Question: Shop heater ideas

[Jane]

Hello folks,

I was wondering what kind of heat those have that do not engrave inside their house?
I work in an attached garage about 18 ft X 18 ft. My car is pulled in during the night and I remove it when I am working so it doesn't feel so cramped. I have a long workbench that goes most of the length of the wall where I do my silver forming, soldering, polishing etc. and have a desk that completes the stretch of the wall where I engrave. So most of the work area is on one side however it is an open area that needs to be heated.
I live in northwest Texas where the weather is unpredictable. Today it is almost 60 but tomorrow may be 10 degrees.
The garage is fairly well insulated.
This is a town rental house, so a wood stove is not an option.
I think electrical heaters may cost to much to run in that space.
I don't mind wearing a heavy sweater or two but don't want my teeth chattering while engraving either.
Any ideas of how I can heat it?
Thanks!

 

[dlilazteca]

I use to old lasko tower heaters for a 16 by 18 and I let it preheat for about 45 minutes, was 35 outside, inside 75 inside

Carlos De La O III

 

[Jane]

Carlos,

Is that electric? Is it expensive to run for a month?
Thanks,
Braidie

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

I had a 150,000 BTU LP gas space heater in the garage at my old place. It worked OK but, the heating and cooling would cause my tools to sweat and rust would form. The garage wasn't insulated and I eventually gave up on it. I have a very well insulated garage at the new house and I have a natural gas heater suspended from the ceiling. I set the thermostat and forget it. I think it's the way to go.

This is the heater I have:
Mr. Heater Big Maxx™ Natural Gas Garage/Workshop Heater — 80,000 BTU

 

[dogcatcher]

I live in Abilene, TX, so we have about the same weather, I use a Mr Buddy Heater, that runs off a 5 gallon propane tank. Northern Tool stores in Dallas carries them, I want to say about $120. They say they heat about 400 square feet, in my 8x16, I can wear shorts and T shirts when it cold!!

 

[billrice@charter.net]

Jane

I found out about a heater that uses very little electricity and does a great job heating my Studio. the best time to buy this the off season when they will have sales on the product though the full price is not bad.
the company is EdenPure heaters. look them up on the Web

 

[dlilazteca]

yep electric,,,but I already had them,,,did not want to spend on something new, they dont run constantly will turn one off when it gets the temperature I want, but I only run them about 2 to 3 times a week for about 5 hours per run, but then again im in Texas.

 

[Jane]

Thanks for all the responses guys, Ill check out all the leads!

 

[mdengraver]

I use a Mr. Slim heater/air conditioner.

 

[Tim Wells]

Go to wally world and get one of those stand up ceramic heaters that oscillate. They're about 3 feet tall and about as big around as a large coffee can and that will heat that space. It's what I use and I leave it on during the winter so my tools stay warm to the touch and don't rust. If it's not warm enough on a COLD day, I just plug an additional one in and go to work, but that second unit is seldom needed. My shop interior is 12X20 and it too is insulated.

I don't know what difference it makes in my bill because the weather is too up and down here and thus too hard to nail down exactly what it costs to run. Ceramic is a lot more efficient and cheap to run than those old coil wire heating element heaters. Those little things get hot but it'll make your power meter spin like a 78 rpm record.

 

[marz]

kinda like them infrared ones..

 

[DKanger]

My shop is 800 sq ft and well insulated. I have a multi-fuel torpedo heater. Most of the time I run diesel fuel in it and 5 gals. lasts me a whole year. I fire it up in the morning and within 5-10 minutes it is over 90 degrees in the shop. Then I unplug it and if the sun is out and it gets over 40, the shop stays warm most of the day. If it stays cold, then I might have to fire it up every 3 hours or so for a few minutes.

 

[Jane]

Great tips guys, I appreciate it!

 

[Jörmungandr]

If you want a heated space, having it insulated properly is paramount if you do not want to waste alot of energy on heating. There are alot of clever and simple ways of improving the insulation. Take a look around during winter and see were most heat bleeds. And then fix it. Make sure the roof got extra insulation.

As means of electrically heating the place, airheating pumps are gaining ground here in Sweden. I do not know what the proper name if one is in english, but it basically looks like to fans, one inside and one outside. We have one in our shop and it keeps the heat there quite well even when it's -20 celcius (-4 fahrenheit).

//DQ

 

[Beladran]

I am in outh Mississippi. Usually our cold isnt that cold but today it was 28 degrees this morning! My shop is a 20x20 detached garage basicly. My garage door is insulated, walls insulated, blow in insulation in the attic. I have a little dual head propane heater that I got at Lowes. I fire it up on high then go back inside and enjoy a cup of joe while my shop warms up.. In thirty minutes the shop becomes tee shirt and shorts. Usualy about every hour or two I will fire it up again or I will just turn one of the heads on low and leave it there. Its pretty easy on propane to, I am still on the same bottle from last year. My dads shop is 40x80 and when the central AC unit in his house needed to be replaced he took it out and put it in his shop.

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

Usually our cold isn't that cold but today it was 28 degrees this morning!

That's t-shirt weather here in North Dakota!

 

[Beladran]

i promise my 28 doesnt feel like your 28! lol

 

[Marrinan]

Neal, When I first moved to North Dakota from my Native Ouray Colorado with average 300 plus inches of snow it was summer. I had to make a run up to Grand Forks, (Moved to Jamestown) where I pulled into a parking space on my Harley and went to put money in the parking meter. A passerby told me in was not necessary as the meter was just to turn on the electric so I could plug in my block heater in the winter. I thought then and there that I may have made a small error. First winter snowed on Halloween and did not see the pavement again until march but hunted deer at Devils Lake at 60 below. First time in my life I could not field dress a deer. After the first couple of months you are right, 28 is just about tee shirt weather. Sure miss it. Dakota became home to me. Loved the country and the people. Sure miss it. You are lucky man although I see in the news that LSS has brought in a another group of immigrant refugees that need to go back to where they came from and kill each other there. Fred

 

[DakotaDocMartin]

Neal, When I first moved to North Dakota from my Native Ouray Colorado with average 300 plus inches of snow it was summer. I had to make a run up to Grand Forks, (Moved to Jamestown) where I pulled into a parking space on my Harley and went to put money in the parking meter. A passerby told me in was not necessary as the meter was just to turn on the electric so I could plug in my block heater in the winter. I thought then and there that I may have made a small error. First winter snowed on Halloween and did not see the pavement again until march but hunted deer at Devils Lake at 60 below. First time in my life I could not field dress a deer. After the first couple of months you are right, 28 is just about tee shirt weather. Sure miss it. Dakota became home to me. Loved the country and the people. Sure miss it. You are lucky man although I see in the news that LSS has brought in a another group of immigrant refugees that need to go back to where they came from and kill each other there. Fred

Yep... I certainly agree!

I have IP cams so I don't have to go out to see how the weather is.

 

[thughes]

Too funny.
I had a driller come in from Minnesota once to do a job for me with a specialized rig. It was about 33, windy as hell, and spitting that stuff that ain't rain, ain't snow, really ain't sleet. I was all bundled up when I met them and led them to the landfill. We set up the rig and I put up a little makeshift leanto against the rig to block the wind. They gave me no end of crap about "you sissy Tennessee boys". Said it was 8 degrees for the high when they left MN. After about 2 hours on top of the landfill they were begging to get into the sissy's little tent, said they took it all back. Driller said he had never been so cold in his life and he was ready to head back north.

Funny, he turned into a good buddy and I go up there and go ice fishing and he comes down here and goes smallmouith fishing.