If it's not one thing...

[BrokenolMarine]

It's three or four....

The new woodshop is climate controlled. We paid a premium for a quality system that wouldn't run us an arm and a leg and would keep the temps in the 65-68 degree range year round due to the paints and chemicals, finishes and equipment in the building. The temps have stayed right at 68 degrees since we flipped the on switch and the electric bill hasn't been much more than 30 bucks more than average for each month. Not bad.

Now, coldest winter we can remember, overnight temps in the single digits. Still, temps have been steady and it's been a joy to don the coat to roll my walker from door to door and work in the flannel shirt in the shop in comfort. Got out there this morning and ... ... something just wasn't right?
Took a gander at the thermometer on the wall and ... Fifty Some degrees?

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I checked the temp set on the remote control for the interior unit. It's mounted HIGH on the wall, so you have a TV style controller. Ah... still set at 68 degrees. Nope, that's not the problem. I switched from the AUTO setting recommended by the HVAC guy when we first turned her on and where it's been since: TO HEAT. I I turned on the FAN and set it to high. I expected the roar (okay, loud PURRRR,) of the fan we got when he demonstrated this feature.... Nada.

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I called the HVAC guy and he answered sounding harried. I explained the problem and he said it could be a freeze lockout, but he'd have to come look, but was swamped. "As you might imagine, this cold snap has done me in." He said, he sounded exhausted already. "I can get to you late Thursday, or Early Friday." Yup, I understood, but ... I have a building full of stuff the cold will damage. He told me to try shutting down the main power to the unit outside, wait thirty seconds and restart. I did this; and will give it two hours. The outside unit is mounted up on the wall on the back of the shop so the finish mower can pass right under it, and it's easy to weed eat around. A nice touch. Right now I am NOT admiring it.... since it crapped out.

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If the temps don't start to climb in the shop since the reset after an hour or so, I'll put my portable propane heater in the building and overheat 'er. (75 or 80) and then shut it down. That should keep it warm in this WELL insulated building for 24 hours or so. I'll repeat the propane heat until he gets 'er going again. This old gem is more than 20 years old, and uses the OLD style propane tanks. It's hard to get them filled, and eventually I'll have to find a new heater. But like me, old, but still works... mostly.

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Big bucks for a really cool system... sheesh... it should work.

[BrokenolMarine]

Well, the temps didn't drop in the shop, but they didn't go up either...
So old faithful was called in off the bench and is in the game. I'll check after a half hour and see what the old thermometer has to say about the old guy's performance, then follow up a half hour after that if he's still needed in the game.

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Funny, it didn't take but a minute to get him "Fired Up," and he's been out of play for over two years, sitting and waiting. The last time I called on the old boy was when I taught a winter firearms class. Put up a three sided pop up tent, and we were all toasty warm as we shot the range portion with snow on the ground around us.

[BrokenolMarine]

In seventy five minutes, the little guy added ten degrees to the shop temp. I shut it down and will keep a weather eye on the shop until the HVAC Guy makes his appearance.

[clovishound]

Be careful with those unvented heaters. They can be deadly.

[BrokenolMarine]

Yup, monitored the time, and it's a large building vented by the hvac, which was still cycling.
I'm leaving it running to vent the various chemicals I use.

[BrokenolMarine]

But thanks for lookin out

[daytime dave]

Good luck and watch out for the old boy.

In the Northeast, the weather really takes a toll on all kinds of equipment. Mostly the vehicles and the salt.

[JEBar]

over the years we've worn out a good number of single burner, along with some more double burner heaters .... when used properly, they do a very good job .... I have a couple out in the garage which I need to dig out and make sure they are serviceable for use during power outages

[BrokenolMarine]

With everything invested, I don't want to take any chances, so I use that when I can keep an eye on it. I heated the small shop with it for twenty years. LOL.
It always did right by me, but if you used it too long, the shop took on an odor of propane. I always had a fan in the window on one end blowing OUT, with an open window on the other end for good airflow. Kept the shop warm in SPITE of the draft. LOL.

Since I wasn't going to STAY in the shop, once I had the temps back up above 60, I put a large oscillating electric heater in the shop that we normally use in tandem for Miss T's small shop, just to keep it above freezing. I just checked the shop and it's still 65 degrees. That should hold us til the "guy" gets here in the next 24 to 36 hours; and the system is under warranty. (That is the best news of all.... )

[Abnermal]

If your heater uses the propane connection I think it does the new propane bottles will work. The outside threads on the valve connection are coarse right hand thread but the female threads on the inside are left hand fine. Which I THINK is what your connection is I hope Had a backup heater at an old workplace like yours once. They put out a bunch of heat.

[BrokenolMarine]

The HVAC guy came by about 4pm yesterday, and found that indeed the system had suffered a freeze lock due to the extended extreme temps. The temps we are experiencing are outside the performance envelope for the system... and not something we normally see in our area. It has been years.

He also said with the fine dust my shop produces, I not only need to keep the internal unit filters clean, but the coils ckean, blown out, on a regular basis. This is something he never mentioned during installation, guess it never occurred to him. Back up and running.

[Abnermal]

It has been years since this part of the country has seen temps like this. Hope it's a whole lot more years till we see it again! Glad that you are once again operational.

[BigAl52]

Im on freeze lock right now. Dont see anyway out of it till about April. Freezin outside and locked inside where its warm.

[BrokenolMarine]

Went back out to the shop on Sunday and the system was back in Freeze Lock. I can't be upset with the contractor or the HVAC guy, neither of whom could have predicted the two weeks of single digit temps which are highly unusual in our area. The system isn't designed to function in this weather and our HVAC guy is running his behind off right now. We are supposed to get a warming trend for the next couple weeks. I will call him and ask what he recommends... a backup electrical heat system and shut off this unit when we get another spell like this?

The single floor model electric unit is keeping the well insulated woodshop at 60 degrees all on it's own.

[daytime dave]

Do you have a generator? It seems that the electricity goes out a lot when areas get cold snaps. A generator powerful enough to run the electrical heat in the shop might be handy.

[BrokenolMarine]

We refinanced a few years ago and did the new roof thing, the added a 20k generac and upped the propane tank from 300 to 500 gallons. It's all automatic, self tests every Wednesday, and can run the entire house and the shops.

[BrokenolMarine]

Warmer weather. Temps hit nearly fifty and melted the ice and snow. I reset the system.. and it appears to be working fine. We will check into a small propane burner to be wall mounted that is vented, with it's own 20 gallon tank. The other option is to stick with the small electric floor heat, or a larger ceiling mount unit, only for these record low periods. Hope we don't see them often.