[Farmall] Only Slightly off topic: Shop and Storage building forFarmall Tractors

[Greg Hass]

On the subject of floor heat I know just enough to be dangerous, but here 
goes. I know two people with it in there shops. Both say it is the 
greatest, however both leave it on from Nov. to the first of May. It is not 
the kind of heat you can just turn on an hour before a project; however you 
are generally comfortable at a lower temp because your feet are not cold 
and you have no cold floor draft. The first heats with a fuel oil boiler 
which at this years prices costs him over $200 a week. The building ( I'm 
guessing) is about 40 by 60 by 12 feet high. It is heated 24-7 to a 
comfortable temp by he does some work in it every day (at least 50 hrs. per 
wk) quite a bit for the Amish, but his main business is ornamental railings 
and arbors for roses and such.
The second one owns our local coffee shop, and his is a hobby shop, which 
is constantly heated, but usually only to 40 degrees. The heated part is 
about 24 by35 and is heated with electric grids in the cement. Our local 
Electric Co-op has a special program where your heat is metered seperate 
but you pay half price, central air can also be hooked to this. The catch 
is(isn't there always one) a radio control is hooked to that meter and they 
have the right to shut the power off for up to 6 hrs. if they are pushing 
peak load. It may be six mins. or the full time depending on load. Not a 
problem for heat as you are only off a few hours a heating season. Air is 
different, my brotherhas the system in his house and last year in 10 days, 
they had him shut off 5 days until 9 at night. Should have heard him 
scream,he fealt it was his right to have uninterruped service and half rate 
power at the same time.  This second shop runs the owner about $100 per month.
        The main reason for this post is to warn of a big problem the 
second person has run into. His shop is about 4 years old, and now he wants 
to put in a couple of floor hooks to chain things to and install an above 
floor car hoist. However his problem, he has no idea where any of the 
grides are or even which direction they run. So if anyone installs floor 
heat, some unasked for advice, please make a very detailed map of where 
things are. Finally, I have no idea of what either system cost.
Greg Hass
Michigan