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advice on garage heaters

1K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  Dana 
#1 ·
I am looking at getting a heater for my garage now that it is getting cold. I was looking at a 30,000 btu Reddy propane heater. it is supposed to heat 1000 sq ft which is larger than my garage. any advice on brands, propane vs kerosene, size, or anything else you can think of.

thanks
Jay

 
#2 ·
Does it have a ceiling,drafts,hows the insolation(sp?)? All things to consider.
My garage is 24x35 w/ no celing and min. insolation, and is block walls.
It heats fine w/ my 100,000btu torpedo but 3 regular kerosene heaters woul not put a dent in it.
I say borrow one to try if you can first. Then you'll know.
Kerosene is kinda stinky and the "torpedo's" are LOUD but the smell doesn't bother me (in the garage) and it's better than freezing.
When I'm out there I like to be a comfy 75 or so.
Also keep in mine both are $$$$ in the fuel usage. Propane is the more of the two but doesn't smell near as bad.

Lead , follow , or WINCH ME OUT!!!!
http://home1.gte.net/rythem/davescj7.htm
 
#3 ·
I'll second Dirt Dog. Use a Torpedo Heater. I've used one in my Un-insulated 2 car garage for the last three years. It does a fair job down to about 15 below... if it gets colder than that... I go in and enjoy some hot chocolate.

To keep the fuel costs down... I use diesel fuel. It burns clean enough not to clog the torpedo heater and the cost is lower.


Happy Holidays and Safe Jeepin'

Larry
 
G
#4 ·
I have a 24x30 garage and a 55,000 BTU kerosene torpedo. It's loud but not to smelly after it ignites the first time. When its below 32 or so outside It runs it almost constantly to keep warm. I have insulated garage doors and the walls are insulated as well but I filled my garage up with stuff before I got the ceiling installed and I have no insulation in the roof. I am certain that most of my heat just goes right out the ridge vent. I installed a wall mounted thermostat like you would use for electric baseboard heat and it feeds a wall socket that I plug the heater into. It works great and is much cheaper than those thermostat cords that the rich city folks use.

Only One Jeep left but its got a 4" Superlift and 33" BFG AT'S
Talk's! Cheap Join the NRA!
http://www.nrahq.org
 
G
#5 ·
If Jeepers are worth anything, they get the most out of junk and/or making things adapt. I notice you are from upstate NY. It does get cold there. I've been there in the winter, and I also know that folks, not just Jeepers, in that area can make do with whatever is available. I'm a Texan, but I will go OT for the moment and compliment the upstate, NE yankees with a real "make do with what ya got" attitude. I've seen some real adaptations of "stuff" in the New England area that isn't apparent in the rest of the country. SO, back to your heater ---

Short story. I was fortunate enough to be very good friends with the son of the owner of the very last real blacksmith shop in Texas. This shop was torn down in the '60s, I think, but in the early '50s when I was in high school, I used to spend some time around this blacksmith shop - summer and winter.

In the winter it often got below freezing and sometimes even below zero, they fired up a "blacksmith made" heater. It was a series of "S" shaped duct tubing. Just light weight tubing that probably was designed as a cheap vent type tubing (6" to 8") for a big hot water heater. Real thin sheet metal tubes about 3 feet long connected with 2 90 degree angles so that it did a switch back forming a tight "S".

On top of 3 or 4 (don't remember for sure) horizontal tubes there was a bucket with a hole drilled in the bottom. A small tube of some kind was soldered into this hole. The tube ran from the bucket down to the bottm of the "S" shaped vent tubes. The bucket was filled with discarded, used motor oil. There was some kind of valve on the bottom of the bucket. A fire was started in the bottom of this stack of "S" shaped tubes, and the valve was set so that the motor oil dripped into the fire. Not a steady stream, just drips. The drips of oil went into the fire and ultimately were the only source of material for the fire to burn.

No fan, no electricity, just old oil burning in a controlled manner and exiting through an "SSS" type chimney. That thing produced a LOT of heat, and didn't cost anything to operate.

This system may be well known in some circles. It may be commonly used in colder climates. I may have seen the only one in the world. I DON'T KNOW! What I do know is that folks in the NE really are able to manage with whatever is available, and I know that this heater really put out a lot of heat and didn't cost anything to operate.

If this gives you some ideas, fine. That is the intention.

 
#6 ·
I have a 20 x 22 garage, no insulation at all, peaked roof. Just picked up a 100,000 btu kerosene torpedo for $170 new, with a built in thermostat. It heats well, but does smell a little at startup. No problem though, because I frequently need a serious shower after working on the jeep anyway. I chose kerosene rather than propane because it's cheaper and a lot easier to find. They both last about as long and put out the same amount, and prices are comparable, with the propane being a little higher. I'd go a little larger than necessary, the 35K is fine, but a 50K would be better, wouldn't run so much. The 50K one I was looking at was $100, but I have a HUGE old barn at home (can store 8 jeeps inside, and work on all 8 at the same time), so I can always use the extra capacity.

JEEPN
Winter Harbor, Maine
'81 CJ-8 Scrambled!
It's a Jeep, Chevy, IHC kinda thing!
 
#7 ·
Ha.......I just scored a brand new inline thermostat from a friend today for mine!!!!!!!
/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

Lead , follow , or WINCH ME OUT!!!!
http://home1.gte.net/rythem/davescj7.htm
 
#8 ·
Thanks! I was thinking along the lines of propane initially, but I think kerosene might be a better choice. I definately will go bigger than I think necessary-like at least 50,000 btu's. I should have learned my lesson when I got the 2 HP air compressor..Always seems like I need more air.

Jay

 
#9 ·
This is what we do in the good old south jersey. A single wide moble home heater. Those suckers dont die and put more heat out then you can take. They are cheap as hell because once the trailer is trash they just doze them down. We normally give the dozer driver 25 bucks or a case of beer for one. They do blow down so you have to put it on some kind of stand or mount it in the ceiling. They run on kero so no stack is needed if you have enough drafts. They are small so any corner of the garage will work. I just put one in a friends one car garge so he can keep his vet warm throughout the winter. Another friend has one heating a 3 car barn. Good luck and stay warm

80 cj7, 304, auto, 33" tsl swampers, 4" softride superlift
 
#10 ·
Ive got a two 1/2 car garage with picthed roof and no insulation . For several years I used a 35,000 Btu kerosene torpedo, which basically just made noise. Last year I bought a 200,000 btu torpedo. Man ! it might sound like jet plane at take off but its so hot Im down to a tee shirt in under five minutes.But with a thermostat it doesnt stay on that long.Besides the compressor makes a lot more noise for a lot longer. Dont go cheap.

91 wrangler 4.0 SOA,All borla,jet chip,rancho 9000s in cab random tech, M.O.R.E. steering kit, K&N, accel coil,sloted drilled rotors,four wheel disc, add a leaf,wrangler dual bat in cab optimas,
 
#11 ·
CJay , listen up Bud . I wrestled with the same idea for a while now about my garage . Well I researched plenty of ideas and didnt really want a flame in the garage for saftey reasons etc. A proper propane/natural gas furnace was just to expensive to install right. If it`s not done properly and your home or shop burns down insurance may not pay for it . Anyways , while at Home Depot last week I was looking at my options and I saw this little 220 Volt Construction heater and since I have a dryer outlet nearby I bought some wire and the right receptacle and took the heater home and installed everything and /wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gifWOW/wwwthreads_images/icons/shocked.gif . Last Saturday it was about 40 deg. in there and I flipped the thermostat on the heater and went and made coffee and 20 minutes later it was 65 in there . That little puppy kicks a$$ . Once up to temp it doesnt come on that much at all , just set the thermostat and work in comfort . Being 220V its also pretty efficient . It cost me about 50 bucks plus the wire and receptacle .
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now , my neighboor has a complete heating system out of a motorhome (RV) , it is also good but takes a LOT longer to get his garage up to temp and propane ( fuel in general) is not getting any cheaper .
Hope this helps you out a bit . My 220 heater is made by a company called Dimplex in case you wanted to know .

Jeff

1979 CJ5
Almost finished /wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif ( Ya Right ! )

Why does everyone always ask " So what did you get done on your Jeep today ? "
 
#12 ·
I saw a nice 200,000 btu propane heater at Home Depot today, but I was wondering about carbon monoxide. Is this a concern? I have a fairly new house with a tight fitting garage door. It has no insulation in the garage, however. It gets COLD in there, and owning a CJ means I spend a good bit of time out there. /wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif

'86 CJ-7, 360, T-176, Dana 44 rear w/Truetrac, Dana 30 w/No-slip, 4" Superlift, Slickrock hangers, Currie steering brace, JKS discos, 4:11s, Warn HS9500i on Durango bumpers.
 
#13 ·
/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif There is hardly anything more miserably cold than a january day in the central valley of California when it is 30 degrees and foggy, foggy, foggy. The dampness penetrates more than temps which are much colder. We went through all kinds of ideas and all kinds of makeshift and store-bought heaters to try and heat our ranch shop. Originally we had a fifty-gallon barrel converted to a wood-burner, then a propane catalytic heater. We finally tossed out the propane heater and the wood barrel in favor of two quartz stand-up heaters. One was placed at the bench where you were overhauling the part, and one was near the vehicle where you were INSTALLING the part that you had just overhauled. You MOVE the heat to where you are. Those heaters use about one KwH PER HOUR, so it you pay 8 cents per kilowatt hour, that's 8 cents per hour per heater. I even use one in my office to keep from having to heat the whole house unnecessarily. Both our heaters were small, 120V models, 1500 Watts by BOEKAMP mfg./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif For our Iowa farm we intend to pour a shop floor which has piping in it for hot water. I have a cast-off spa heater and a circulating pump that I got for free that uses propane. By heating the floor and then have a moveable electric quartz heater we should be OK./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
Quadra-Tracs modified While-U-Wait by the crack moonguy/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif Quadra-Trac Team./wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif
 
#16 ·
I run a gas furnace that was salvaged from a small house that was torn down. Ran black pipe out of the house as well as a dedicated circuit for it (ran 4 new circuits anyway since my garage was obviously wired for someone who didn't do more than run a hedge trimmer). The vent stack runs out through the roof and the thermostat is mounted on the wall between the house & garage. I keep it set at around 60 degrees to keep the chill off in there. A quick slide of the lever to 70 degrees and you'll be begging for a glass of lemonade within 2 minutes. The buddy who gave it to me and helped with the install has a smaller electric unit from a construction trailer that he uses in his garage to keep his spring/summer vehicles warm.

 
G
#17 ·
Our shop at work has a heated floor. It is the greatest. Your boots are warm in the morning when you put them on. Any tools that are laying on the floor are warm. When it was first built we were concerned with opening and closing the big overhead doors and loosing all the heat but with the cement floor being that warm it takes no time at all for things to warm back up again. Also if you have a vehicle that is full of snow and pull it in, it melts off real quick from the heat rising off the floor. The only down side is your feet get hot working on it all day. I have also heard of a few guys that run a loop of heating coil out on the pad in front and just open the valve to it to melt the ice and snow off without shoveling. It is well worth the extra money to heat you garage if you are building a new one!/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

Randy

The happiest people don't have the best of everything
They just make the best of everything
 
#18 ·
Hey Dave if you are going to the expense of pouring a new floor with that piping in it,, just add a little more to it and take it down the drive. You will be the only guy in the neigborhood on those snowy Iowa mornings with a clear drive. WOOO HOOO that is nice, money saved on snow blower is spent on Jeep GOODIES!
GP
 
#19 ·
BillR

There`s a reason it says : DO NOT USE INDOORS WITHOUT PROPER VENTILATION . For a lot of reasons , I wouldn`t mess with open flame heaters in a closed garage .

Jeff

1979 CJ5
Almost finished /wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif ( Ya Right ! )

Why does everyone always ask " So what did you get done on your Jeep today ? "
 
#20 ·
I gotta second that. I used a torpedo heater in my old shop with no problems, but it had cracks big enough to throw the proverbial cat through. I just finished building a new shop that is pretty tight and since I hadn't finished hooking up the new overhead, vented propane heater, I fired up the torpedo. It wasn't long until I found myself hacking and coughing. I figured it was the cheap cigar, but as soon as I went outside, it stopped. Coincidence...I doubt it. I don't believe I would run the torpedo again without opening a window a smidge. On the upside I fired up the new heater tonight and it was GREAT.

 
#21 ·
When I bought my house there was an old mobile home heater in the garage, but the seller took it with him. I made my own, using the oil burner from a dead hot water heater..... I welded two pieces of 4" pipe into an old LP gas cylinder, attached the burner to one, and the stovepipe to the other, with a fan blowing accross it. An old thermostat from an electric hot water heater turns off the burner when the cylinder is hot. Runs several days on 6 gallons of kero (from an old outboard motor gas tank).

When I get the time I'll put an old car heater core inside the cylinder, with a radiator outside, for more efficient heat transfer.

-Dana

A flying saucer results when a nudist spills his coffee.

 
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