Heating Men’s Sheds

Background

Colin got in contact with us a couple of years ago to discuss the installation of a suitable heating system for a renovated building that was to be used as a local branch of the Men’s Shed charity. The Men’s Shed is a charity set up to support men’s health and wellbeing. It involves mens sheds being kitted out as community spaces where men can enjoy time with others and enjoy hobbies together.

The building, ‘The Pagoda’, was a former tennis changing rooms which had been left derelict for 30 years. The 10m x 10m property was fully renovated “back to brick” and with new ceilings and electrical installation, all carried out by volunteer members of the Men’s Shed branch. All windows and doors, external and internal were replaced with high-efficiency double glazed units.

The building has no gas supply to the building so an electric heating system was the only choice. Colin states that “various types of electric heaters were considered however the Herschel range of infrared panels was deemed to be the ideal choice for the following reasons:
1. Easy to install
2. Ceiling-mounting meant less chance of accidental damage in workshops and social areas
3. Ceiling-mounting also meant that wall space was left clear, to maximise space for work-benches and also seating in the social area.
4. All wiring (except for the thermostats) could be installed above the ceiling, so no cable-drops or surface conduit would be required, thus simplifying and speeding up the installation.
5. The nature of the heat output was ideal for the construction of the building”.

Solution

Herschel Infrared panels were specified for heating the Men’s Shed project. Slightly different ideas were used for the two large rooms, the social/kitchen area and the large workshop, and this was partly determined by the layout of the lighting system. The lighting is provided by 600mm x 600mm LED ceiling mounted panels. Colin says the Herschel heaters blend in very well with the lights, being the same width. In the social/kitchen area the lights were placed to the sides, with the heater panels neatly occupying the spaces between the lights. In workshop 2, the heaters were placed on the centre line of the ceiling.  Workshop 1 has one 700W unit, and the lobby and each of the toilets have a 350W panel.

The social area and the workshop are separately thermostatically controlled allowing a warmer temperature for the social area and a cooler temperature in the main workshop where more physical activity means a lower demand for heat.

Testimonial

We were thrilled to be chosen as the heating solution for this renovation project given its brilliant cause. We were even more delighted when Colin contacted us a couple of years later to share his feedback on the heating.

“Well it’s over 2 years since I installed the heater panels in the Men’s Shed. Sadly the members have been unable to meet at the Shed for a year now due to Covid, but we do inspect 2 or 3 times a week just to check everything is in order. I was doing an inspection a few days ago, and I thought I would just share with you that the heaters have been just amazing with no problems since installed. They provide adequate warmth even in the coldest weather, are unobtrusive, have been maintenance free apart from an occasional dusting and are aesthetically pleasing, blending in with the LED lighting panels. They have fulfilled all the criteria set at the start and have thus been the ideal solution for the building and its users.

The ceiling installation has kept the wall clear and they just work day after day, doing their thing without intervention. Many visitors have commented on them and I have been contacted by others to discuss our installation. All in all, they are just perfect for us and I look forward to them just giving us the clean, unobtrusive heat we have enjoyed, for years to come. 2+ years on, we are very happy indeed with our choice!
I have to update my flat now and I will be looking at replacing the old storage heaters with infrared panels, for the ease of installation and the aesthetics, never mind the efficiency”. Colin Ritchie

Contact us for more information and assistance on infrared heating for sheds.