Barrel Stove Idea

[El_Diablo]

I've been researching heating ideas for my 1.5 car detached garage with a loft. I have limited electrical power for now at just 50 amps total service and the nearest gas line is about 50 feet away from the garage which seems to make it less than ideal for the budget.

This has me leaning towards wood for heat as the vent-less propane heater fired with BBQ tanks just doesn't cut it. It also helps that I have a nearly unlimited supply of pallet wood thanks to my father-in-law.

The only problem is, floor space is extremely limited as is. With that being said, I'm thinking of making a barrel stove with one of the kits available on the market. The twist is that since I'm limited in space, I'm thinking about making some metal strapping and hanging the stove from the ceiling. I would likely just use cement board over top of where the the stove would be located and then a sheet of stainless over top of that to reflect the heat back down. The chimney would have to pass through the 2nd story floor and then through the roof.

Is there anything I'm missing or anything inherently wrong with this idea? Any alternatives that will keep the total budget under $500 max? I'm open to ideas...

 

[Bronson]

No expert here, but I believe the exhaust stack alone would cost more than that, the double wall stuff is expensive. The bends, caps, etc add up too.

 

[Lassen Forge]

Other than heat rises... you're going to want some kind of fan to direct the heated air down.

Since heat rises - your strapping and ceiling (C board or not) is going to get almost as hot as your stove, which is hot enough to burn wood. Part of the reason wood stoves sit on the ground is because of this - you need the air space above the stove to absorb and dissipate the heat.

The other thing is this - if one of those straps break... hope you brought marshmallows.

If floor space is that limited, the 50' gas line run to a gas fired overhead radiant heater seems a lot safer (and cheaper), and less potential fire hazard. Not as cheap, maybe (tho I see them on craigslist all the time here) but a heck of a lot safer.

 

[aka Larry]

I have a (double) barrel stove in my 40'x40' shop. It works well, but it does eat a lot of wood. Check the link in my signature and you'll see how mine is setup. Let me know if you have any questions.

 

[El_Diablo]

I was planning on purchasing this through the ceiling kit-

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009STHVG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

And then just shopping around for some extensions to get the chimney above the roof peak. Right now there are 3 36" sections on CL for $100, thats only $300 with a barrel costing only $10-15 locally on CL and the kit costing around $50. That still leaves me enough for cement board and strapping materials as well as the stainless sheeting with some stand off's.

The walls in the corner I would use are cinder block. I was thinking of maybe welding some heat transfer tubes in the top of the barrel and ducting a small squirrel cage to them to make somewhat of a forced air heater. I would also hang the stove down around 18-24 inches from the ceiling for ease of access as well as to create some air gap for the ceiling.


The gas line that I have available is terminated about halfway through the house in the basement. It wouldn't take much to get it outside but while I'm confident in running black pipe inside of the house, I'm not sure on how I should proceed with getting it all the way to the garage.

 

[buddyboy]

i wouldn't hang a wood stove.

i'm not sure how it would save space anyway.

if you insist on getting it off the floor, I would extend the legs to raise it off the floor and use the space under it for wood storage. BUT the reason you want a woodstove on the floor is that it draws the cool air off the floor into the combustion chamber and out the stack., another reason is for safety, you shouldn't have anything within a few feet in all directions of the firebox, that includes under it too. so really you shouldn't put anything under it either.

heat doesn't rise, it moves from warm to cold, warm AIR rises

 

[El_Diablo]

The way my garage is set up, I don't have many places to put a heat source. The ideal spot is currently occupied by my electrical panel and supply feed into the building. It's also in prime working space and where my current tool box and work bench are located.

The second best space place is tucked under the stairs, however there are some major ducting issues with this location. In order to get a car in, I'm not able to put anything on the floor to the right rear wall. Unfortunately I don't have many options in this small space.

Obviously, The stove would not be able to be used when a car is in the conventional parking spot but I should be able to park at an angle towards the stairs. If I just had the cash for a window mount pellet stove, I'd be in business, lol.

 

[hangfirew8]

There are bigger propane tanks than the bbq 20 pounders.

-HF

 

[El_Diablo]

You are correct, but the vent-less system that I have now (not the safest, no o2 safety shut off, it has the wife freaked out) would cost just as much to replace when you factor in the purchase of a larger tank. On top of that, doesn't moisture start to become an issue in an insulated shop with purely vent-less LP heat?

I might be forced to go this route though. What's the cost to fill up a big tank anymore? Like I said, I'm open to options...

 

[Milton Shaw]

Check with your insurance agent, most do not allow wood stoves in garages. You want to find this out before you install it and later have a fire. Also local codes may not allow it either. Gas heater would be the best choice and are made to be mounted close to the ceiling. Vent is a whole lot cheaper than for wood stove as it's only 3 or 4 inch instead of 8 to 10 inch.

 

[El_Diablo]

After re-evaluating the situation, current thinking is I may either try and run a gas line, get a window mount pellet stove or find a horizontal draft oil heater to convert to waste oil.

My favorite option is the gas line but I need to check on out to go about running a line from the house out to the garage as well as how much it's going to cost me.

It would be nice to keep the garage at around 36-40* through winter and just crank up the heat when I'm working. Heck, 40* around here in winter is shorts and t-shirt weather...

 

[CNGsaves]

^ ^ ^ Guessing you're in Canada ???

Update GJ Profile with a LOCATION.

Ultimately, you'll get best GJ advice with full information

 

[El_Diablo]

Haha, close... Northern Ohio, might as well be Canada though.

 

[J king]

I had a wood- coal furnace in my garage and insurance company did a walk thru. Gave me 30 days to remove it or would cancel my policy.. Said that it wasn't insurable with it.i wasn't even using it since I have had an outdoor wood eater installed several years earlier. I sold the furnace . Just for some thought.

 

[TractorJeff]

That's an attached garage. No way can you put a woodstove in that!
Insurance company would indeed cancel you!

 

[Kevin54]

I would go with a 120 gallon propane tank and a hanging furnace. Your vent is just a "B" vent through the wall or roof. I'd much rather go that way than risk a fire hazard for a small garage. Oops.....just read where it is an attached garage. Go for a propane furnace.

 

[El_Diablo]

My garage is not attached to the house at all.

I don't have room for a hanging furnace bigger than a Mr. Heater. I was thinking about a horizontal in the attic of the loft blowing down the stairs but I'm not sure that would be enough without additional duct work.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Hanging a simple NG heater like this from the wall would keep that place warm.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_25606_25606

or mounted lower on the wall.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200649341_200649341

What else that would help would be to get those walls insulated.

 

[Ironhorse74]

I really have tried to stay out of this. Download a copy of NFPA 211 and look at table 12.6.1 .

Brad

 

[deckmonkey]

First observation from growing up with wood heat in the country, how are you going to maintain the temperature in the winter? If your wife is willing to stoke the fire every 4-6 hours or get up two hours before you want to work in the shop, does she have a sister?

Where you want to hang the stove there's enough room for a gas or propane heater. Long term gas will be cheaper but material to run an underground kit will blow most of your budget. Maybe get as far as you can this year with it and buy a heater next fall?

I have a 20 x 24, insulated 2x4 walls, lousy vapour barrier and I figure it cost me about $75/month to leave an electric construction heater on low last winter. For that price, no way am I spending a grand on materials and a weekend of labour to install a gas heater. Unless you're running high amp machines together, your panel might be fine.

 

[whyNick?]

Why not buy a cheap prefab metal shed, insulate the daylights out of it, put the barrel stove inside, and run insulated duct work through the wall of your shop? Sort of a poor man's outside wood boiler (without the boiler part). It'll cost a few bucks and won't be as efficient or convenient as having the stove inside your space but it moves the fire hazard outside and you don't lose any floor space.

Those window-mount pellet stoves are appealing but I've heard they aren't very reliable.

 

[El_Diablo]

I'm just going to go ahead and run a Mr. Heater 50k BTU unit off of a propane tank for now. It's just going to take me a little while longer to save up enough free cash.

 

[deckmonkey]

Sounds like the best idea. My only suggestion would be to prep a level spot with some patio stones where the tank will go before the ground freezes.

It's worth every penny, enjoy.

 

[404]

I really have tried to stay out of this. Download a copy of NFPA 211 and look at table 12.6.1 .

Brad

Here it is.