Shop heating questions

[Bob Hallowell]

Guys,
I am getting ready to inclose half of my garage so I will have a 12x28 shop. I want to put some heat out there in the winter. I would like to keep it 45 deg so I could keep my glues and stains out there and bump it up when I am going to work.

I have propane at the house but worry about using it as it might be a fire hazard with all the dust. What do you guys use?

Bob

[David G Baker]

Guys,
I am getting ready to inclose half of my garage so I will have a 12x28 shop. I want to put some heat out there in the winter. I would like to keep it 45 deg so I could keep my glues and stains out there and bump it up when I am going to work.

I have propane at the house but worry about using it as it might be a fire hazard with all the dust. What do you guys use?

Bob
Bob,
I use a 220 volt infrared electric heater in my smaller 18x20 shop. It has no fan just the glow rods. The building is not insulated yet but I plan on adding as much insulation as the walls and ceiling will handle.
Insulate and insulate some more. You can heat a very well insulated building with out a lot of expense if it is insulated well.
Some of the guys have used the non vented propane wall heaters that they have said were not a problem with sawdust. I have a natural gas one but do not use it in my wood working area.
In my 30x40x10 pole barn I use a Hot Dawg natural gas fired ceiling mount heater. I live in Mid Michigan and it can get quite cold here in the Winter time. I have the thermostat set at 50 degrees all Winter long and turn it up to 65 while working in the building. The pole barn is very well insulated. My heating bill for the barn is around $30 a month during the cold season.
I suspect that the propane heater would be more of a risk when using flammable stains and glues than it would be with the right type of propane heater with sawdust, especially if you have a good dust collection system.

[Bob Feeser]

Guys,
I am getting ready to inclose half of my garage so I will have a 12x28 shop. I want to put some heat out there in the winter. I would like to keep it 45 deg so I could keep my glues and stains out there and bump it up when I am going to work.

I have propane at the house but worry about using it as it might be a fire hazard with all the dust. What do you guys use?

Bob

Do any of your guys use kerosene salamander heaters to quickly get the "edge" off of a garage shop, warming the walls, the tools, the work, then revert to a regular system? Just curious.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My 30x24 shop is insulated R-19 walls and R-40 ceiling. It's heated with an overhead 75,000 btu Lennox natural gas heater thanks to the LOML. Works well.

[Bruce Page]

Bob, I have a 45K gas Sterling overhead (Hot Dawg type). It does an excellent job of heating my ~500 sqft garage shop.

Bob F, I got to where I hated the smell of kerosene.

[Steve Kohn]

I used to use kerosene when my shop was in the garage. Got tired of the maintainance, cost, and space so went to a natural gas no vent unit. That heated the garage faster, more evenly, and took a lot less room. However, I learned real quick to turn off the heat when I did any finishing work. I also couldn't leave it run when I wasn't in the shop since it was not on a thermostat.

So when I built my dedicated shop I switched to a Hot Dawg heater hanging from the ceiling. It is also natural gas. I keep the thermostat at 45 to 50 normally and kick it up to 65 when I want to work.

I love it. Best decision I made in the shop.

[Dave Lehnert]

Speaking of insulation. I have a friend with a pole barn that must measure 60x100 feet with very high ceilings because he restores cars and uses a car lift. I kid you not he heats that thing with nothing more than an old air/heat unit out of a motel room. You know the kind that sits below the window. He got a deal on insulation from a place that sold seconds (the big sheet kind) he just insulated that barn till it could hold no more. The shop is so warm on the coldest days you can just have a t-shirt on.
And the heater will only kick on once an hour.

[Earl Reid]

I have been heating my 24X 14 shop with a 18,000 btu
natural gas heater since 1992. No problems . I clean it 2 times each winter and clean and test the auto shut off
valve at least monthly. I keep it set at 60, which is ideal for working. The heater cost about $170
Earl

[Barry Anderson]

I've been using a window mounted heat pump in my 12x24 shop. It keeps it nice and warm in the winter and nice and cool in the summer. Not too bad on electricity, either.

Barry in WV

[Don Middleton]

Hi Bob - I'm attaching a photo of a Dayton 230V unit heater that I installed in my little garage shop a couple of years ago. I live in Colorado and am a hobbyist, hence my visits to the shop are occasional and using electricity for this seemed to make a fair bit of sense.

At first I had an uninsulated shop - studs showing - and a Kerosun heater. During cold snaps, you kinda had to start heating the place the day before. I went to a kerosene jet heater which toasted things up nicely, and smelled terrible. We finally insulated the shop, replaced the garage door with an insulated variety with decent seals, then added the electric heater.

It works extremely well for my purposes. The only thing I intend to do differently is get a real thermostat on the beast - so I can maintain shop temp above freezing and leave glues and finishes out there.

don

[Raymond Fries]

I have a Datyon 220 V electric heater. Model 3VU36. It is 14,000 + BTU and heats my insulated 2 car garage very nicely. Have to turn it off sometimes. I have used it during very cold days and it does just fine.

[chris del]

My shop is 16 x 32' . I have 24' long natural gas fired (but also available in propane) radiant tube heater. 100% of the combustion air comes from the outside and then exhausts out the opposite end of the building. My Thermostat stays on all year @ 20 degree celcius (70F?) Cost to run is super cheap, but the building is new and well insulated. No more waiting for the shop and all its contents to heat up as it is always warm!
Cost of the unit was $1049.00 CDN....

[Lane Mabbett]

I'm always surprised that pellet stoves aren't mentioned in these threads. My shop is approx 20'x35' and the stove does a nice job here in NH. My shop is in an old barn which I plan on insulating a bit better this fall, but even with minimal insulation I can get the barn quite toasty. Is there a reason why pellet stoves are not a preferred solution? The flame is contained, and the stove itself stays warm to the touch. Thoughts?

[Al Willits]

Things to consider..imho
Cost of propane versus electricity, how much does a BTU of heat cost with either.

Passive solar a option? May not make it as primary heat, but may help.

How much time are you going to have the shop at working temps.

Insulation, the more the merrier..and costs go down.

Space, The hot dog styler takes up little space compared to a full blown House style furnace and duct work, but may not heat evenly as well a a ducted furnace, plus a house style furnace can be used with a filter, not sure of the smaller units.

Venting, forced draft units can be vented easier that natural draft ones usually.

If your worried about flumes and dust, just shut the unit off till your done and whatever exhaust system you have clears the air.

I have a house style 80+% furnace in shop/garage, but I work in the trades and got most of what I used fairly cheap, I also use a furnace blower as a exhaust system and it all works pretty well, might be more feasible to go the Hot Dog route for the size of shop you have, unless you or your neighbor works in HVAC...:)

Just a thought..

Al

[Al Willits]

""""""
Is there a reason why pellet stoves are not a preferred solution? The flame is contained, and the stove itself stays warm to the touch. Thoughts
"""""
Cost versus Nat gas or other fuels maybe?
Possibly the storage of pellets and local building codes?
Many codes restrick muliple fuels in one chimmy liner and some insurance companies increase rates when solid fuel is burned.

I see a few corn heaters from time to time up here, but they're out of the metro area and most have a line on cheap corn.

Al

[Greg Sznajdruk]

I'm a Restoration Contractor, we do insurance work, water and fire damage. What ever heat source you decide to use check with your insurance company first. Your insurance company may have restrictions as to what you may use to have your coverage in effect. Example my carrier will only allow radiant baseboard heaters, why is a mystery but those are their rules.

I've seen first hand, claims being denied on out buildings such as workshops due to heat source.

Also if you have a free standing shop make sure your coverage is appropriate. Out buildings if not so identified are capped as a percentage of the value of your home. Example $250,000 home out buildings are (usually) 10%. So you may only have $25,000 to rebuild.

Greg

[Brian Penning]

Up here in the cold north I use an 220V electric construction heater. You can see the little yellow cube heater in the pic.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/Bri68/Miscilaneous/IMG_2607.jpg?t=1186662574

[Steve Milito]

Anyone have AC in their shop?

[chris del]

Up here in the cold north I use an 220V electric construction heater. You can see the little yellow cube heater in the pic.

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f193/Bri68/Miscilaneous/IMG_2607.jpg?t=1186662574


I used one of those for my first winter while the shop was under construction... 4800W, I believe and at $75 it is about the most effective heater you can buy with the smallest up front cost. As we know, small initial investments sometimes cost way more over the long term and for me the hydro bills were proof of that. This is a ideal heater if you keep your shop cold and warm it up only when in use but not if you want to maintain a constant temperature 24/7.
Mr Penning makes amazing Maloof inspired rockers. I am supprised you dont have a heat source that will help maintain a constant temp and help regulate humidity.

Chris (Pickering)

[Benjamin Dahl]

Bob, I am in the south so this might not apply for you, but I insulated my garage/shop and use electric space heaters as they keep it warm enough for me.
Ben

[David G Baker]

The corn heaters were selling like hot cakes two years ago in my area but the price of corn has gone up substantially so the corn heater sales have cooled off considerably.
My insurance company wants $175 more a year for a corn heater and will not insure me at all if I have a wood burner of any kind inside of any of my buildings.
In the year around warmer areas if the building is insulated well it can be kept warm in the colder times with a couple of 150 watt flood lights.
Natural gas is still the best over all in my area.
I think the electric heater is okay if the insulation is well done.

[Tom Seaman]

I use ceramic radiant electric heaters in my 25 x 25 garage workshop. I keep the thermostat at about 55 degrees and turn it up when I go out there. I have 4 units spread around the shop (4500 watts if I remember correctly) - three on the wall at ceiling height (12ft), and one about 4 feet high behind my jointer. They were a little more expensive than some other options, but once installed, I don't have to think about them much any more. Radiant Electric Heat, Inc is where I bought them, and they have a lot of info on their website. I've been very happy with them in the 3 or 4 years I've had them.

[Bob Hallowell]

Wow! that was alot of replies. thanks for the options, right now I am leaning toward the propane ceiling hotdawg but looking at the electric radiant and heat pump sulutions. I don't work in my shop every day. but like I said I would like it at least 45deg so I can store my glues out there

thanks,
Bob

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Propane is fine in a shop. I have a Humongous welded up plate steel Vermont Castings wood stove that also has a water jacket and pump for hot water heat that I should sell cause I have never once used it.

[Grant Lasson]

I use a kerosene heater to "take the edge off." It warms the garage (600 sq. ft with 16-20' high ceilings fairly quickly). I switch as soon as possible to a portable radiant propane heater. I hate using the kerosene. It smells. It adds moisture to the shop. And it produces CO. I need a better solution and I don't recommend this approach to anyone.

[Matt Meiser]

I use a propane fired Hot Dawg style heater. It has worked well for me. I'll add a caveat to what Cliff said. vented propane is fine. Unvented heaters put a lot of moisture in the air which could cause problems. We have an unvented propane fireplace in the house. It noticeably adds humidity to the air when we use it, but that's fine since the house is so dry and we only use it occasionally. If we were running it full time in a closed up house it would be a problem. My parents have one and run it full time, but their house is 150 years old and therefore much draftier.