Best way to heat a pole barn

[tman1020]

I installed a used 120, 000 btu down flow forced air 80% efficient furnace. It’s mounted up near the ceiling in the middle. The barn is 24x80 13’ tall.
6” fiberglass in ceiling and 1 1/2 styrofoam in walls in between sheet gurts covered in osb.
Furnace will heat barn up to 60 deg. very quickly. I’m very pleased with it and can’t beat the price.

 

[gomeroh]

I would definitely agree with Jack. We have used Reverberray heaters in our shop for years... wall thermostat, electricity to run the unit is self generated after the pilot is lit so even if your electrical power goes out, you still have heat in your shop. I usually set the temp at 40 - 45 degrees when I'm not in there working, keeps the cement floor "warm" and there's instant comfort when you turn the temp up and the infrared burner lights. If I was starting from scratch with a totally new shop I would consider putting those plastic pex lines in the cement floor but for instant heat you just can't beat the overhead Reverberray infrared heater... no blower noise. It's great!

 

[micdelbo]

My 2 cents... When I built my 40x64x14 pole barn I had a 24x40 foot section walled off and insulated with steel on the inside. I researched all kinds of heat/cooling systems and ended up with a 30 foot radiant tube propane heater.

I get into a lot of warehouses and saw them and heard how well they work. I also have a few friends that struggled with torpedo heaters (smelly and noisy) , electric forced air (expensive and somewhat noisy) wood stoves (dirty and not easy to maintain), in floor radiant from an outside wood furnace (great heat but furnace used twice as much wood and it takes a loooong time to heat garage, easier to maintain heat than turn on when needed) and even heat pumps. They switched to the tube heaters and all love them.

I had mine installed and after watching the installer could do one in about 4 hours. You need a propane/gas line and a fresh air intake from outside or above the room the heater is in.

What I like is how quiet it is, how efficient and how easy it is to maintain the temp at 45-50 degrees.

Last winter I went through about 170 gallons of propane and was in the shop 3-4 nights a week and at least half a day each weekend. I turn it up to 60 or so on the colder/windier days I am in there.

For cooling. I have a 240volt 25kbtu window unit that I run when it bis really hot. Works beautifully.

Key to the whole system is an industrial ceiling fan that runs all the time. This is without a doubt necessary. Friends I have that don't have one can't believe the difference it makes, especially for heat. The heater will run all the time to get the temp at the thermostat correct and the air up at the ceiling will be 90 degrees. The fan fixes all that.

You can get the tube heaters from Northern tool for around $700-$1, 200 if I remember correctly. They are a permanent solution.

Mike

 

[countrybumpkin]

1) are you using heat for working in full time?
2) do you just want to heat it up for a weekend work or evening job?
3) do you have a propane tank already or is natural gas available?
4) are you going to put in CO2 sensors?

A lot of this depends on what is available and how you want your heat - will you have many gasses to worry about?

A pilot light ignition and explosion turning on that could cause a fire due to fumes from what you are working on ?

I use electric for mine due they make some great forced air heaters - they heat things quickly and I can aim the air at me, they are not super noisy and thermostat controlled - I don't want a propane tank sitting around, the fuel is expensive, and I have to be aware of CO2.

An old clothes dryer will put out TONS of heat they make a great supplement heater and they are NOT very noisy and cheap - check out the BTUs for the average clothes dryer, the problem with most electric heaters is they are 110 which EAT power with little efficiency a 220V heater is so much more efficient so don't make that mistake.

I have twice had CO2 poisoning and lived to tell about it both times from propane heat sources - I don't like GAS even with all of its safety sensors, they don't always work!!!!

A wood stove is great but you have to have time for it to heat things up, start it up the night before etc.....

Many variables to affect how you want to heat and your budget - think it through carefully to find the best solution for your situation.

It’s CO not CO2, just so no one gets confused.

I went with a big Maxx 80,000 btu for my 30x40 work area. But I may not run heat for a week then I may turn it on for three or four days or a couple weeks.

 

[Green Acres Homestead]

In floor heat would have been my first choice if I'd of had the foresight and money 14 years ago when I built. Any thoughts on using electric forced air units? Too expensive to operate?

Floor heat is slow to recover. Great if you are going to keep it heated all the time. Nice having the floor nice and warm though.

 

[dnw64]

Floor heat is slow to recover. Great if you are going to keep it heated all the time. Nice having the floor nice and warm though.

Not sure I would say "slow to recover". "Slow to get to temp", sure. But if you are at temp, and open doors to move stuff in/out, etc. it really is pretty quick to get back to temp. OTOH, starting at -10° and expecting to be comfortable, that will take quite a looong time.

 

[suburbanfarmer]

Bringing an old thread back up to see if others have made some more choices in heating their steel pole barns. I am looking to do the same for 30x40x14 with ridge vent
made that mistake

 

[Cougsfan]

My experience: I am on my second heated pole barn, both work well in the winter. (my current one is 40 X 40 X 14). If your shop isn't well insulated you will have a hard time heating it. Also if you don't have a decent vapor barrier you will also have a hard time, particularly if if is windy. (Steel walls alone are a lousy vapor barrier). Your method of heat might vary with your location from both a heat load requirement and by the cost of fuel. Heated floors, from what I have seen, take a lot of energy unless the concrete has a sub layer of insulated foam panels. (kind of hard to retrofit) What I have used in both shops is a electric wall heater such as this: Amazon.com: Comfort Zone CZ26ER Ceiling-Mounted High-Output 1,-Watt Fan-Forced Industrial Heater with Digital Thermostat and Remote Control: Kitchen & Dining I set the thermostat to 45 degrees and leave it on. (I have like to have running water & commodes in my shops and need freeze protection) If I am going to be working out there I have a Craigslist wood stove that I run. It will easily heat the place up to 60 plus degrees (unless it drops to zero outside, then I may have to turn up the electric heat). I find 60 degrees to be the ideal temperature to work. I work out there frequently and probably use a 1-1/2 cords per year (Red Fir in my area) at $180/cord. A ceiling fan on low speed helps with the high ceiling to blow down the hotter air from above down to the work area when running the wood stove.
Radiant radiant heaters are OK only if you work in one spot. I work all over my shop so I don't use them.

 

[TimberHole]

I have a 40x50 pole barn hangar (not insulated) with a 100,000 btu gas unit heater. I only run it when I’m there. It’s really not enough for my building. Does fine if it’s 30F or higher but doesn’t do great at colder temps. If you are not insulated buy twice as big as you think you need.

 

[dnw64]

If you are not insulated buy twice as big as you think you need.

No, do the heat load calculations. Do them whether you're insulated or not.