Ordered my new heater!

[nehog]

Well, after two years of futzing around, I finally ordered a heater. Had been looking at 75K units, but ended up with one a bit bigger:

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/DAYTON-Tubular-Gas-Unit-Heater-4LX55

Supposed to be ready for pickup on Friday, then next week I get to start installation. Still have to get the venting stuff, talked to the gas supplier and they are ready to hook it up.

Wow, smell free heat!

 

[Dragster Racer]

Free!?

 

[Thruxton]

Maybe as in smell-free...

 

[nehog]

Wish it was free, but new from Grainger. I looked all summer at used heaters, and every one left me with the impression that they had been removed for a reason!

 

[haugy]

Please do us a favor over the next few months. Monitor how much your gas useage goes up from the previous 90 days. How much you run it, and if it you set it at a specific temp, etc.....

This could be very valuable to those of use who want something like that. My only concern is the overall cost of gas useage to keep it running.

 

[nehog]

Arrived yesterday, I unpacked it today. Bit bigger than I realized, but it will do the job! Tomorrow I'll head to HD and see if they have a thermostat, 5" vent tube (single wall is OK, it is a power vented unit), and a few bits and pieces.

Can't compare with 'before' because this is the only gas unit I have. The existing heat is a top-hat heater (200K btu) which I used about 25 to 35 gallons of fuel each year (a 100lb tank). But I will track operating costs and publish them at the end of the season.

 

[nehog]

Q: going with a horizontal vent through the wall. What can I use (considering temps are about 30-40 out) to seal the B-vent to the steel wall to prevent water intrusion? I'd normally use an RTV (high temp) I'm not sure this stuff will work when ambient temps are so low...

(I decided to go with B-vent instead of single wall, seemed better choice.)

 

[brewchief]

Q: going with a horizontal vent through the wall. What can I use (considering temps are about 30-40 out) to seal the B-vent to the steel wall to prevent water intrusion? I'd normally use an RTV (high temp) I'm not sure this stuff will work when ambient temps are so low...

(I decided to go with B-vent instead of single wall, seemed better choice.)

I use silicone year round, might dry a touch slower in the cold but no big deal.

 

[TRWTOW]

im installin its twin in my barn also goin horizontal exhaust. dont forget some piks of it installed thanks terry

how big is your space your heating

 

[nehog]

Gas guy left about 12:30 today. Took him about an hour (or a bit less) to hook it up. So about 2 weeks after ordering the heater, I now have heat.

When we started it the first time, the temp was 39 degrees in there. In quick order it was up to 50. Thermostat set at 50, it turned off, and temp peaked at 53 (I could probably tweak the anticipator, but won't for a while...) It provides heat quickly, be interesting to see how much it runs once things inside warm up to 50 and all gets stable.

I'll shoot pictures of the complete installation this weekend and add them to the thread.

As a final thing, it is quiet.. And TRWTOW, yep, identical to yours, just a different name on it. I'm heating 1800 sq ft, how big is yours?

 

[nehog]

Here are photos of the final installation...

It works very well, set right now at 50 degrees, on Saturday I went in and raised it to 60 (a good working temp for me) and it took about 5 minutes to get up to 60. So far, I've never gone out and caught it running--so it must be holding the heat in reasonably well.

 

[curiousB]

Not sure the B-Vent exit is per code. Isn't that plastic film flammable.

Is that romex "solid" wire cable to the power plug? I think you need stranded wire if you aren't going to physically tie the wire down. Some type of rubber jacketed 14/3 stranded wire. I'd use a chunk of 1/2" flex conduit and eliminate the plug altogether if I were doing it.


Nice clean install though.

 

[nehog]

Not sure the B-Vent exit is per code. Isn't that plastic film flammable.

The vapor shield on the fiberglass insulation? Trimmed back six inches as per requirement. The silver tape then covers that square, it is the same tape as used on the vent.

Is that romex "solid" wire cable to the power plug? I think you need stranded wire if you aren't going to physically tie the wire down. Some type of rubber jacketed 14/3 stranded wire. I'd use a chunk of 1/2" flex conduit and eliminate the plug altogether if I were doing it.


Nice clean install though.

No, it only looks like Romex, it is stranded. 12/3, to a twist-lock plug. (That way I can use a feed off my emergency generator to power the heat as the shop/garage is not on the transfer panel.)

Sadly, at least temporarily, it is useless: I ran out of gas! They, when they dropped the tank, put in enough to allow things to be setup and give a few days of usage, temp dropped to the mid-teens and that was it. Low gas and low temps resulted in a no gas situation. They're coming Thursday to fill it properly.

 

[Michael951]

Maybe as in smell-free...
__________________

 

[nehog]

Got my electric bill Friday. Had my gas bill in hand too... Did a few quick calculations, and I found out that BTU to BTU gas and electric seems to cost almost exactly the same amount! I was a bit surprised, I knew it would be close but not that close (a few percent.)

Now electric is not practical for the shop's main heat, but from a plain cost of operation there's little difference.

 

[curiousB]

...Did a few quick calculations, and I found out that BTU to BTU gas and electric seems to cost almost exactly the same amount! I was a bit surprised....

That doesn't sound right. Electric is 3.5X than natural gas in IL (i.e. 250% more expensive). Are you running natural gas or propane?

 

[nehog]

Propane... We're in the country, no natural gas within miles. Right now I'm paying $3.89 a gallon for it, price may drop as I'm using more than I expected.