# looking for heating advice



## brewmebaby (Feb 20, 2007)

howdy, i'm new to the forum. i am establishing my workshop in my attached 2.5 car garage, and i am looking for any helpful advice/feedback on haeting systems for said shop. thanks in advance.


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

I've got a heater like this one. This particular model is rated for 1000 sq ft of space. You can get them in either Natural Gas or Propane. Your other option would be a kerosene torpedo heater. They make a thermostat to hook up to them so you can just turn it on and leave it. It will keep your garage at the desired temperature with out having to watch it all the time. Only problem is having to bring kerosene home to feed it. Another option would be one of those heaters that you see hanging from the ceiling. They run on either Natural Gas or Propane and have a fan to distribute the heat.


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## brewmebaby (Feb 20, 2007)

*thanks for feedback*

what part of the country are you in?, what size space do you heat?, do you heat it constantly or only when you will be working?


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Southwest Mo. I'm heating about 300 sq. ft. Only when I'm working.


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## C&D Woodcraft (Dec 1, 2006)

I have a 60,000 btu kerosene torpedo. It heats up my shop pretty quickly. I don't have it on a thermostat. My only hesitation with that is that it seems to spew a little nasty fumes when it kicks on/off, so I usually start it and stop it outdoors then point it inside. 
I'd definitely recommend going natural gas or propane just cuz they burn cleaner.


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## Rob (Oct 31, 2006)

My garage is about 1100 square feet and I use a 115,00 BTU torpedo to heat it. I have the thermostat and it works well. They make a liquid you can add to the kerosene so it doesn't smell as bad.
The only times I get the real nasty fumes is when it runs out of fuel...otherwise, going on and off, there is no difference.
I can take my garage from 25* to 60* in about 20 minutes.


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## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

brewmebaby said:


> howdy, i'm new to the forum. i am establishing my workshop in my attached 2.5 car garage, and i am looking for any helpful advice/feedback on haeting systems for said shop. thanks in advance.


If it were me...i would go with a ptac unit...like the one you see in motels, a self contained, through the wall , heat pump....very clean, efficiant, low noise, and don't cost a fortune.


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## jodiemeglio (Jan 2, 2007)

I have a propane torpedo but it's the kind without a fan and is upright. If I'm there a lot I can use 3 tanks of propane a week. 
Are the kerosene ones expensive to run? 

Those heat pumps are very nice. I see them at the auction every month but they're always natural gas or fuel oil. If I found a propane or electric one I'd probably buy it.


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## Tommy_Joe (Nov 1, 2006)

I got a PM from the OP, but I'm gonna throw this out there anyway and another option. 

I live in the City (I'm thinking I'm the only one here that does) and my shop is a detached garage that faces the ally. I still use as a garage most of the time since I don't have a driveway at my house. The house was built in 1929 and is a great house. The garage was in bad shape though. So in 2001 we tore it down and built a new one 576 SqFt with a nice wide 18' X 8' door and offset it so I could build the shop on the east wall. I partially insulated the garage (east wall, insulated garage door plus part of the south wall and part of the north wall.) Now the summer months I don't mind, but I hate the cold. So... How to heat this space? 

I checked the building code and made a huge discovery. The St. Louis Fire Department made it a building code that detached buildings on the property (not the main dwelling) cannot be heated with any type of standing flame unit. Sealed or not... Vented or not... Not allowed. I think the NG Company as well will not allow you to extend a gas line past 10' of the main dwelling. So... Long story short... Using Gas to heat the shop was pretty much out. Also learned that any electric heater that runs on 110VAC eats 1500watts and produces 5100BTUs. Not nearly enough for a 576SqFt shop with open rafters. 

So I found and installed this... 










The brand is QMark, the model number is MUH102 and it's a 220VAC electric heater that puts out 31,500BTU for 10Kw/Hr of power. It runs like a furnace where the fan runs til all the generated heat is blowned to the space being heated. 

The plus of this unit is there's no flame to contend with so it meets building code. It also makes finishing a piece worry free since I can leave the unit set at 60* overnight for the finish to cure and not worry about what happens with the flame. There is also no flu to deal with and no moisture generated from this unit. Gas units can generated moisture when they fire up.

The minus of this is that you'll need 8Ga or 6Ga wire to wire it up (I used 6Ga on a 220VAC 40A circuit), and depending on you electric rates, can be a bit pricey to run. I'm lucky where I am cause electric & gas cost about the same. I also keep the unit at 50* when I'm not in there and that seldom changes. I may crank it up to get above the dew point temprature outside (to protect the tools) and I may raise it when the cars are brought in from the rain or snow to get the mosture out. Works pretty good. 

Cost wise... I can give you a comparison. During the summer to cool the house to 77*, the electric bill runs from $120.00 to $175.00 depending on the outside temprature. The heater doesn't run nearly as often as the A/C during the summer, but depending on the temprature and such, the winter electric bill as been from $85.00 to $130.00. The QMark is the most efficient electric heater out there where as 100% of the generated heat is used to heat the space. 

This is what I do, and it is another option. It's not a cheap option, but it is a solution that does not need a flame and that helps me sleep at night with a piece finishing or being glued up. 

Tom


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## BULLHART (Oct 30, 2006)

nice Lil woodburner for me..toasty warm, and I love the smell. I do have the garage floor run with radiant floor as well, but I keep that zone turned off and just use the stove.


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## nywoodwizard (Oct 31, 2006)

I perfer the forced air kero heaters,over gas.I use it every winter and change the spray nozzel once a year and never have any problems with it.Its not the most economical by far by its convienent,takes all fuels,kerosene,diesel,and home heating oil.I've learned how to repair all of these types of heaters over the years,so it also saves me repair bills.toyostove would be my choice whenever i can afford it,its very economical, its vented and there is no open flame.Its got almost a 90% heating efficiency rating.check out there site. www.toyotomiusa.com Id also check out desa,they have kerosene heaters,garage heaters and specs to help you size one up.www.desaint.com


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## brewmebaby (Feb 20, 2007)

i just wanted to say thanks to everybody who took the time to respond. i now have a lot of research work to do to determine what is going to be best for me. thanks again for all of the great input:thumbsup:


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