Commercial heating
The number of warm air heaters and their positioning are important in ensuring efficient warm air distribution. A well-designed system will ensure hardly any variation in temperature throughout the area. In warm weather the fans of warm air heaters can be used to circulate air without heating it, creating cooling draughts. In hazardous areas where flammable vapours
that are lighter than air are present, BS6230 dictates that warm air heaters can only be used if all incoming air to the heater is outside air (no recirculated air) and the outlets from ducts into the space are at least 1.8m above floor level. They should have full automatic and proven pre-purge and post-purge of the combustion chamber and any associated inlet/outlet ducts. In hazardous areas where flammable vapours that
are heavier than air are present such as petrol, BS6230 dictates warm air heaters may be suspended from the ceiling or mounted on a wall within the space. The bottom of suspended warm air heaters should be at least 1.8m above the floor to comply with BS6230. If there is the potential for inflammable or explosive gases in the workshop, a warm air heating system supplied with hot water from an external boiler room will usually be the best option. Any electrical apparatus in these situations that is within 1.2m of the floor level within the heated space should be protected in line with BS EN 60079-10-1. In other areas, warm air heaters may be suspended from the ceiling, mounted on a wall or they may stand directly on the floor within the space.
Powrmatic radiant heater
Floor-standing heaters are only suitable for workshops where there are no heavier-than-air flammable gases present (see above). Whilst they occupy some of the floor space their position means they are easy to access for maintenance. In a workshop with a very high roof it may be advisable to use destratification fans to re- circulate warm air from the roof space back into the working zone.
Energy efficiency
Clearly it’s important that the selected heating system can be controlled effectively to minimise energy costs. Radiant heating can be quite sluggish in responding to changes in heating requirements as it takes time for the hot surfaces to cool down. In
Powrmatic warm air heater
contrast, warm air heating systems are very responsive so they can be controlled very efficiently. Typical control options include optimum start/stop with weather compensation, adjustable frost protection and summer cooling. In a large workshop with multiple warm air heaters it should be possible to control all of these through a single interface.
Summary
There is no single, off-the-shelf heating solution for workshops. By their very nature, each workshop will have a unique layout and be used for a variety of jobs. Arriving at the best solution, therefore, requires a detailed understanding of the space and how it is used, along with a clear idea of how the different heating options work.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVED RUNNING COSTS REDUCED
COMPACT SIZE CREATED NEW STORAGE SPACE
EXTREMELY RELIABLE
TO ENSURE CONSTANT TEMPERATURE
www.heatingandventilating.net
November 2017
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