The Acorn Heater

[spudley]

This may be a you **** thread but here goes...

A few weeks ago I'm taking a walk with the wife and I see this barely used, not even dusty garage heater out by the garbage. I took a quick look and kept going but the next day the heater is still there so now I give it a better look and decide it needs to come home with me.

After getting it home I hook up some power and can't even get the exhaust inducer to fire up so I remove the cover only to find an acorn jammed between the fan and the casing preventing any movement. After removing the acorn the fan moves just fine so back together it goes and after hooking up a gas line, my new friend fired up just fine.

I'm planning on installing this in my newly built detached 24' x 40' (with an upstairs) shop/garage but from what I've read it's probably too big at 75K. But free is free so I'm moving ahead, if I can still get a trench cut in our already frozen tundra. 7 degrees last night

I do have a few questions...
The gas line run from meter to unit will be just under 90'. I'm thinking (without any calculation) a 3/4" line should work? If so the unit takes a 1/2" into the gas valve. Where is the proper place to reduce?

The unit exhaust flue is 3". My measured vent path is just under 15' vertically. Would a 3" B vent be sufficient or too small for a 75K heater?

This is a Hamilton Home Products (looks identical to a HotDawg) unit with air intake vents on top and bottom of the outer shell which means it's using interior air for combustion. Any ideas on how to get outside air to this guy for combustion?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[D45]

3" is fine for a 75k

3" vent (models 30,000-75,000 BTU)

4" vent (models 100,000-125,000 BTU)

 

[brewchief]

3" vent at 15' only meets the vent chart if it has basically no lateral connector length, at 2' lateral a 3" would only be good for 69k.

3/4" pipe will be really close to not making it, I would run 1", keep it as large as you can for as long as practical, if the last 10-15' are 1/2" it will be fine but you don't want half of it yhe smaller size.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[spudley]

3" vent at 15' only meets the vent chart if it has basically no lateral connector length, at 2' lateral a 3" would only be good for 69k.

3/4" pipe will be really close to not making it, I would run 1", keep it as large as you can for as long as practical, if the last 10-15' are 1/2" it will be fine but you don't want half of it yhe smaller size.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

The heater venting directions suggest a 12" horizontal run before turning vertical which is my plan. Since I have the room, I'll probably go with 4" B vent, and 1" gas line.

Damn, I should've found a smaller heater

Thanks guys.

 

[PWC Repair]

Ya, what gives? It's like you just gave up after finding the first free heater. You could have exhaustively searched any surrounding neighborhoods, burning up tanks of fuel, for days on end, until you found a smaller unit. Come on man lol!!!

 

[spudley]

Ya, what gives? It's like you just gave up after finding the first free heater. You could have exhaustively searched any surrounding neighborhoods, burning up tanks of fuel, for days on end, until you found a smaller unit. Come on man lol!!!

I'll have you know it took at least 15 minutes to find that acorn.

Read your build thread...that's a nice bldg you have, lots of hard work involved. Really like the insulation job. I'm only a little over a year in on my build (done mostly alone) so still no insulation and it got crazy cold up here already, so the heater goes in next week.

Kinda wish I'd went with in floor hydronic like you did, but the older I get, the better Florida looks in the winter, so I'm not planning on lots of winter garage time.

Anyway the 4" vent and 1" feed line only costs about $125 more all day than 3" vent with 3/4" feed so I got just enough left over for beer.

 

[PWC Repair]

Thanks for the kind words on my shop. It was lots of work and well worth it. I just don't know how I got along without it. I know what you mean about going to Florida in the winter, my wife loves it down around Daytona Beach too. Yep, crazy cold everywhere way early this year. We've already had sleet and snow and been in the single digits! Here in Arkansas this time of year we're normally still in the 60's! Hoping to have my hydronic system pressure tested and ready to rock by Sunday afternoon.

 

[TractorJeff]

Tundra Frost isn't that deep yet!
Dig On!
Tree Planter guy was still trans-planting the other day.

 

[spudley]

Tundra Frost isn't that deep yet!
Dig On!
Tree Planter guy was still trans-planting the other day.

Little colder nights here.
Took a pick ax out to see how deep...about 3" til it gets soft but high 30's the next few days so maybe Tuesday.
I'm on a lake up here and four guys (with some kids along) went out ice fishing today.
I put my ladder down near the shore.