Heating options for garden office ?

Have you already got electric down there?

 

What size cable? What size is the over current protective device? How long is the run of cable?

 

Would have gone with 16mm, and that's without calculation.
I would have a look at air source heat pump, expensive to buy , but cheap to run. Also cools in summer!

 

How about a calor gas style heater. The link has a calculator. A 15kg bottle will last just over 100 hours at a 2kw setting.
Obviously it cant be used for long periods in an unventilated or small room.
Also this option means having to order gas and get it delivered or pick it up.
The electric option is probably easier and safer though.
May be a stupid idea but it's an option.
http://www.homeheatingshop.com/calor-gas-heaters/

 

Hi Cigano.

I reckon it's as simple as this - it all comes down to how well you insulate that room.

You say you have 'boarded and plastered' it out, can you explain further? You add that you are going to tile it - what tiles, and on what surface?

If you had used, say, 40mm insulated plasterboard for the walls and ceiling and added even a one-inch layer of Celotex-type insulation to the floor, whilst also ensuring that draughts were kept well controlled, then I'd suggest that - ooh - a 1kw heater would be adequate. More than.

I base this on the room I am sitting it which is around 15' x 8', has a single block wall which has only the thinnest insulted p'board on it - and is kept cosy by the heat from the PC.

Insulation insulation insulation.

BUT, it doesn't have to be a lot.

 

It's "should have said..."

(No way I'd correct you to your face, tho', having checked your avatar... )

I can't see you having any issues with this, provided that the level of insulation is good (I cannot comment on what you've done, and how well you've done it). Any insulation on the floor? It doesn't need much down there, but does need something, especially if you are planning to tile it.

Even if you need a couple or more of kw during colder times, your 10mm SWA should cope easily. If you want neat, then I don;t see what you shouldn't go for your own idea - a couple of smallish (600W?) oil-filled (or other type) low profile wall-mounted panels (best have more than one as it's a long room) and that should be adequate for most of the year. During the few colder months, bring in a floor-standing back-up if needed.

 

Wfe was looking at this for her shed,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boat-Stov...598174?hash=item212761231e:g:WwIAAOSwal5YMMAK

We have a burner in the house and a constant supply of free wood. Just a thought if you can get wood cheap.

Might stick wit the an electric heater as I hope to insulate it well, but not entirely discarded from our build.

Good luck with it.

 

If you fancy a woodburner, there are - as you suspect - lots of things to consider.

Going through the roof is the least of it, because I think I would personally go through the wall instead, using a couple of cranked elbows - one inside and one oot.

But you also need to ensure the flue is high enough to draw effectively - and that needs to take into account the roof height, shape, surrounding buildings etc.

And, obviously, you need to ensure you have a hearth/plinth, wall protection, heat plates etc to protect the structure.

If you would like one, then go for it - they do add a wonderful 'biance.

(I'd go for bigger than that wee one tho', 'cos you'd be forever filling it...)

 

Wife has a friend who has a shed with a small pot bellied stove and she uses charcoal type smokeless fuel to save her filling with wood constantly. That one Above is quite Dinky tho. Wall would be my first choice simply to negate any leaks.

We've an 8.4 kW one in the house (71 wimpy detached generic with extension) with the doors open and the Eco fan on the top it heats the whole house nicely. Sometimes the back door needs opened tho.

£6 for a monthly gas bill was the best yet. Cost £1800 to put in about 6 years ago tho.

 

While I have a wood burner and really like it. I would not go with that as the only heat source. Do you really want to turn up on a winters morning to have to start up the stove before you get any heat in the room, which will be sitting well down into the single digits C. The other issue is that when it starts to get a bit warmer and you just need a bit of a boost, they can be over powering in a small room.

Personally I have an air source heat pump in my office, really good, heat in winter, cooling in summer, it is amazing how quickly small rooms with glass get too hot in even a mildly warm day. I think min is an 800w unit that gives the equiv of 2.3kw of heat. It runs off a thermostatic time switch, so comes on in the morning before I start, so nice and comfortable in the winter, even on -C days it still gets heat out of the air.

I chose one pre gassed with quick couplers so no need for an installer

 

I use a dimplex oil filled portable radiator. Has built in timer. Doesn't seem too greedy to run. My little garage office is well insulated.

 

What sort of cost for the unit, Craig?

 

It was about £250~£300 from memory, not cheap, so it's a longer term proposal, but on the basis I felt I needed about 2~2.5kw to work for my needs it's about £0.40/hr to run that on traditional heating, in the winter it was running for a big part of the day, so probably close to 30hrs / week, I expected it would be about £100 to run it over winter then probably £50 to cover the other months, so £150/yr. On the heat pump for the same duration's its probably closer to £40 in electricity, so it's a 3 year payback.
You have to do the sums before going into it due to the capital costs.