i have a gas heater i am going to install soon but i am going to be shooting primer and maybe paint in the garage soon and i need it to stay warm. i have 6 220 750 watt electric baseboard heaters that are brand new adn i didnt pay much for them. if i install these will they 1 keep it warm and 2 is it ok to use during painting?? my garage is attached, about 12x24 and is insulated pretty well. i know gas heaters are a no no but are electric??
electric baseboard heaters to heat garage during painting??
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I wouldn't do that if I were you... Ever heard of a flash fire? It's what can happen when a space heater has a spark inside when turning on. Paint fumes are extremely flammable, so you could light the whole garage on fire. Plus, you need to ventilate the area with plenty of fresh air, so the heat would be drawn out, and they would not make a real difference. Paint fumes are quite harmful to your health, and can not only be absorbed by breathing them. They will be absorbed through your skin and eyes too. Also, the paint will not go on right below a certain temperature. I know this from experience. I'll spare the details, but it basically got cold out and I had paid for the booth, so I tried to paint it anyhow. What a nightmare that was to sand off and fix. Try to find a local shop with a heated booth and rent it from them. Your car and health will thank you for it.
with electric baseboards there is no flame or igniter, they just get hot and not even red hot or anything. i also have 2 fans that will be sucking out all of the fumes at all times. the breaker deal is no issue, my best freind is a electrcian and he said i am fine doing thism we are just worried about the flash fire deal but since there is no flame i dont see a issue?? i read about another guy that used a similar electric heater and had been painting with it on for some time....
Well, I was thinking in terms of a space heater. The thermostat could spark when it kicks on. I have one in my house for heat as my house does not have working heat otherwise, so I am familiar with how they work. Remember that the heater element will be red hot when it is on, and if this is above the temperature where the fumes will ignite, it will ignite the fumes.
the only thing i'd worry about is getting paint residue on the heater elements, that WILL burn and put out some really nasty sh*t.
Technically the fan could also spark a fire. That being said, I've made paint booths were the fan is pushing in fresh air. But I've found that a fan sucking out the fumes keeps the dust down better. As for the base heaters, I don't think you will have a problem as long as the thermostat or water heater isn't in the room. I suggest waiting for a warmer day and getting the right reducer for your temp. Nothing sucks more than sanding down a fresh paint job!
If you are worried about a flash fire then just turn the heat off while you are painting ( with a drop cloth over the baseboard heaters to keep the paint in the atmosphere from settling on the heater coil(s)) and as you have stated the exhaust will be pulled outside. Maybe wait 15-20 mins after painting to clear out the room and then turn the heaters back on.
You probably know that the car itself will retain the cold and subsequent moisture so it will take a while to warm it up and let the moisture "bleed" off the car before you can paint.
I really cannot see how a baseboard heater could ever get hot enough to create a flash fire because they have the built in safety device ( set at appx 90 deg F ) so the element does not ever get to the point where it is red- hot.
For example; I have 5 - 4' long x 220v heaters ( **with the safety shutoff removed ) in a 96" x 60" x 24" heat tube. Those 5 heaters running full tilt will only bring that box up to 160 deg F with 4 fans and a belt driven assembly line running thru it ( used in the print industry for flashing off a silicone based dust repellant coating for signage ). We have been doing this for 3 years and over 1.5 Million sheets fed thru. The Paper / Styrene signs have fallen off the assembly line and right on to the heater element and sat for hours with no fire ( to date ! LOL ), the styrene signs may curl and melt a little but not hot enough to set the place on fire.
In short I am sure they will work fine for what you want but I would not want to pay your hydro bill though if you plan on leaving them on overnight.
You probably know that the car itself will retain the cold and subsequent moisture so it will take a while to warm it up and let the moisture "bleed" off the car before you can paint.
I really cannot see how a baseboard heater could ever get hot enough to create a flash fire because they have the built in safety device ( set at appx 90 deg F ) so the element does not ever get to the point where it is red- hot.
For example; I have 5 - 4' long x 220v heaters ( **with the safety shutoff removed ) in a 96" x 60" x 24" heat tube. Those 5 heaters running full tilt will only bring that box up to 160 deg F with 4 fans and a belt driven assembly line running thru it ( used in the print industry for flashing off a silicone based dust repellant coating for signage ). We have been doing this for 3 years and over 1.5 Million sheets fed thru. The Paper / Styrene signs have fallen off the assembly line and right on to the heater element and sat for hours with no fire ( to date ! LOL ), the styrene signs may curl and melt a little but not hot enough to set the place on fire.
In short I am sure they will work fine for what you want but I would not want to pay your hydro bill though if you plan on leaving them on overnight.
itsnotanova said:
Kinda hard for the thermostat to control the temp in the room if it's not IN the room... :wink:
Your point is a good one, however. Any spark can potentially cause a fire. This even goes for the pressure switch on your air compressor. It should be outside the paint area.
I wasn't sure what kind of baseboard heaters he has. Some have thermostats on them. One time I painted a ccar in a make shift paint booth when it was in the low 50's outside. I had one of those kerosene heaters that look like a jet motor and I would turn it on between coats. Worked real good
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