Heating question

[Joe1975]

I have a small 6’x8’ workshop (shed) that is mostly insulated. I would like to store tools without rust being an issue. I think that maintaining a minimum temperature of 7-10 degrees would help with this. I don’t think a little tubular heater would be quite powerful enough do you?

I am considering getting a little oil filled radiator instead, should be safe to leave on its thermostat or even a plug thermostat don’t you think?

My question is……..as long as the heater can give off heat faster than the workshop looses it, does it really matter how powerful the heater is when it is effectively just maintaining a minimum temperature (I.e. speed to heat the space is not important). Surely a 1000w heater would just be on half as long as a 500w heater to maintain the same temperature and they would cost the same? You are ultimately just paying for replacing a certain amount of heat loss.

Also a physically small heater would give up heat to the space more slowly and would take longer to heat the space than a physically larger heater with the same power? So again, a small heater should be fine?

When I want to use the workshop I have a fan heater that works quickly to heat the space.

Would be interested to hear people thought on this.

 

[John Brown]

I believe you are right in principle, but is the difference in price between a 500w and a 1kw heater significant? The running cost will be the same, as you say, but handy to have bit of extra power for that really cold snap, or when the fan heater breaks down..

 

[Cabinetman]

It’s the way my workshop has been kept rust free for years, my 15 x45’ one has one oil filled radiator which is set to come on at anything below about 12 c, it obviously depends on the level of insulation and draughts, but it doesn’t have to work very hard or often to maintain this base level.
Ian

 

[eribaMotters]

Thinking outside the box, you could get a "dead" fridge and use this for your tool store.

Colin

 

[Joe1975]

I believe you are right in principle, but is the difference in price between a 500w and a 1kw heater significant? The running cost will be the same, as you say, but handy to have bit of extra power for that really cold snap, or when the fan heater breaks down..

Thank you, size is as much of a consideration as cost. It seems crazy having two heaters in a 6’x8’ workshop but I think that is the best option.

 

[Joe1975]

It’s the way my workshop has been kept rust free for years, my 15 x45’ one has one oil filled radiator which is set to come on at anything below about 12 c, it obviously depends on the level of insulation and draughts, but it doesn’t have to work very hard or often to maintain this base level.
Ian

You must have a very well insulated workshop. Glad to hear that it’s an effective way to keep rust at bay. Thank you.

 

[Joe1975]

Thinking outside the box, you could get a "dead" fridge and use this for your tool store.

Colin

That’s certainly a novel idea, but I don’t have the space.

 

[Cabinetman]

Despite what I said above, I also am setting up shop here in the States, nothing as well insulated here so it’s an airtight tool cupboard with a gun cabinet heater in it, a 12” long tube which uses a tiny amount of electricity to keep rust at bay.
Ian

 

[Fitzroy]

What you have said is correct, heat loss only dependant on shop temperature and external conditions. How you maintain the internal temperature is irrelevant. More powerful heater will bring to temperature more quickly.

Heater size is not relevant to heating rate only rated power. A small fan heater and a large oil filled rad could both be 2kw, but they use different heat transfer mechanisms to get the heat into the environment, one is natural convection, the other forced convection.


Fitz.

 

[pulleyt]

I run a dessicated dehumidifier in my 16' x 12' insulated shed overnight. In the morning the temperature is comfortable as well as a fairly full tank of water removed from the air. I've not had any problems with rust.

https://ecoair.org/collections/desiccant-dehumidifier/

 

[HamsterJam]

I have a small 6’x8’ workshop (shed) that is mostly insulated. I would like to store tools without rust being an issue. I think that maintaining a minimum temperature of 7-10 degrees would help with this. I don’t think a little tubular heater would be quite powerful enough do you?

I am considering getting a little oil filled radiator instead, should be safe to leave on its thermostat or even a plug thermostat don’t you think?

My question is……..as long as the heater can give off heat faster than the workshop looses it, does it really matter how powerful the heater is when it is effectively just maintaining a minimum temperature (I.e. speed to heat the space is not important). Surely a 1000w heater would just be on half as long as a 500w heater to maintain the same temperature and they would cost the same? You are ultimately just paying for replacing a certain amount of heat loss.

Also a physically small heater would give up heat to the space more slowly and would take longer to heat the space than a physically larger heater with the same power? So again, a small heater should be fine?

When I want to use the workshop I have a fan heater that works quickly to heat the space.

Would be interested to hear people thought on this.

I think your understanding of heat loss/heat input required is correct.
My workshop is only a little bigger than yours and I use a 1.5kW oil filled radiator to keep it at about 5°C when I’m not there The rad has three output settings and I generally run it on ‘min’ which from memory is approx 500w but do switch to ‘mid’ if it gets really cold outside.
My workshop is reasonably well insulated with double glazing, 40mm thick wood walls and 50mm cellotex under floor and on the roof.

 

[Sachakins]

I run a dessicated dehumidifier in my 16' x 12' insulated shed overnight. In the morning the temperature is comfortable as well as a fairly full tank of water removed from the air. I've not had any problems with rust.

https://ecoair.org/collections/desiccant-dehumidifier/

Pink really!

 

[pulleyt]

Pink really!

At the time of purchase pink was cheaper than the other options

 

[Joe1975]

Thank you all for your responses. The people on these forums are so helpful.

 

[Festillion]

I have the same issue.

I use a Meaco dehumidifier in a single-brick freestanding workshop. It's a desiccant type that works down to lower temperatures than the refrigerant type. I asked Phil, of Meaco support, what level of relative humidity (RH) would be the best setting to prevent rust: he said 55%.

The tank size is 3 litres and in the current weather I empty it once approximately every 2 days. I plan to add a hose to drain externally, continuously so I don't have to bother emptying the tank.

Meaco have several desiccant models on their website. This is the link for the model shown:

Meaco DD8L Zambezi Dehumidifier

Hope that helps!

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