Best Way To Heat A Pole Barn
The end of the year is nearly upon us, and with that comes the holidays and the cold weather! With many of us spending more time at home because of COVID, now is the perfect time to reimagine how to heat garages and pole barns. No more forced hot air heaters hanging in the corner and putting out heat that just stays near ceiling! Garages and pole barns are being used inventively now. Whether a socially distant family gathering or the more traditional workshop setting, infrared radiant heat is the best choice for heating your space. Great Lakes Radiant has many solutions for your heating needs!
We’ve previously covered the LS3/LD3 Series infrared radiant tube heater lines from Detroit Radiant Products. You can find that discussion here. These units are residentially approved and can be installed in attached garages while meeting all appropriate regulations and codes. As always, clearances to combustibles must be followed when installing a tube heater in any application. These units have lower BTUs and lower clearances making them perfect for a garage bordering a residential space. Should the pole barn have lower ceiling heights and require lower clearances from the infrared heater, the LS3/LD3 Series is the right choice.
However, if you have a large, free-standing garage or pole barn you have a laundry list of options to choose from to heat the space. The most common heater selected for these spaces is the HL3 Series, a two-stage, gas-fired infrared tube heater with a BTU range of 75k to 200k and lengths from 20 to 70 feet.
When deciding which BTU size and heater length is right for your pole barn, an application survey is a great place to start. Dimensions of the space, insulation, windows and doors (especially overhead doors), and space utilization all must be considered. The sales staff at Great Lakes Radiant will need to know if there are any special considerations that need to be included as well. Are there combustible chemicals in the space? Does the customer want to vent out of the sidewall rather than the roof? Does the space have overhead car lifts that should be avoided? These are just a few examples of considerations during the product selection process.
Once the correct heater has been selected for the application, accessories are a must! Hanging chains, venting materials, and thermostats all complete the package for any customer. We recommend air intake from outside the space and venting the exhaust outside as well. Outside fresh air intake prolongs the life of your heater by ensuring that any dust, wood chips, or other contaminates that may be in the air of the workspace don’t end up inside the heater.
If you’re looking for ways to heat your garage or pole barn workspace, infrared radiant heat via a low-intensity tube heater may be the right fit. While high intensity “box” heaters can heat a small work area, tube heaters heat large spaces more efficiently. Consider contacting Great Lakes Radiant about your next pole barn or garage project and let us assist you in selecting the perfect way to stay warm!
Great Lakes Radiant offers Re-Verber-Ray products, manufactured in the United States by Detroit Radiant Products. Give us a call at 888-501-0252 or send us an email at [email protected] for more information.