Work Comfortably With A Garage Heater

Working outdoors in the winter is rarely fun and if your workshop is in your garage you will want a garage heater to vastly improve working conditions. The type of heater you select will be decided by the need, the size of the garage and your budget.

For occasional use, an electric space heater may provide the heat you need provided you can afford the short time it will take to heat the area before starting work. Many electric space heaters work well for small spaces and, while there are larger units, they may not offer the efficiency in a garage heater you are looking for.

A gas garage heater may work better for someone who spends a lot of time working in their garage. Whether natural gas or propane, a gas-fired garage heater will need to be properly vented to insure potentially toxic fumes are released outdoors. Additionally, it is recommended, and in some areas required, the gas and electric connections are completed by a licensed professional.

Overhead heaters, gas or electric, can be hung from the ceiling and provide an even distribution of forced warm air throughout the entire structure. A garage heater of this type is generally used in larger garages with substantial use.

Thermostats Control Inside Temperature

Many hard-wired garage heaters will also have a thermostat to control the temperature in the garage. This is especially useful if you plan to maintain a constant heat for preservation of a vehicle or other supplies. This type garage heater, which is generally more expensive, can be useful if you plan to use the garage on a regular basis.

Forced air garage heaters, that is those whose heat is dispersed by a fan or other mechanical means, offer a much better air flow than gravity heaters. Much like older-style wood burning stoves, count on the rising of the heat forcing cold air down closer to the heating unit to prompt circulation of the warm air.

Once such array for a garage heater could be a stove on one side of the garage, which is fitted with a cone-shaped collector, then to duct work through the garage with connected down flow pipes. Heated air from the stove rises into the collector, then is moved through the piping and throughout the garage. Creating a gravity forced source of heat beyond the immediate area of the stove. The stove itself, however would need to be properly vented and the open flame from a wood burning stove can be a potential fire hazard.

The Many Functions Of Electric Heaters

The first thing most people think of when you mention electric heaters is a household furnace that provides warm, circulating air throughout the house via a series of ducts and vents.

Using electric energy for structure-heating purposes is commonplace both in residences and in public buildings. However, heaters of this sort are more expensive than an energy source consisting of the combustion of sort of fuel like natural gas. But for most consumers – business or household- electric heaters make up for their higher price tag by providing convenience, cleanliness and reduced space needs as compared to fuel-burning heat sources.

How Do Electrical Heaters Work?

The warmth from an electric heater comes from electric coils or strips configured in diverse patterns. For example, heat conductors (vents) can be placed in or on walls, under windows, or as baseboard radiation in all or only part of a room. Heating elements can even be contained in ceilings or floors to radiate low-temperature heat into a specific space. In fact, many homes built after 2000 contain innovative floor heating, especially in homes located in colder climates. The heating elements are built under the flooring. Warm tile and wood floors feel wonderful on bare feet when the early morning temperature is frigid! This type of electric heater can even radiate its warmth under carpeting. Real estate agents recognize that this new type of home electric heaters is an innovation whose time has come, and is no more expensive than traditional baseboard heat, common in the New England area.

Are There Other Types Of Electric Heaters?

Homes that lack central heating systems may be equipped with portable electric heaters. Commonly called “space heaters,” these devices can be both blessings and curses, depending upon the degree of your care in using them. The advantage of portable electric heaters is that they can be moved from room to room, and heat only the area that you’re in at the time. These devices range in power from “high heat” created by more numerous power coils, and “low heat” derived from fewer, less potent coils. When used wisely, this type of heater can warm cold feet in a poorly heated work environment or, on high heat, can create sufficient warmth in a small room. Keep in mind that unattended electric space heaters are second only to cigarettes major fire hazards. Make sure your unit has an automatic “cut off” function if the heater is tipped over. Never leave an electric space heater unattended for any reason! Your life may depend upon your vigilance.

Water Heater Services Keeps Hot Water Flowing

There’s little more frustrating than jumping in the shower and finding no hot water. Keeping your hot water tank efficiently working requires a few simple water heater services that can be performed with calling in an expert.

First, most manufacturers ship new water tanks with the temperature set fairly high. Reducing the thermostat that controls the water temperature to about 115 degrees will help keep your water heater services running longer as well as provide comfortable hot water throughout your house.

About once every month or so you should drain water from the bottom of the tank to remove or reduce the amount of build-up. Opening the drain until the water runs clear is one of the water heater services that can also help reduce operating costs. As materials build up in the tank, it not only reduces the amount of space for water, but also will take longer to heat the water that is in the tank.

A little mechanical aptitude can go a long way in water heater services as a couple of other tips involve fixing leaking faucets and using low-flow showerheads. This will help reduce the amount of work the tank has to do to keep the water hot and the less the tank works, the longer it should last.

Condition Determines Replacement Need

With the number of things that can go wrong with a hot water tank, it’s important to know what to look for to spot trouble before it happens. All hot water tanks, whether gas or electric, are fitted with a pressure relief valve. If you find this valve leaking it’s a sign of potential problems and signals a need for water heater services.

On gas hot water tanks the typical call for water heater services is caused by a faulty thermocouple. This piece is what makes sure the pilot light stays turned on and firing the main burner when the thermostat indicates the water temperature in the tank needs heated. When the thermocouple fails, the pilot light will not stay on.

On electric hot water tanks, thermostat failure is usually the cause of water heater services needs. One of two things happen when the thermostat goes bad. Either the water will not be heated or it will be over heated, causing the pressure valve to bleed off the excess pressure.

While most minor water heater services can be performed by the homeowner, those uncomfortable with performing this type of work, or if the water heater services involves plumbing, gas or electric connections, it may be best to call in a licensed professional.

Save Money With Solar Water Heater

With the ever-rising costs of utilities such as gas and electric, many people have found that a solar water heater can save them money. By utilizing this naturally occurring resource, utility costs are kept down while still enjoying a steady supply of hot water. Remembering there is no cost for operation of a solar water heater.

A solar water heater works on the same principal of any other solar-powered electric operated item. The heat from the sun is converted into electrical energy and stored is special batteries and the power is used as required. When the batteries start to become low, a regulator automatically flips an internal switch, recharging the batteries.

While the initial cost of a solar water heater will probably be higher than other types, it will save money in the long-run as the energy from the sun is free, therefore no annual operating costs. One downside, however, may be in areas accustomed to significant show fall in which snow build up may have to be removed in order for the solar panels to work properly. This issue can be addressed by adding solar-powered heating strips to keep the snow melted.

Choosing System For Your Home

Understand that a solar water heater relies on solar panels typically installed into the roof of the house. Fortunately them come in a variety of colors to fit into the color scheme of your home. They are also available in a variety of configurations to help stay within your budget.

If you can not afford a 100% solar water heater, consider adding panels as you can afford to, starting small to provide a portion of your water heating bills. A general rule of thumb is to have one gallon of water storage for every square foot of collector area. The panels will also need to face the south and a path from the collectors to the hot water tank should be no more than 40 feet. Although 80 feet is possible with proper insulation.

In many cases the existing hot water tank can be used, but if its capacity is not big enough an add-on tank can be installed. Generally speaking, a 50-gallon water tank is best for efficiency with 40 square feet of solar panels, with a good electrical path, but a 40 gallon solar water heater can be used with as little of 30 square feet of panels.

To Heat Or Not To Heat: Pool Heater Options

What’s more enjoyable than a brisk dip in the pool on a hot, sultry summer day? One second you’re perspiring and wishing it was October, and the next second you feel that exhilarating shock of cold water – instant refreshment! Hot days and cool swimming pools are the things heaven is made of.

Then there are the nippy days of winter when you’ve cranked the furnace up a few notches and put on a long-sleeved shirt. When you look into the back yard at your pool, you see one of two things: either an empty, covered pool that’s waiting patiently for summer days or you see a full pool with enticing tendrils of steam rising into the frosty air. Your pool heater is working perfectly! You and your partner and/or guests relax in the warm water while around you autumn and winter pass like summertime dreams.

If you plan to use your outside pool year round, a pool heater is a must unless you’ve a fondness for icy cold water. Like outdoor spas and hot tubs, pools properly equipped with a heater can create a soothing warmth and sense of well-being. Consider: in Yellowstone National Park, the burbling natural hot springs and geysers are a point of congregation for elk, buffalo, and bighorn sheep; nature’s own pool heater! Most living creatures seek warmth during cold winter days, and you’re no exception. A dependable heating device gives you year-round enjoyment instead of having to wait until summer to enjoy a cooling dip.

What Are My Pool Heater Options?

Keep in mind that the first hot water heating systems were steam-driven. While this method is still used in homes, it won’t work well with pool heaters. When buying a home with a pool or when constructing an outdoor pool, first decide if you want to use the pool year-round. If so, consider equipping your outdoor recreation pool with a good quality pool heater that’s housed in a small structure close to the pool. You can set the heater’s temperature to suit your own comfort, depending upon the weather. Although some like to bask in a hot pool during a rainstorm, this isn’t a good idea due to the possibility of lightening strikes. But in cold weather, a pool heater allows you to enjoy the warmth and comfort even during a light dusting of snow.

Pool heaters are predominately electrically-powered, the “industry standard.” Under construction, the heater will simply plug into a power source in its shed, while the heating elements are custom-fitted into the empty pool. Once the heater is working properly, you can refill the pool with the heater gently warming the incoming water.

Pool heaters aren’t cheap, but fairly priced, you can expect to pay around $700 depending upon the size of your pool. This is not a do-it-yourself project; the company that built the pool is best qualified to install the heater. Unless you’re an electrician and pool service technician, leave this project to those who are. The installer will give you an estimate that includes labor as well as parts. Since most pool heaters today are digital, the installer will give you a demonstration as to how the device works, and what to do if it isn’t working properly. Just like your pool in general, the heater will require seasonal maintenance; failing to service your heater as recommended will void the warranty if something major goes wrong.

When the December sky darkens and wisps of steam rise from your backyard pool, there’s only one thing to do: enjoy!

Using Pond Heaters To Maintain Your Aquatic Life

They’re lovely, graceful and delicate, well-adapted to their own natural environments. But when you remove fish, reptiles and plant life from nature and into your backyard pond, you’ll need to do for them what they can no longer do for themselves; provide food, shelter, and a dependable pond heater.

Freshwater life – plants, fish, turtles, snakes, frogs, and even microscopic organisms- adapted over eons to live and reproduce in either flowing water such as streams, or still water ponds. A large variety of living creatures can live and flourish in your backyard pond. However, this is an artificial environment for them. In their natural environment, these creatures would be able to freely move about to regulate their body temperatures. Since, as your “guests,” they can no longer fend for themselves, a pond heater is the only way to insure their survival during cold weather.

Using Your Pond Heater: Who Benefits?

Life in your backyard pond is regulated by temperature and oxygen. In cold weather, fish grow lethargic and turtles hibernate for weeks at a time. Your pond heater shouldn’t create bathwater-warm conditions; this isn’t a normal environment for freshwater aquatic life. So, assuming you’re not attempting to raise tropical warm-water fish in your backyard, it’s safe for you to simulate a natural environment by setting your pond heater to a temperature of about forty degrees in the winter. If you live in a cold climate and don’t have a pond heater, all your aquatic life will freeze to death. Pond heaters save the lives of the creatures for which you assumed responsibility, and you’ll learn an expensive lesson.

Just as you use your pond heater to ward off frigid temperatures, setting the temperature too high can be just as disastrous. Freshwater dwellers will invariably escape from pools of water that’s too hot for them to find food and reproduce. If you’re recreating a natural environment, what you don’t want to see are tendrils of steam rising from your pond in January. This is a sure sign that you’ve cooked all your aquatic life.

Many high-quality pond heaters cost a bit more, but they automatically regulate the pond’s temperature to simulate the change in seasons and water temperature. Rather than maintain a constant temperature, which is unnatural to aquatic life, these pond heaters simulate the cool of winter and the warmth of summer without going to extremes that endanger the lives of your backyard friends. Since these pond heaters that sell for about $300 on the Internet provide normal temperature changes, your freshwater fish, plants and reptiles can live, feed, and reproduce just as they would in nature. Your pond will flourish, as will your enjoyment of your backyard slice of nature.

Water Is Always Hot With Instant Water Heater

People tired of running out of hot water, or those with limited space for a water tank are finding that an instant water heater can solve both issues at the same time. Since an instant water heater attaches directly to the water line, there is no need for a tank.

Conventional residential hot water tanks usually hold 40 to 80 gallons of water, which is kept hot at all times, day and night. As water is used, it is replaced with cold water and heated. As water sits in the tank, it loses heat and power is used to keep it up to a preset temperature.

With an instant water heater, no energy is used until the faucet is turned on. Once water begins to flow, the unit turns on and heats the water, typically at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. If that temperature is too hot for the individual, simply regulate it by turning on the cold water. When you turn off the water, the instant water heater shuts down, using no energy.

In addition to the power savings of an instant water heater, water use also diminished. With a conventional tank, when the hot water faucet is turning on in may take running the cold water out of the line before the warm water begins flowing. With an instant water heater the water is hot from the start, eliminating the need to run the water to clear the lines.

Many Uses For Instant Hot Water

While an instant water heater can provide benefits at the individual faucets, whole-house units can save the energy used by maintaining hot water temperature day and night and only heat it when it’s needed. Claims are made that using an instant water heater can reduce energy use for hot water by up to 76%.

This has financial benefits for residential, commercial and industrial users and many manufacturers offer instant water heater units of all sizes for all users. These can especially beneficial to small homes or business owners who don’t have the space to devote to a typical hot water tank.

Financial saving can be rewarding. For example a family using 120 gallons of water a day with a 40-gallon electric hot water tank typically spends $112.25 per month. For the same usage, an instant water heater will cost about $26.95 per month. Using 30 gallons per day will see the hot water cost drop from about $28.10 per month to $6.84 per month, according to www.hotwaterheater.com.

Gas Heater – The Heart Of The Sauna Bath

When you are having a sauna bath, I doubt you ever think of what makes it so pleasurably hot. This article will actually take you to the nitty-gritty of this type of bath. The water is normally heated by infrared heaters if you are talking about the modern sauna bath available. However, it is not uncommon to find that the water is heated by gas heaters. This is exceptionally good when you need to keep a close tab in the heat of the water.

The Versatility Of The Gas Heaters Vs The Infrared And Electric Heaters

There many times when we want to enjoy the bath without worrying about what temperature it will rise at. Of course, the modern life has brought about the automatic cut-off of heat in many instances. However, ordinarily speaking, the cut-off is usually more focused when gas heaters are used. This is because you can reduce and even put off the gas heaters at will, while the other sources of heat have more latency in diminishing the ensuing heat.

Though ‘old-fashioned’ when compared to the other techniques available, many people prefer their sauna baths to be warned up by gas heaters, even today. This is mainly because this process has absolutely no complications at all. The cost for it is much lower that its counterparts and the results are better. Those who use the gas heaters will proudly maintain that it is very much possible for them to monitor and balance the heat of the water at exactly the temperature they like. The other methods do not permit so much freedom, in spite of these being far more expensive.

In the end, it actually boils down to personal preferences. Though some people enjoy having the latest technology used for their sauna baths, it is not surprising to find that many prefer to use the old-style gas heaters to the infrared or electric heaters, because of the better control they have on it, and the excellent results it gives.

Another very important factor is the cost. The cost has always been a factor in the choice of personal necessities. Here, the cost does indeed make a vast difference, and hence makes for a good motivation factor. The bottom line however, and the deciding factor is that with the gas heater, it is extremely easy to control the heat. This is why people still have it on the ‘favorite’ list.