heat for my workshop

[BizDoc]

I have a 16x20 workshop. Its insulated with interior finished walls. I was thinking about a ceramic wall propane heater, but have been told that this wil create too much moisture due to being unvented. Your thoughts based on the type of heat you have found to work in your shops.

 

[kenmac]

I have a 30x40 garage. I heat it with 80K BTU forced air gas furnace using round pipe for my main duct.

 

[Markcuda]

This works for me.
I heat a 12x18 uninsulated shed, I only use it to melt the snow off my snowblower.
It is a 30/45/60 thousand BTU.

 

[bp fick]

I had one of those wall mounted LP, ventless heaters in my shop. I inherited it. They do produce a large amount of water vapor. I sold my off on CL.

I am to receive a gift of an antique pot belly stove in a couple of weeks. I intend to use it as much for the nostalgia and because I have tons of free wood, living where I do.

A serious shop, that is occupied for long periods of time, likely needs a genuine furnace or dedicated heating system. I would prefer a hanging unit, I think.

 

[SandburRanch]

The wall heater is a good idea for saving space but get a vented unit with a thermopile so it will operate without purchased electricity. If a snow or ice storm knocks out electric power at least you'll have a place to stay warm.

 

[techwrtr2]

Once I've gotten my little shop insulated, I plan to get a wall mounted LP fueled heater, the one I have in mind is vented and should heat it well. Only thing I haven't figured out is how big of a tank I'll need and whether a 100lb tank will be big enough for occasional use.

 

[Markcuda]

and whether a 100lb tank will be big enough for occasional use.

It depends on the BTU out put of your heater.
You can Google and find a chart on BTU out put verses LP used.
But, I would say a 100 pounder would be big enough.

 

[SandburRanch]

Once I've gotten my little shop insulated, I plan to get a wall mounted LP fueled heater, the one I have in mind is vented and should heat it well. Only thing I haven't figured out is how big of a tank I'll need and whether a 100lb tank will be big enough for occasional use.

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You'll need to size your heater to the tank when using a 100lb. upright tank. At 0 degrees F there is only 24 pounds of pressure and with that small area of a standing tank the vapor pressure won't keep up with a very large heater. A reputable propane supplier may have that information readily available.

 

[techwrtr2]

It depends on the BTU out put of your heater.
You can Google and find a chart on BTU out put verses LP used.
But, I would say a 100 pounder would be big enough.

This is an example of what I have in mind. Mr. Heater Propane Garage Heater — 75,000 BTU, Model# MHU75LP | Propane Heaters | Northern Tool + Equipment

Ceiling mounted rather than wall.

 

[KB9UDE]

We put up a radiant vented heater in my cousins shop last winter like this one. It works wonderfully...

 

[Markcuda]

I think a 75,000 BTU heater will be more than ok on a 100 pound tank.

 

[kenmac]

a lot of heater for that small area. It will need some outside combustion air

 

[SandburRanch]

Just a WAG but I'll bet that a 75,000 BTU heater will be out of combustable gas in less than 30 minutes hooked to a 100 lb. bottle.

 

[shortlid]

The wall heater is a good idea for saving space but get a vented unit with a thermopile so it will operate without purchased electricity. If a snow or ice storm knocks out electric power at least you'll have a place to stay warm.

My father in alaw a ducted wall mounted LP forced air heater. It is only the size of a small window air conditioner. But heats a large area quickly.

 

[kenmac]

A window unit that heats & cools would be best for that area

 

[Markcuda]

a lot of heater for that small area. It will need some outside combustion air

Overview

Quiet, vented heater for residential and commercial use easily heats 2- to 3-car garage. Requires only 1in. clearance from ceiling with 2 included angle brackets which means heater is up and out of the way. Power exhaust allows for vertical or horizontal venting.

 

[Depmandog]

I have a 42' x 68' insulated shop with 14' sidewalls. Was lucky and found a used wood burning furnace for $250. I haven't ran ducts to the unit - just one 5' duct and adjustable ell that discharges directly above the furnace.

I don't warm the shop up daily, usually only on weekends, so little to no residual heat is in the building when I crank the stove. It's insulated well enough that even with Missouri winters it never freezes above the floor level. It will take about one hour to get the temp up (throughout) to mid 50's. Within 2 hours the temp is mid 60's. So after running the stove pretty hard for a couple of hours it is plenty comfortable.

If I had unlimited funds, I would have installed in floor radiant heat, but that wasn't in the cards.

I do quite a bit of woodworking, so I always have plenty of kindling handy...and frankly I love building fires and then tending the stove.

Enjoy your building!

 

[LD1]

Do you plan on keeping this shop warm all of the time??? Or only heating it when you are their???

Given the small size of your shop, a wood burner would be out of the question IMO. If you only want to heat it when you are their, I would either look into a kerosene heater or electric heater. If you have a window in the garage, look for a 220v air conditioner that also has a heater. It would be pleanty big enough for your garage to keep it both warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

 

[irvingj]

I did have a small "bullet" heater which worked, but after a while my eyes would begin to sting, and the humidity it added to the inside of the garage was considerable. And I could hardly hear myself think, it's like a jet engine! But it did the job, sort of.

Now I finally have an outside-air ceiling heater. It works well, is much quieter, and I don't need to worry about pulling in woodworking dust or engine exhaust, though the outside combustion air option was expensive. It's rated for 65K btu, I only use it occasionally, and it's connected to a 100-lb tank.

I suspect, however, that if I used it on a regular basis the 100-lb tank would be too small to last longer than a few weeks. The garage is 32 x 32, with 2x4 walls; ceiling & walls are insulated & covered.

 

[George2615]

I added a 16x32 pole barn to the back of my 24x24 garage last year. I wanted heat in winter and my 55,000 btu salamander wont handle all my space. I bought a used Miller furnace (80,000 btu) that was taken from a mobile home and installed it in the pole barn addition. The heat blows down to a box I made under the furnace which diffuses or directs the heated air flow 3 ways. I wired it to a digital T-stat place in the middle between the pole barn and garage which I set for 60 degrees. It runs on kerosene or home heating fuel which is pumped from a 15 gallon tank next to the furnace. Furnace exhaust goes through the back wall. I only run it when I'm going to work out there and 60 deg. is the ideal temp for me. For everything (used furnace, exhaust pipe, T-stat, etc) I have under $300. invested.
P.S. I went with this type furnace for 2 reasons. In my rural area we don't have natural gas, Propane is available but oil heat has more BTU's.