Workshop Heater

[Brian Thornton]

+1 to the mini split. I may be biased though I JUST (as of this afternoon) finished buttoning up my Mr Cool DIY 3rd Gen 18K BTU. My shop (3 car tandem garage) IS insulated and I added some better insulation to my garage doors. BUT, this weekend when I fired it up for the first time...it was 25 outside...45 in the garage and I got it up to 68 in about 2.5 hours...and maintained it very easily all night.

The cost of the Mr Cool on Amazon was 1600 and I installed it myself. I was quoted 5k from a local HVAC company (the mini split + install)...the install was not that bad (although the line covers are a PITA b/c they are cheap)

Everything I've read says my electricity bill shouldn't be affected TOOO much. Time will tell as I dial in the sweet spot...I can't just leave it on a temp control as the better half still occasionally parks in the garage. So...need to plan my outings. BUT, it's going to act as an A/C as well come summer time. Fingers crossed.

No matter what...temp control in the shop is a game changer

[Jack Frederick]

Jim, Don’t replace...add. If the oil equipment is good, add the mshp’s and use them when the temps are going to give you the best performance. When it get really cold fire up the oil. You get the best comfort and economy. Now, if you have oil, find the very best tech in your area to tune things up. talk with him so you are tuned in to the system. If the system is shot you then have the big decisions to make. I frequent heating/cooling sites, one of which is a private Oil Heat site and it is amazing what those guys see. I like this approach as it seems most cost effective and you have redundancy in heating.

[Bill Dufour]

Folks from Ohio jump in here please. I do not believe it stays that low a temperature in Ohio. I thought it seldom got below zero?
Bill D.

[Jim Becker]

Folks from Ohio jump in here please. I do not believe it stays that low a temperature in Ohio. I thought it seldom got below zero?
Bill D.

'Depends upon what part of Ohio, Bill...north and west may be colder than south and east.

----

Jack, I hear you. My mention of just replacing oil with MiniSplits in any potential future home shouldn't be taken as universal. The age and condition of any existing oil-fired system would always be considered and you are correct that it can be an advantage to have if there is particularly bad weather. The state of any existing AC would also come into play.

[Bill Dufour]

So it really averages -20 to -30F most of the winter in parts of Ohio? Coldest I have ever seen in California is -20F(on the weather map). I do not think Duluth Minnesota averages below zero in winter. Of course I was there in summer for a wedding.
Bill D

[Jerome Stanek]

We get below 0 only occasionally but it has gone down -20 at times. the average temp is around 32. I would think twice about electric if I had other options.

[Bill Dufour]

Jerome those numbers are more like I was expecting not the OP's -20-30F all winter long. My grandmother grew up in Iowa and never mentioned the weather that I can remember. I was only 5 or 6 when she died.
Bil lD

[Alan Lightstone]

Coldest temperature I have ever been in was -35F in Dayton (so southwest Ohio). Colder weather than I faced in Utqiagvik, Alaska on the Arctic Ocean.

That being said, the average low temperature in winter there is 22F. Cleveland (the mistake by the lake), has an identical average low temperature in winter of 22F.

It's not Minnesota by any means, but still can get chilly.

[Tom Bender]

Sounds like you have some insulation in the ceiling plus a ceiling and floor. For occasional, short term uses, adding insulation will probably be of limited value. If you heat for a 3 hour work session not much heat will have time to get out thru the ceiling. If you heat 24/7 then insulation will be worth while. As Roger says, seal up the shop first.

[Aaron Gatzke]

I had a natural gas radiant tube heater for my 24x28x10’ ceiling garage in Edmonton, AB. Much colder than Ohio.
R22 in the walls, R40 in the ceiling.
I think you can get one for propane.
sure, it can take an hour to get warm but what I really like about it was that there was no fan to blow dust all over...