The Master B180 is a direct heater designed for providing large amounts of heat to unoccupied, open and semi-open spaces. It is a popular solution in places like workshops and warehouses where big open doors and thin walls let a lot of heat out.

Being a direct heater (see Direct vs Indirect Heating below), the B180 can generate heat with great efficiency and with great volume. The B180, for example, could fill an Olympic Swiming Pool (2’500’000 litres) with heated air in 97-minutes. Or, what we like to call a football match, plus Fergie time. You can see then, that the B180 is more than capable of keeping you toastie on a cold winter’s day.

Direct heaters, including the B180, must be used in well-ventilated spaces (see direct vs indirect heating).

Easy-to-move

B180s are lightweight (34kg) heaters. However, to make moving them even easier they are fitted on a trolley with large wheels, making it easier for you to move and position your heater right where you need it. 

Simple to control

Once positioned where you would like it, you can set your B180 to a temperature that you would like it to maintain. Simply set its thermostat to your desired temperature and crack on with your work. The B180 will then regulate the temperature of your workspace, keeping your fingers nimble and thawed for tinkering.

Keep yourself warm the whole working day

Brim its tank and your B180 can run continually for 8 hours. Therefore, even if you like your workspace to be a sauna, the B180 can keep it toasty all day long. If you prefer not to sweat in winter, then it’ll go even longer: using its thermostat to regulate a steady temperature.

3 reasons why you should get a Master B model?

1. They are simple to use, with no-nonsense controls.
2. They throw out incredible amounts of heat.
3. They are incredibly portable.

Bonus reason: they look like jet engines.

Direct vs Indirect Heating

The difference between direct and indirect heaters is simply how these heaters expel heat. The way to think about a direct and indirect heater, therefore, could be the distinction between an open and closed fireplace. A direct heater is similar to the open fireplace and the indirect heater is similar to the stove. 

Why is the direct heater similar to an open fireplace?

The direct heater is similar to the open fireplace as it expels heat by throwing out the air that it uses as part of the combustion process. Of course, in a direct heater, the combustion process is cleaner and better protected than in an open fire. 

The positives of direct heating are that the heat efficiency is as high as it possibly can be. Less energy is lost as the heat does not have to be transferred. Therefore, the temperature and rate of heat expulsion can be much higher for a direct heater than for an indirect one. The higher efficiency often leads to greater airflow too, meaning the hot air can be thrown quicker and further into an open space.

The negative of direct heating is that the hot air from the heater is essentially the exhaust of the heater. Direct heaters, therefore, are only to be used in well-ventilated spaces.

Why is the indirect heater similar to a fireplace stove?

An indirect heater is similar to a fireplace stove as the heat generated in combustion is separated from the heat expelled by the heater.

The positives of indirect heating are that the hot air is clean as the exhaust is expelled separately. An indirect heater, therefore, can be used to heat closed spaces with less ventilation (so long as the exhaust is flue or outside of the space you want heating). It is common, therefore, for an indirect heater to be placed externally to a space, where the exhaust can be freely dispersed via a chimney. Or, for the heater to be fitted with a flue that pipes the exhaust to a space where it can disperse. The hot air is then flued into the location you want heating up.

The negative of indirect heating is reduced efficiency in comparison to direct heaters. The heat generated in combustion needs to be transferred across a protective material, before being expelled from the heater. As efficient as it can be, this transfer process naturally incurs a reduction in heating potential.