Torpedo/Salamander heater best practices?

[jymbee]

Need to do some assembly work in our unheated garage this winter. It's uninsulated and 28x30 feet with 10 foot ceilings. Open stairway in back going up to an enclosed, heated studio.

Given it will be an off/on situation it seems a forced air kero heater is the most practical way to go. Would appreciate any advice or precautions to take from others with a similar situation?

 

[RPW]

I use a propane torpedo heater in a 30 x 50 enclosed uninsulated barn. Works ok. Just keep it pointed in your general direction and use common sense.

 

[JRobyn]

We did a lot of work on our house in the dead of winter and before the central heat/air was installed. We used propane "red eye" heaters and torpedo heaters (we used diesel) in various conditions. The torpedo put out by far the most heat and in a larger area. Of course, you have to careful about CO AND moisture accumulation. There was some smell, but not objectionable. Almost no perceptible difference in smell or performance between kero and diesel, but kero was way more $.

We had a couple of red eyes; the main one was a dual mounted on a 20# tank that was best when working closer to it in a smaller space. No odor, but also had to be mindful of CO and moisture.

As soon as we had temporary electric, we bought a CO monitor/alarm.

 

[KennyG]

I have a 70K btu kerosene/diesel torpedo. It would heat your space OK. As noted diesel is the cheaper option. I actually thought the smell was less with diesel. Almost nothing. Get a battery powered CO monitor. They are inexpensive. An old car running for a few minutes will set mine off. The heater has never set it off. Now I only use the torpedo to take the chill off while I fire up the wood stove.

 

[jymbee]

I didn't realize these could burn diesl. Is that true with most all models of the torpedo type heaters? Certainly a bit price difference.

There was some smell, but not objectionable. Almost no perceptible difference in smell or performance between kero and diesel, but kero was way more $.

 

[KennyG]

I didn't realize these could burn diesl. Is that true with most all models of the torpedo type heaters? Certainly a bit price difference.

It's not true of all but most are designed that way today. My understanding is that you could burn diesel in any of them but the older ones would smoke sometimes if you did. Mine is clearly labeled diesel/kerosene.

 

[teejk]

Unless they have changed, "kero" will give off a nasty "poof" on start-up and shut-down. Keep that in mind. Other than that, keep your shop vac hose a safe distance away (don't ask how I know that). I used a kero in my garage for years and loved it. Fast heat and lasted a long time. I now have a propane version and it sucks fuel.

 

[comancheflight]

What about the vertical convection kerosene heater that use a wick....diesel, will it smell or smoke? K1 is just to costly.

 

[JRobyn]

I've only ever used K1 in my wick type. Even with the kero, it's smellier than the torpedo, but maybe has more thorough combustion and fewer byproducts?

 

[zzvyb6]

I use a 200K BTU torpedoe heater with diesel in my barn or in my shop as necessary. I have found a couple of useful things:

The heater has to be big enough to heat the area with doors open. I want to stay alive.

You don't have to heat the whole building, just an area to work in. I hang plastic tarps to 'wall-off' my work zone. Pay attention to the ceiling sealing. That's where the heat leaks out.

Its not the air temperature that's important, but the temp of the machine I'm working on. That means warming the tractor mass up if that's the job being done. Just point the heater at it and wait a few minutes. nice warm fenders or tires to lean on is much more comfy than stone cold ones.

Warming all the tools you will need is the last necessity. That means you don't need ski gloves to change out a starter or a battery or a belt or whatever. A freezing cold box wrench in my bare hands is a ticket to quit.

If you don't have a big fuel heater, a very high wattage light can help you almost the same, plus it helps you see better in a dark building. Just don't look at it.

Don't overdress. That insulated suit will keep the warm air out of you just as well as preventing cold from getting in. And by all means wear a warm hat, one without a visor. The visor is the first thing to bump into your work that results in your head getting cold when it gets knocked off.

Wear safety glasses, but wipe them with dish soap so they don't fog up when its time to breathe with your face right up against that thing you are working on.