3 season porch heating options

camiarrobino

Hello -
I have a semi-enclosed 3 season porch on my house which I am planning on having fully rebuilt (aside from the roof) in the spring and 100% enclosed. The builder that I am using is just giving me structural / enclosed envelope (meaning no electrical, interior finish work etc) so that I can do most of that either myself with a little paid supervision / help from qualified family / friends, or just outsource / act as GC as needed for probably cheaper than the builder would charge me. So in other words, once the builder is done, all the framing will be open for any mechanicals (i will insulate the bays myself too)

trying to come up with some options for HVAC in the porch. I know my cheapest option is probably going to be electric baseboard and if anything leaning towards this- horrible cost-wise where I'm located, but we probably won't use a ton anyways. I do plan on getting a few quotes on mini split but I fear it will probably be too much to justify. we have an oil fired warm air furnace (w/ CA) which works great and is way oversized for our house and thus could probably heat the porch fine, but getting the ductwork out to the porch would be a nightmare i would imagine. we do have natural gas service already in house so can tap into that for something, and not a big deal to send the gas pipe out through the rim joist into the porch (as compared to ductwork that is 6-8x as large)

i am wondering if there are any reasonably priced gas stand-alone heaters like you see sometimes in garages, shops, above the registers at places like Home Depot, that wouldn't be a big headache from a venting perspective. If this is way over-engineering to save a little bit on using gas vs. electricity to heat a small space sometimes, then it will probably be electric BB (MAYBE a mini split if the quotes surprise me pleasantly)

anyone care to throw in their 0.02 on options? (sorry please move if wrong category)

dko

So you want a 4 season porch

camiarrobino

dko said:

So you want a 4 season porch

perhaps I misspoke - if HVAC makes the difference between 3 vs. 4, then yes, 4

jesmed1

We have a small gas-fired freestanding Jotul stove on our enclosed back porch. It's direct-vented through the back wall with literally only 2 feet of horizontal pipe that ends in an outdoor termination cap.

I found the Jotul in excellent condition used on Craigslist for $500 and did the mechanical installation (mainly cutting the hole in the wall and installing the flue and termination cap) myself. We paid a local plumber to run the black iron pipe gas line.

It's a nice addition to the room ambiance and heat-wise. If you can find a used one for a decent price, you might find that route affordable enough. But new ones are expensive.

EBEBRATT-Ed

Electric baseboard will be the cheapest install and will last 20+ years without issue and will provide comfortable

Next up the food chain whould be a gas fire wall mounted heater or furnace. Williams, Empipe and Rannai make them. Cheaper to run but more costly to install. Maintenance is minimal. Probably last 20 years. Comfort is good.

Next up is mini split. More $$$ to install. Can provide AC. Comfort wise it depemds. May not heat well in cold temps. Requires maintenance and cleaning.

I wouldn't bother tapping off your existing furnace this will never work properly.

camiarrobino

jesmed1 said:

We have a small gas-fired freestanding Jotul stove on our enclosed back porch. It's direct-vented through the back wall with literally only 2 feet of horizontal pipe that ends in an outdoor termination cap.

I found the Jotul in excellent condition used on Craigslist for $500 and did the mechanical installation (mainly cutting the hole in the wall and installing the flue and termination cap) myself. We paid a local plumber to run the black iron pipe gas line.

It's a nice addition to the room ambiance and heat-wise. If you can find a used one for a decent price, you might find that route affordable enough. But new ones are expensive.

thanks for the insight. yes, the ambience / vibe of the fireplace / stove is a huge plus for sure. In the end will come down to cost, I'll see if there's anything out there used worth a look. I see some vent-free ones new online for like $500 on the low end, but i've been warned about vent-free before in the past. not sure if there's anything direct-vent for sub-$1,000 (new) or so

camiarrobino

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

Electric baseboard will be the cheapest install and will last 20+ years without issue and will provide comfortable

Next up the food chain whould be a gas fire wall mounted heater or furnace. Williams, Empipe and Rannai make them. Cheaper to run but more costly to install. Maintenance is minimal. Probably last 20 years. Comfort is good.

Next up is mini split. More $$$ to install. Can provide AC. Comfort wise it depemds. May not heat well in cold temps. Requires maintenance and cleaning.

I wouldn't bother tapping off your existing furnace this will never work properly.

looking into the wall gas heaters, something like that was what I was perhaps envisioning. the AC from the mini split is a plus but I don't anticipate really needing AC much, especially with ceiling fans. will be replacing the old storm windows with regular double-hung so can always lug a window /portable vent-thru-window unit out there

jesmed1

camiarrobino said:

thanks for the insight. yes, the ambience / vibe of the fireplace / stove is a huge plus for sure. In the end will come down to cost, I'll see if there's anything out there used worth a look. I see some vent-free ones new online for like $500 on the low end, but i've been warned about vent-free before in the past. not sure if there's anything direct-vent for sub-$1,000 (new) or so

Do a search on Craigslist for "Jotul" or "Vermont Castings" and you'll probably find one locally for under $1k. Here's one in my neck of the woods for $900.

https://maine.craigslist.org/for/d/orrs-island-jotul-lillehammer-propane/7696062841.html

Yes, avoid "vent free" at all costs. The above is a zero-clearance direct vent, through the wall just like the Jotul I have.

Jotul's are bulletproof and very reliable, so even a used one can last a long time.

hot_rod

pellet type heaters are a bit more automatic than a wood burner, if you are open to solid fuel burning.

kcopp

Rinnai EX series space heater. Low profile. reliable. Quiet.. Lots of sizes.