Heating suggestions

[Howard Rush]

This is an opportunity to show Randy's shop:

[Howard Rush]

While I have this page to myself, I'd like to plug a friend's Web site: www.builditsolar.com/  .  Gary heats his shop and hot water in frigid Montana with the sun.  This wouldn't apply to Randy, who lives in the foggy woods, but it might be useful to those of you in normal places. 

[Marvin Denny]

In the first picture, is the top plane and third plane Novi I s?  They sorta look like it.

  Bigiron

[Randy Powell]

Marvin,

Yea, that was after wake turbulence ate it. Sigh... Flew rather well prior to that.

[Randy Cuberly]

Randy,
Forget all this nonsense with heaters and just pack up and move to Tucson.
Actually we are having a serious cold snap right now...It was 56 degrees today.  Brrrr.
I use a couple of small portable electric heaters with built in fans, to warm the shop on cold mornings.
Usually warms up in about 15-20 minutes.  By 9:30 - 10:00 AM almost never needed anymore.
You do need an air conditioner in the summer though....

We would love to have you here...even I might be able to learn to paint then.

Randy C

PS:  Are you coming to VSC this year?

[Randy Powell]

Randy,

Yep, I'll be at VSC.

Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!

[don Burke]

Well, moving to Tucson would end all of the problems. It's a dry heat and a very dry cold when it gets cold down there. The days of inclement weather per year can be counted on one hand or two. 

+1   

[Randy Powell]

Well, I went to hook up my new heater. Thought I had it right and blew the circuit breaker. So, I guess it will be some time tracing connections and doing some testing. Something's not right, that much is certain. Sigh....

[W.D. Roland]

I have a plan... top secret....and simple

Waiting for Big Al to fix his global warming machine......
Hope hes done before the coming Ice Age get going full tilt.
I hate cold

 

Howard
60 million Englishmen (and women) are wrong.

David

[Randy Powell]

Well, I tracked it down, I think. Seems the heater has a bad switch. Switch off and everything is fine. Turn on switch and it trips the breaker. This happens even if the switch isn't connected to the heater (or anything else).

So, it seems I have a bad switch.

Of course, it couldn't have gone easily.

[Clint Ormosen]

Well, I tracked it down, I think. Seems the heater has a bad switch. Switch off and everything is fine. Turn on switch and it trips the breaker. This happens even if the switch isn't connected to the heater (or anything else).

So, it seems I have a bad switch.

Of course, it couldn't have gone easily.

I'm not sure I get what you're saying here Randy. You mean the main power on/off switch? If you turn the switch off, the breaker won't trip, but if you turn it on, it does trip the breaker?
Switches rarely trip breakers. What do you mean by "This happens even if the switch isn't connected to the heater."? Did you take the switch out of the unit?

[Randy Powell]

Hi Clint,

I originally hooked everything up according to the directions, turned on the power (by throwing the breaking on) and the breaker tripped. So I took the thing back apart and starting trouble shooting.

I found the problems. Must have been less than swift today. Who knew you were supposed to connect both the power leads to the same side of the switch? Turns out that the red and black wires don't connect to the red and black wires on the switch. They connect to only the red ones. Whatever. Anyway, it's all together and working now. It occurred to me that I must have missed something in the directions because the only thing that would trip the breaker would be a direct short. So I went back top the directions and found that you connect both the red and black leads (both hot) to the two red wires on the main power switch. The two black lead connect to the heater. My own fault for not reading the directions all the way through. Sometimes logic is not your friend.

Anyway, it works now. Takes awhile for the heating element to get going and the fan doesn't come on until it's up to temp. But once it gets going, it puts out the heat pretty well. I'm happy and now I can get back to playing with toy planes.

[Clint Ormosen]

OK, glad you got it. That makes more sense now anyway.

[Randy Powell]

Clint,

Amazing what happens when you take a minute to think it through.

[john e. holliday]

It's not the thinking or maybe it is, but it does wonders to read instructions.  I still like my little gas heater.  Works a lot better than the electric heater I had in the shop.  Of course we get down to 0F degrees if not lower in this here part of the country.   Don't know how the guys/gals north of me make when their temps are -19F for a high temp of the day.  See ya in Tuscon Town.   

[Randy Powell]

Hi Doc,

Well, I figured out that you don't put the thing on high and leave for an hour. Not when it's 42° outside. I did that and came into the shop and it was probably 85° in there. That sucker puts out some heat. Nice thing is, I can put it on low and keep the temp above 50° then crank it up if needed. And if it gets really cold, I can supplement with the Kerosene job as needed. That's nice.

[John Tate]

Randy.
Which model number of the Berko did you finally get?
The Berko website has a bunch to chose from. It is still cold here in VA and I am looking for a good electric heater as well.

John Tate

[Randy Powell]

Hi John,

This is a wall mount industrial unit (according to the little advertising promo that came in the box).

Berko | FRA4824 Commercial Fan-Forced Wall Heater | 4,800/3,600 Watts | 240/208 Volt 1 Phase 20.0/17.3 Amps

Seems to work pretty well. Of course, I have a lot of insulation in the ceiling and walls. That helps.

[John Tate]

Randy.
Sounds like you did your research and made the correct choice for your shop.

John Tate