shop heater what are you using

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tpic402

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I have been working on finishing and insulating my shop, I have started looking for a propane heater I would love infrared but the cost seems to be very prohibitive, my only choices for fuel are electric and propane don not wish to mess with wood or coal. any hints any brands that have worked well shop size 24x16x9 Gave myself a deadline of dec. 15th that did not work out too well though. finished interior framing for insulation today. OUTTA FUN MONEY for now
 
My shop is about the same size as yours, apart from the height. I used scissor trusses to give me room to swing a 16 foot board - I built it for woodworking. It is super insulated: R32 walls, R60 ceiling, R10 under the slab. I heat it with one of these: http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=44590&cat=1,43456,43465,44590

It's -23 C outside right now and going colder tonight. When it gets really cold, I leave the shop lights on. I just came from the shop and it is cozy in there.
 
My shop is the same size as yours. The walls, ceiling and overhead doors are insulated. I'm using this heater which is 20,000 BTU and am running it on propane. It works fine. I leave it on all 24x7 set at 50 at night and about 60-65 when I'm out there (which is most of the time). I've never turned it up more than 1/3 full setting. I leave a medium size fan running all the time, blowing up at the ceiling to circulate the air. The main tank is a 60lb which lasts on average 30 days, of continuous use. I also have a small BBQ (20lb) tank as a standby. When the main tank goes empty, the little tank will cover you until you get a refill. Around here, it's $45 to fill the 60lb tank.

This is a dual-fuel (propane or natural gas) unit. http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=57&id=358

BTW: I personally am not a fan of the infra-red heaters. My friend has one and it cooks whatever side you're facing and the other side is ice cold... Drives me nuts.

EDIT: I bought that heater 2 years ago and it was about $170 including delivery...

Ray
 
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This reply will probably be useless to you, but here it is anyway. My shop is free standing and insulated. I had a small heat pump air conditioner installed when it was built. It's the kind where the compressor is outside on the ground and the coolant is piped through the wall to the back of another heat exchanger inside on the wall. I live in Arizona and my main problem is keeping the shop cool in the summer, but I have run the heater a bit this winter. I think the biggest improvement you can make is insulation. Having insulation drastically reduces the requirements for heating and cooling, of course.
 
I picked up a used 90%+ propane furnace and just got finished moving it out of the old shop into my new digs.
I paid $400 and the guy installed & stands by his equip. and I have a 500 gal propane tank for the house and shop.
hardly ever runs and i leave it set for 45 deg. Well insulated 32x40x15 foot ceiling and it has been running in the -5 to -10 regularly at night and the teens daytime.
check with local heating contractors for a pull out for a good price.
 
I'll be using a 125,000-150,000 BTU propane heater in my new garage/shop. I'll likely go with a Modine as they're made in the USA.

My shop will be 30x50 with 12 foot ceiling and will be super insulated with Logix ICF walls R-28 and R-60 ceiling and R-10 slab.

Kinda looking forward to getting this thing built.
 
If anyone is putting in a new slab, consider in floor heat. Nothing like having a warm rock under your feet!

Another thing to think about is Earth tubes. <-- internet search

A ceiling fan blowing down can keep the heater off more too.
 
What am I using? many many green backs. And I have tried everything. I almost tempted for a v8 gas engine outside and its radiator
inside with a fan and run it with a 195* thermostat???????????????? gas is cheaper round here. Thought is; our burner is a Carlin running
a 1.00 gph nozzel, thats a gal an hour. I dont think a small block V8 will burn a gal an hour idling?? dont know..., yet...Even with from a
dead dig with a 75,000 torpedo plus a 150,000btu furnice it takes a good two hours to get up to 50 degrees thats already 3 gallons..
Next two problems my old bones cant take the cold, next I refuse to turn on machines not up to temp, so thats about all day throwing
money up the stack... Meanwhile my kids a parading around in tee shirts, ya gotta be kidding.. Coal, nobody has it, wood, I'm not chopping
it. waste oil, we dont generate enough, and those who do and use to give it away got wise and want to sell it, catch 22 again...
 
Holy smokes.... How big is the place? Is it insulated?

Ray


GK1918 said:
What am I using? many many green backs. And I have tried everything. I almost tempted for a v8 gas engine outside and its radiator
inside with a fan and run it with a 195* thermostat???????????????? gas is cheaper round here. Thought is; our burner is a Carlin running
a 1.00 gph nozzel, thats a gal an hour. I dont think a small block V8 will burn a gal an hour idling?? dont know..., yet...Even with from a
dead dig with a 75,000 torpedo plus a 150,000btu furnice it takes a good two hours to get up to 50 degrees thats already 3 gallons..
Next two problems my old bones cant take the cold, next I refuse to turn on machines not up to temp, so thats about all day throwing
money up the stack... Meanwhile my kids a parading around in tee shirts, ya gotta be kidding.. Coal, nobody has it, wood, I'm not chopping
it. waste oil, we dont generate enough, and those who do and use to give it away got wise and want to sell it, catch 22 again...
Click to expand...
 
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