NEED: Safe and cheap heaters for a large acrylic tank!
- Thread starter JeZtuR
- Start date
If you are questioning the cost of the heater you likely are going to have a big problem with the bill.
If I were to heat a tank in an unheated garage (luckily mine is heated) I would debate adding another hydronic zone or tapping into a gas hot water heater and making a recirculating loop with stainless recirculating pump.
If I were to heat a tank in an unheated garage (luckily mine is heated) I would debate adding another hydronic zone or tapping into a gas hot water heater and making a recirculating loop with stainless recirculating pump.
I don't think cheap and safe really go together as far as heaters go.
Cost of running the heater is an issue as the previous poster pointed out. If your garage is unheated which I assume it is, since you pointed out how cold it gets there your heaters are going to be on a lot. If you can heat your tank with 1000 watts and your heaters are on all the time to maintain the temperature. It's going to cost approximately 60 dollars a month to heat if your electricity is only .08 kWh.
I'd recommend buying a point of use tankless water heater and a stainless pump and connect to a ranco temperature controller to maintain your temperature. It'd probably cost 500 for the setup, but be cheaper to use.
Cost of running the heater is an issue as the previous poster pointed out. If your garage is unheated which I assume it is, since you pointed out how cold it gets there your heaters are going to be on a lot. If you can heat your tank with 1000 watts and your heaters are on all the time to maintain the temperature. It's going to cost approximately 60 dollars a month to heat if your electricity is only .08 kWh.
I'd recommend buying a point of use tankless water heater and a stainless pump and connect to a ranco temperature controller to maintain your temperature. It'd probably cost 500 for the setup, but be cheaper to use.
I don't think that any electric hot water heater is going to be cost effective whether it be tankless water heater or conventional in tank heater. I have to believe that the efficiency of a Ebo Jager heater is nearly nearly 99%.
I would KILL for 8c/kw! I am at nearly 17-18C/kw.
I was talking about a natural gas or propane tankless water heater. I would agree trading one electric heater for another is hardly worth while. Yeah ours in Kansas is luckily only 8 cents right now. I know some places are a lot more.
Thanks for all the great input guys. Really appreciate the response as I'm debating on what to do. We'll I tried to insulate the garage as best as I could and yet this week it'll drop in the single digits. I'll be running a space heater in the garage along with 3 300watt heaters in the acrylic tank. As for the heaters, which brand should I go with? I've heard Jagars is pretty good?
well they are only $75 or so but require a controller, i love my controller with 2 1000 watt heaters, took care of my heating problem. i tried the multiple 300 watt heater option, i had 5 ebo jager 300 watt heaters and didn't heat worth a crap in my opinion and the thermostats were always coming on and off, had to always adjust etc. i love my jehmco/controller setup.
Safe and Cheap aren't normally something I categorize together. However, I personally like the Via Aqua Titanium heaters. I have one that is over 13 years old and still running strong. I'd run Two 300W Heaters in your set up. No need for a controller as these come with their own. And what's great is at the LFS they go for about $100.00 a piece, but online you can find them for as low as $35.00 a piece.
http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=UGHiToaUOOXY0QHeipyJBg&ved=0CGIQ8wIwAA
Mike
http://www.google.com/products/cata...a=X&ei=UGHiToaUOOXY0QHeipyJBg&ved=0CGIQ8wIwAA
Mike
i think he will need more than 2 300 watt heaters in an unheated garage and cold climate with 300 gallons
