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#1
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How do you all heat your workshops?
Looking for ideas on easiest/most cost effective way to heat my shop.
I'm currently using a couple propane heaters and a kerosene heater for spot heat, and if I use them long enough in the same bay it does heat the bay up a bit. I have a wood stove in the corner that I've yet to hook up, need to see what my homeowner's insurance says about that. This will probably be the slam-dunk option if feasible, as I have ~10 cords of firewood already and unlimited access to as much as I'm willing to haul, for free. If it was ONLY a danger to my shop I'd probably just install it and accept all liability, but my house and my neighbor's houses are close enough that it's not worth the risk without insurance backing me up. I also want to make sure my neighbors don't mind the smoke, although I and half the other houses in the neighborhood burn wood to heat our homes. I have 240v power available, a 5kw electric heater would be an option, although that's under 18k btu's. Not much for this application. Current cost/BTU in my area from best to least would be: Wood stove(just time/labor........hah "just") Pellets 66k btu / $1 Diesel 57.5k btu / $1 Propane 50.5k btu / $1 Kerosene 35.5k btu / $1 Electricity 26k btu/ $1 If the wood stove is a no-go, I'm leaning towards a CL pellet stove based on the above list, as long as that will clear insurance. Any other ideas? Thanks all.
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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap |
#2
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I have a 2.5 car garage and that I recently drywalled and insulated. I installed a 15 ish k btu split system and now I have heat AND a/c. It's quiet, and does a great job maintaining 72 degrees to keep my lemon tree happy. It runs on 240v and I have not noticed any meaningful increase in my electric bill.
Just for reference my garage is about 20x20 with 11 ish foot ceilings. Cost of unit was about $600, and I installed it myself.
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Eugene 10 E63 AMG 93 300te 4matic 07 BMW X3 14 Ford F-150 Fx2 |
#3
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Quote:
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#4
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I wouldn't have a kerosene heater or woodstove in a garage. Too many flammables. I have a little electric furnace that hangs from the ceiling. It's off most of the time, but when I need it, nice and toasty.
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#5
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At the family brewery, we have a large greenhouse where people love to hang out. We decided to choose a pellet stove as the most efficient and economical way to heat it.
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[GONE] - 1995 Mercedes E300 Diesel - 130k miles - Smoke Silver (702) over Mushroom leather (265) - Bladder blasting, coast-to-coast work machine. |
#6
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Waste oil burners can be built in a variety of configurations. If you can find a shop that will let you take it away or buy dirt cheap it's great. I've also found that alot of people on cl have switched to gas and need fuel oil removed from their tank. I've gotten 60 gallons already and there is a bunch more around. When tuned right they don't smoke and can put out a ton of heat. Mine is built from a RV propane tank and will be hooked to an old cast iron radiator with a fan blowing through it.
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WARNING!!! VINTAGE MERCEDES MAY MULTIPLY UNCONTROLABLY!!! I have tons of Sl/Slc parts w108 w111 w126 and more. E-mail me with needs BirchsgarageMB@gmail.com |
#7
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I use a pitiful electric heater which to feel i need close. OTOH the garage is insulated and drywalled and the foundation goes 7' on average into the ground and the apartment above is kept at normal temps.
Its not too bad.
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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual. ![]() ..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis. |
#8
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For what its worth the insurance company will probably see a wood and pellet stove in the same hazard bracket. Went through this looking as heating possibilities for my detached two car garage. Both carried about the same level of fire risk since they both basically need the exact same stuff when installed. My insurance company was against both in a garage.
What services do you have to the house? Gas? Have not installed it yet but will be going with a forced air ceiling mount electric heater combined with heavily insulating to make it more efficient. My research indicated the best bang for the buck would have been a forced air gas ceiling heater, but no gas service in my area and did not want to set up a propane system. I thought about a wood stove also as i have several of them laying around from when i moved into my house, but ultimately i did not like it for the same reason insurance companies go nuts. Long after you are done, they are still hot, and a garage is full of combustibles. They are also on the floor near things. I liked the idea of leaving for the night and having a heater cool down quick hanging up high.
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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr. |
#9
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I built my waste oil heater with a electric stove top burner mounted to the bottom of it as ignition, it's on a timer switch to run for up to 15 min. It has a hot surface sensor built in that is wired to my fuel cutoff. So if it goes out fuel can only run until it cools off. If it's not burning the small amount of fuel it uses will actually cool it faster too.
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WARNING!!! VINTAGE MERCEDES MAY MULTIPLY UNCONTROLABLY!!! I have tons of Sl/Slc parts w108 w111 w126 and more. E-mail me with needs BirchsgarageMB@gmail.com |
#10
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When my work shop meant a detached pole barn that was 30X60, it was a cast iron wood burning stove in the middle of the building. It had a one bay work are to the left, and a mancave to the right. With suspended oscillating fans in each corner, the heat was well circulated. There were two remote control A/C units in the walls that kept everything cool. The barn had it's own 200 amp service, so it was rather easy to control power bills.
When it meant an attached 2.5 car garage, heat came from two sources. Previous owner had two vents added to the house forced air unit to push into the garage, and a window A/C installed in the rear window. I added a kerosene heater with a 30 gallon drum over top...the drum had a stove pipe with damper added to the back that exited through a window that had been boarded over, and a door cut in the front gave quick and easy access to controls and the ability to remove it outside to fill with fuel. It worked out nice, and only took 15 or so minutes to warm the garage to a level I was comfortable. Today, my shop means my basement. I've been able to have two vents cut in overhead to pull heat from the furnace for the large rooms, and an electric oil heater for the smaller gun shop. The oil heater takes about 30 minutes to get to heat, but has a thermostat on it that is fairly accurate. I have the ability to shut the vents in the other rooms when they're not in use.
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![]() 85,000 miles Meet on the level, leave on the square. Great words to live by Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread. - Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821.
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#11
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Thanks for the input, folks. Really appreciate it.
I REALLY like the idea of the mini-split. Will be looking into that one some more! Shop is 30x30' two story, detached from the house and currently almost completely uninsulated. Obviously insulation is a HUGE priority to make any kind of difference with heating or cooling. It's on the list. Fired off an email to my insurance agent re: wood and pellet stoves. Will see what comes back. Thanks again, everyone.
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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap |
#12
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I use a direct vent propane stove which I bought used for $400 and found on craigslist. It cost about another $800 for the tank and related bits. The stove has no open flame, draws air to burn from outside, and sends the exhaust back outside. It is controlled by an external thermostat and is way less expensive than electric heat. The stove has a built in fan, and is of the type of stoves which do not require electricity to run except, of course for the fan. Not needing electricity comes in very handy during the frequent power outages in the area. I also put a small fan above the stove to help distribute heat. With the extra fan the stove heats about 1,200 feet of mostly concrete garage space to comfortable in about 3 hours. Without the stove the garage space would be about 30 degrees Fahrenheit this time of year.
Direct vent stoves have lots of install options and as a result, it is not all that hard to make the stove completely conforming to local building and fire codes. As an aside, I plan to install a similar stove in the living space to replace our wood burning stove and also will replace the furnace with a direct vent propane furnace. There is nothing not to like about this design. Last time I bought fuel it was .97 per gallon.
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Toyota is a leader only because their drivers block everyone behind them. Oh what a feeling. ![]() |
#13
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Good news, according to insurance agent, a properly installed to-code wood stove or pellet stove is good to go.
Going to check with the neighbors, if they don't mind then I'll install the wood stove I have. If the smoke is going to be a problem, I'll start looking for a CL pellet stove. Might do that anyway as it will require far less work to keep going. Thanks everyone.
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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap |
#14
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Seeing that you're in Oregon, do the local authorities ban wood burners due to inversions? I know that in Utah, there are days where they ban the use, and if you ignore it, they will fine you. Just something to think about...
When I lived in Ohio, since it's mostly flatland, there was never a ban on use.
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![]() 85,000 miles Meet on the level, leave on the square. Great words to live by Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread. - Thomas Jefferson: Autobiography, 1821.
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#15
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That is completely inappropriate! C'mon, open toed stiletto heels in a work area? That's a big no-no. Protective footwear should be worn at all times.
![]() http://www.tbdress.com/product/Fashion-Stiletto-Heels-Lace-Up-Shoes-Nubuck-Fall-Winter-Ankle-Boots-10783501.html?c=USD&tb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&adword_mt=&adword_ct=156164961075&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o1&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_id=6389302881_693153259_36221721592_pla-61161637960&gclid=CjwKEAiAqJjDBRCG5KK6hq_juDwSJABRm03hcfPj--hRouo_egIJ5AotZgxot3GfYFF3IJCgoNez8hoCXbrw_wcB
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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.” ― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now |
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