the heater. You could always add/mount a handy box with a 1/2" ****** and lock-nuts on the heater thru an available knock-out somewhere on the heaters panel.

Install looks good.