EZ Duzzit

This radiant tube heater works as a closed system, getting its outside combustible air via a 4″ duct from outside my shop. The exhaust exits through the roof or through the wall, depending on the application.

A radiant tube heater heats the objects in the room, much like the sun heating the Earth’s surface and, in turn, these heated object radiate this heat back into the room. Requiring no blower to move air, this heater heats the floor, the walls and objects in my shop with no temperature variations (hot or cold spots) like there is with a conventional hot-air heater.

Throughout the winter, I was meticulous in monitoring the heat in my workshop with an infrared thermometer to test the effectiveness of this heater, and I can honestly say that I was amazed at what I found. I set the heater to 65F and left it there throughout the winter months. The walls, concrete floor, and even items inside my shop cabinets remained at 65F regardless of the temperature outside.

Checking the gas bill, I noticed no appreciable increase in gas consumption over last year’s bill. I wish I had done this years ago.

Unlike conventional heaters that heat a room’s air, the energy from a radiant heater warms up objects in the room, including the floor. These objects, in turn, return heat to the room, the same way the sun warms the earth’s surface, which then warms the air. This system eliminates the need for fans to move the heat. My heater also takes the air it needs for combustion from outside via a duct, meaning it doesn’t use shop air that might contain dust particles—in other words, and a safe system. And other than cleaning dust off the reflector shield when required, it is virtually maintenance-free. Heaters are available in different configurations; for those of you familiar with BTUs, these units produce 40,000 BTUH.

My system was delivered in two boxes. The heater must be installed at least 7′ from the floor with a minimum clearance of 4″ from the top of the reflector to the ceiling. Using the directions and the hardware provided, my gas contractor had the system hanging within 30 minutes. Once the Propane Company delivered and hooked up the tank, and inspected the system, I had heat!

It runs from November to mid April. My first season cost about $200 in propane; natural gas would be even cheaper. I tried four different locations for the thermostat, settling at six feet from the garage door. It’s set at 20 deg. Celsius (72 deg. Fahrenheit) and I leave it at that temperature all the time. Comfy.