Ken, How big is your shop?

[Don Farr]

And how many of the ceiling hung heaters do you use? The ones like you refer to in another post. I have a propane tank that I had thought about connecting to but that is going to be a lot of work and I don't like the idea of the open flame in a woodworking shop.
My shop is 20' X 40' feet with 10' foot ceilings. What's that? about 8000 cubic feet.
Any way I would like to know more about them. Also can you control them with a thermostat? Thanks. :)

[Ken Salisbury]

And how many of the ceiling hung heaters do you use? The ones like you refer to in another post. I have a propane tank that I had thought about connecting to but that is going to be a lot of work and I don't like the idea of the open flame in a woodworking shop.
My shop is 20' X 40' feet with 10' foot ceilings. What's that? about 8000 cubic feet.
Any way I would like to know more about them. Also can you control them with a thermostat? Thanks. :)

Don,

My shop is 24' x 24' and well insulated. At the moment I have 2 of the heaters and they do an adequate job normally. On a real cold day they don't quite get the job done. I plan on adding a third one when the real cold temperatures arrive later this winter. That is one of the nice things about these heaters - just add em as ya need em. - and since they are radiant, the heat is more directional in a given area of the shop.

[Bob Lasley]

Don,

I installed one of those radiant heaters after Ken bragged on them last year and have been well pleased. I will probably add a second so I do not have to run the oil filled convection heater during the really cold......well, for Oklahoma.......weather. My shop size is slightly smaller than Ken's and like his, well insulated. I did put my radiant heater on a thermostat and it works quite well. I used a 120 volt line voltage thermostat, the kind that is normally used with base board heaters. Just be sure and install the thermostat where it won't be affected by direct heat from the heater.

Bob

[Jim Becker]

I have two currently hung in my shop plus a portable. I have one more ceiling unit on the way to cover things this winter and so I can put the portable to good use elsewhere. They do a great job.

But if you have gas available, a direct vent ceiling mounted radient system might work well with your 10' ceiling, albeit the initial cost is higher.

[Don Farr]

Thanks guys, I think I will try at least one for this winter. Maybe above the area that I work in the most. My shop is also very well insulated and on about an eight concrete slab, so once I get it warm is doesn't take much to maintain the temperature.
I do kind of like you said Jim. I use either a kerosene or propane heater to start the warm up and then switch to one of those small electric ceramic heaters. I like the idea of it mounting in the ceiling, can't ever have to many clamps or to much floor space.
Here in Georgia it only gets "nasty cold" in Jan. and Feb. and even then it is not constant. It's just when you Yankees send those cold fronts down this way. :D

[Jim Becker]

Here in Georgia it only gets "nasty cold" in Jan. and Feb. and even then it is not constant. It's just when you Yankees send those cold fronts down this way.

Our cold time is about the same here in PA and that's when I use the "combustion" heat to get things started. But don't blame us 'Yanks for the cold...it comes from much farther north!

[Dennis McDonaugh]

Ken, how cold does it get in Huntsville? I only have a 1500 watt heater in my shop and I get the feeling its "almost" large enough to heat the shop. There's still a slight chill in the air when its really cold, but it doesn warm it up a bit.

[jerry cousins]

hi don -
my space is about a 3.5 car garage - insulated kinda ok. for years used a kerosene torpedo heater, then a propane unit - only when i was working there.
this summer i installed a ceiling hung reznor (like the modine hot dawg) and it does the job - keeps it dry while i'm not there (set to around 50) and warms it up quickly. am located in far northern ca - so we do get almost real winters - into the teens and some snow.

it is wonderful to have a constant warm place - no need to carry pieces into the house and then back when i want to work on them.

jerry

[Mike Evertsen]

my shop is 24x24 last year I had a radient ventless gas heater no thermerstate in the shop in the summer I got a great deal on e-bay for a 30.000 btu gas counter flow sealed wall mount furnace,,,,I keep the shop at 60 it's nice going into warm shop and not having to wait until it gets warm,,,,my shop at 60 is warmer than my house set at 70

[Chad Pater]

"we do get almost real winters - into the teens and some snow."

I was getting depressed reading about everybodies "winters" but after seeing that real winters are "some snow and the teens" I'm ready to cry. :( Oh well I guess hard Minnesota winters keep the riff-raff out.

[Bob Lasley]

[QUOTE=jerry cousins]
"we do get almost real winters - into the teens and some snow."

I was getting depressed reading about everybodies "winters" but after seeing that real winters are "some snow and the teens" I'm ready to cry. :( Oh well I guess hard Minnesota winters keep the riff-raff out.


Chad,

I don't know about the riff-raff, but it sure keeps me out........wait a minute.........does that make me riff-raff?? :o

I like Oklahoma winters just fine. It gets just cold enough to make me glad I don't live any farther north and to appreciate spring when it gets here. Now, I might consider swappin' places with you come July!!!!

Stay warm,
Bob

[Dick Parr]

Don,

Mine is a 24x24 shop with a 10’ ceiling. Well insulated in the walls and ceiling. I have a 30,000 btu direct vent gas heater mounted to the back wall with the vent going straight out the back. Also no thermostat, but I have a big thermometer on the wall.

Like Mike, I keep it set at 60, which keeps it warm and dry (sometimes to warm. If it gets in the 20's outside, I go out about 10 min ahead of time and turn it up. I then tune on the overhead air cleaner to help circulate the heat for a fast warm up.

[Jerry Martin]

Don,

Mine is a 24x24 shop with a 10’ ceiling. Well insulated in the walls and ceiling. I have a 30,000 btu direct vent gas heater mounted to the back wall with the vent going straight out the back. Also no thermostat, but I have a big thermometer on the wall.

Like Mike, I keep it set at 60, which keeps it warm and dry (sometimes to warm. If it gets in the 20's outside, I go out about 10 min ahead of time and turn it up. I then tune on the overhead air cleaner to help circulate the heat for a fast warm up.

My shop sounds a little different than what I am reading. It is 38X45 and was built to house a big motor home with a regular garage door on each side of the 12x14 door for the motor home. I added a balcony over the sides and the roof I believe is 18 ft in the center.

I do not have a motor home and the house has garages for the cars so the whole thing is my shop.

I had the foil backed insulation installed all over the shop and put a large U-tube infra red heater in the center where the space for the motor home was and it gets the place toasty warm in a jiffy. The heater is super efficient on natural gas. I believe it only costs about $10.00 a month in the winter to run here in Amarillo Tx and it does not stir up the dust like my Reznor unit heater I had while we lived in Denver did.

I also put a ceiling fan above the heater and off to the side which I run on it's lowest speed to keep the heat blown down to the floor.

I believe our weather is much like Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a few days in the teens and many in the 30's.

Love this forum and hope I helped the discussion. Jerry

[Richard McComas]

And how many of the ceiling hung heaters do you use? The ones like you refer to in another post. I have a propane tank that I had thought about connecting to but that is going to be a lot of work and I don't like the idea of the open flame in a woodworking shop.
My shop is 20' X 40' feet with 10' foot ceilings. What's that? about 8000 cubic feet.
Any way I would like to know more about them. Also can you control them with a thermostat? Thanks. :)


My shop is 28 x 48 with 12’ ceilings. In one corner set up on a platform about 24’’ off the floor I have a 70 thousand BTU downdraft furnace which I bought used and was in an old trailer house. The trailer house furnaces use a double wall stack and brings in outside air for combustion. I paid 100 dollars for it several years ago and it keep my shop toasty warm even when it get 20 below 0. I keep the shop at 70 degrees year round.

[Jim Martin]

Watch your placement of the radiant heaters. At work they built a garage with radiant heat between the bays (16' ceilings). We had more equipment than space so we parked some underneath the heaters between the bays and on the taller trucks we had all the paint scortched off the tops of them. Stripped kinda like skunks.

[Richard Bazemore]

Don,

Mine is a 24x24 shop with a 10’ ceiling. Well insulated in the walls and ceiling. I have a 30,000 btu direct vent gas heater mounted to the back wall with the vent going straight out the back. Also no thermostat, but I have a big thermometer on the wall.

Like Mike, I keep it set at 60, which keeps it warm and dry (sometimes to warm. If it gets in the 20's outside, I go out about 10 min ahead of time and turn it up. I then tune on the overhead air cleaner to help circulate the heat for a fast warm up.

Dick - Which direct vent unit do you have? Need to get one. Gas unit heaters seem to only come in sizes 30,000 btu or greater - I only need about 20,000.

[Dick Parr]

Richard,

The brand of the one I have is “Perfection Schwank”, model ASV730N. I bought it through Granger Industrial. They have a web site on line. The one that is listed look's something like the one I have, they do have 15K, 25K and 30K BTU models of direct vent heaters. Check them out.

http://www.grainger.com/production/info/granger-industrial-supply.htm

They had discontinued the one I have, so I got it for close out price from Granger Industrial (we have one in Knoxville). Price was $852, the sale price was $400 and when I picked it up, I was only charged $227 because it was the last one they had. I almost felt guilty taking it home. The dimensions for mine are 26”H x 35”W x 11”D. Just cut a hole behind and extend the exhaust pipe out the back. Cutout template provided.

The brochure I have for them is from 1996, at that time they do show having a 20K BTU unit. There address is PO Box 749, Waynesboro GA, 30830-0749, phone 736-554-2101. I couldn’t find a specific web site for them? But if you do a search there are a number of dealers out there that carry there brand.

Good Luck