Heating 2nd floor

[KPSquared]

Hey guys,

Asked for some help in the plumbing departement but I also have a question regarding heating options for the upstairs of my garage. It will be storage and a guest room. I have a gas line plumbed up there but I'd rather not run a bunch of duct work if I don't have to.

The only separated room is the 5x10 bathroom. Electric heat is not an option as it is crazy expensive here.

I was thinking of a wall mounted furnace big enough to heat the 400 sq ft and then maybe something to move the warm air into the bathroom (fan on a thermostat?)

Anyway, let me know what you think. I can make anything work, but I'd like to get it planned out before I close the ceiling of the garage up and no longer have easy access to the floor above.

 

[jvitez]

You want to ensure your bathroom stays above freezing all winter! Are you on propane or NG?

A wall mounted NG/propane furnace would make sense in a 400 sq ft open room. Keep the door open to the bathroom and convection currents should take of distributing the heat, at least enough to keep the pipes from freezing. But what about when the door is closed?

What is your kWh cost for electricity? The best compromise would be an electric wall mounted fan forced heater for the bathroom and a NG/propane wall furnace for the main room. If only heating a small bathroom your electricity costs can't be too much.

If you're dead set on using NG/propane, you're probably talking about a ducted furnace into both rooms.

 

[matouse3]

Something in a split wall design?

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/willia...p-vent-wall-furnace-5009622.html#.UNDZ8OTaKAg

 

[KPSquared]

The split wall won't work all that well because of the layout but using a small electric heater in the bathroom isn't a bad idea.

Electricity is $0.08/kWh here. Add taxes and delivery charges etc and I paid $0.16/kWh on my last bill. Prices are comparable its just the fact that heaters tend to come on a lot when it's -40. . .so efficiency of delivering that heat becomes a concern.

But if we only used the small heater when people were actually up there it wouldn't be a big deal at all.

I think I like the idea of a NG wall furnace for the main room and make sure the bathroom door is open at all times. (Pocket door so not hard to do.) Then a small wall mounted heater for the bathroom when guests are over (once a month at most for a night or two)

Anyone have any reasons that may not work?

 

[Jackson]

I would suggest at least having cold air return size/type vents providing a pass through into the bathroom, maybe a couple. But frame them so the air is forced to pass through. I'd maybe go with your fan on thermostat idea as well.

But really, why not just run some tin and put a vent in there if you are installing the furnace? Seems like in the long run it would actually be the simplest route.

 

[wedge40]

How easy is it to add radiant heating to the floor up there. It'd be a pretty small system and you could use a small tankless heater for the heat source.
Just my 2 cents.

Wedge