Shop/Space Heaters - Propane or Keroscene?

[gnihcraes]

I check craigslist now and then for heaters, there are a few out there. The prices are questionable sometimes, a beat up shop heater for not much less than a new one.

I like the radiant heated floor systems, I've installed those in my bathroom tile floors, but can't get that accomplished in the old garage.

I do have a few rubber type matts on the floor to keep the feet off the concrete...

[Great-Kazoo]

RE: 100lb propane tank

Unless you have enough clearence between houses you cannot install a propane tank outside. building and Fire code (depending on where you live) will put a crimp in that.
buy a 40 lb'er keep it outside your garage door and have a reddy heater inside. drop a small fan behind it and that will keep you warm. a 40lb tank should get you through the winter. maybe not this windy one, but should work fine.
the only thing that needs to be replaced if it craps out on you is the thermal coupler. they run about $15
this one is a good deal for the money.

http://denver.craigslist.org/tls/1524887108.html

[Ripper]

Check out this forum, they have a great string on heating and cooling garages.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

[gnihcraes]

great information and links... I'm checking it all out....

[rondog]

I found a guy on Craigslist that had bought a bunch of these for a great deal, and was selling them new in box for $50. Puts out beaucoup heat, but man, does it gobble the propane. Also, buildup of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide can be bad news.



I've since had a Hot Dawg garage heater installed, and it works fine, but I wish I'd bought a bigger one. Permanent installation, natural gas, vented, no pilot light, nice unit. Just not big enough to suit me. Perhaps if I ever finish the insulation and drywalling.

[gnihcraes]

I picked up a small propane 50kbtu unit yesterday at lowes.



Seems to work pretty well. Noisy dang thing. I'll goof around with it some more today and see how well it keeps the garage warm.

Was going to buy the similar product at Home Depot, but apparently it's close to summer so they have removed all but the largest portable heaters from the shelf. What idiots. They said their stock had been moved to another store in Arvada, so I trek up there and they have no idea what I'm talking about... so Lowes got my money...

Thanks for all the input on this, I'll eventually look into one of these Hot Dawg units. I think my garage had one like this in it's past, there is a vent stack through the roof in one corner, so It would be an easy other than the gas line.

kc.

[bjl913]

The bar I go to has two of those hot dog units, one large, one small. There is no insulation on the smoking patio, just roll down vinyl with plastic windows. Most of the time it is actually warmer out on the patio than it is inside the bar!

[gnihcraes]

This has kept the garage pretty warm today during testing for several hours. I did have to set it up with some outside air intake through the garage door, it was getting pretty airless in there with it running! Seems to be reasonable on propane usage. I was warm so I won't complain much about the $$ to run it.

[tbaby303]

Just becarful puting a heater next to your reloading bench. Those two dont belong togeter. Once again becarful and Happy reloading

[rondog]

This has kept the garage pretty warm today during testing for several hours. I did have to set it up with some outside air intake through the garage door, it was getting pretty airless in there with it running! Seems to be reasonable on propane usage. I was warm so I won't complain much about the $$ to run it.

Just an FYI - I've had both my Hot Dawg and my propane heater running before at the same time, and the amount of CO and CO2 that the propane heater puts out will cause the Hot Dawg to shut down because the oxygen sensor tells it there's not enough oxygen to run it. Not conducive to human life at that point.