Heater Placement Question Installer Is Coming Tomorrow!

[Low50s]

Hello everyone. I have a 30x40 building with 2 garage doors on the same 40' Side one 12' and one 16' wide door.
I had one heck of a time trying to find a Installer for a Unit heater for my garage I did end up getting one that just called me and said they are coming tomorrow to do my install but the installer wants to put the heater on my 40ft wall opposite of my garage doors blowing directly at my doors. to me this does not seem right. I asked him about installing the heater into the one corner blowing the air across the 40' span diagonal and he said well its a more difficult install being on a 45 deg. is my installer being lazy or is this correct to install facing the doors?

 

[ForceFed70]

Your installer is bang on. That's where you want your heater to be. Center of the opposite wall from your doors.

It's not much more effort to install at an angle in the grand scheme of things. Doubt that's his reason for suggesting it.

Not sure what type of heater you're installing but I think you're overestimating how much it'll circulate the air. For a building that size, you should have a ceiling fan or 2 for that purpose rather than relying on the heater.

I have a very similar shop and layout except 32x40 and a 10' door where you have a 12'. When standing at the overhead doors you can't really feel the heat from the heater on the other side of the building. You need to walk about 1/3rd of the way across before you feel the heat. I have a good sized ceiling fan in the center of the building to circulate the heat. Without it I'd have hot/cold areas. Also, with a 12' ceiling the loft area is noticeably hotter if I don't have the ceiling fan on.

 

[ford33]

That's a big garage for one heater. I hope it is a big one.

I think you should place the heater near the area you will be working most frequently.

You will need to circulate that warm air around the interior of the garage with a fan or three. Also, you don't say how high the ceiling is in the garage. If it is 9 foot or more, the hot air will collect at the ceiling and be much warmer there than at ground level. A fan blowing down from the ceiling will help circulate some that warm air towards the floor.

When the installer arrives, ask if they will install a few ceiling mounted fan junction boxes and wire it to a switch.

 

[Low50s]

That's a big garage for one heater. I hope it is a big one.

I think you should place the heater near the area you will be working most frequently.

You will need to circulate that warm air around the interior of the garage with a fan or three. Also, you don't say how high the ceiling is in the garage. If it is 9 foot or more, the hot air will collect at the ceiling and be much warmer there than at ground level. A fan blowing down from the ceiling will help circulate some that warm air towards the floor.

When the installer arrives, ask if they will install a few ceiling mounted fan junction boxes and wire it to a switch.

My mistake 14’ sidewalls it’s a 75000 btu Modine unit. If I want any electrical add ons my electrician is my neighbor. I may look for a fan or two industrial ceiling fans down the road

 

[Shop Specialties]

I would do the same blowing towards the doors.

 

[Farmallboy15]

I put two of these with the wall controller in my 40x48x14. You couldn't even feel the furnace until they were turned on. I highly recommend ceiling fans...

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200436482_200436482

 

[Low50s]

I told them put the heater were they thought would be the best location and they installed in the center blowing at the garage doors. It has only been on for about 2 hours but I can tell for sure that I need some fans to move air I will definitely check out those northern tool ones

 

[6768rogues]

My 36 by 48 building has a 12x12 and a 16x8 door with a 3' man door between them. My heater is hanging over the man door blowing away from the overhead doors. I have another building that is 40x60 with the heater in the back blowing toward the doors. I see no difference in the way they heat. I always run 2 ceiling fans in each building, they distribute air and keep the floors dry.

 

[Low50s]

My 36 by 48 building has a 12x12 and a 16x8 door with a 3' man door between them. My heater is hanging over the man door blowing away from the overhead doors. I have another building that is 40x60 with the heater in the back blowing toward the doors. I see no difference in the way they heat. I always run 2 ceiling fans in each building, they distribute air and keep the floors dry.

That was one thing I have already noticed is how much moisture is coming from everything in the garage. yes it was very cold in the garage before the heat but it seems like everything was sweating ! I have shut the heat off right now until I get some insulation in the attic. I put a few box fans in the garage to move the air when I had the furnace running to help dry everything out.

 

[toyotadriver]

The heater is vented right?

Unvented heaters put a lot of moisture into the air.

If it's a vented heater, running the heater should dry out the garage.

 

[James-W]

I have my Hot Dawg heater on the ceiling of the back wall, in one corner, blowing diagonal towards the over head door. Works great that way.

 

[Low50s]

The heater is vented right?

Unvented heaters put a lot of moisture into the air.

If it's a vented heater, running the heater should dry out the garage.

Yes it’s vented

 

[ford33]

You will save money operating the fans frequently on slow speed even with the heater off. Warm air rises to the ceiling and a fan will help circulate that warm air around the garage. You may notice that it will be warmer in the garage without the heater operating and just the fans pushing that warm air around.

 

[larry_g]

That was one thing I have already noticed is how much moisture is coming from everything in the garage. yes it was very cold in the garage before the heat but it seems like everything was sweating ! I have shut the heat off right now until I get some insulation in the attic. I put a few box fans in the garage to move the air when I had the furnace running to help dry everything out.

Warm moist air condenses on cold surfaces. You will see this till you get the place warmed up. Is this a fairly new build with the building materials still drying out?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Low50s]

Warm moist air condenses on cold surfaces. You will see this till you get the place warmed up. Is this a fairly new build with the building materials still drying out?

lg
no neat sig line

Building is 2 years old spray insulation was done in February and tin was installed 2-3 months ago

For fans do you feel a reverseable fan is required?

 

[ford33]

Reversible fans are not required but you don't need an industrial fan. A Hampton bay model from home depot will move a lot of air and they come with remotes.

One other thing. Placement of the fans is important. Don't just put them on the ceiling in the middle of each car parking bay. If you install a lift they will be in the way.

Mount them so they push and pull air around the room from one side to the other.

Google "ceiling fan airflow direction" and images. You can visually see how the fans move air up and down in a conical shape. In one example pulling air in a flat cone shape from the top and pushing it down and wide at the bottom. This circulation pattern can be utilized to intelligently place multiple small fans around the perimeter of the garage and changing their individual direction so one fan feeds into the other and into the next so air is moving from one end to the other end of the garage.

Give it some thought and you will save energy money and enjoy a balanced temperature in the work space.