I have a 100 yr old home in northern NJ that has a two level enclosed porch. Last summer I renovated the first floor by removing the wall coverings (stucco) and insulated, sheetrocked the walls. In this space there was a through the wall gas heater which was working until I finished the renovation and it no longer works. The unit is too big and I was looking to remove it and replace it with something more pleasing to the eye. Are there any low profile ( eg toe kick heaters, in wall heater or ceiling heater) that I can replace this heater with? I’m open to high effiency electric units but I’m afraid of the monthly electric usage charges. BTW, the second floor will be converted to a bedroom. Both spaces are 160 Sq FT each.
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
With the right approach, you can restore old hardware—whether through soaking, scrubbing, or polishing—giving it a fresh look while preserving its original charm.
Featured Video
How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post CornersHighlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Fine Homebuilding Magazine
- Home Group
- Antique Trader
- Arts & Crafts Homes
- Bank Note Reporter
- Cabin Life
- Cuisine at Home
- Fine Gardening
- Fine Woodworking
- Green Building Advisor
- Garden Gate
- Horticulture
- Keep Craft Alive
- Log Home Living
- Military Trader/Vehicles
- Numismatic News
- Numismaster
- Old Cars Weekly
- Old House Journal
- Period Homes
- Popular Woodworking
- Script
- ShopNotes
- Sports Collectors Digest
- Threads
- Timber Home Living
- Traditional Building
- Woodsmith
- World Coin News
- Writer's Digest
- Marine Group
- Angler's Journal
- PassageMaker
- Power & Motoryacht
- SAIL
- Soundings
- Soundings Trade Only
- Woodshop News
- Yachts International
Replies
Look at Empire DV-210-SG
Look at Empire DV-210 heaters, see if that would be suitable.
There are a bunch of options. Heat may be able to be gotten from the heating plant for the rest of the house, but lots of variables there. (Keep in mind, eg, that a hot air register currently on the outside wall abutting the porch could be extended under the floor to the new outside wall.) Beyond that there are a number of "wall furnaces" that would burn gas and be reasonably efficient. Electric resistance is the cheapest/easiest to install but most expensive to operate. (All electric resistance is equally efficient/expensive to operate.) A motel-style heat pump unit be more efficient than resistance, and probably a good compromise if a gas wall furnace doesn't work out.
There are also options with hydronic heating, possibly making use of your existing water heater, if you don't have hydronic in the rest of the house.