[Shop-talk] Shop heating options

Elton E. (Tony) Clark eltonclark at gmail.com
Wed Jun 9 21:49:36 MDT 2010


*I mused of a solar system to help heat my 30 x 60 metal building shop . .
The shop had basic R-4 glass insulation and a buddy was all into solar
applications.  **I had access to newish 55 gallon drums because we used a
lot of methanol at my "real job" and we worked up a plan using a  8' x 60',
panel of corrugated roofing tin on the west side of my shop, with water
trickling down each corrugation into a collector and pumped into a series of
40 R30 insulated drums.  The thermostatic sensor would start the pump when
the collectors reached 75 degrees and kick off when th temp dropped below.
When I wanted heat, I would switch on another pump which would circulate the
heated water through a truck radiator with a 1 HP blower for a quick warm
up.*
**
*Reality set in:  Instead, I determined I would only be at the shop about 40
hours a month so I installed a 130,000 btu gas heater which will warm the
whole shop from 32 to 60 degrees in about 20 minutes and in North Texas, I
only need THAT about 20 times a year.*
**
*The solar system might work for Brad and Suzy though since they don't have
cheap gas!*
**
*Tony   *
*  *


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