Which heat gun is better for heating a garage: selection and installation
Content
In order to quickly warm up such a building, which is unsuccessful in terms of thermal insulation, like a garage for a car, it is better to use forced hot air injection. Such devices are usually called heat guns, which emphasizes their power and efficiency.
What is a heat gun
In general, this device contains a heating element or fuel combustion zone, which are blown through by a built-in fan. Hot air enters the room, raising the temperature.
A refined classification of heaters of this type includes several important points:
- energy source, it can be an electrical network, gas or liquid fuel;
- type of heating - direct or indirect, this is important for hydrocarbon fuel products, in the first case, not only heat will enter the room, but also exhaust gases, which can be harmful to people to varying degrees, but certainly will not bring any benefit;
- power, on which the area of \uXNUMXb\uXNUMXbthe heated room and the temperature achievable in it depend;
- service functions, for example, the presence of a thermostat, manual power adjustment, protective devices;
- the need for more complex installation, the organization of heat pipes and chimneys;
- the cost of the product and the energy consumed from various media.
The right choice does not tolerate accidents, all factors are subject to study and calculation.
Types
Several types of guns have been established, which are mass-produced in a wide range by several leading companies in this field.
electrical
Heaters operating from the mains differ mainly in power consumption. It ranges from the simplest electric fans to powerful products that can heat a large area, quickly give off a lot of heat, and then maintain the desired temperature in an economical mode. With the correct calculation, there is no need to constantly use the device at maximum power.
The composition of the gun includes a thermoelectric heater (TEN) and a fan blowing it.
Auxiliary equipment provides step or smooth regulation of the power supplied to the heating element, temperature control, that is, maintaining the temperature in the room using a feedback sensor, fan speed control.
Some products may have all functions or only part of them.
The advantage of this type is its safety in terms of emitted gases. Contrary to the opinion sometimes encountered, these devices do not burn out oxygen and do not produce harmful substances. They work quietly, the noise is produced only by the fan, which is almost silent in high-quality equipment.
The main disadvantage is the requirement for a powerful supply of electricity. The most popular products have a power of up to 3 kilowatts, since there are few places where more is acceptable.
Especially if other electrical equipment is also working in the same garage, there may be voltage drops in the network, overheating of the wiring and protection operation.
The cost of the devices themselves is low, and the cost of heating is determined by the price of electricity in the region. But it is hardly possible to warm up even a standard garage in severe frosts with an electric gun due to power limitations.
Gas
The gas gun works on the principle of any propane burner, only the oxygen necessary for combustion is supplied by a fan, which also blows high-temperature gas out.
Power is practically unlimited, since the energy in liquid gas is significant. Typical values are between 10 and 30 kW effective heat.
But the gas consumption is significant, from about 0,5 to 3 liters per hour. With significantly more expensive propane-butane mixtures, this can lead to high costs.
Most of these devices are direct acting. Combustion products enter the volume of the room, oxygen is also taken from there. This is the main drawback of the devices.
No matter how well the combustion process is organized, the smell of gas, especially butane, is felt in the room, and the lack of oxygen will gradually lead to a headache. Attempts to organize ventilation will lead to heat loss.
For permanent operation, such devices are unsuitable and dangerous. There are indirect heating installations with a separate chimney and air intake from outside. But they are much more expensive and often use a different source of energy.
Another problem of direct action is the release of water vapor during combustion. They greatly increase the humidity in the room, condensation forms, and metals corrode intensively.
Diesel
Diesel heaters use indirect air heating. Combustion takes place in an isolated area, the exhaust is organized into a chimney pipe, and air is blown through a heat exchanger.
Such devices have high power, are economical, do not pollute the atmosphere in the room. Automation provides efficient controlled combustion of fuel. Electricity is required only for the rotation of the fan, for which 50-100 watts is enough.
There are also disadvantages. This is the high price of products and fuel, the noise emitted during operation, the need to remove the exhaust pipe.
Criterias of choice
When choosing, it is necessary to take into account, first of all, the required thermal power and the duration of continuous operation. The power depends on the volume of the room and the air temperature in winter, and with poor thermal insulation, most of the heat goes outside.
Energy costs must also be taken into account. Diesel fuel is about twice as expensive as liquefied gas, but its price is constantly growing. Electricity costs vary greatly from location to location.
How to calculate gun power
There are formulas for calculating the required power, but they are approximate, complex and cannot take into account everything. It is easier to use rules of thumb.
For example, each kilowatt is effective for 10 square meters. m. garage area with a typical ceiling height. That is, for the most common garage, 3 kW is enough, or about twice as much in a harsh winter climate.
For professional use in an average garage car service, it is better to immediately focus on a gas or diesel gun of the order of 30 kW with the possibility of regulation. It will be useful to organize pipelines for supplying hot air to different points of the room.
Installation rules and features of use
The rules take into account the requirements for the safety and efficiency of heat use:
- it is necessary to exclude direct contact of people with heated parts of the installation, chimneys and pipelines;
- direct gas installations should not be used for a long time in a poorly ventilated room, poisoning by combustion products and problems due to lack of oxygen are possible;
- electric guns must have calculated power wiring and circuit breakers;
- exhaust pipes of diesel heaters can ignite nearby flammable materials;
- gas equipment is dangerous with direct exposure to heated air on cylinders and pipelines;
- do not interfere with the design of the devices, damaging the built-in protection.
Home-made devices based on car autonomous systems are especially dangerous. In stationary modes, only industrial equipment from a trusted manufacturer can be used.
