Heating a Garden Office

[Guvernator]

My Garden Office is finally complete but I need to think about heating it during the cold winter months.

It's not connected to the central heating as it's at the end of a 100ft garden so would have been a PITA so the only option I have is electric.

It's quite a large space at 24 m2 but it's well insulated with double glazed windows\doors and insulation in the walls and ceiling. I usually work in there a couple of times a week doing 8 hour stints so what would be the most efficient way to heat this area in winter?

[DonkeyApple]

If you have a supply of logs then a little narrow boat log burner that you can boil a kettle on top of has to be 'man cave' choice or just those cheap wall mounted electric radiators with timers is probably the most sensible?

[ecs]

I fitted these in my old flat (factory conversion, bugger all insulation, no gas):

http://www.electrorad.co.uk/digi-line-radiators

They kicked out a decent amount of heat and were reasonably economical to run - would need to check your wiring's up to the task.

[Guvernator]

DonkeyApple said:

If you have a supply of logs then a little narrow boat log burner that you can boil a kettle on top of has to be 'man cave' choice or just those cheap wall mounted electric radiators with timers is probably the most sensible?

While a log fire sounds ace, it's probably not very practical for my needs.

I've looked at those wall mounted electric radiators but can't help thinking running one of those for 8 hours plus a day isn't going to be cheap. Just wondering if an oil filled rad might be a bit more efficient?

[ecs]

Those ones are oil filled so they have a decent amount of thermal mass (they're pretty heavy!), means that they don't 'run' all day long. Sounds like you've got decent insulation so it'd be a case of heating them up at the start of the day, then they'd just top up throughout the day. They were loads cheaper to run than the old storage heaters they replaced.

[EggsBenedict]

I'm going with electric UFH in mine.

You say yours is finished though....

[Guvernator]

EggsBenedict said:

I'm going with electric UFH in mine.

You say yours is finished though....

Yeah floor is down already. It's very well insulated so didn't think it would be worth the expense of going for full UFH.

[Alucidnation]

Depends how deep your pockets are really...

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/bun%2feiq-12wm...

[Guvernator]

Alucidnation said:

Depends how deep your pockets are really...

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/bun%2feiq-12wm...

I did think about putting in an air con unit but I won't really need the cooling function, I'll need to put a big hole in the wall, they are noisy and probably cost a fortune in running costs.

I think I've settled on an electric oil filled rad. They seem to be the most efficient option if you are looking at running them all day as the fluid retains heat meaning it will stay warm for longer and not need to be on all the time.

[Alucidnation]

Fair enough but you would need a considerably sized oil filled rad for a room that size.

Indeed, you may not need the cooling function now but what about in the summer?

Also, they are not as expensive to run as you think, especially the newer ones.

[hairyben]

All electric space heaters are much the same for effciency. An oil rad wont be more or less than a panel or fan, if youve got x of air to heat to y temp it takes z of electric, whichever way you squeeze it out. Oil will be a bit slower to start, but probably nicer/ less drying form of heat, wheras a fan based heater can give more instant oomph but be noiser unless you spend. Most heaters will have a thermostat to cycle on/off when the room reaches a target temp, not just oil rads.

Radiant type heaters can use less power by working in a different way - radiating heat waves rather than attempting to heat all the air - but the heat can be "one dimensional" ie there can be a cold side.

[herewego]

Guvernator said:

Alucidnation said:

Depends how deep your pockets are really...

http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/bun%2feiq-12wm...

I did think about putting in an air con unit but I won't really need the cooling function, I'll need to put a big hole in the wall, they are noisy and probably cost a fortune in running costs.

I think I've settled on an electric oil filled rad. They seem to be the most efficient option if you are looking at running them all day as the fluid retains heat meaning it will stay warm for longer and not need to be on all the time.

Oil filled radiators are not cheaper or more expensive to run than any other electric heater because they all convert 100% of the electricity to heat. Many adverts for electric heaters such as TV shop or newspaper ads are total scams. A fan heater will give the quickest warm up but you may find the fan noise irritating. An air source heat pump will give you about 3 times as much heat for your money as an electric heater because it is extracting heat from the outside air. It will be much more expensive to buy though and if you only use the room occasionally it will be hard to justify.

Edited by herewego on Thursday 21st September 15:40

[Guvernator]

Unless global warming takes a massive upturn it doesn't really get hot enough to require air con cooling in the house in this country except for 1 or 2 days a year so I doubt the garden office will either. If it does get warm I have 3 windows and a patio door I can open.

Also I'm not a massive fan of the noise and all the paraphernalia plus maintenance required for air con unit. I've seen installations of these in other countries overseas but the extreme heat can justify it, I just don't think it's necessary here.

The air pump is an interesting idea but again seems a bit overkill. It's a proper room with roof\wall insulation, a proper floor and double glazed windows so I'm not seeing a massive need to over engineer the heating\cooling solution so I think a decent sized 2kw oil filled rad should be more than enough.

I will of course take it all back if I end up freezing my nuts off this winter or having to strip down to my Y fronts in summer.

[newbie29]

I would use this plastic coating piping. and connect it to the central heating.

http://www.commercialfuelsolutions.co.uk/oil-heati...

Portable heater would work great in a small space

[caziques]

All heat pumps are air conditioners.

Virtually all heat pumps available in the UK will be reverse cycle, ie they can heat the air as well.

A small heat pump, with say a 3kW output, will generally consume under 1kWhr when heating - and hopefully would cost around £1000 installed.

Straight choice, low cost electric heater with high running costs. High capital cost of a heat pump with low running costs.

[Spare tyre]

Insert heated pads into the seat, fitted them to cars before now

My Mrs has a 240v heated cushion, cheap to run keeps her warm (she's always cold)

Contemplating slipping a few into the sofa at her end

[mikeiow]

Spare tyre said:

Insert heated pads into the seat, fitted them to cars before now

My Mrs has a 240v heated cushion, cheap to run keeps her warm (she's always cold)

Contemplating slipping a few into the sofa at her end

Heh heh: but very true: heating the personal space can make a big difference. My study (over a double garage) was well insulated but foolishly we had a 'stylish' apex ceiling....so does struggle to get warm unless the est of the house is roasting.....I have an oil heater near my desk that warms that area up nicely in the depths of winter without having to heat X cubic m or air (where X is too big!!)
I've been known to sport fingerless gloves on really bad days......

[Guvernator]

mikeiow said:

Heh heh: but very true: heating the personal space can make a big difference. My study (over a double garage) was well insulated but foolishly we had a 'stylish' apex ceiling....so does struggle to get warm unless the est of the house is roasting.....I have an oil heater near my desk that warms that area up nicely in the depths of winter without having to heat X cubic m or air (where X is too big!!)
I've been known to sport fingerless gloves on really bad days......

Exactly for this reason that I've bought a decent portable oil heater. I did think about a wall mounted one as they look nicer but that would need to heat the whole room. The portable one I've got is powerful enough to heat the whole room anyway but I'd rather not waste energy trying to do that so it'll be sat near my computer desk when I'm working and moved near the sofa when I'm lounging.

[krusty]

We have a couple of these and they're great. Calor do their own version that's a little cheaper as well

https://www.calor.co.uk/thurcroft-portable-gas-hea...

[hairyben]

krusty said:

We have a couple of these and they're great. Calor do their own version that's a little cheaper as well

https://www.calor.co.uk/thurcroft-portable-gas-hea...

Does it not put a lot of moisture in the air?