OT Various heating for extra shop

Lou from Wi. · Jan 22, 2011

WE are putting up a building (26x36)that will be used for mostly storage of excess equipment,IE bobcat, 706 tractor,dozer, lawn mower,wood splitter,odd truck or two, etc. Now in the winter it will be used as such,but on the odd occasion of something that needs working on, what would be the most easiest way of heating such a area? We do have a torpedo heater,but for burning very long, it does seem to get a little over powering,even with kerosene fuel, diesel is worse. Do they make a adapter that will fit on the torpedo heater that captures the fumes like a gas furnace and vents it outside after the heat has been used up? When we first got the heater and put in kerosene, no fumes that we could tell,but after the second tank of kerosene, seemed like the fuel place we purchased the fuel from put diesel instead of kerosene,has anyone run into this happening? Was even thinking of in floor heat,but it wouldn't be used all that much and the cost for electricity for the pump, electric water heater for heat( we don't have propane or natural gas for heating) would be a waste .Not to mention being dormant and then taking as much as a few days to raise from below zero to working conditions in the winter.Always good to get a few opinions/suggestions.
regards,
Victor

Bob · Jan 22, 2011

"Do they make a adapter that will fit on the torpedo heater that captures the fumes like a gas furnace and vents it outside after the heat has been used up?"

NO! A torpedo heater uses LOTS of EXCESS air to make combustion as clean as possible, which is just the opposite of an efficient vented heater that uses the EXACT amount of air needed for perfect combustion so as not to push a lot of heated room air up the chimney/vent.

Check the classifieds or Craigs for your area for a good used oil or gas furnace from someone who is updating.

WAY better than putting up with the STINK, noxious chemicals and MOISTURE from an unvented heater!

paul · Jan 22, 2011

The Val Six heater seems good, but be sitting down when you figure out what the cost of one is......

--->Paul

Lou from Wi. · Jan 22, 2011

Bob We tore out an oil furnace and installed a wood furnace.The garage is a good sized bldg (block) So in order to bring up the heat fairly quick we bought a portable 750,000(It is in the garage And to cold to go look) I think.Is the largest one made. It heats up fast then the wood keeps the bldg extremely comfortable all but the fumes from the portable. Had no problem when we first fired it up but when we went for more kerosene fuel,the heater put out an inordinate amount of stink,like #1 or #2 fuel oil,made Dad sick. So Now I was wondering about a fume separator for the portable. Love the instant heat but the odor is killing. We would have kept the oil furnace except it had a bad heat exchanger and the price of heating oil went well beyond what we expected. Wood is the answer except it takes a whole lot of wood to bring the garage up to working comfort.Need to get rid of the fumes. Any other suggestions?regards Victor

36 Coupe · Jan 22, 2011

Heat just the work area instead of the whole area.Torpedo heaters are worthless if people are near them.Welding smoke will give me a sick feeling.Some Cannonball door track and sheets of wafer board could partition off the work area.Wood heat is the only way to heat shops.Fuel oil is 3.35 here and has been up to 4.65.How much kerosene does your heater burn in 1 hour?

Gun guru · Jan 22, 2011

If you have access to the firewood then get an outdoor wood burner, forced air heat, about $4000.

Now at my old house I had a small workshop in my garage. I used a 35,000btu kerosene reddy heater, nice and cozy. I just cracked a window open so I wouldnt get CO poisoning.

Lloyd In South Carolina · Jan 22, 2011

Hi Lou!

Some type of forced air heater is the best solution, for ocaisional heat they are the best as they can heat the air in a room the quickist.

Radiant floor heat would be on the bottom of my list. No joke, it will take days to heat the concrete mass and in turn heat your area. They do not work well at all for area's that do not require a steady heat pattern. Mass temperature change takes too long to occur.

Lloyd

Greg_Ky · Jan 22, 2011

Try this : http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200338750_200338750

VaTom · Jan 22, 2011

Probably not what you had in mind, this Indiana shop is now buried and won't ever go as low as 60º in winter. This is due to annual heat storage, which keeps the shop cool summers.

John Harmon · Jan 22, 2011

Being a big fan of wood heat why are you not concidering that form of heat for your new bldg?

Crem · Jan 22, 2011

If you try to heat that entire building it is going to cost no matter what type of fuel you use.
To heat a portion of my building for deer hunting I walled off a smaller portion by hanging a large tarp to make a temporary wall. I used a vent less propane heater with a 20# propane tank sitting outside of the building. That would eat up a 20# tank in a couple of days and the outside temps were the 20's and 30's.
Unless you can partition and insulate a section to work it is going to be costly especially with the cold temperatures like WI has now. If you can it might be better to schedule your work in that shed during the warmer streaks.

)

buickanddeere · Jan 22, 2011

Figuring total investment and "fueling" costs over the next 20 years for occasional use.
An electric heater it's self is low initially.The price of electricity per btu of heat. Isn't that much more than a btu from LP or oil.

just another old geezer · Jan 22, 2011

For cheap, ocassional heat, consider a steel chimney and a 55 gallon barrel- to- wood- stove kit

Anonymous-0 · Jan 22, 2011

Look into passive solar heat, you can build solar pannels out of aluminum soda or beer cans. Lots of info on the web search for something like free solar heat. You build pannels on a south exterior wall about 4X8 and the heat is free. My shed is about 16X30 and I plan to build 2 units this spring. You can even get a small 24 volt fan from old computers and run them off a cheep solar panel to improve flow. If you e me Monday I will get back to you on the correct site. I would do nothing without at least looking into this.

Blackhole49 · Jan 22, 2011

If you have natural gas, I have a radiant tube heater suspended from the ceiling in an uninsulated 30x48 that works well for occasional one day projects. In my 24x40 insulated barn, I have one thats keeps the barn at fifty degrees and I turn it up when I,m in there. It cost me about five hundred dollars a year to do this in southeast MI. If you want portable and occasional, why not get a propane torpedo. They,re cheap and the fumes won,t bother you. On the one I have (60,000 btu) a twenty pound bottle will last about one day.

Dave in Tx · Jan 22, 2011

Less than 1000 square ft. Well insulated, no windows and tight doors, a barrel stove will heat it easy, or a waste oil heater. You will have trouble getting all you listed in that building.

massey 333 · Jan 22, 2011

You have high storage hopes for a building that size,it will be a first in-last out case.If you try to put half that in there,you won't have any floor space left to put any kind of permanent heating system.Whats wrong with overhead electric or LP type heaters?

kj(seil) · Jan 22, 2011

about half big enough if you have any "stuff" besides the equipment

Mike (WA) · Jan 22, 2011

With that scheme, a propane torpedo is the answer. No fumes at all. I don't like using it on a continuous basis because of the humidity, but would work fine for heating up the area quickly, while the wood stove gets up to speed.

My shop is 36 X 36- not insulated. I bought a cheap mobile home electric furnace, new, for $150, and got a free wood stove just for hauling it away. The electric heats the place fairly quickly, while the wood stove is stoking up. Keeps it comfortable, pretty low cost. But we don't have the brutal temps you do, either.

GordoSD · Jan 22, 2011

Reznor, propane or NG, hang from ceiling facing door.

Gordo

Mike in Mn. · Jan 22, 2011

Are you planning on insulating the building? If not, I would insulate it, it probably wouldn't freeze in there until Christmas to start with. I have a 36x40 shop that I keep above freezing with a hanging propane furnace, and heat with a double barrel stove. I have a ceiling fan other end from the stove that rolls the air, stays on all winter. Even on days when I'm not working in there I build a fire just to keep the furnace off. I bank it up with about a foot of snow and about 10 ft out, that really helps. Only have the propane furnace on from Dec.through Feb. or so. Takes about 150 gals of propane and 1 1/2 to 2 cords of wood. Thinking of making the south wall a big solar panel this summer, I thing that would keep it from freezing or maybe more, should have done it years ago. Thinking of just building a cheap panel out of fiberglass panels and paint it all black, drill holes and let it thermosiphon into the building. I can't handle non vented heat at all.

Russ from MN · Jan 22, 2011

Any unvented propane heater will put 3 quarts of water in the air for every gallon of propane it burns, which is only about 90,000 btu's, and this water will condense on any cold surface, your tools, and rust them! I have one, and I only use it for temporary emergency heat.

Russ from MN · Jan 22, 2011

Menards sells a nice propane heater that hangs from the ceiling and vents out the wall, made in USA! unlike the MR Heater that I installed in my new shop. Mine works great, I think all the internal components are the same anyhow, installed mine myself for about $750.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 22, 2011

Farmer friend of mine built a solar panel on south side of his 60x60 shop. 16 x14 tall From January till May keeps his shop at 70 from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. He put a furnace fan on a thermostat at the top. Heats with floor heat at night set at 55.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 22, 2011

Propane torpedo heaters will cause condensation in a building. Kerosene torpedo heaters have drier heat. You need ventilation with either one though. They do do make kerosene/diesel heaters that vent to the outdoors but they are pricey. I don't think the radiant heaters need ventilation or not as much. Dave

Jason the Red · Jan 22, 2011

Why not try getting a used furnace (propane, nat. gas, electric)? You can usually find them for sale on Craigslist, or you could even talk to an HVAC company about one's people have swapped out for higher efficiency models. I have a 30x30 shop that is easily heated with a high efficiency natural gas furnace, I got from my neighbor. He swapped out an older high efficiency furnace for a newer one, and was going to scrap the a-coil and throw the furnace away! I was in the market at the time for a furnace so I ended up buying him a couple of twelve packs for it.

Crem · Jan 22, 2011

Jason,
Do you always keep your shop above freezing? The reason that I ask is that I was going to put one in a building that would not always be heated and a furnace guy told me that with a high efficiency furnace there would be water trapped in there that would freeze.

Crem · Jan 22, 2011

Russ, thanks on the information on how much moisture an unvented propane heater will add to the building. I guess that strikes that out except for emergencies. Those unvented units are nice for short term use though or if the power goes off.

Bartt · Jan 23, 2011

I use a Miller Gun furnace from a mobile home. 24x34 shop, well insulated. It"s oil fired and thermostat stays on 40 degress unoccupied. I absolutely love it. Plenty of them around for less than $200.00. Runs shop up to 55* in about 20 minutes. Have a goodun and good luck.

Lloyd Sorlien · Jan 24, 2011

I built my own heater for my shop. Made 2X2X3.5 feet long. I burn wood and used motor oil. I put in a pipe through the side of the stove and drip oil in the pipe with a drip valve on a barrel of oil on the side of the stove about 18 inches away from the stove, really throws out the heat and is cheep fuel here in So.Dak.

OT Various heating for extra shop

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