Hi guys, Im new around here and have some questions on heating. Im building a new shop and im undecided on whether to go with gas or electric heating. I built it kinda different but ill explain. We started off with a still frame. We then insulated it and then sheeted over it with tin(walls and roof). We bricked all the walls and then put plywood on the roof and shingled it. The shops 26x40x10 and it has an additional 25 foot carport coming off of one end. It has a 14x8 garage door on one end and 6x8 fiberglass double doors on the other end and a steel man door on the side. Reason I built it like this is because I didn't want a wood framed building, but i also wanted it to look like my house and not a steel building on the outside. My uncle owns his own steel building business and i knew i could get the family discount and save money. WE used leftover tin to do all the walls and roof so i saved a lot there. All that said i want heaters that mount up high but don't know which is better and more efficient, gas or electric. School me please and thanks in advance. Love the site, been lurking around for ever but just recently became a member. Oh and ill only need it warm when im working on my cars in the cold months.
Gas vs Electric Heater
- Thread starter Slim38
- Start date
1953mercury
Well-known member
Gas will be MUCH cheaper to run. Add as much insulation as you can, especially in the ceiling. Mike
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Electric RESISTANCE heat (electric furnace/heater) is the MOST EXPENSIVE form of heat.
For no more heat you'll need in TX, I'd say go with hanging NG heater, that is properly sized (stay on small side).
Insulate your walls and ceiling, along with adding lots of venting to roof.
If you plan on adding Air Conditioning, better option might be ductless mini-split (ie heatpump/AC) like a Mitsubishi, LG, etc. . . . . and skip the hanging NG heater.
Insulate your walls and ceiling, along with adding lots of venting to roof.
If you plan on adding Air Conditioning, better option might be ductless mini-split (ie heatpump/AC) like a Mitsubishi, LG, etc. . . . . and skip the hanging NG heater.
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Jack D
Well-known member
I am installing two electric heaters in my garage now, so I can get the garage comfortable in a short amount of time. I am installing remote thermostats so I can start the heaters from the house before I go out there so I have added cost. Probably going to be about $500 to add the heat.
I have NG and the cost of the run, the furnace, electric, thermostat and the vent/chimney are all the real day one cost and it was substantially more. If you have a sub panel installed the electric heat is way cheaper to install. Depending on your square foot needs your day one cost could be only a few hundred bucks. The cost of running my electric heaters will be a lot more per hour but I do not intend on heating it everyday or even for long periods of time. If you insulated well you may just want to take the chill off the space so you can work for a few hours, like me.
So what you need to do is look at the cost delta and figure how many hours will you use the electric heater and compare it 'fuel' wise, cost of operation per hour and you should get to a number of hours before you break even. I decided the up front cost of a medium efficiency gas furnace was beyond my budget, considering my intended use. If my use significantly goes up I can always then justify the gas conversion. If I do the gas first I might never recover and use efficiency saving for many years, or never. However YMMV...
I have NG and the cost of the run, the furnace, electric, thermostat and the vent/chimney are all the real day one cost and it was substantially more. If you have a sub panel installed the electric heat is way cheaper to install. Depending on your square foot needs your day one cost could be only a few hundred bucks. The cost of running my electric heaters will be a lot more per hour but I do not intend on heating it everyday or even for long periods of time. If you insulated well you may just want to take the chill off the space so you can work for a few hours, like me.
So what you need to do is look at the cost delta and figure how many hours will you use the electric heater and compare it 'fuel' wise, cost of operation per hour and you should get to a number of hours before you break even. I decided the up front cost of a medium efficiency gas furnace was beyond my budget, considering my intended use. If my use significantly goes up I can always then justify the gas conversion. If I do the gas first I might never recover and use efficiency saving for many years, or never. However YMMV...
Buildings all insulated and has open ceiling, no attic and its all insulated. I figured cost of running electric heaters would probably b more costly. Were about to start doing electrical on building and wanted to have a plan so i can plumb gas line and or electrical to wherever i place heaters.
bczygan
Well-known member
You're in TEXAS!.........How about AC?
Thanks slim. I guess I'm kind of like jack on the electric heater. I'd run 220 to a few places.
You are going to maybe want a big compressor or welder someday and you will be ready.
Hang a electric heater for now and see how it is. Pretty cheap to install but dollars fly if you
Intend to run it daily.
Other option is to plan on a nice gas furnace right now. That might set you back right now but in 5 years you may be happier. The tube type radiant look nice to me but I don't know much about them. Maintenance is another thing to think about. The electric are plug and play.
You are going to maybe want a big compressor or welder someday and you will be ready.
Hang a electric heater for now and see how it is. Pretty cheap to install but dollars fly if you
Intend to run it daily.
Other option is to plan on a nice gas furnace right now. That might set you back right now but in 5 years you may be happier. The tube type radiant look nice to me but I don't know much about them. Maintenance is another thing to think about. The electric are plug and play.
Yea ill probably run 220 to a few places for the welder and air compressor. I think your right about the electric heater, so ill probably go that route and see how it works out and if i dont like it then ill add a gas heater. Thanks dandan
toyotadriver
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
- Messages
- 1,586
Based on your location, I would install a mini split. Would provide all the heat you need and also provide AC for the summer if you wanted to run it.
Highbeam
Well-known member
High efficiency is not the same as cheapest to run. Electric resistance is 100% efficient compared to 80% for a normal gas hanging heater but since gas is usually so cheap to buy the gas can be a cheaper heat.
Shop Specialties
Well-known member
For your climate I would go electric and have a quick easy install. I checked out your weather and your Winters are hot there.
KiltLifter
Well-known member
So I just had this discussion on another thread - for me Gas BTUs are 16X cheaper than electric. Even if the gas is only 80% efficient, it;s still 12-13x cheaper. Install may be higher for the gas, but at 12x less, may pay off in a month!
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
Go with a gas forced air furnace with a heat pump,you get best of both worlds that way ,and you get central air as a bonus.
James-W
Well-known member
I agree, natural gas would be the least expensive heating system to run, at least in the long term. But he lives in Texas and he says that he only needs heat when he is working out there in the cold months. How many months of cold does Texas have and how cold does it get where he lives?
If he only has a couple months of cold weather and it really doesn't get all that cold, I would almost think he would better off with electric resistance heat. It would be cheap to install and if he were to use it only rarely then the cost to run it would be minimal. Then too, what are the electric rates where he is? Are they rather high, or are they relatively low? There are several things to consider, but I think in this case it MIGHT be better to go with electric heaters rather than a gas furnace and do all the venting and things that are required. Just something to consider.
If he only has a couple months of cold weather and it really doesn't get all that cold, I would almost think he would better off with electric resistance heat. It would be cheap to install and if he were to use it only rarely then the cost to run it would be minimal. Then too, what are the electric rates where he is? Are they rather high, or are they relatively low? There are several things to consider, but I think in this case it MIGHT be better to go with electric heaters rather than a gas furnace and do all the venting and things that are required. Just something to consider.
bulletpruf
Well-known member
Slim -
Off topic, but what kind of cars will you be working on in the shop? Old hot rods? New stuff?
Scott
Off topic, but what kind of cars will you be working on in the shop? Old hot rods? New stuff?
Scott
DC73
Well-known member
I wish our winters were hot here. Actually, we (I'm just a few miles from the OP) were at 4 degrees the other day with a minus 12 windchill. I wouldn't call that hot at all. We definitely have 4 seasons in our part of Texas. At the extremes, we have Climate Zone 3 summers and Climate Zone 4 winters. Google winter storm Goliath from this time last year if you want to see one extreme.
To the OP. I'm very familiar with gas and electricity prices in our part of the world. Natural gas heat will definitely cost less to operate over time, especially if you use it much. Electric resistance heat may be less costly up front but the savings for natural gas will eventually pay you back.
However, if you really want AC and don't intend to use a ton of heating, a high efficient ductless mini-split unit might be worth considering. These units are basically heat pump/AC combo units and will be fairly efficient at all but the coldest temperatures. If it gets extremely cold and the unit can't keep up, you could always supplement with an electric resistance heater. Some of these units are better at low temperatures than others so shop wisely if you go down this road. One drawback for any heat pump is that the temperature of the heated air is very luke warm compared to a natural gas furnace. So, if you like feeling hot air blowing, you're back to a natural gas furnace for the best option.
I ended up putting a house style high efficient natural gas furnace/AC combination in my shop.
Love the '38.
DC
Shop Specialties
Well-known member
It is currently 60* right now in Lubbock and I am at 25*. Anything above 50* in Winter is hot to me.
Lubbock in Jan has an avg high 54* and low of 26*. That is a very mild Winter climate.
Lubbock in Jan has an avg high 54* and low of 26*. That is a very mild Winter climate.
Dc thanks for comments. Most folks dont understand our weather unless theyre from around here. Weve had snow in april and freezing temperatures. It can b 90° one day and 30 the next. Ill ll sure consider what u said and i do like the feel of hot air blowing, so ill keep pondering it a little longer.
nadogail
Well-known member
In my workshop I chose to install electric heat.
My weather is mild.
I don't spend a lot of time in the shop. I rarely find it necessary to heat the shop.
We have solar panels on the roof, so our electric builds are very low.
Fire and explosion hazards are almost nonexistent.
My weather is mild.
I don't spend a lot of time in the shop. I rarely find it necessary to heat the shop.
We have solar panels on the roof, so our electric builds are very low.
Fire and explosion hazards are almost nonexistent.
^ ^ ^ Yes, you want a VENTED heater. It can either be vertical flue vent, or most also have horizontal vent option. Lots of GJer's have Big Maxx (Mr Heater) that are very affordable and you'd have plenty of heat with a 30K or 45K Btu unit.
It's late in season to find one though so you might call around to Northern Tool and see if there are any stragglers left.
It's late in season to find one though so you might call around to Northern Tool and see if there are any stragglers left.
matt_i
Well-known member
I would find someone heating with natural gas and check out their energy bill and get a cost per therm. Could also call the utility to get a ballpark price. You can convert this into kW-hr fairly easily, and then make a judgement about which one is less costly.
Also you have to weigh the install costs.
I, personally, would want A/C more than heat, so I'd look at a heat pump so my investment in the hardware covered both.
If you were way out in the sticks and didn't mind the look of another metal box next to your building you could use a "packaged unit" with ductwork. Easy to install.
Also you have to weigh the install costs.
I, personally, would want A/C more than heat, so I'd look at a heat pump so my investment in the hardware covered both.
If you were way out in the sticks and didn't mind the look of another metal box next to your building you could use a "packaged unit" with ductwork. Easy to install.
DC73
Well-known member
It's also just an average. Our temperature swings fairly drastically. We can't design homes or heating systems for the average. We have to design around the likely sustained low temps. While it is nothing in the winter to have a week of 60 or 70 degree highs, we also frequently have weeks in which the temperature never makes it above freezing. Add our low humidity and strong winds to the cold days and it has us wanting to move south or to the islands.
That said, you couldn't pay me enough to live in your neck of the woods in winter.
DC
DC is right and when weathers nice in the spring and summer months u have to work inside cause of the damn mosquitos. I added the carport to my shop so on good days i can work in the shade, and not have to crank up the ac.
Slim
Slim