200 sq/ft Electric Service and Propane Heat

[RayN(Guest)]

For a small 200 sq/ft structure what would should I know about electric service,  it will be stand alone.  Originally I just thought go for 100 amps,  but then I thought smaller amperage might be less expensive and easier to get (I've seem some mobile home / trailers with what seems like just a big black cord run to the nearst pole.
So now that I'm starting on a clean slate but I'm cost conscious what should I be looking at or asking about.

Propane Heat - is there thru the wall vented units out there for a small space?  I keep on getting lost in the "vent free" ones whenever I do a search.

Thanks

[Amanda_931]

I see what you mean about getting lost in the vented heaters.

travel trailers seem to have 30 amp cords with funny plugs.  I think I've got a 100 "trailer pole."  I had to clear a couple of acres and pay for two of the utility company's poles and for someone to make up and install the trailer pole.  But since it was a store-bought travel trailer the company only inspected the box, not the trailer.  But we wired the barn from the pole (hope that's OK) and even ran some huge and expensive extension cords down there before that.

But if I had put up a small building that pole might be called "temporary service" and cost me maybe twice as much, and not be good for ever. Talk to your electric utility.  They all differ.  Some are exceptionally weird.

Real Goods has or had some vented gas heaters for bathroom use.  Back in a minute on those.

I heat with electric, mostly, but have one of those little $60-$100 Mr. Heater one-plaque jobs for backup.  Unvented.  But the trailer's so leaky.....

Here is the Real Goods one.  Vented doesn't get it on their web site search.  You have to specify direct vent.  I hate stupid search engines.

Right pricey, compared to the Mr Heater or even what the big-box (or Tractor Supply or even the local propane people) guys carry in the way of small unvented heaters.  But labeled as fine for bedrooms and bathrooms.

http://www.realgoods.com/renew/shop/product.cfm/dp/2600/sd/2602/ts/4540045

(by the way, I'm getting told that I'm a God(dess) in this forum.  Only time one gets rewarded for being noisy!)

[Spyke]

As far as the the direct vent heaters, just look for a natural gas unit. It may come with a LP gas conversion kit or else you need no get an lp gas valve. No big deal though.

100amp electric is the way to go. I just put the breaker box on an outside wall and the meter socket on the other side. Your electric co will fax you a diagram that shows how far down to go, what size pipe to use, meter socket size etc. The other nice thing about the 100 amp is that you could use it to heat, so just grab a small electric furnace for a few hundred bucks.