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Verified FBN Member (IL)

Machinery

What is the best type of heat for a shop?

Going back and forth between in floor heat and radiant heat. What’s everybody got? Any experience with either?

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

I worked several years in a shop with only radiant tube heaters. The managers of the place turned the heat down at night and back up in the...

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Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

Hands down the floor heat is superior. We’ve had both, the air temp at the 4’ level is the same as the air temp at the 20’ level...... very ...

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Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

I’ve got a shop 60x60 with 20’ walls with in floor radiant heat. Heating with only a 200,000btu boiler and a 100,000btu hanging reznor. It’s...

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Verified FBN Member (NE)

You get alot of bang for your buck out of radiant and easy service. Prices are on www.directpivotparts.com

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

We have radiant heat in our 40x90x16 shop. I have read an article in one of the farm magazines and they talked about the best heat for shops...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

In floor !

Nothing else

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Verified FBN Member (KS)

Floor heat by far the best. Don't make your runs too long. Shorter runs or loops heat better.

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Verified FBN Member (WI)

Small 40X60 service center used every day we are not in the field is functional maybe won't win the beauty contest we heat with a wood boile...

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

We have a ground source heat pump in floor for our 70x92. We're in it everyday all day 80% of the year. We leave it set at 63 all the time. ...

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Verified FBN Member (NJ)

Find a good radiant designer. Spacing, tube size, run length are all important As well as insulation in floor.

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

(edited)

Definitely in-floor heat. We made the mistake of spacing the tubes too wide, though. Keep them closer to 12 inches and don't forget to put a...

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Verified FBN Member (NJ)

We insulated our shop and installed a waste oil heater save all our motor oil and the extra fuel from when we change filters over the year i...

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Verified FBN Member (SD)

Definitely worth it we run floor heat for our office and shop floor, when propane got over $5 we had a waste oil furnace installed makes a b...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

Thanks everyone for all the responses! I think we will look into floor heat for sure! I really appreciate it guys!

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Verified FBN Member (IN)

We put up a shop in 2012 with floor heat. It’s amazing. The heat recovery in the winter after having the doors open is very quick. The diffe...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

For everyone with in-floor heat.

How do you mount to the floor?

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

Heard rumors that a bosses son cut expansion joints in a floor with heat too deep. When they started the system, there were a bunch of littl...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

Seems like that’s still taking a risk.

One mistake and your in-floor heat is done.

To each their own...but when so much stuff gets mounted...

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Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

Definitely have a plan if you're gonna mount anything to the floor. You can measure and map the lines before pouring the concrete as long as...

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Verified FBN Member (CO)

It goes down prior to concrete. Before you pour take a 100’ tape measure and stretch it across the floor in several places and take pictures...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

How can you guarantee you won’t hit a water line when you mount to the floor?

Verified FBN Member (CO)

You’ve got a few options but the basics are either staple it down to your foam boards and then lay rebar or wire on top or the reverse. Get ...

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Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

Go with in floor and you won't regret it.

-Feet are never cold, Its great to be able to crawl on the floor under a piece of equipment wh...

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Verified FBN Member (SD)

I have undersized geothermal for a 40 x80 shop using floor heat. This harvest we brought the combine in many days full of snow. 35 foot doo...

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Verified FBN Member (NE)

80’x100’ shop with overhead doors, largest being 35’. You just can’t beat the recovery time of floor heat. We put this bubble wrap coated wi...

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Verified FBN Member (WI)

(edited)

In floor radiant heat, there’s no comparison. Heat constantly rise’s, you can put an iced up piece of equipment in there overnight and will ...

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Verified FBN Member (MO)

We have hot water heat in the floor and love it. we heat the water with wood. it sure is nice to have a warm floor.

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

An airtight building is the key to efficiency. We have spray foam in the walls and cellulose in the ceiling. The insulation blocks air inf...

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

Have a 60x80ft shop 18’ height, with 33’ hyd. Door. System: 4ton geothermal heat pump that heats methanol in hoses in the floor. Dad did t...

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Verified FBN Member (ND)

I have one shop with floor heat and two with the old hanging propane fired heaters. The way to get the efficiency out of an old propane he...

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

In floor heat, keep your floor warm and dry, heat ours with electric heat, because propane was high the years we worked it out and decided, ...

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Verified FBN Member (NE)

I think it depends on frequency of use. If you are in it everyday I would go with floor heat...set it and leave it.

If you aren't I would ...

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

I have one shop with floor heat and one with radiant heat. If you work in it every day, the floor heat is worth it. If you were going to use...

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Verified FBN Member

In floor heat is great. Spend the money on the system and insulate it to the max. You will love it.

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

I used to work as a propane service tech. Talked to guys with all kinds of systems. Also installed some tube heaters. Have a few observation...

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Verified FBN Member (ND)

I spray foamed a building that didn’t have floor heat, so I got a forced air corn furnace, it works great and is very efficient, I put a 300...

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Verified FBN Member (CO)

I bought a corn furnace, not stove, at an auction. It was planned to go into my garage and be tied into our house duct work sir supplemental...

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Verified FBN Member (OH)

Our shop is 45 years old. Wish we had installed in floor heat but not sure was available then. Measures 70' x 100' x14. Have walls & ceiling...

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Verified FBN Member (NJ)

We have in floor radiant that was put in in early 80s and has no insulation in the floor . But for a shop definitely that is the best . We r...

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Verified FBN Member (KS)

We have the radiant tube heaters. 50’x125’ shop. 2 heaters and they only cover the front 75 percent of shop. We keep it at 45 at night and 5...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

I think the tube heaters would be great if you’re not going to heat it everyday. My father in law has them in his 80x160 shop and they warm ...

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Verified FBN Member (OK)

What is your fuel source? I am considering putting up tube heaters in my shop but heard they are not very efficient with propane. I will be ...

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Verified FBN Member (WI)

As long as you don't open the doors too much, you will like floor heat.....but it is not an instant heat, turn it on in fall and leave it on...

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Verified FBN Member (IA)

(edited)

I have radiant floor heat in my shop. Fast recovery after opening doors. Floors dry very quickly in the winter, usually over night. Shop is ...

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Verified FBN Member (CO)

I'm putting in radiant floor heat in my shop. It's a bite up front, even doing all the work myself, but from everyone I've talked to that ha...

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Verified FBN Member (MN)

put the pex in cement with 2 to 3 inches of stiro foam under concrete pex in concrete and a propane boiler . warm floor warm workers and sa...

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Verified FBN Member (CO)

**** I’m thinking about it because we’ll be pouring concrete when it still freezes at night. Even though the concrete will be poured after t...

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Verified FBN Member (ND)

****, do not be afraid to put in a smaller hanging Reznor LP fired heater if you need to recover the heat quickly when you open the doors i...

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Verified FBN Member (SK, CAN)

(edited)

I put up a 60x80 with pex in floor heat and used 1 1/2” styrofoam under the whole floor to conserve heat and be more efficient. Another comp...

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Verified FBN Member (CO)

Keep an eye out for when Menards or Home Depot etc have a sale on pex tubing. If nothing else, put the pex in the floor. You only get one ch...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

Hoping to put up a shop in the next year or two, I just want to get all the details worked out so we get it right the first time

Verified FBN Member (CO)

Yeah, it’s sounds cheesy but that’s what was the final selling point to me on floor heat vs radiant tubes. I’m excited to get the shop put u...

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Verified FBN Member (IL)

My father in law has radiant tube heaters in his shop and they warm the floor a bit, not as much as in floor heat but I agree. If my feet ar...

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Verified FBN Member (NE)

I like the heated floor. Had it for 10 years in a 70 by 70 shop with a 40 ft door

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Verified FBN Member (IN)

(edited)

My in floor heat is the BEST floor is always dry, if doors are open with the concrete warm it will feel warm within minutes of closing them....

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