Workshop heating

[steamer]

My direct vent gas heater has stood me well with harsh new england winters.  As all the combustion air comes from and exits directly outdoors, its a very dry system.   

Dave

[propforward]

My direct vent gas heater has stood me well with harsh new england winters.  As all the combustion air comes from and exits directly outdoors, its a very dry system.   

Dave

That’s exactly what I use, for the same reason. Simple and effective, runs off propane.

[steamer]

Mine is natural gas...but the same thing

Dave

[fizzy]

Tried electric - too expensive
Tried Propane - everything goes rusty and I either boil or freeze
Now running Kerosene heat exchanger, can completely control the heat and no excess moisture. Brilliant.

[steamer]

Tried electric - too expensive
Tried Propane - everything goes rusty and I either boil or freeze
Now running Kerosene heat exchanger, can completely control the heat and no excess moisture. Brilliant.

Direct vent heaters use an air to air heat exchanger so no products of combustion go into the shop...so the room stays very dry.

Dave

[Vixen]

My Chinese diesel truck/boat heater is also an air to air heat exchanger with no  combustion products inside the shop.

It works well when it works. But diesel is NOT a good choice of fuel. It suffers from waxing and gelling at low temperatures and fungus (bacteria?) growth in the tank, during the warmer times of the year. Natural or bottled gas has a lot more to offer.

Mike

[propforward]

Very true Mike. I used to rent an old farmhouse over here, and it had fuel powered heating. Essentially diesel I think. The fuel tank was in the basement of the house in order to stop it gelling (obviously you could order more expensive fuel oil with anti gelling additives for exterior tank systems). It was a constant source of problems and woe. The day the landlord upgraded the furnace to a propane unit was a happy day indeed.

[propforward]

Tried Propane - everything goes rusty and I either boil or freeze

I have no such problems. Was yours a freestanding heater rather than an exterior venting unit? Mine is essentially an industrial shop heater, and controlled from a wall thermostat. My shop stays a delightful 65°F, and no rust in sight.

But...........there is no one solution, 'tis true. In my shed it's easy to put a hole through the wall. Not the case for some shops of course.

[Laurentic]

If I'm in the shed for just a couple of hours or so I use an electric fan heater - the cheap and cheerful 2kw jobbies for about a tenner (£!).  Don't really like 'em, but they work and are simple and quick.

However, if I'm in the shed all day I will light the stove.  We bought a little wood burning stove from a French Troc (secondhand stuff shop - mostly old stuff) nearly 20 years ago.  My shed has a little brick built chimney bullt in, so said wood burner was installed, initially burning charcoal, taking air from the shed and exhausting outside.  Then I found the bags of smokeless compressed coal dust type coal worked a treat.  Light it with the propane torch, then only have to top it up with a few lumps of smokeless early afternoon and bingo, the shed is lovely and toasty, products of combustion discharged outside so inside all dry heat and no fumes, the job's a good'un!

However, if I didn't have that I would buy what Mike (Vixen) has done and have the tank outside the shed and use the 28sec kero heating oil that the house central heating boiler and the Rayburn run on; I know that system provides nice warm dry air very easily and a 2kw unit would be more than enough.

Chris

[Vixen]

I may have found the perfect answer to workshop heating. 

How about one of these charcoal or wood burning Turkish Samovars. It will even warm the water for your tea or coffee.



Keep safe

Mike

[Jasonb]

Ok for those of us who don't mind working with the brown stuff and can feed it our offcuts but not sure it will run too good on swarf

[cnr6400]

I'm told Mg swarf can give very good heat - but haven't tried it in a samovar or other stove......

[Vixen]

Mmmmmmmmmm.

Magnesium swarf in a Samovar!!!   Is that what they call a Flash Boiler?????

Mike

[Jasonb]

Maybe more a "flash in the pan" as I'm told the way it burns can be quite frightening

[Vixen]

Dont underestimate an aluminium swarf or a even fine steel swarf pan fire.

Have you ever set light to wire wool with a cigarette lighter???

It would bring a whole new meaning to workshop heating

  Please dont try this at home. 

Mike