OK here is what I chose to heat the shop this winter.

[FXR]

I got one of these with the "Remington" name on it at Menards for $175, it uses Kerosene and does have a fan, but is really a radiant heater and it is much much quieter than my salamander was, it really cranks out heat that stays around much better than the forced air type of salamander.

I wanted a pure radiant solution, but the bigger brother to this unit is $1000, and the pro versions that run on diesel are $1700! So, for a garage this is a good option IMHO.

 

[malibu101]

Is radiant heaters like this rated in BTU's?
If so, how many BTU's is the one in the picture.

 

[Mark-in-NH]

Nice and a great price.
One of the things I have never liked about the salamander type heaters is the noise. Having it plugged into a thermostat helps a little, at least the noise will cycle on and off with temperature.
I see the name Sun Stream on the side of yours, I will have to search the name and learn more.

 

[FXR]

Its rated at 70k on the Remington and less on the one pictured I think the remmington is just rated higher because the fan is always on.. I wanted a Val6 but wow they are overkill for a garage and super expensive.

 

[malibu101]

Cool, or should I say warm.
I too am using a 55K salamander, and have been for over 12 years. It heats my space perfectly but as Mark said, the noise has always bothered me alot. Anything quieter is a great thing!
People often complain of the smell from a torpedo (salamander) heater but used in a working garage, the little smell is not a problem with me at all. How does this radiant unit compare in the smell department.
Thanks for any input. You've peaked my curiosity in this.

 

[FXR]

Well, it puffs once on ignition, and of course on the cool down cycle it can make a smell when new, but after the second burn cycle it smells fine at shut down. I would not use it in a house, its clean burning,just not that clean.
It has a cool down cycle that runs after you flip the switch for a good ten minutes.

For the money I think it works, LP is $1 a pound, kero is $3.50 right now, but I can get it at 1am and dont have to deal with tank freezing etc. This thing is supposed to use around .85 gallons per hour.

Here is a direct link to the OEM I think.

http://www.pinnacleint.com/sunstream.html

It is much quieter than any salamander, and for under $200 is a great way to go, but if the budget allows the VAL6 makes nearly no noise at all and if you have a larger area or barn it is probably the most efficient way to go since it runs on diesel and heats straight through rain or fog. It puts 2ppm into the room with you, it is clean.

I was going to justify the $1700 but with a 24x30 with 9' ceilings I figured this would do fine. If I was a block layer or worked outside I would not hesitate to get a VAL6 or similar IR heater, those dont lose any efficiency even in serious cross winds.

VAL6

 

[hetkind]

wow, the fuel cost can really add up...call it 20 hours a week, 17 gallons a week or $50?

and I thought the 2k for a wood stove and chimney was high...

Howard

 

[Red Green]

I got one of the deals from Menards for x-mas last year. It is nice and quiet. They are not as tough when it comes to dust and using it in a constuction type envriorment. I had to take it a part several times and clean the "eye" but we were using it in a house where we were removing blown in insulation and doing drywall work.

 

[FXR]

wow, the fuel cost can really add up...call it 20 hours a week, 17 gallons a week or $50?

and I thought the 2k for a wood stove and chimney was high...

Howard

Yeah, I have a wood pile that can keep me going for two years but I just cant have the wait time, with this I can flip a switch and have a small Sun next to the work area in no time flat.

 

[Holedgr]

I have the same unit that I use for jobsites......you will roast with that heater! I love mine.....it's relatively quiet too.


-T

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I assume it produces Carbon Monoxide like the Torpedo heaters do? or does it burn so clean that it doesn't?

Charles

 

[FXR]

I assume it produces Carbon Monoxide like the Torpedo heaters do? or does it burn so clean that it doesn't?

Charles

I would say that it does since it is burning fuel, how much I cant tell you.

 

[D.J.]

O.K. but where I come from a salamander is a old upright verticle stoverpipe contraption that burns diesel or K- 1 only and belches and farts and sometine explodes and a torpedo heater is hooked up to electricity and burns K - 1 or propane with a forced air fan inside. For you young guys K-1 is kerosene.
________
Indian fucktube

 

[rburke65]

$3.50 x 17 gal. a week is $60 a week! $240 a month.....that's enough!

 

[FXR]

$3.50 x 17 gal. a week is $60 a week! $240 a month.....that's enough!

Wait wait...you heat your work area when you are not in it? I dont. I only need heat when I am working, I have nothing in the garage that gets damaged by a freeze.
If you want the cheapest possible way to heat (other than firewood) get a VAL6. The initial cost ***** but it sips fuel.

 

[FXR]

O.K. but where I come from a salamander is a old upright verticle stoverpipe contraption that burns diesel or K- 1 only and belches and farts and sometine explodes and a torpedo heater is hooked up to electricity and burns K - 1 or propane with a forced air fan inside. For you young guys K-1 is kerosene.

I have a 110 salamander that can burn diesel also, but generally around here a horizontal tube with a fan that makes forced hot air is commonly known as a "Salamander".

I have seen what you are describing, a friend has one in his barn. It is a pan with a pipe out the top that is about as tall as I am, burns whatever you want, it does smoke, we call it the "Cancer maker".

 

[Costner]

The other negative to any unvented heater which burns fuel is the fact they add moisture to the room. In the case of a garage with a lot of tools this can lead surface rust on your non-chrome plated tools such as screwdrivers etc.

For worksites and jobsites that are less than air tight they are ideal, but I'm not sure I would rely upon it as a permanent solution for a shop or garage. I'd probably just get an electric unit like the Dayton if you were only using it from time to time.

FWIW - around my part of the world we call those "tube style" heaters Knipco's (pronounced Nipco). I believe that is just a common name like Kleenex, Band-Aid, Crescent Wrench, or Skil saw.