how do you heat your garage/ workshop

ovrszd · Jan 27, 2014

I installed a 100K btu propane furnace when I built my shop. Also have a homemade woodstove. The propane furnace is set on 60 degrees and takes care of things after the wood fire goes out late at night until I stoke it again in the morning. I'm heating a 42x50x10 well insulated shop. I've burned three tandem axle trailer loads of wood this Winter as well as about 50 gallons of propane. Shop temp is never below 60 and normally 70-75 degrees.

Pilot · Jan 27, 2014

Next house will have a ductless heat pump to heat the garage / shop. Very efficient, don't use much wall space (about 1.5 ft. by 2.5 ft, mounted up high) and no floor space. If it gets too cold outside for the unit to be efficient, I would probably find something else to do for the day.

bigtiller · Jan 27, 2014

I have a 60K btu propane furnace hanging from the ceiling heating a 30x46 well insulated attached garage. I keep it set at 42 degrees and it is amassing how economical it is to heat. It's a Reznor Stubby from 1998 but I don't think they make it anymore.

Industrial Toys · Jan 27, 2014

I use a large air tight wood stove in my shop. It's not insulated and has no ceiling, so it's not a great setup. Maybe some day it will be insulated but I would hate to put in a ceiling. Actually a lot of the time, I start the fire, or if I am lucky a friend does, and just leave the large overhead door open. Just having the fire there, gives a sensation of warmth plus I get rid of my accumulated garbage!

In my new drive shed, I insulated the slab, but opted not to put in hydronic heating. I only work in a shop sporatically and the time to heat the thing is just too long. You pretty much have to keep that slab heated from October to April! I made the provisions to put in a wood boiler and then I would just put a fan forced heater in the section I want to work in.

ovrszd · Jan 27, 2014

Industrial Toys said:
I only work in a shop sporatically and the time to heat the thing is just too long. You pretty much have to keep that slab heated from October to April!

I'm in my shop every day, most days in Winter, all day. People think I'm crazy to keep my propane furnace thermostat set on 60 degrees. I say it's cheaper to buy a little propane to maintain 60 degree temp for a couple hours each night than it is to reheat the shop if it's allowed to cool off. And I never have to wait for it to be comfortable enough to work in. The inside of my shop's never been colder than 60 degrees.

BitChin1 · Jan 27, 2014

Pilot said:
Next house will have a ductless heat pump to heat the garage / shop. Very efficient, don't use much wall space (about 1.5 ft. by 2.5 ft, mounted up high) and no floor space. If it gets too cold outside for the unit to be efficient, I would probably find something else to do for the day.

I use a 1t Mitsubishi mini-split for my 14' x 25' shop area in my garage - it heats and cools the area very well and quickly.
I have a door that can be opened to my garage area (36' x 25') and it will keep this entire space heated to mid sixties with outdoor temp in single digits (until the doors get opened

) - much lower cost to operate than propane and will provide cooling in the summer

KennyG · Jan 27, 2014

I do the same as you with my pole barn - diesel salamander to take the edge off and then run a wood stove. I'm well insulated. I heat it only on weekends but, until this last week, it never got below freezing inside the building. I actually have natural gas in the building so I'm thinking about adding a small thermostat controlled furnace just to keep it at 40 degrees or so.

ovrszd · Jan 27, 2014

KennyG said:
I do the same as you with my pole barn - diesel salamander to take the edge off and then run a wood stove. I'm well insulated. I heat it only on weekends but, until this last week, it never got below freezing inside the building. I actually have natural gas in the building so I'm thinking about adding a small thermostat controlled furnace just to keep it at 40 degrees or so.

Yeah, a buddy of mine does that so his paint stock, etc., doesn't freeze. If you are only in there a couple days a week I think that's the most practical. Since I'm in mine every day thru Winter I never want to have to reheat much so it's more economical to use alternate heat to maintain something close to working temp. Every item in my shop is storing heat, including the building materials and concrete.

sixdogs · Jan 27, 2014

deerseeker001 said:
I do the same turn on the LP salamander face where i am working and then build fire in wood furnace.

Do you need to vent that?

kenmac · Jan 27, 2014

KennyG said:
I actually have natural gas in the building so I'm thinking about adding a small thermostat controlled furnace just to keep it at 40 degrees or so.

If you were only closer. I have a couple used 100K BTU forced air furnaces I would give you 1. 1 is an 80% and 1 is a 90%

teejk · Jan 27, 2014

I have hydronic in-floor in a well insulated steel building (2" foam under the slab, R19 in the walls, R50 in the ceiling). Building is 56'x30' but partioned so I only heat 40x30. Runs off a newer high efficiency LP hot water heater that was set-up solely to service the heating (closed loop). It ain't cheap at current LP prices and our "global warming" where I think we got to minus 8F today, but is nice heat. I wish I had insulated the edges of the slab and will probably do that if the ground ever thaws out.

newbury · Jan 27, 2014

Well one of the reasons I'm sitting in Fulton, Mississippi and not Alexandria, Virginia is because I was afraid of my pipes in my shops freezing. Totally unheated (since someone stole my LPG tank w/ 200 gallons in it). Temps outside got down to 9 degrees. I took a double headed halogen worklight and put it under the sink and I let the toilet leak to keep the water running. A few more days to go. Temps inside get down to about 30 degree F.

Got to heat it next year.

furnone · Jan 27, 2014

diesel lover said:
Just as the title says. I would like to see how you are heating your workshops. Its been -14 ｰF here. I would like to comfortably in my own garage. I'm about to buy a house.

In my parents 2 car deep garage we used a wood fireplace and a propane air forced heater/ salamander to "JumpStart" the temperatures to a comfortable level. After the high btu heater for a little while straight firewood heat maintains it for not much cost.

How do you guys heat? Thanks

In our 24x24 garage I use a 30,000btu. propane/natural gas wall hung ventless heater purchased from Northern Tool for about $160. Optional fan kit was another $30 or so. Kept on the lowest setting, it keeps the garage, with insulated walls, non insulated ceiling, at 48-50 degrees. With the heater and gas cooktop stove, it uses about 3/4 gal./day. On these near zero days it creates some condensation and frosting on the garage door windows, but not too bad.

I keep my JD 2210 and my wife's car in the garage.

oldballs · Jan 28, 2014

I do enjoy the heater in my truck, but my Carhartts keep me warm everywhere else, tractor, garage, outdoors etc. But a heated garage would be nice. There's so much to do indoors, that's when I catch up, if at all. Using a 75,000 BTU kerosene heater melts the snow off equipment in the garage, (or doing some emergency work) but then I have to mop up the water. The floor is real clean however. It's zero right now....think I'll doodle around on TBN.

ovrszd · Jan 28, 2014

oldballs said:
It's zero right now....think I'll doodle around on TBN.

Me too, in my T-shirt, in my heated shop, 'til I get bored on TBN, then I'll piddle with some shop project!!!!

diesel lover · Jan 28, 2014

I think I will buy a dynaglow radiant 23,000 btu kero heater this summer when they are cheap. runs two gallons of fuel for 8 to 12 hours. Otherwise I will get a salamander. Yes I have to wait to this house and garage is purchased.

A propane radiant heater is also largely considered. They hook on the top of a propane tank, and cost about 40 $ I have used a single burner type for several years and enjoyed it for what it was worth. Could run many hours on a propane tank

bigtiller · Jan 28, 2014

diesel lover said:
I think I will buy a dynaglow radiant 23,000 btu kero heater this summer when they are cheap. runs two gallons of fuel for 8 to 12 hours. Otherwise I will get a salamander. Yes I have to wait to this house and garage is purchased.

A propane radiant heater is also largely considered. They hook on the top of a propane tank, and cost about 40 $ I have used a single burner type for several years and enjoyed it for what it was worth. Could run many hours on a propane tank

These won't heat your garage/workshop but they make great hand warmers. There was a radiant heater similar to the one you talk about at my place of work many years ago. I used it to dry gloves and warm my lunch.

9973720wb19 · Jan 28, 2014

NorthernTool - hung a few of there small heaters on the wall - they have a built in fan and you can set at a temp. the fan comes on when the element is warm and ready. they work great.

oldballs · Jan 28, 2014

ovrszd said:
Me too, in my T-shirt, in my heated shop, 'til I get bored on TBN, then I'll piddle with some shop project!!!!

You didn't have to say,.... "in my T-shirt".

I just come in from freezing my hands off working in my unheated garage. It's about 28 deg F in there. All that steel is cold. Installed a new Land Pride Quick Hitch.

ovrszd · Jan 28, 2014

oldballs said:
You didn't have to say,.... "in my T-shirt". I just come in from freezing my hands off working in my unheated garage. It's about 28 deg F in there. All that steel is cold. Installed a new Land Pride Quick Hitch.

You are the Man!!!! Now you gotta impatiently wait for warmer weather to try out the new QH. You are gonna love it!!! :thumbsup: