Hangar Heating

Hangars are versatile buildings used as warehouses, vehicle workshops, covered parking facilities, and production premises. They may also incorporate office areas.

Depending on the building’s use, heating may be required to maintain temperatures above freezing, protect temperature-sensitive goods and equipment, and provide suitable working conditions.

Heating can also help manage condensation when combined with appropriate insulation, ventilation, and humidity control. Heating alone does not guarantee that condensation will be prevented.

The choice of a hangar heating system depends on:

• Installation budget: The cost of equipment, design, installation, and any necessary utility connections.
• Operating and maintenance costs: Energy prices, equipment efficiency, servicing requirements, and the heating schedule.
• Fire safety requirements: The activities carried out inside the hangar, stored materials, and the suitability of the heating equipment for the environment.
• Building size and heat demand: Floor area, ceiling height, insulation, ventilation, air leakage, and the frequency of opening large doors.

Hangar Heating Systems

The main options include the following.

1. Hydronic Heating

Hydronic systems circulate heated water or another suitable heat-transfer fluid through radiators, unit heaters, radiant panels, or underfloor heating circuits.

Heat may be supplied by a boiler, a heat pump, or another compatible source. Installation costs depend on the heat source, pipework, distribution equipment, and building layout. Regular inspection and maintenance are required.

Heat loss does not suddenly increase when a hangar exceeds 30 m². It depends on the building envelope, temperature difference, ventilation, and air leakage. System capacity should therefore be based on a heat-loss calculation.

Fire safety depends on the complete system, particularly the heat source, installation, and operating conditions.

2. Gas Heating

Gas heating may use a boiler supplying a hydronic system or purpose-designed warm-air or radiant heaters.

A suitable gas supply is required. This may be a mains connection or an appropriately designed LPG supply, where permitted and compatible with the equipment.

The installation must address combustion air, ventilation, flue arrangements where required, and the storage or supply of fuel. Gas heating should not be described as inherently safe or unsafe without considering the specific equipment and installation.

3. Electric Heating

Electric resistance heating options include convector heaters, fan heaters, radiant heaters, and electric underfloor heating.

Installation requirements vary by equipment type. The available electrical capacity, required heating output, controls, and operating schedule must be considered.

Operating costs depend on electricity prices, building heat demand, and the duration of use. Maintenance costs should be distinguished from the cost of the electricity consumed.

Electric heating may be suitable for individual work areas, intermittent heating, or buildings where the required electrical supply is available.

4. Solar Heating

Solar thermal systems collect energy from sunlight to heat air or a heat-transfer fluid. In a solar air-heating system, fans move air through a collector and into the building.

The collector provides heat, while the fans require a separate power supply. Some systems use photovoltaic panels to power the fans, but independence from the electricity grid depends on the particular design.

Heat output varies with sunlight, season, orientation, and weather. Solar heating may therefore supplement another heating system rather than meet the full heating demand throughout the year.

Fire safety must be assessed according to the materials, equipment, and installation arrangement.

Other Heating Technologies

Heat pumps are another established option for hangar heating. They transfer heat rather than generate it through electrical resistance. Suitability depends on the climate, required indoor temperature, distribution system, electrical supply, and project economics.

Heat pumps should not be grouped with nuclear or experimental plasma technologies or dismissed solely as too complex. Nuclear and experimental plasma-based heat generation fall outside the scope of this overview of conventional building heating systems.