How much heat

[Lucid Moments]

So I am looking at a variety of types and styles of portable heaters for my shop. I live in Georgia so I only need heat for a relatively short portion of the year and don't want to spend the money or dedicate the space to a permanently installed unit. When a heater advertises that it is to heat a space of 1000 sq ft what are the variables used to determine that number? What outside temp, what inside temp, how much insulation etc.? A heater that will work for 1000 sq ft in Montana or Maine will do a whole lot more in Georgia.

Or I guess I would do better going at it by the BTU route. How many BTUs does it take to raise the temp 1 degree for 1 cubic foot of air?

Any information is appreciated.

 

[6768rogues]

That depends on the air and how much moisture it contains. A BTU is the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. You are in Gainesville, GA, which is in the northern part of the state where it gets colder than around Valdosta. I was in Gainsville in October because my inlaws were in a car wreck and the MIL was in the trauma hospital in Gainesville. Anyway, I would buy a 5100 Watt cube heater and give it a try. If it is not enough, buy another. Walmart has them cheap, so no big investment. Electric heaters are 100% efficient and there is little economy of scale. Two 5000 Watt heaters essentially use the same amount of electricity as one 10,000 Watt heater. I think heaters saying they will heat 1000 square feet are figured as supplemental heat that will help that space be more comfortable with the central heat set at a low setting. They are usually not used as primary heat.