How are you guys heating your shops/garages?

[Porno Joe]

With winter fast approaching, I'm looking for some input on upgrading my garage heat. Garage has a natural gas furnace, though i believe its a bit small for the garage. I got it for free though so i cant complain.

my setup last winter was- gas furnace on all the time, turned down to 40-45 at night. when im in the garage, kicked up to 60-65 and i run a kerosene torpedo heater(rated at 75k BTU). Definintely seems to help with getting up to temp. only thing i noticed is that on the colder nights (close to 0) it seemed like the gas furnace ran almost constantly to keep the garage at 40.

Few things im debating right now-

1- ceiling fans. I've read online these really help with high buildings, as alot of heat is stuck up near the ceiling.

2- waste oil heater- been looking at the Eliminator waste oil heater. its the smallest/cheapest unit you can find. I should be able to get some waste oil easily, and worst case i have to buy some heating oil, im buying kerosene already. I'm not sure if these can be left running unattended? say overnight or while im at work?

3- larger torpedo heater- think my 75k BTU is just too small for my space. thinking maybe if i upped to a lager one, at least 150k BTU, i would be putting out more heat faster.


Obviously the ceiling fans are the cheapest route. And i could probably do a fan or 2 and a new larger torpedo heater for under $500. The eliminator heater starts at $2000, which is a big chunk of change, but if i can bring my gas bill down ($300+ in cold months) it would pay off in the long run.

would love to get input from anyone running waste oil, esp if anyone has the Eliminator.

 

[OregonDMAX]

I have a wood burning stove in my shop :woott: Absolutely free heat minus the cost of having to cut down the trees and split the wood.

 

[LBZ]

I have a wood burning stove in my shop :woott: Absolutely free heat minus the cost of having to cut down the trees and split the wood.

X2
I am also getting an electric forced air for backup to keep it above freezing when I'm gone to work.

 

[Chevy1925]

i open the garage and enjoy the weather

 

[trashygasman]

Any type of fan to circulate the hot air down from the ceiling will help. Even if you hang a cheap box fan from the rafters.

 

[blk smoke lb7]

From what I understand the oil burners are trouble some and have more then their share of problems.The fans are a great idea any way you look at it.the most effective ways are hot water in the floor but tha5 has to to be done before the floor is poured. Ne t is infared tubes but that is hard to just turn up when you ho out there but its very efficient and it heats the objects in the room.Wood is cheap and a great heat source but its messy and takes some time for splitting stacking cutting the tree down and you need a back up so stuff doesn't freeze.Electric is to expensive where we are.I use a 65,000 btu dayton heater also called the hot dog.I just kep it at 40 znd turn it up when I go out there and it has fast heat time but my shop is only about 1000 square fedt and only has 11 ft ceiling

 

[OregonDMAX]

If you have the right wood stove and know how to properly load it and set it it will burn all night or all day long. When I leave for work i load it and there is still embers in it when I get home that I can add more wood to relight it without effort.

But yes it is ALOT of work

 

[duramaxzak]

This is what I have in both my garages. Work's well, but if I was to do my shop over again I would do in floor heat!!!

http://www.h-mac.com/modine-hd75.html

 

[catman3126]

I have a wood burning stove in my shop :woott: Absolutely free heat minus the cost of having to cut down the trees and split the wood.

Wood heat is the only heat that heats you up 4 times before you even burn it! cutting splitting, hauling stacking.......and then burning. lol

 

[blk smoke lb7]

This is what I have in both my garages. Work's well, but if I was to do my shop over again I would do in floor heat!!!
http://www.h-mac.com/modine-hd75.html

Thats what I have also.

Wood heat is the only heat that heats you up 4 times before you even burn it! cutting splitting, hauling stacking.......and then burning. lol

:rofl:

 

[TLKDRTYLLY]

A buddy of mine has great success with a pellet stove. He has a 4 bay garage and has no problems keeping it warm in the cold Maine winters.

 

[malibu795]

how insulated/drafty (doors closed) is said building? makes a big difference

 

[duramaxzak]

Wood and pellet stoves take up to much floor space, IMO!

 

[Porno Joe]

building is concrete block, two 14 x 10 doors that were brand new two years ago. ceiling has standard R whatever between the rafters, and we also lined it with that insulated sheeting board. its not very drafty at all.

i got the ceiling fan idea after reading online and remembering when i changed a lightbulb last winter and was sweating up on the ladder.

We use a coal/wood stove to heat one of our other garages, and its dirty(i assume thats mostly the coal). We paint in this one occassionally, so i want something that isnt dirty.


Pellet stove might not be a bad idea.

 

[btfarm]

Double barrel stove with a little 8" fan behind it, plenty of hardwood and the 30x40x12 shop has 3 ceiling fans.Toasty as you want it to be. I bank the fire in REALLY cold weather to keep it above freezing. As long as the floor never gets real cold you're good.

 

[CaptPhil]

Pellet stoves are fantastic. I heat my whole house with one all winter, 2100sqft two story. The year before I got it I burnt just short of $2k worth of heating oil. Last year I used $750 (three tons) in pellets and zero heating oil. You could definitely get a smaller pellet stove for a garage and tie it in to a thermostat. Only downside is you have to keep the pellets dry (inside). A ton of pellets fits on one pallet.

I have used waste oil heaters that worked very well as long as you could get relatively clean oil, i.e. no water.

 

[Porno Joe]

Yes the more I read this thread I'm thinking several fans on the ceiling to push heat back down and a pellet stove might do the trick.

Just did a little reading on the pellet stoves and seems like some have auto igniters and built in thermostats.

Also like that the pellet stove uses such a small chimney pipe. I don't really want a hole in my block wall and I have the perfect place for a stove and I can just block off an existing window

 

[CaptPhil]

Yes the more I read this thread I'm thinking several fans on the ceiling to push heat back down and a pellet stove might do the trick.

Just did a little reading on the pellet stoves and seems like some have auto igniters and built in thermostats.

Also like that the pellet stove uses such a small chimney pipe. I don't really want a hole in my block wall and I have the perfect place for a stove and I can just block off an existing window

Mine has a thermostat, but it is remote mounted in another room. Will cycle the stove on and off as needed. Auto ignition using an electric coil. Will go from a fully cold stove to blowing hot air in under 5 minutes. Do that with a wood stove. The bigger capacity you go the larger the chimney. Mine is a 4" pipe.

Another benefit is the burn time. Mine will go over 40 hours on a full hopper if it is running constantly on low. on/off cycling increases that time greatly.

 

[Porno Joe]

Mine has a thermostat, but it is remote mounted in another room. Will cycle the stove on and off as needed. Auto ignition using an electric coil. Will go from a fully cold stove to blowing hot air in under 5 minutes. Do that with a wood stove. The bigger capacity you go the larger the chimney. Mine is a 4" pipe.

Another benefit is the burn time. Mine will go over 40 hours on a full hopper if it is running constantly on low. on/off cycling increases that time greatly.

What model do you have Phil? And any pics?

 

[TLKDRTYLLY]

Well then, I hope my pellet stove suggestion works out for you! I love it, melts all the snow off of my snowmobiles after a day of riding and keeps them warm for the next day of riding. Makes working on vehicles way more enjoyable, and like stated above, very cost effective.