Mini split for shop

[Ohio88]

Has anyone put minsplit in their shop. My shop is 1280 sq feet with 14’ ceilings. Would a min split work to heat? Cost per month? It does have ceiling fans.

 

[da.bees]

Too many variables to say how many btus it requires but a m-split is as good any way to go. With added dust you will be wise to enhance filtration.

 

[Ohio88]

Walls and ceiling are insulated all doors are also insulated if that helps.

 

[Jeff NWOH]

Has anyone put minsplit in their shop. My shop is 1280 sq feet with 14’ ceilings. Would a min split work to heat? Cost per month? It does have ceiling fans.

I have about the same shop as you. 30x40x14 sectioned off in my pole barn. I put a 24,000 btu mini split in last summer. It works great for cooling. I tried using the heat last fall when it started getting cold. Once it got down around freezing, it couldn't keep up. I'm using the natural gas now which is about 80k btu.

 

[Ohio88]

I have about the same shop as you. 30x40x14 sectioned off in my pole barn. I put a 24,000 btu mini split in last summer. It works great for cooling. I tried using the heat last fall when it started getting cold. Once it got down around freezing, it couldn't keep up. I'm using the natural gas now which is about 80k btu.

what kind of electric cost was associated with using the unit?

 

[Jeff NWOH]

what kind of electric cost was associated with using the unit?

I can't really say what it costs to run... The electric bill for Dec, which would have had the time I ran it for heat on it, was one of my larger ones. The Mrs does ceramics and had been running her kilns quite a bit also that month. Google said it was cheaper to run a heat pump than an 80% gas furnace, but I would think there are a lot of variables to that equation.. The electric bills in the hot months were not significantly higher using it.

 

[Blackhole49]

Has anyone put minsplit in their shop. My shop is 1280 sq feet with 14’ ceilings. Would a min split work to heat? Cost per month? It does have ceiling fans.

If all your going to do is heat and you have natural gas, look at a radiant tube heater. I have 2. One in an insulated 24x40x9 shop/barn and one in a 30x48x12 uninsulated pole barn. I keep the shop at 45 and raise to 60 when inside (occasional not full time use). I only heat the big barn when working on something inside. I'm on a budget for my gas, and heating (forced air + water and dryer) for my 1,200 sqft house (full basement) and both barns has cost me $65 a month the last couple of years. I find the radiant tube very cheap and it works great. Heater is upper right. They were designed for high bays.

 

[Dusty MI]

I also have a Tube type Radiant heater in my shop. They work very well. I'm using LPG in it.

 

[NoDakInMN]

For heat in a shop, the radiant tube is the next best thing to floor heat. As it is radiant, it heats the floor and contents of the shop rather than the air directly. Floors stay warm and stuff brought in from the cold warms up fairly quickly.

 

[joeysmith]

If all your going to do is heat and you have natural gas, look at a radiant tube heater. I have 2. One in an insulated 24x40x9 shop/barn and one in a 30x48x12 uninsulated pole barn. I keep the shop at 45 and raise to 60 when inside (occasional not full time use). I only heat the big barn when working on something inside. I'm on a budget for my gas, and heating (forced air + water and dryer) for my 1,200 sqft house (full basement) and both barns has cost me $65 a month the last couple of years. I find the radiant tube very cheap and it works great. Heater is upper right. They were designed for high bays.


View attachment 102417

Those make me woozy feeliing after working under one for a few hours

 

[showcrop]

When I happen to be talking to my AC guy who I run into now and then, he almost always asks if I am using the Mini-splits that we have at my church for heat. He is a big proponent of their effectiveness for heat.

 

[Dusty MI]

In a shop where you bring in tractors & large equipment in cold weather, the tube type radiant heaters work nice, as the heat objects more than air.

 

[Blackhole49]

Those make me woozy feeliing after working under one for a few hours

Why is that? Does forced air make you feel woozy? Never heard that before.

 

[joeysmith]

Why is that? Does forced air make you feel woozy? Never heard that before.

I'm not sure
But the flat infrared heaters do it to after awhile also
Forced air doesn't bother me

 

[Dusty MI]

Our winter home in Florida is a Park Model RV, it has a Mini-Split unit in it. It works well for us.

 

[showcrop]

Those make me woozy feeliing after working under one for a few hours

Are you painting or using a lot of glue? Or carb cleaner, or brake cleaner?

 

[joeysmith]

Are you painting or using a lot of glue? Or carb cleaner, or brake cleaner?

No

 

[Ohio88]

The radiant heaters are not electric, or if they are they are pricey to run. We are thinking of getting rid of the propane as it has gotten costly for the amount we use. we can get an 18K mr cool for $1900 or a 24k for $2300. Right now we are thinking of 2 18K which should be good down to -10 or more. We could start with one 24K. as it is if we keep the temperature at 50 the incoming water will freeze about -3. If we keep it at 55 it will freeze at -15. I can fix most of that with some insulation under the slab. It is bigger gravel from the outside to the incoming hole in the floor and that lets the cold in. Mostly our propane has gotten very costly and we would like to reduce that. We do not use enough to get the good prices, and now they want us to but the tank.

 

[joeysmith]

The radiant heaters are not electric, or if they are they are pricey to run. We are thinking of getting rid of the propane as it has gotten costly for the amount we use. we can get an 18K mr cool for $1900 or a 24k for $2300. Right now we are thinking of 2 18K which should be good down to -10 or more. We could start with one 24K. as it is if we keep the temperature at 50 the incoming water will freeze about -3. If we keep it at 55 it will freeze at -15. I can fix most of that with some insulation under the slab. It is bigger gravel from the outside to the incoming hole in the floor and that lets the cold in. Mostly our propane has gotten very costly and we would like to reduce that. We do not use enough to get the good prices, and now they want us to but the tank.

Personally I would not ditch the propane completely
There will be days the minis will not keep up

 

[will-max dairy]

Personally I would not ditch the propane completely
There will be days the minis will not keep up

With heat pumps in cold climates... caveat emptor...

Your "24K" heat pump, according to this article, is rated by its capacity to produce heat from 47F outside air. It would derate to about 12K BTUs at 17F outside air (according to this article)... and even lower at the -5F and -15F temperatures where you are worried about water freezing.

If you don't have supplemental heat of some form...

I would bury a heat tape with the water line... or even just plain bury some underground rated cable with it, that you could "heat" with some kind of current source, if your water ever froze... because it probably will, if you're depending on that mini split below zero...

Heat pump system sizing has a TON of variables... the nameplate rating of the system is probably one of the most useless...

Also, notice in the article that an auxiliary heating coil is mentioned. If you get a heat pump with something like that... when that engages, you're just burning watts of electricity to make heat (not using electricity to pump heat from one place to another)... which, in most areas of the US... is the most expensive option of all.