radiant heater

[ewertro]

Ok seems that everyone else is installing a heater this weekend, so here is my install job. I am installing, with the help of a couple friends, a Schwank P40-R radiant tube. I have been fussing for a while over brand and finally pulled the trigger. The natural gas has been installed for a while, so now it is just how to hang the unit and vent. So here are the pictures and comments as we go....

Rob

 

[wyattoil]

Good luck!

 

[ewertro]

Ok so today not a lot will go on, just getting the parts together so we won't be running around on Sunday looking for stuff. I picked up the 'C' vent pipe, 'B' pipe, hood, thimble when I picked up the unit, so now it would just be the little stuff to finish the job. Here is the heater fresh from the back of the truck.

 

[ewertro]

here are a couple pictures once I opened the box. Looks like everything is ready to go, I need some fasteners for the vent pipe, some high-temp silicone, a couple extra carabiners and some chain to support the burner head (there is chain for the tube, but not enough for the burner) and some eye bolts to hang the whole unit.

 

[Vincenthdfan]

You can do it!

I did a 30 footer in my 30x42 pole barn with 13 foot high ceiling all by myself...that was an interesting feat!

I used lots of ratcheting tie downs strategically placed and another to winch the steel pipes up in the air...worked pretty well.

Only down side was, there was no one around to see how cool it all went together, lol.

Lotta self satisfaction (and money savings!) in doing it yourself.

 

[Armed in Utah]

I also just installed a radiant U tube heater....was a DIY project...had my talented electrician buddy...connect power & thermostat lead..had two buddies help hang unit..I ran the 1" gas pipe through the wall and plumbed to the unit...the 4" exhaust vent was my biggest challenge...needed 12' to get out the wall..leaving 18" past the outside wall including cap...added a 4" wall thimble to be safe..once plumbed & wired & vented...we hit the power switch and it fired up..this is a NG unit..50K BTU Space Ray Cold Blocker...so far I'm more than happy...but this is only day two...my garage is 30x48x14 steel framed & R19 insulated...2 O/H doors..2' stemwall...built new this summer....NG supply meter is 145' away..thats why I ran a one inch line from meter to unit..Space Ray provided me with unit...thermostat..vent cap...36" flex supply line...chain to hang..yes..happy camper...

 

[ewertro]

Thanks everyone, We got started today hanging the unit, didn't get lots of pictures, but a few to show how it went. We started off hanging the unit in the highest point of the garage, so I should get lots of heat on the floor. (thanks guys for the help and entertainment, or maybe I was the entertainment...) These are my helpers, I stopped long enough to grab a quick picture. We installed eyebolts and carabiners to make hanging things up easier as well as adjusting for level easier.

 

[ewertro]

After we got the unit hanging, we worked at placing the vent. After a bit if measuring and head scratching, managed to get the hole figured out for the vent. Had to created a 7" hole in the side so the thimble would fit and leave a 1 inch gap for the combustible clearance. I lucked out and found that I managed to miss my in wall air line supply, thankfully there is enough slack to move it out of the way for the thimble to pass.

 

[ewertro]

finally we installed the vent pipe. Installed the "B" pipe through the wall and adjusted the pipe for a 1/4" drop/ foot as required. Now that the hard part is all done, I have my final list to complete the job.

-move the ceiling mounted cord reel away from the heater.
-get a replacement cap, the one I received doesn't lock into the B pipe I have.
-measurements for gas line are all done, pick up black pipe and a short flex to finish the gas install.
-when the weather is warmer, cut in the flange on the outside of the building and finish with J- trim to give it a more professional finish.
-seal the thimble and pipe.

 

[saba007]

Very clean install. Nice job

 

[Rockcam]

ewertro: I'm headed down the DIY install route for a tube heater too.

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being hard, how was the install?

Thanks.

 

[Armed in Utah]

pic of my installation....keeps the garage toasty warm...68* in the 'coldest corner'...will be interested to see what my NG bill jumps to...currently $32 a month on equal payment..running furnace/water heater/BBQ & firepit...installation was not as hard as expected...running & hanging 1" pipe to unit was easy...getting 4" vent through wall between sheeting ribs along with lining up unit to match took careful measuring...buddy helped me wire unit & thermostat...ran 145' of NG plastic line earlier this spring...probably have $1350 in total project..plus $90 for ceiling fan..money well spent

 

[ewertro]

Ok here is the next step. Had to move my gas line from the original location over to the middle of the garage, so I gathered some black pipe and went to work.... tested the joints and hooked it all up.

 

[ewertro]

so now that the gas is plumbed and checked, plug in the unit and..... light 'er up..... let there be heat!

... oh and just as a heads up to anyone that fires one of these up for the first time, there most definitely will be smoke! I went outside to check the venting, and the smoke was pouring out! My wife was concerned when she first came out to look at the unit and you will want to leave the doors open for a bit until everything burns off. Has some good heat though.

 

[ewertro]

So now the last step. Hook up the thermostat. Pretty easy to do, hooked up the two wires to the control, had to extend that as well from the box on the ceiling to the burner unit. The access opens easily, one screw and your in. At the factory, there was a jumper installed across the pins so the burner would be on anytime the power was turned on, so I removed that and hooked the thermostat wires to that. Turned the control on, set the temperature to +8 C (for now, not sure how warm I will keep the garage) and away it goes. Unfortunately (maybe?) we are having a "heat-wave" here right now (plus 11 here this morning), so I don't expect the heater to run much until the weekend...lol

So now that I am done that far, just a few little fussy things to take care of. I am trying to find some stand offs for the black pipe on the wall, otherwise, now I can sit back and enjoy the heat this winter....

 

[bstein]

I personally run in floor however my brother in law as well as the guy next door run tube. They make a ton of humidity and just watch that your exhaust out the wall if away from your wall.
I have ran Schwanks ceramic heaters for oven pre heaters and they where great !

 

[James-W]

Pretty slick job of mounting it. Looks like a really nice shop too.

 

[ewertro]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Everything is doing well under the "chicken warmer". I have it set at 10 Degrees C and all is well in the shop. It runs very quiet and other than fussing with the chains to make sure it was hanging level (my mistake, couldn't count the links to save my life...lol), the install went very smoothly. I consider myself to be fairly handy at doing things, plus I had some help from two friends and read the install book front to back several times, but I consider this to be a fairly easy job. The only close call I had was with an air line that I have inside the walls but we missed that and had enough slack that we could move it out of the way of the thimble. I made sure the "B" pipe hangs just past the edge of the roof and it is low enough that I shouldn't have any frost issues. The black pipe install went in with no issues, the only leak I had in the gas line was the flex hose which just needed to be tightened up a bit more. My wifes Honda is enjoying the warmth now until I get started building the work benches and cabinets so I can get the rest of my stuff off the floor and start building more projects.....

 

[ewertro]

just a quick reply for Rosa, the heater is very quiet, you hear the power fan kick in, the spark from the ignitor and otherwise the system is very quiet. When I first fired the unit up, the factory had installed a jumper so that the heater would run all the time unless you were to shut off the power which would shut everything down. Once I had it all running and checked out fine, then I removed the jumper and hooked up the thermostat on the wall.

 

[bullnerd]

50K BTU Space Ray Cold Blocker...so far I'm more than happy...but this is only day two...my garage is 30x48x14 steel framed & R19 insulated...2 O/H doors..2' stemwallQUOTE]

Did spaceray size this for you? I have a 3040, thought I would need more than 50k.

They make a ton of humidity and just watch that your exhaust out the wall if away from your wall.
QUOTE]

I wish someone would clarify this humidity comment? Its seems you only hear of it every once in a while. Most say the heat is nice and dry, others say its the rainforest of death?

 

[ewertro]

I think it depends on the humidity in the area, as well as what fuel you use. Mine is a natural gas unit, so humidity is no more than my house creates. If you read the manual, there are clearances that need to be maintained (exiting by vented soffits, opening windows, doors, etc.) this is to protect your garage from damage and its also a good idea to know what your local inspector will require you to stick to. I talked to my local plumbing and heating friends and the shop that sold me the unit. My garage is 26x28, has a 10ft ceiling that vaults to 12 ft at the center. I also have 2x6 construction and well insulated. I was rated at a 30k BTU unit so the 40k Schwank is what I installed. I could have installed a 50k Calcana unit as well, but I had clearance issues for the vent stack and I liked the u-tube for more even heat over the length. I spent a lot of time fussing over manufacturer that I was going to go with and I am happy with how it has turned out so far. Now I am waiting for the "big freeze" to see how the garage does at 40 below.....

 

[Mr onetwo]

Nice install! The only thing I would change is taking outside air for combustion rather than from the space.I have installed many of these over the years...they work great.Make more sense than infloor IMHO.

 

[koditten]

Its vented, power vented at that,how can it create humidity? I think the poster was confusing it with the unvented wall type radiant heaters.

Now if you got a snow covered car pulled into the garage and the heat is on, yes, you are gonna create some moisture.

 

[bullnerd]

Bump...hows it going Ewertro?

 

[KUHL1]

Nice job on the heater, my b-I-L just put one like that in his shop. I will be finishing my shop in spring. I'm trying to decide on a heat source, either in floor or ceiling mounted radiant. My shop is 32x48x12 with a vault. 2x6 walls, fully insulated. I have access to natural gas. Mr. Onetwo, you mentioned you like ceiling better than in floor, why is that? Trying to gather as much info on both before I decide. Ewertro, how do you like yours so far?

 

[Petro55]

Ok seems that everyone else is installing a heater this weekend, so here is my install job. I am installing, with the help of a couple friends, a Schwank P40-R radiant tube. I have been fussing for a while over brand and finally pulled the trigger. The natural gas has been installed for a while, so now it is just how to hang the unit and vent. So here are the pictures and comments as we go....

Rob

Why did you finally settle on this brand? I have a 24 x24 9 foot ceilings. I was looking at the Schwank or the Reverberray single stage.

Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

 

[Mr onetwo]

Nice job on the heater, my b-I-L just put one like that in his shop. I will be finishing my shop in spring. I'm trying to decide on a heat source, either in floor or ceiling mounted radiant. My shop is 32x48x12 with a vault. 2x6 walls, fully insulated. I have access to natural gas. Mr. Onetwo, you mentioned you like ceiling better than in floor, why is that? Trying to gather as much info on both before I decide. Ewertro, how do you like yours so far?

It's all about payback IMHO....infloor is as much as 10 times more expensive for a 1st quality system. Both have their uses/advantages. I also don't like working on a heated floor....my feet get too hot

 

[ewertro]

Hey Petro55 , I decided on the Schwank because it fit in the space I wanted to put it, and because it has a u tube design which is supposed to balance the heat along the length better. The only other choice in my area was the Calcana 50k (15 ft) which would have been a tight fit along my ridge line at the peak to meet clearances, or Superior, which looked like a great product as well, but was priced 50% higher in price and I would have had to drive 300 km to pick one up.

 

[ewertro]

Bullnerd, I think humidity is not an issue, I agree if you bring fresh air from outside and vent to the outside, there should be no humidity issues. The Schwank unit I installed did not have an option for fresh air intake, which I wanted, but I was not willing to pay over $500 just for that option. Rockcam, I consider this a 3-4 for install, not a lot of special tools to do the work, and if your gas pipe is right beside the unit, the rest is pretty easy. I only fussed about drilling a hole in the side of my garage.....lol

 

[Rockcam]

Ewertro:

Thanks for the info - and for tipping me in the direction of doing my own install, vs. paying the $3K+ premium for a HVAC contractor to do the work.