OT - Hanging unit heater brand advise

2Slow · Dec 1, 2007

It's time to add proper heat to the shop. I am trying to decide between three units:

Sterling RF90

Modine Hot Dawg HD125

Reznor UDAP125

I have two friends with Sterling units and they have had nothing but good luck with them. Unfortunately the largest low profile one they make is 90k BTU input and 73K BTU output. That is probably a little small for the shop, and if I had to err, I would prefer to do so on the large side.

The other two have about 100K BTU output and I think that should be just about right. Does anyone have any experience with any of the three units and have advice / preferences?

Thanks
-Joe

Spin Doctor · Dec 1, 2007

Get the Hot Dawg. My buddy works for Modine as the Rewfgion Sales Manager for the Westrn US and Canada

JunkyardJ · Dec 1, 2007

I've got a reznor in my barn, works good.

It had a gas valve go bad a long time ago, but it's been good for about 5 years now. It's been in service since 97. One gas valve in 10 years is a pretty good service record. I'm sure other brands are good as well, just my personal experience.

2Slow · Dec 1, 2007

Junkyard,

Was the gas valve a standard part, or Reznor specific?

-Joe

moonlight machine · Dec 1, 2007

My Reznor was trouble free for about 25 years..............

JunkyardJ · Dec 1, 2007

I dunno, I just ordered it, and slapped it in.

2Slow said:
Junkyard,

Was the gas valve a standard part, or Reznor specific?

-Joe

It looks the same as every other ceiling mounted heater. It has the output for the pilot, and the temperature sensor to shut off the gas when the pilot goes out. It's just the valve that turns on the gas when the thermostat tells it to. I think they're pretty standard.

440roadrunner · Dec 1, 2007

I've serviced both Modine and Reznor, and can't see a nickels worth of difference. They all have their ups and downs. Years ago we had some new Reznors, about 4, I think, with direct spark ignition that gave some of us fits for awhile. My recolletcion is that Modines are a little easier to service.

I think you should buy the one you can get the best deal on, and whoever has the best parts service. To my knowledge, depending on the ignition, none of them use a very proprietary valve. ALL modern furnaces can use rather special valves. Some, with force draft (pressurized draft) must use special valves with a feedback tube to the regulator, so the valve comes up with the correct pressure compared to whatever exists in the combustion path.

I haven't kept up with appliances since I "got out" of the service business. One thing I'd investigate, if I had a shop with chemicals, such as a body shop, beauty shop, laundry, or photo processing shop, is try and find a unit with OUTSIDE air for combustion, in other words a "sealed" combustion chamber. Various shop chemicals, paint thinners, bleach, etc, drafting up into the combustion chamber of older units raises hell with heat exchangers, and corrodes them out in short order.

The same thing happens, by the way, with A/C units. The A/C condenses the water out of the chemically polluted air, and concentrates the chemicals thus condensed on the evaporator. That's one reason you should always cover food in your refrigerator, but there are others.

2Slow · Dec 2, 2007

440,

I considered the units with a sealed combustion chamber that draws outside air, but they are almost about 1.5 times the cost, and the shop isn't a really nasty environment, so I don't think the increase in heat exchanger durability would be worth it. The increase in efficiency would be nice (not drawing in cold outside air to replace what went out the chimney), but I fear the added complexity could reduce long term reliability.

-Joe

tigmusky · Dec 2, 2007

2slow: I think all 3 units are good quaitly. like 440 said go with the best deal. There`s alot to be said about shopping locoal ,if you ever do need parts and if you have questions on the install. one more thing to consider fan noise, hot dawgs tend to be little louder but not really a factor. say warm, daye

2Slow · Dec 2, 2007

My plan is to buy local. Unfortunately most of the HVAC shops here only sell to contractors. Luckilly one of the shops I called suggested the name of another shop that sells to DIY people. The local shop prices seem about the same as the internet prices, so I think local is a no brainer for the reasons already mentined.

They carry all three brands, and the Sterling is the cheapest (and the smallest) and the Modine and the Renzor are about the same price, so I wanted to know if there was a better way to pick besides color...

-Joe

metlmunchr · Dec 2, 2007

All 3 are old line manufacturers of heating equipment with good reputations. Sterling and Modine have built tens of thousands of steam and hot water unit heaters, while Reznor's maing "thing" has been large gas fired makeup air units, some half the size of a house. Making a good gas fired unit heater is about as simple for any of them as anything imaginable. Like Roadrunner said, you seldom run into any proprietary gas valves or ignition equipment on natural draft stuff. That shows up far more often in the realm of forced combustion and condensing type equipment.

With fuel prices being as they are, you might also want to take a look at gas fired radiant tube heaters. Efficiency is much better, and radiant heat will allow you to keep the shop comfortable at a lower temperature than what's required for comfort with warm air heat. First cost is higher, but operating cost can run half the cost of heating with unit heaters.

motorcyclemac · Dec 2, 2007

I can give you a thumbs up for the Reznor. I have the 100K unit in my shop. It has been hiccup free for over 10 yrs now. Works well, and is quiet. It was money well spent in my opinion. I would do it again with out hesitation.

Cheers
Mac.

2Slow · Dec 2, 2007

I have a buddy with hanging radiant heat, and although he swears by it, I don't like it. I don't think the heat is very even. I feel a lot warmer standing under the heater than 10 feet way.

I don't plan on keeping the shop heated when I am not using it. (nighttime, regular job hours etc). I think a forced air heat is the quickest way to bring air temp up when I want to play.

Since I am looking for quick temp rise, I am 90% sure I am going to go with the Modine or the Reznor, since they put out 100K BTU, while the Sterling's largest low profile unit is only 73K. 73K would probably be OK steady state (I used to use a 80K space heater before I got all the machine tools) but I'd prefer the extra output for quicker respone time.

The shop is a 30 X 40 pole barn with 3" of styrofoam insulation in the walls and 1" of styrofoam along the roof. I would call it lightly insulated at best. If I wanted to keep it heated year round, I would have to change the insulation situation.

The local guy is going to call Monday with exact price and I'll make my decision then. Keep the suggestions coming and I'll let you know what I pick.

-Joe

surplusjohn · Dec 2, 2007

hanging

if you get a Reznore, make sure you use nine inch nails to hang it.

Bobbyblackcloud · Dec 2, 2007

i am also looking at putting one of these hot dawg heaters in but as you say you are not well isolated i would recommend that you think about improving that.i know for sure that you can recoup what you spend on heat.i had a new years eve party in my shop before i insolated it just tarped up the walls and put in propane construction heaters we had four running all night to keep it nice it was very cold out.i bet that cost me about four hundred buck for the three days i kept the heat on. the next year i had it all isolated i heated the place with a 220 volt electric construction heater i figure costs me about 5 bucks a day.My shop is the same type construction.

dkmc · Dec 2, 2007

I've been looking for 2 for the back rooms in my shop.
I like the prices of the Sterling units.

I also am thinking of the sealed combustion units.
No corrosive fumes, but they use outside air, instead of pulling
the heated air from the room thru the unit and out of the building.
Kind of a self-defeating feature of any "inside air" heating unit or furnace.
Also remember, that air is made up with cold air that's pulled thru
the cracks and under doors. Over several heat seasons, I think there is significant savings in fuel, and worth 1.5x the price over the life of the unit.

dk

nine finger nystrom · Dec 2, 2007

shop furnace

I installed a hotdog in my first shop. Nice unit very efficient, only problem I had occured second season on start-up. starter relay went bad. Got the retrofit relay board installed it functioned flawlessly.
Moved to SE Wisconsin 1 1/2 yrs. ago present shop has modine 30 yrs. old runs like a champ.
I vote for a Modine- Hotdog
Hopefully you can purchase one wholesale like I did.
Tom

tigmusky · Dec 2, 2007

kinda of shady but may save you some bucks. used the name of a contractor in your area when you call the supply house and just say you will pick it up cash.that way you get the contrctor price. or if you know someone in the hvac to do this for you. most supply house's don't sell to people off the steet but do take cash sales. daye

2Slow · Dec 3, 2007

My local HVAC guy called me today.

He said he couldn't get the Modine HD125, the largest his distributor handled was a HD75.

The Sterling RF90 was $780 + tax, but that was a little small.

The Reznor UDAP125 was $968 + tax.

The local guy's initial estimate was $700 for the Reznor or Modine, $968 is a bit more. I tried to buy local, but I just couldn't with the price differential. I bought a Modine HD125 for less than the local guy wanted for the smaller Sterling RF90 from these guys. It should be here Thursday.

http://www.qcsupply.com/Products/9543.aspx

There were a few internet sites that advertised a slightly lower shipped price ($754), but they neede a week and a half to get it to me, while this place only needed 3 days. It might have been a mistake, but they gave it to me for $716.16 with shipping included even though the website showed $766.16

-Joe

2Slow · Dec 8, 2007

The heater arrived and I am installing it. The shop is 30 by 40, and I am going to put it in the rear corner of the shop. Should I point it at the opposite corner, or turn it a little towards the center of the front wall?

Thanks for the opinions,
-Joe

OT - Hanging unit heater brand advise

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