On Mon, 13 Nov 2017 20:38:37 +0000, (Roger Hayter)
wrote:
snip

Maybe they could get a 2-3kw garage / workshop fan heater in to try?

https://www.machinemart.co.uk/c/electric-heaters/
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/hone...tility-heater/


The OP said somewhere in the thread that the lab was supplied by an
autotransformer. (This is of course a completely stupid idea. The
electronic equipment will simply use its usual power, perhaps slightly
less efficiently. And heaters will produce slightly less heat, so that
a thermostat either in the heater or the room will leave them on longer.
So it can never save money. And because it is less than 100% efficient
it will always lose money.)

Noted previously and agreed.

This is clearly becoming overloaded with
five 700W heaters,

I think it was more when they were on 2kw but actually
(intermittently) drawing 1.6kW or somesuch.

so will never provide significantly more electrical
heating however many radiators they buy.

Quite ... and why I suggested they try something else.

A 'problem' with all radiators, especially small ones (for the space)
is you don't actually feel the effect until they have warmed the
entire space, especially if you have high ceilings and no real airflow
around the space (and why tall buildings / rooms sometimes have fans
in tubes blowing the heat back down to the lower levels). So, for the
same volume of room and the same wattage of heater, a fan heater might
be 'noticed / felt' by the inhabitants more / sooner than that from a
straight convection heater. If the situation is worse, many don't try
to heat the space at all but heat the people, often using radiant
heaters (I can often feel the IR heaters in the ceilings of DIY sheds
and the like because I'm folically challenged). ;-)


Step one is to either put in a new supply with several suitable ring or
radial circuits bypassing the autotransformer or remove the latter.

If they bought an autotransformer I'm not sure anyone is going to hold
their hand up and pay again to have it taken out. ;-(

It
may have some scrap value.

Hehe ... only any real value if it's actually filled with copper.
However, if they bought the autotxfmr in the first place they may have
bought the 'aluminium cored one because it was better as it was
lighter. ;-(

We still don't know what sort of building we are talking about and if
other 'improvements' could be made to conserve the heat they do have?
Like, if there is a draughty doorway I wonder if you could fit
something like a forklift curtain, or another set of doors to form an
airlock, especially on any doors going directly to the outside?

What about workmats on the floor, especially if it's a solid floor
etc?

Or a hot air curtain on the external doors to stop the cold air coming
in (and the warm air going out)?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_door

Cheers, T i m