shop heat

Re: shop heat

Clint Searl

For year round comfort and climate control, an electric central AC/HeatPump can't be beat. I had it in my old 2400SF two story shop and loved it.

INSULATION??

Ray Newman

Is it insulated? Without insulation, you are wasting your money and any heater will not be efficient in keeping the shop and you comfortable.

Re: INSULATION??

dave dircksen

Yes, 3 1/2 in the walls and 9 inches in the ceiling.

Re: INSULATION??

Bill Blasic

My woodturning shop is 24 X 36 with 10' ceiling. R19 in the walls and R38 in the ceiling. Have the same furnace in the shop as in the house, fuel oil. I usually spend 4 to 6 hours daily and put the thermostat at 60 degrees until it stops and then turn it back to 50 while I'm in there. I use 150 to 180 gallons a year over the winter months.

Very complicated question....

Barry Irby

What are the common heating fuels/systems in houses in your area? Gas? Oil? Wood? Heat pumps?

How do you intend to use/occupy your shop? Will you have it heated all winter at a fairly consistent temperature? Or will you just work in there now and then for a few hours at a time?

Gas and Oil can respond quickly and bring the temp up fairly fast. They may require a fuel tank on site. They require a flue. Initial cost may be high.

Wood also requires a flue and a a stove. Requires some attention during the day unless you get something like a pellet stove. Requires getting a storing wood for a traditional stove. Can respond fairly quickly. Can be "banked" for the night. Not easy to set and forget like the others. but, You can burn trash trees off your property and your scraps.

Gas, oil and wood have ignition sources that may be a hazard in the shop.

Heat pumps don't require a flue or on site storage of fuel and don't have ignition sources. But they are climate dependant. If your winters are too cold they may not work in your area. If they are functional in your area you should look into the ductless ones. They may be much more efficient than the old fashioned ducted ones. They don't respond quickly so work better where you want to turn the temp down a few degrees when you leave and up a few when you return.

Re: shop heat

Larry Clinton At Frankfort, (Central) Indiana

Don't know what you fuel costs in your local are so can't tell what would be the most economical method for you.

I have a 30 X 30 shop, live in a small city so have NG available.

When I built the shop I raised the foundation by adding concrete blocks so have 10' ceiling in the lower, then installed trusses that had an approximately 10' wide X 8' high room the length of the shop.

I super insulated the building, using 8" walls and foam sheet on the ceiling of the upper, with the sides filled with blown in insulation, blocking the space between the upper trusses so I have about a one inch gap between the insulation and the roof decking for air flow from the eaves to the peak of the roof with a full length vent the length of the building.

I installed a high efficiency furnace and central air in the upper room with the ducting under the blown insulation and ceiling registers. The furnace using outside air for combustion and vents out, both though plastic pipe. Don't know if you have the space to do the same.

I have had a lot of experience installing furnaces so all the work was done by me and my son's. The heat / cooling is very efficient so I set the thermostat at about 55 ~ 60 deg in winter and 75 ~ 80 in summer when unoccupied, and a comfortable temperature when in use.

My estimated NG fuel is about $50 month in winter - cooling

runs less than $40 month in summer!

Do you have CNG

Mike L

I have a MR Heater in my shop that I got at Lowe’s. It is some really stupid BTU and needs to be exhausted out a wall or ceiling. Cost about $600.00 after running new CNG line and complete install I did myself in an afternoon. Here it is. I have a window AC unit for summer time also. Works great in NE Ohio

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200577749_200577749?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Heaters%20%26%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces%20%3E%20Natural%20Gas%20Heaters%20%3E%20Natural%20Gas%20Garage%20Heaters&utm_campaign=Mr.%20Heater&utm_content=27457&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInoeU2cyx4AIVRLnACh1FsgiOEAQYHiABEgKoyvD_BwE

Re: shop heat

jcousins

my shop is about a 4.5 car garage size - i use a ceiling mount (hung from the ceiling joists) reznor propane/gas heater. it definitely keeps it warm and doesn't use up any floor space.

this is it - https://www.ecomfort.com/Reznor-UDAP-60/p46972.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAtP_iBRDGARIsAEWJA8jqEAqxppvcpFWRuIHcEDLfSDCtNtaiBoScpzjPa0LbdX89hnrOyukaAtM-EALw_wcB

but when i bought it years ago - it was less than $500. modine heaters are comparable to the reznor.

jerry

Re: shop heat

Dave Bair

I run a 120-volt quartz two-element ceiling-mounted heater that I bought from Lee Valley for $60. My shop is 20x20 with 8' ceilings; 6" insulation in the attic and 4" in the walls.

Set on high, it kept the shop at 48º overnight in -18º temps last week. That's not a pleasant working temperature, but it keeps the glue from freezing. Usually, I can maintain 60º during the winter, keeping one element on overnight and switching to 2 elements in the morning.

I live in south-central Michigan.

Re: Do you have CNG

dave dircksen

I have propane heat for the house and was thinking about putting a 100 gallon tank for the shop. I was looking at the mr. heater 50,000 btu.

One caution

Bruce, a MN Galoot

I used a 65k btu propane heater in my gate twice. I hadn’t realized it produced a prodigious amount of water vapor and consequently deposited a layer of rust on every tool in my shop. Be sure the heater is vented right.

Re: shop heat

Larry verhff

Dave When we were in you shop a few weeks ago I could swear the ceilings were m10ft. Of course my age is really catching up with me these days or I`m getting shorter and things look taller. Larry

Re: shop heat

Paul Blackwell

I had a pole barn shop about the same size as yours, well insulated. I used a wall mounted propane heater and it worked well. In the winter, I left it on full time, turned the thermostat down as low as it would go at night, and turned it up only when I worked out there. It was so comfortable I could work in shirtsleeves on the coldest day in the winter. Can't remember the exact size of the propane tank, but probably at least 100 gals. It would heat the shop for the season.