Parked in Shop w heat!

Well, our first real cold snap is here! all I could think of is Rob! lol I started singing the same songs as him. Thankfully its just a day/night of this...Im not ready for this.

25 outside right now, but we missed the snow....only had a dusting last night.

I decided to save everyone from hearing me complain about this for the next 5 months, so I am just going to winterize both machines this winter.

My plan is to only work 3 days out of the week and winterize for the other 4 days. That should cut down on the heating costs and save me some grey hair.

Besides, I prefer to work marathons over a couple of days than small jobs all week long anyway.

Sounds like three dog nights are already there Milspec.

5 months?

I'm a pessimist when it comes to the arrival of Spring.....I am also half groundhog.

How much is your gas bill in the winter Rob ? ( I assume it's gas heating, isn't it ? )

It will be vastly different this year unfortunately. The house is gas heat, but the vans are all electric space heaters and up until this year, I received a very good electricity discount as an employee benefit.

The house (2.5 story 3 bed home) runs about $150 with the winter electric in previous years being about $75. This year, I am expecting the electricity to double at a minimum since corporate took away the discount so that they could afford better bonuses to the senior managers.

Is that a house provided by your day job company?

Not provided, just powered by them.

We used to get the same rates as when the plant opened back in the 70's as a perk....a really nice perk actually. Then the management was turned over to an outside corporation and the bean counters changed everything.

We can't even get free coffee any longer.

Damn, that's cheap !! In california you probably have to pay double that if not more with a few space heaters running most of the day.

It really has been a bargain...and that was with 2-1500 watt heaters running 24/7 when the temps dipped below 40 degrees.

This year....will soon see.

What heaters did you use? I got a new one and was 20 minutes trying to figure the best for reliability and eventually went with the $19 heater....I liked the porcelain model but had one setting and thermostat....cheapy I got had two settings and thermostat and Ive had them in the past...good heater. was about to spend $59 on one but boiled down to 1500 watts as well.

The important thing is that a watt is a watt, so all heaters put out the same at the same rating. Heaters might be shaped different and claim all kinds of junk, but a 1500 watt heater puts out the same 1500 watts as the other equally rated heater.

I like the small ceramic type heaters with a fan for tight spaces, but over the last 6 years, it has been the oil filled heater that wins out as the most reliable and safe heaters for the vans.

The key is to find one with a good digital thermostat like the Honeywell. I have used the same oil filled radiator heaters for the last 3 years running 24/7 for the winter without a problem.

http://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-Radiator-Digital-Controls-HZ-709/dp/B000FVAK8G

The only downside is that the heating at the floor surface isn't great, so if you have a lot of risky lines on the floor, you might need a fan unit like those ceramics.

I place one right next to the butler unit and a second one in the rear of the van to protect the water softener and storage tank. Between the two, I can maintain 60 degrees with single digit temperatures outside.

Is that heater that much better than the similar looking ones for less than $100?

I would say that it is Ken. I went through several of the cheaper ones with the dial thermostat that I bought at the farm implement stores.

The cheaper ones all burned out during the same winter and even worse, tended to shut off due to a weak over-heat safety device. When they shut off, they don't come back on unless you manually turn them on.

That Honeywell has never done that shutting off thing to me ever, but a cheap brand did and froze my softener solid.

There are better ones than the Honeywell probably, but the price is good and they have been bullet proof for me.

If you shop online, you can normally find that heater for around $70 or even open box items for $50. There is no issue with missing parts as there aren't really any to lose....heater and wheels, and that is it.

That link you gave takes me to a page where they sell for $229.00

Thanks Rob...I have two heaters...I run one at temp I like and the other only kicks on if the other fails and temp drops. So, two helps me sleep.

Ken Raddon wrote:That link you gave takes me to a page where they sell for $229.00

I just saw that too....they are freakin crazy with that price. I have never seen them at that price, saw a pair of them for sale on ebay new-in-box for $146.

Devon07 wrote:Thanks Rob...I have two heaters...I run one at temp I like and the other only kicks on if the other fails and temp drops. So, two helps me sleep.

That's the way I run them as well...the cargo area one is set to a lower temperature as protection in the event the first one shuts off or can't keep up. You really only need to keep things at 40 degrees in there, but I shoot for 50 degrees for piece of mind.

This Winter im going to plumb gas to my shop....its easy for what needs to be done, buying a shop heater will be what I need to wait on....still needs an electric door opener. Im knocking out my needs a little every day!

I'm still going back and forth on that kind of project as well. I would rather just move and start over with the garage built to what I want instead of upgrading this one.

Being single, I am really contemplating just building a block firehouse outside of town with a couple of large bays and living quarters above them. Probably be able to built it for far less than a house with 2 car garage.

Thats a good idea Rob....before my son was born my wife and I lived in a strip mall....I rented out 6 units and converted the 7th into a home....to this day was the nicest place I lived! I spared no cost and when I had my big carpet company before, had workers to keep busy....we would build as time allowed and I made a really cool pad....rooms were huge and I had a front office with a street frontage along with a shop for all my equipment on the end of all units....I couldn't have purchased a better place...I rented each unit as it was empty when I purchased it... a barber shop....a union hall, a head shop, a sandwich shop, a massage parlor, and an AA meeting place. What a funny mix!! and dont forget I lived there and had the carpet cleaning company on the other end.....we were next to a church. LOL

I sold it at a huge gain because I didnt want to really sale....A doctor purchased it from me to get rid of the head shop! (I didnt know).....funny thing is, he did then sold it a year later! guess who bought it????? The people who had the head shop went through another name and got it...now each unit has something the doctor doesn't like! true story guys! (Massage, Vapor shop, head shop, Tobacco cigar store, liquor store and some kind of which craft something or another...LMAO!

Not a liquor store...its a trinket type store that sells things for gambling, shot glasses, cards, adult games and a room in the back for adults only (IDK) all that kind of stuff...thought it was a liquor store but I was wrong! Its an eye sore for the bible belt....as far as they are concerned.

Living in a strip mall....I love it.

I actually used to joke about moving into a vacant store in the Mall and operating a small lounge for lost husbands. Was going to call it "Dad's" and you would of had to surrender you keys before ordering a drink and then be forced to ask "Dad" for the keys to the car when you left.

I guess we keep thinking in similar veins.