Best way to heat a pole barn

[kenmac]

hang a 90, 75 % etc, furnace from the ceiling, vent with PVC, and run round duct right down the middle of the shop.
Or, hang it from the ceiling on the side and run round duct down the side wall blowing heat out to the middle

 

[dnw64]

hang a 90, 75 % etc, furnace from the ceiling, vent with PVC, and run round duct right down the middle of the shop.
Or, hang it from the ceiling on the side and run round duct down the side wall blowing heat out to the middle

We use something similar to this in our shop:
Commercial and industrial fabric HVAC ductwork leader | DuctSox

Works great.

 

[kenmac]

I have used it in commercial applications. School gyms, etc,. It's not near as cheap as snap together round metal pipe

 

[dennis103]

Hot Dawg heater in my 36 x 52 x 10' ceiling. Cheep and easy to install. 300 to 500 gal a year to heat. I'm in central Maine.

 

[dnw64]

I have used it in commercial applications. School gyms, etc,. It's not near as cheap as snap together round metal pipe

Really??

We found it rather cheap. Plus you can get it with "flaps" punched in it for heat distribution, as opposed to multiple custom sheet metal outlets. And it's real easy to install.

 

[MHarryE]

I have in floor. When I built my next machine shed I didn't have money to insulate and finish but the tubing is in the floor all set for a heat source. When I was growing up we used a wood stove to heat our garage as needed and it was miserable having to work on the cold floor. Northern MN where 30 below is not uncommon.

 

[PILOON]

I simply hung a 4000 watt construction heater from a rafter and set at low to keep the shop at 40 deg or so.
I simply turn it up if I'm doing a project.
BUT then I insulated like the in house, R40 in ceiling and R20 in the walls.
I also added R20 rigid foam on the garage door panels with good edge seals.

Originally I had baseboard heaters but clutter sort of buried them and since been disconnected.
Also I have minimal windows, barely can see even during the day.

My biggest heat loss (in house), or cost, is very large windows and patio doors as their R values are super low.
For my patio doors I actually added decorative additional paneled doors (double hung) on the inside and that actually gives me triple glass.
(he doors were 'thermo pane' style but B4 adding the additional panel 3 doors we could not sit anywhere near them.)

 

[kenmac]

We use something similar to this in our shop:
Commercial and industrial fabric HVAC ductwork leader | DuctSox

Works great.

I don't have any current wholesale prices for the sock or metal, as I sold my business and retired 2-3 yrs ago
Looking on the net, I come up with

16''round duct sock 20' long is $643.25

16'' round metal 21' long is $238.00

Just cut holes in the metal and let it blow out into the open space. No need for run outs in an open garage
Just depends on what you want, or how much you want to spend

 

[mikester]

What?

It's the equivalent of an 1800 SF house with 8' ceilings (30 x 40 x 12). We heat 2800 SF in Vermont with 500-600 gallons of oil. And that is NOT at "mostly 50ｰ"... The house is also not superinsulated (built in 1967, upfitted in 1998), and has a 35 year old boiler.

You are comparing apples to oranges. I'm talking about the cost of heating a poorly insulated pole barn with lots of empty space and high ceilings not a house. Now add a low efficiency propane radiant tube heater as the primary heat source.

I made the mistake of not insulating my barn's concrete floor and it sucks the heat out like crazy. If I had access to cheap natural gas vs premium priced propane I wouldn't think heating a big empty space was a big deal either...

 

[dnw64]

I don't have any current wholesale prices for the sock or metal, as I sold my business and retired 2-3 yrs ago
Looking on the net, I come up with

16''round duct sock 20' long is $643.25

16'' round metal 21' long is $238.00

Just cut holes in the metal and let it blow out into the open space. No need for run outs in an open garage
Just depends on what you want, or how much you want to spend

This is where we got ours. $3/LF (drops to $2.39 if you buy more than 100 LF)
16" PolyMax® Flame Retardant Polyethylene Vent Tubing - Without Holes - TekSupply