Electric shop heat?

[STANGGT40]

Me too - I am unsure if I want to run the cable in the ceiling or exposed. Since there is a loft, I will only have the room access to the ceiling so will involve punching some holes in sheetrock; probably severl holes as they used the engineered floor beams. The truss style beams would have made this easier.

I suppose, if I run exposed it must be in metal conduit? Any other considerations?

Also, my panel is full. I have one 220 braker for compressor and assume the heater would need to be on its own breaker. Do they make a single 220v breaker that will provide protection for two 220v lines?

you'll need to get some "piggy back" (tandem) or "thin" breakers to "thin down" the panel, so you can make room for the 2-pole breaker. i don't know what kind of panel that you have, but square d makes a breaker that has 2 in 1, ge makes thinner breakers, etc. it will all depend on which panel you have.

as far as running the cable exposed, you can run the nm (romex) cable exposed, if you want.

nec 334.15 (a) and (b) covers exposed nm cable

(a) says, "to follow surface...cable shall closely follow the surface of the building finish or of running boards"

(b) says, "protection from physical damage....cable shall be protected from physical damage where necessary by rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, schedule 80 pvc conduit, type rtrc marked with suffix -xw, or other approved means. where passing through a floor, the cable shall be enclosed in rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, electrical metallic tubing, schedule 80 pvc conduit, type rtrc marked with suffix -xw, or other approved means extending at least 150mm (6 in.) above the floor"


with all of that said, i don't think that the area between your heater and your panel is an area subject to physical damage, though that is definitely up to interpretation, and you know if it's subject to physical damage, based on what you know is and will be around the cable. just use your best judgement and you'll be fine. personally, i would probably run a conduit to the height of the ceiling and go from there, but that's up to you.

[miketyler]

Cool - thanks for responding. I think I may try to pull the cable up the wall and thru the floor beams after all. I actually did the piggy back breaker thing making room for a 220V breaker for the compressor previous so will just be a revisted experience there.

I got the unit and is smuch smaller that I was expecting. It has a t-stat switch at the base of it but wont be within reach from the floor. I plan to leave the tstat set to MAX/on. How could I switch control that unit? I hate to use the breaker for a switch you know.

[STANGGT40]

get something like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/electrical/breakers-distribution-load-centers/ge/60-amp-no-fuse-2-pole-indoor-safety-switch-95961.html

[miketyler]

Dayyuuum, thats what I use for the compressor shutoff. Let me contact Fahrenheat and see if there is an option for remote wall tstat.

[STANGGT40]

Dayyuuum, thats what I use for the compressor shutoff. Let me contact Fahrenheat and see if there is an option for remote wall tstat.

i'm sorry, i was in a hurry, and i thought that you were talking about how to shut power off to it. you can definitely get a remote t-stat...just disconnect the attached tstat, tap into the wiring for the the tstat and extend it to where you need, then install a tstat there. (assuming that it doesn't have an option to use a remote tstat)

**edit**
i did a quick search, and it looks like you can use the ms26r thermostat, to extend the thermostat to whereever you need it.

**edit again**
i called marley/fahrenheit, and they said that the ms26r is the way to go...you can get them online for about $15.

[miketyler]

Wow-thanks for that. Will pick one up. Appreciate the assist here.

[dewayne6243]

I went the cheap way. I have a 60x60 with 25' ceiling. Bought two of these 210K BTU heaters. Shop went from low 50 degrees to 75 degrees in 20 minutes.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200395537_200395537