zeroinverse
New member
Just thought I'd share. Picked it up for $100. Not bad!
Will be going into the garage where my fun tank will be.
Woohoo... Man cave heater...
- Thread starter zeroinverse
- Start date
Just thought I'd share. Picked it up for $100. Not bad!
Will be going into the garage where my fun tank will be.
woodnaquanut
Active member
Toasty find! Way to go.
Dragonvale
New member
Whats the wattage on that bad boy?
zeroinverse
New member
36000BTUH (10550 W)
I read somewhere a one car garage can do ok with like 10000BTUs.
Now just to safely mount it and hook it up to gas lines. May be a few months...
. By which time I may not need it as much. Hahahaha! But good for next year!
I read somewhere a one car garage can do ok with like 10000BTUs.
Now just to safely mount it and hook it up to gas lines. May be a few months...
. By which time I may not need it as much. Hahahaha! But good for next year!
Reef Bass
colors and textures
I'm probably confused, but isn't btu output the measurement for heat production? And it's gas right, so how does that convert to watts? Does it have an electric blower as well? Would an electric blower use 10550 watts? Did I even read that correctly about 10k+ watts?? That would require like a 100 amp circuit.
Somebody please set me straight. Need more coffee...
Somebody please set me straight. Need more coffee...
zeroinverse
New member
BTU is just another unit to measure energy. Traditional SI units are joules (J).
It shows BTUH which means BTU per hour. The equivalent would be joules per second (aka watts). These are "energy rates".
Heat is a form of energy. So is electricity.
So yes, this unit needs to heat up not only my tank, but the room. The room is maybe 20-100 times the volume, so 10,000W is reasonable given that we use 100-400 watts for our tank.
Reef Bass
colors and textures
Thanks for 'splainin. I inappropriately thought of watts as a specific measure of power consumption, versus a more generic measure of energy. Row 7 of table 3 on the National Institute of Standards and Technology units page shows the relationship between joules and watts.
Grant W
New member
I'm probably confused, but isn't btu output the measurement for heat production? And it's gas right, so how does that convert to watts? Does it have an electric blower as well? Would an electric blower use 10550 watts? Did I even read that correctly about 10k+ watts?? That would require like a 100 amp circuit.
Somebody please set me straight. Need more coffee...
Are you talking swallows hauling coconuts?
zeroinverse
New member
No idea how to do the cost calculations, but it should be cheaper to run than electric heaters (assuming I don't have much heat loss in the entire room). The 3-car garage is already partitioned to my 1-car mancave side. That means only about 200-300sqft it needs to heat at 10ft high.
Plus I am also insulating the stand I built with foam insulation as well as adding weatherstripping on garage door and side door entrances. Garage door is almost never to be opened.
I upload pictures later.
Is there another approach I should have taken? Curious to learn more.
zeroinverse
New member
My 1-car mancave room
my insulated stand.
Built from 1" thick reflective EPS foam on all sides. There will also be foam in front. Basically making a whole "mini-room" for my setup.
48"x30" footprint, two levels, compressed wood supports with additional side verticals. Width measures 55" wide (49+1.5+1.5+1.5+1.5),
31" deep, 80" tall (because I have a garage loft storage space vertical constraint).
24-26" opening for a 10" high tanks. So give my big head about 16" to clear to look in and handle stuff.
my insulated stand.
Built from 1" thick reflective EPS foam on all sides. There will also be foam in front. Basically making a whole "mini-room" for my setup.
48"x30" footprint, two levels, compressed wood supports with additional side verticals. Width measures 55" wide (49+1.5+1.5+1.5+1.5),
31" deep, 80" tall (because I have a garage loft storage space vertical constraint).
24-26" opening for a 10" high tanks. So give my big head about 16" to clear to look in and handle stuff.
zeroinverse
New member
I can't conceive of a scenario at current technology and resource pricing where gas wouldn't be cheaper than electric. Unless you're riding an exercycle 24/7 which is hooked to a generator pumping juice into a battery array that is.
That is my guess also. And I don't plan to run it at 78 degrees, maybe 70-74 deg and let heater & insulated stand handle the rest.
woodnaquanut
Active member
Please forgive me if you've said this before...
Are all the outside walls insulated? How about overhead/attic?
Short of a false floor, it's hard to insulate the slab but that would be a great addition to the insulation 'envelope'. It would also make the floor level and much more comfortable to stand on.
If the walls and overhead are insulated, once you get it all up to the temp you want it should not take that much to keep it warm. That gas heater will be a lot cheaper to use than any electric. Heating the entire space will be much more comfortable than just the tanks so you'll be much more likely to hang out there.
I'm not sure insulating around the stand will get you much. There must be some flow around the tanks and room for you to maneuver. This will negate a lot of the insulation value.
And finally, did I mention how jealous I am? Let's start with 3 car garage! What a great space.
Are all the outside walls insulated? How about overhead/attic?
Short of a false floor, it's hard to insulate the slab but that would be a great addition to the insulation 'envelope'. It would also make the floor level and much more comfortable to stand on.
If the walls and overhead are insulated, once you get it all up to the temp you want it should not take that much to keep it warm. That gas heater will be a lot cheaper to use than any electric. Heating the entire space will be much more comfortable than just the tanks so you'll be much more likely to hang out there.
I'm not sure insulating around the stand will get you much. There must be some flow around the tanks and room for you to maneuver. This will negate a lot of the insulation value.
And finally, did I mention how jealous I am?
Let's start with 3 car garage! What a great space.
zeroinverse
New member
Outside walls insulated? Not sure. House was built in 1989.
Above garage is our master bedroom, so basically insulated.
A short front 1/4 of garage has a patio/roof which was insulated 6 months ago to address summer overheating, which now should also help the winter cooling. ^_^
Interesting idea for false floor, but given I will probably spill water & such, I probably won't do it. But I may put a insulator at bottom of my stand to help "protect" against the cold slab sucking out heat.
The stand will be insulated on four sides & top. But I can open up one long side when I need to service it. Otherwise, plan is normally it'll be encosed. There may be a vent port for fresh air, but I may use an air-pump to pump fresh-air into my skimmer & thus create a "positive pressure" system.
Above garage is our master bedroom, so basically insulated.
A short front 1/4 of garage has a patio/roof which was insulated 6 months ago to address summer overheating, which now should also help the winter cooling. ^_^
Interesting idea for false floor, but given I will probably spill water & such, I probably won't do it. But I may put a insulator at bottom of my stand to help "protect" against the cold slab sucking out heat.
The stand will be insulated on four sides & top. But I can open up one long side when I need to service it. Otherwise, plan is normally it'll be encosed. There may be a vent port for fresh air, but I may use an air-pump to pump fresh-air into my skimmer & thus create a "positive pressure" system.
zeroinverse
New member
Hahaha! Yeah. That does sound like a good use for the cave. Unfortunately, it is also "home" to our "banished cats". We have had them a long time, but with the kid and food lying around, it was best to put them there.
Plus it is my work area (where the following projects are pending...)
1) prop tank
2) DIY LED-T5HO hybrid lighting with fancy lift mechanism
3) berghia culturing
4) aiptasia culturing
5) 14g nano for my brother when he decides to get into hobby
6) my yet to repair aquapod 12g
....
Lots of stuff in there already. Oh! But there is a TV in there (though no cable box). Long story, I helped someone build a web-based pharmacy pickup system and they have not had time to mount the TV so we can't deploy the system....
Oh, and the heater project.
Oh and the weatherproofing side door project
Plus it is my work area (where the following projects are pending...)
1) prop tank
2) DIY LED-T5HO hybrid lighting with fancy lift mechanism
3) berghia culturing
4) aiptasia culturing
5) 14g nano for my brother when he decides to get into hobby
6) my yet to repair aquapod 12g
....
Lots of stuff in there already. Oh! But there is a TV in there (though no cable box). Long story, I helped someone build a web-based pharmacy pickup system and they have not had time to mount the TV so we can't deploy the system....
Oh, and the heater project.
Oh and the weatherproofing side door project
Dragonvale
New member
Ron
I swear that insulated stand is what I brain stormed the last two days! I got the GREAT news I can't setup my new cube. The brainstorming from my fiancé was let's get quotes to get our hardwood floors refinished or get a new floor. Via since we will be doing our taxes, LoL. So my next option was the garage ha ha ha.
I swear that insulated stand is what I brain stormed the last two days! I got the GREAT news I can't setup my new cube. The brainstorming from my fiancé was let's get quotes to get our hardwood floors refinished or get a new floor. Via since we will be doing our taxes, LoL. So my next option was the garage ha ha ha.
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