I need a shop heater

[chassisguy]

Ok here's the deal i just started my first winter in my new shop, and it is freezing! My old shop was about 1/4 of the size of the new one. I have 2 of the kerosine torpedo heaters and the dont do jack! The shop is 80X50, and it needs to be electric cause there is no gas plumbed in. Any ideas would be greatly appriciated! Thanks

[frankenstang]

Dude- plumb in some gas and get a used house furnace. Electric is not gonna heat that HUGE space. Maybe look into the waste oil furnaces. That way you can burn your used stuff and collect from the neighbors. I put a natural gas line in my detached garage and keep the heat at 50 all winter. It takes about a half hr to bring it to 68-70 degrees when I'm working in there.

[Vegas69]

Agreed electric isn't going to cut it.

[oestek]

We use a Space-Ray IR heater - it's a u-tube shaped over head deal that kicks out about 30k btu - it's not huge like a house furnace, but it heats all the stuff in the room, and than that stuff heats everything else. It's like putting something in the sunlight. It uses gas and electricity, but nowhere near the gas of a forced air heater, and it's quiet. You see them over the entry doors at Home Depot. Ours was under a grand, but we think it's worth it.

http://www.spaceray.com/

[frankenstang]

Most of the muffler shops I've worked at had that kind of heater. They do work killer. And it spares you from having to run ducts from the furnace.

[hotrdblder]

find a ceiling mount gas reznor, out of your mind running torpedo heaters, not good

[nvr2fst]

is to cheak into a pellet stove heater for that size sq footage it would run u about 1500.00 No smell and its cost about 4.00 for a 40lb bag of pellets (compressed sawdust) You would just vent it out the side of your garage wall. I use one in my unattached garage and I have a modine unit heater (natural gas) in the attached garages
dave

[chassisguy]

find a ceiling mount gas reznor, out of your mind running torpedo heaters, not good

I know there risky! thats why im looking for something else. Thanks for your opinions.

[69Bbird]

Pipe some gas and get a couple of reznor heaters. You can also get a propane tank set if that would be easier.

[dharrod]

Had a friend use single ceiling mounted "Hog" heater. The plumbing is simple and you can run them of of natural gas or pro-pane. The heat like heck - if your interested I can get the model number and a picture.

[70 Chevelle]

Our shop uses a Clean Burn unit which runs off used engine oil, it can burn any auto lube. shops will be more than happy to give you their used engine oil. We have been running these types of units for over 20+ years. Place an oil tank outside your shop and your set to go. FREE HEAT. The only downside to the unit is you need to clean the unit about once a season, small price to pay. They pay for themselves I don't understand why every auto shop does not have one. We never need to call a company to get our used oil we stockpile during the summer and use it all winter I'll try to find a link to the company.

[70 Chevelle]

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu9O0hGVHnhYByIhXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTFhYW9rajl 0BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1BSMDE2XzEzM QRsA1dTMQ--/SIG=11d5t4ukf/EXP=1197921844/**http%3a//www.cleanburn.com/


If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

[shortrack]

in a shop that big you may want to drape big pieces of 6mil plastic down from the cieling and only heat the area your working in......thats what i do with mine.......I take it down in the summer

[trapin]

Why are Torpedo heaters risky? Is it the fumes? Are they prone to exploding or something? I have one I use in my garage 22x24 and I use Kerosene in it. I have a thermostat on it and have it set at 55 degrees. The smell isn't too bad, I can tolerate it. But it's all I've got. I don't have the money to invest in any expensive heater and wouldn't want to on this house because I don't plan to stay here.

[chassisguy]

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu9O0hGVHnhYByIhXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTFhYW9rajl 0BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1BSMDE2XzEzM QRsA1dTMQ--/SIG=11d5t4ukf/EXP=1197921844/**http%3a//www.cleanburn.com/


If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

I like that idea but i will have to call them i couldnt find any prices?

[chassisguy]

Why are Torpedo heaters risky? Is it the fumes? Are they prone to exploding or something? I have one I use in my garage 22x24 and I use Kerosene in it. I have a thermostat on it and have it set at 55 degrees. The smell isn't too bad, I can tolerate it. But it's all I've got. I don't have the money to invest in any expensive heater and wouldn't want to on this house because I don't plan to stay here.

I havent had problems with mine but i have heard horror stories about them blowing up!

[go-fish]

You should get a good wood burnin' stove and place it right in the middle of the shop. Just take it out in the summer. With all the trees that are falling down because of the ice you will have plenty of wood!!!
Alot of people will let you cut thier trees down and probably pay you. Other heaters that have been mentioned might pay for themselves but a wood burning stove could actually turn a small profit if you look at it that way.
It's getting pretty cold here. I had to dig out a long sleeved t-shirt today.

[Sparky67]

The home shop on where my 67 Camaro is getting painted has infrared tube heater. Similar to this brand, http://www.reverberray.com/video/theory/index.html
Although, I just can't think of what is the brand. Anyway, you want a sealed radiant tube heater. The garage is 28 x 40 and the heater is around 35 feet long. There is no smell and the air doesn't get dry like forced heat.


Jeff

http://www.kodakgallery.com/67rscamaro

[mikey]

My neighbor uses this electric infra red heater in his detached garage its 30x30 one on each side wall.
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=347033
I just bought one similar to this to try out it has a remote and thermostatI really don't like the idea of open flame mixing with body fumes mine is attached though.
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=354849

[Aceshigh]

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0geu9O0hGVHnhYByIhXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTFhYW9rajl 0BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMQRjb2xvA2FjMgR2dGlkA1BSMDE2XzEzM QRsA1dTMQ--/SIG=11d5t4ukf/EXP=1197921844/**http%3a//www.cleanburn.com/


If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

I have some questions!!! PM COMIN!!

Damn that thing is HUGE. There's a free giveaway goin guys, check it out.

[amx2334]

where are you located? your utility rates will determine the best avenue to take.(i'm in the hvac business).don't discount electric so easily.what is your cost per kw or therm? look on your utility bill for these or call your local utility.
what are your plans? keeping it warm all the time or just weekends?
did you insulate? money spent here pays in the long run.

[Roger M]

I recently installed the heating system for one of the local Honda dealers new service facility. The bulding is much bigger than what you have, but we went with hydronic heating and a waste oil boiler. I installed (10) unit heaters that are fan driven. The run cost is minimal because the oil used comes from the old oil recycled from car services. The only energy used is very little electricity to power the fans on the heaters and the controls and pumps on the boiler.

[amx2334]

You should get a good wood burnin' stove and place it right in the middle of the shop.
Please be careful here.
1) i used to have a neighbor that had a wood burner. note the words "used to".
2) your insurance man may not like this idea. generally around here your insurance goes up enough to negate any potential savings in energy costs.if he doesn't know and something happens it may be hard to get them to pay.the new trick is the outhouse wood burners that heat water/glycol that is then pumped to a coil indoors.http://www.centralboiler.com/applications.php

[69 Hugger 396]

I have a Clean Burn waste oil furnace in one side of my shop (approx 5000 SF) and a Black Gold in the body shop area (approx 4500 SF) and I couldn't be happier with them. Free heat is a beautiful thing, believe me!!