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[Farmer85]

While I am pondering what to do about my underground lines next summer while I dig in new I would like to add a heat loop to my garage. I would have to dig about 50' and I could dig it up through the edge of the slab and make a chase for it to run up the wall into my rafters to a wta heat exchanger I am wondering what would be my best way? I would like to be able have a separate pump and loop that I could have a line voltage thermostat turn on the fan and pump. I would not use this that much so i have concerns about freezing while not in use. I guess I am thinking if not in use why have water circulate through loop and loose heat? What are some options? I do not run glycol currently in my system. Sometimes it would be nice to leave shop 50* and sometimes 70*. For the most part if I don't have a project going on I just don't need to heat it. Thanks

[Jared43758]

I'm at 1 cord of hardwood and 3/4 cord pine, burning since October1, heating house and water

[MerrellRoofing]

I just let my water circulate thru my garage loop and only run heat when I need it. Would be a waste to set at 50* if your not out there everyday.

[mlappin]

Could always use a Taco Delta T pump and set it at minimum circulation. Once you need heat it will ramp up and supply enough water. I believe as well it qualifies for a tax rebate as its considered an energy saving device.

[RSI]

I would not turn a pump off if the pipe or heat exchanger is where it gets under 40 degrees at any time of the year. You could put a heat exchanger in so you can run glycol in just that part of the system if you have to shut the pump off.

If the only reason to turn the pump off is to minimize heat loss, you could put a mixing valve at the OWB so you can run colder water in the loop when you aren't using heat. Then either a manual bypass or zone valve could be opened to supply hotter water when you need heat.

If you want to save power to, I would use a Grundfos Alpha pump and just restrict the flow till you get 1 or 2 gpm. On auto mode it should cut the power way back.

If you want to do it cheap, you could probably just put a small bypass before the pump and then a valve in the shop. When you open it, the Alpha would ramp up the flow and more would go to/from the OWB. When restricted, the flow should be low enough that most goes through the bypass.
Since that way has no thermostatic control, you would need to monitor it once in a while to make sure if was getting enough heat.

[MScott]

I have a heat exchanger for the garage in-floor heating which is glycol filled. I usually keep the garage at around 50F but the pump is controlled by a thermostat so I could reduce or even shut off the garage circulation if desired.

[agriffinjd]

Start storing liquid stuff in your garage then you'll have a reason to always have it warm!  :-)

I have a line running to a hanging blower, and the blower is on a thermostat.  I leave the water pump running all the time, and keep the temp in the garage to around 68 or so, 24/7.  I love having a warm garage to walk into any time, and to park my truck in it and have all the snow melt off it and I leave the windows open to rid the humidity inside the truck.  Second year doing it this way and it's worked great.

[AirForcePOL]

Start storing liquid stuff in your garage then you'll have a reason to always have it warm!  :-)

I have a line running to a hanging blower, and the blower is on a thermostat.  I leave the water pump running all the time, and keep the temp in the garage to around 68 or so, 24/7.  I love having a warm garage to walk into any time, and to park my truck in it and have all the snow melt off it and I leave the windows open to rid the humidity inside the truck.  Second year doing it this way and it's worked great.

There's nothing better than a warm garage! 

[mlappin]

Start storing liquid stuff in your garage then you'll have a reason to always have it warm!  :-)

I have a line running to a hanging blower, and the blower is on a thermostat.  I leave the water pump running all the time, and keep the temp in the garage to around 68 or so, 24/7.  I love having a warm garage to walk into any time, and to park my truck in it and have all the snow melt off it and I leave the windows open to rid the humidity inside the truck.  Second year doing it this way and it's worked great.

There's nothing better than a warm garage!

Aye, I’ve been working in the shop in nothing but a long sleeve T and jeans. Beats the heck out of heavy gloves and Carharts back in the dark ages.

[U.P. Doug]

I love having a warm garage workshop! I went a different route with mine. It is a large hydraulic cooler that I flushed and mounted it on the floor of my garage . It is below the boiler, so my pump is by the exchanger and I have two fans to move the heat. I wired in a 110v thermostat that controls a double outlet that I can plug one or both fans into. I built a small workbench around the exchanger with 2 furnace filters on the sides for in coming air and the front open to blow the hot air. I find that even when I have the pump shut off, my exchanger is still hot probably due to the fact it is below the boiler.