We are getting cooler weather now,,,the shop is pretty cold in the mornings....I haven't worked out how I'm going to heat it yet.
We only have electricity out here on the Peninsula (I'm used to natural gas in CA)
We picked up a small woodstove, needs the pipe and the whatevers to get it hooked up.
Have to find someone who knows how these things go so we can have that installed.
I was thinking it might not be a bad idea to have a secondary heat source in case the stove doesn't work out, or to take off the chill while I'm getting it going.
The shop is 24x24...ceiling is yet to be insulated (will get blown-in insulation soon), I have a small office area off the side (10x7) which will be separated from the big room (I have an oil-filled radiator for that)
Jackson has 2 fan-circulating electric heaters up near the ceiling, think he said they cost a lot to run tho. He didn't like messing with a woodstove.
I used to have one of those big karosene jet-engine type heaters, very good for heating up a shop fast, but the smell!
Saw a propane shop heater at Walmart...don't know anything about those...
Suggestions are welcome! A:)
Posted by Peter Schuttinga (Member # 2821) on :
A few years ago I got a through the wall propane heater. It's safe to use in a shop, as the pilot light and combustion air is plumbed to the outside. It does not take up much space, actually hangs on the wall, and is about 3'x3'x1' deep. Installation only requires a round hole in the wall for the vent/exhaust. Hook up must be done by a professional though. I opted for the electric fan on it to help circulate the heat better. Does require you to either buy or rent a propane bottle of a decent size, I think mine is about 60 gallons. Total cost for everything was about 1200 Canadian. I'm very happy with it.
Posted by W. R. Pickett (Member # 3842) on :
...I know it's not totally "environmental" but I use a woodstove to heat my house. I burn about two cords of wood a season. When it is delivered, they dump it by the curb, and then I have to schlepp it and stack it on the porch. I then have to carry pieces inside to burn, then (later on) shovel the ashes out of the stove.
...All this is dirty and laborous, but I can heat my place for $200 a winter. If you are "up to it' you will LOVE how the stove warmth feels. Over time you will refine your routine of starting and maintaining a fire.
...Be sure that the wood you use is seasoned (dry) hardwood. (Not pine.)
Posted by Matthew Rolli (Member # 4089) on :
How timely,
We just finished remodeling and insulating our shop. I had taken the advice of seasoned pros and put R22 bat insulation in the roof/ceiling. We covered it all with a layer of pink 1.5" foam insulation too. Then to "finish" the look we covered with 35 sheets of white coro. It was cheap and actually brightens up the place. I had to add a few windows, but we've already had 50 degree mornings and it's stayed warm without any heat source. We installed an LP furnace, it wasn't too much since it was from a house.
I couldn't use a wood burning stove, like I use to have a few years ago since code prevents open flames with paints. Make sure to check this out before you mess with it. I agree tho that nothing beats the crackle and smell of your own fire......
Stay warm through the winter everyone!
Posted by Matthew Rolli (Member # 4089) on :
How timely,
We just finished remodeling and insulating our shop. I had taken the advice of seasoned pros and put R22 bat insulation in the roof/ceiling. We covered it all with a layer of pink 1.5" foam insulation too. Then to "finish" the look we covered with 35 sheets of white coro. It was cheap and actually brightens up the place. I had to add a few windows, but we've already had 50 degree mornings and it's stayed warm without any heat source. We installed an LP furnace, it wasn't too much since it was from a house.
I couldn't use a wood burning stove, like I use to have a few years ago since code prevents open flames with paints. Make sure to check this out before you mess with it. I agree tho that nothing beats the crackle and smell of your own fire......
Stay warm through the winter everyone! Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :
Adrienne....I have what I believe is the same unit as Peter. Mine is made by Hunter Enterprises. Propane fired, wall hung and vented with sealed combustion chamber, thermostat and circulating fan.
It is totally safe even for spray painting. No odors at all. I can heat my shop to 80 degrees with it, if needed, even in the dead of winter here in Ontario.
I can't say enough about how great it is.
You might not be able to get one of that brand since they are a Canadian company, but your local propane seller should sure be able to give you some similar options.
Posted by Dale Kerr (Member # 4661) on :
Easiest thing is to pick up the pace a little instead of hangin out in Letterville.... LOL
They have some new Electric furnacs that are ceiling mounted and are high effeciency rated. Suppose to be much cheaper to operate. Good luck.
Another option might be a Reznor heater, it will burn old motor oil. So it is real cheap to run. Dale
Posted by Artisan Signs (Member # 3146) on :
A, I have been using a Miller hot air furnace (the kind used in a mobile home).
I picked it up for $200 used. I put in a new nozzle, cleaned it thouroughly, made sure it had no cracks in the "fire box".
It blows hot air out of the bottom. It sits up off of the floor about 8". I run it off of kerosene with a small tank off in the corner of the shop.
It is hooked to a thermostat, and heats a 26 x 26 shop with nice fresh hot air just great.
The chimmney is "metal bestos", which is a stainless steel solid pack chimmney, and they are great. The one I put up was about $300. Did it myself. As a matter of fact, it is the 3rd one I have installed at different locations, and I swear by them.
So for about $500-600, you will have nice heat to last a long time.
PS: stay away from the "torpedo" space heaters in an enclosed area. A nasty thing in kerosene is benzine, and you don't want to breath that!
Questions?
Bob
Posted by AdrienneMorgan (Member # 1046) on :
I have had nothing but wood stove for heat for 6 years in the same place in CA, here we have a nice woodstove in the house....always preferred wood over electric or gas anyway.
And with 5+ acres of wooded property, we have plenty of old wood to burn.
Thanks for the tips! A:)
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
I love wood fires too!
Warms yer twice ... once when you cut it, then again burning in the stove.
If you are short of wood, heard that OP had some spare stuff laying around his place Posted by Marty Happy (Member # 302) on :
I use 250 watt halogen heat bulbs to take the chill off my shop. They really brighten up the place too as well as provide radiant heat which is much more efficient than heat carried by moving air. No dust gets kicked up by fans either. Look for the bulbs where they sell livestock supplies.
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
Yep, stay away from open flames since you're a painter unless you do all your painting in another part of the building.
I know this doesn't help your pradicament but I have a gas run 'wood' stove to warm my shop upstairs (so I can see the flame) and a gas wall heater downstairs in the garage area. Both safe around paints and fumes, that's the moral of my story.
Posted by Bill Foshay (Member # 4526) on :
Another vote for the mobile home furnace.. I got mine from a neighbor who was scrapping a mobile that was being replaced with a modular. They even gave me the tank and 100 gallons of oil with it for $200. I had to make an angle iron frame to get it about a foot off the floor, and also put a sheet of metal at a 45 degree angle to direct the warm air to the middle of the shop. I use it all winter long, and it goes through about a 5 gallon pail of kero/heating oil/diesel in one 10 degree day. This is in a 20 by 30 shop with insulated walls, uninsulated roof, and light peeping in the cracks of the swinging front door. If I was to actually finish the shop it would do a lot better.
I have used propane "high hat" heaters also, they put off so much moisture everything in the shop got rusty. Kero salamanders make me sick, and also put off a ton of moisture. Wood stoves are neat, but need attention and dry wood. Normally around here it snows and the pile of wood never seems to get dry.
No problems with flammables in the shop, the burner chamber is enclosed.I could set it up for outside air but half the air in the shop is outside air, especially if I need to open the door and get a car inside..:-)
Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :
My daughter just installed a furnace into her new home that takes fuel oil, wood, or corn cobs. Being that we are in farm country, corn cobs are plentiful. Supposedly they put out more btu's than some wood. I don't know if they make small ones. But than again Mike Meyers has a stove in his place that burns corn.
[ September 18, 2004, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: Laura Butler ]
Posted by Dan Sawatzky (Member # 88) on :
We have gas radiant heat in the big shop and love it. It's like working in the sunshine.
In my studio I opted for electric baseboards under my desk. So far I love it as it keeps me nice and warm without over heating the room.
-dan
Posted by Alicia B. Jennings (Member # 1272) on :
Annnmddddd, along with good insulation and heat, don't forget about your dainty feet. Bare cement floors are always very cold. Ya might try a flooring system for your floors. Most local hardware stores can help you. Cold feet sucks!!!
Posted by mark zilliox (Member # 3873) on :
hi I agree with the "comfort" of wood-been ther burnt that along with goood insulation ( a builder told me you loose 60% thru the ceiling/roof), but we have a 30 by 24 workbay we heat, when needed ,with a Q-Mark electric ceiling hung unit. It's a 20 by 18 inch unit, has fins to direct air flow for effecieny,needs a dedicated 220 line, and is fairly quiet. Oh yeah, i had a customer install a house thermostat on the wall to keep it @ a reasonable temp....so the "heat up time " to work in the shop is minimal. i think you can go online to Granier to check the "spec". mark ! or.......put a really really nice espresso machine in the corner ? nahhhh.
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Have an overhead Reznor that is older than me that I got FREE from a very flamboyant hairdresser years ago. Maybe that's why it's so hot! Psssst! (licking finger and placing on butt cheek) Uses natural gas & has a thermostat. Love.....Jill
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
A, as you know, we use wood also. If I was looking into alternatives, I'd go for a Monitor. They run on kerosene or diesel oil and don't have any smell. They are one of the most efficient heaters I've seen. We've lived with one for seven years at home. Far more efficient than propane or forced air or wall heaters.
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