Need Thermostat Advice

[DuluthMN]

Here is my situation. I am not concerned about a constant temp nor am I worried about heating all the time. I am looking for a thermostat that will do the following:

1. Automatically come on at 7:45am and shut off at 8am Monday thru Friday.

2. I would like to be able to also manually use as needed.

Any thoughts on an inexpensive thermostat that will work for this application?

Thanks Everyone

 

[Torque1st]

The heating and AC forum probably has some info:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=26

 

[DuluthMN]

I searched there and nothing...

I'm looking for answers from others who use a thermostat for similar applications.

 

[Torque1st]

Try looking for setback thermostats.

BTW, heating for just 15 minutes won't work worth a damn. It takes time to heat up a space.

 

[Vicious_Cycle]

I'm assuming that most of the time the temperature in the shop will be well below the lowest setting on the thermostat?

 

[DuluthMN]

I'm assuming that most of the time the temperature in the shop will be well below the lowest setting on the thermostat?

You are correct!

 

[DuluthMN]

Try looking for setback thermostats.

BTW, heating for just 15 minutes won't work worth a damn. It takes time to heat up a space.

You might be surprised what 90k btu's will do withe the proper insulation.

 

[Stuart in MN]

You can get low temperature thermostats designed for use in places like garages, but I haven't seen any that were programmable. On the other hand, programmable thermostats are easy to find but most of them can't be set lower than 50 or 55 degrees. I did find this one that can be set down to 40 degrees: http://www.air-n-water.com/product/rth221b1000.htm There may be others, but you'd have to look.

 

[DuluthMN]

Maybe there is something better than a thermostat that I should be in search of. I really am not concerned about thermostat settings, I just want it to come on and run constant for 15-20 minutes. All I am looking to do is warm the cars before they are started and ensure that my wife and kids don't have to sit in a freezing cold vehicle.

 

[great white tj]

My brother lives in your little town, the Thermostat I sent him was to move here to Fl. but I guess he was so cold that he could not read his mail.

 

[Stuart in MN]

In that case, maybe a simple programmable timer would do the job, something like this: http://www.smarthome.com/56030/Wood...ur-Mechanical-Programmable-Timer-White/p.aspx

 

[jvitez]

Agree with Stuart in MN. Is it a NG or propane forced air heater? If so, is the electrical done as hard wire or plug/receptacle?

If plug/receptacle, set the manual thermostat to 75 or whatever will ensure it stays on, then install a block heater timer on the wall, plug it in to a receptacle, and plug the heater's cord into the block heater timer.

http://www.rona.ca/shop/~timer-bloc...ndustries-inc-65273_lighting-electricity_shop

 

[tdkkart]

Unless you leave the windows down, 15 minutes isn't enough to warm the cars any appreciable amount, and it sure isn't enough heat to warm a really cold engine block so it will start easier.

 

[cowboyjosh]

GOOGLE "Pro Thermostats" they are based out of Indianapolis and have one of the largest selections available anywhere and they offer great tech support. Brand wise, I like Honeywell; they are bullet proof stats and quality wise you can't go wrong with Honeywell. Look for a stat that has a recovery mode, so if you want the garage at say 60 at 8:00 a.m. it will kick on the furnace at just the right time. I've been down the road with Robertshaw and White Rogers; they are not worth the effort IMO.

 

[muncie21]

My neighbor puts (3) 150W bulbs in his garage and leaves them on in winter. He says this is just enough heat to keep the garage above freezing and keeps condensation from forming.

 

[kbs2244]

Get block heaters.
I have them on a timer so they come on around 6 AM
The heater will blowing hot air befor they get to the curb.
They make it easier on the starter and battery too.

 

[LEVE]

Get block heaters. I have them on a timer...

That's what I did in while living in Wisconsin. It was a good solution in an unheated detached garage.

 

[rvr6000]

Get block heaters.
I have them on a timer so they come on around 6 AM
The heater will blowing hot air befor they get to the curb.
They make it easier on the starter and battery too.

Agree 100%.....your car will be blowing warm air a lot faster with it's coolent warmed up than it would with a cold engine that's been sitting in a heated garage for 20 minutes.

 

[Dan Fowler]

A prolific thermostat might be what you're looking for: http://www.proliphix.com/

 

[Torque1st]

Block heaters are the proper device for this application.

 

[jake00]

remote start?

 

[copterdoctor]

Block heater.... I park my truck outside, and I live in Alaska. I get in, and within a few seconds my heater is blowing out warm air...
and I also agree with the others... 15-20 minutes will not be enough to warm up the car... and if it's insulated as well as you say, why not just set a thermostat as low as it goes, and keep it above freezing the whole time?

 

[DuluthMN]

Block heater.... I park my truck outside, and I live in Alaska. I get in, and within a few seconds my heater is blowing out warm air...
and I also agree with the others... 15-20 minutes will not be enough to warm up the car... and if it's insulated as well as you say, why not just set a thermostat as low as it goes, and keep it above freezing the whole time?

This is my problem. I can't find a programmable thermostat that goes down that low...