Best Heat System

[two2fastforu]

I am new to the forum and have found it is great!! I have a question about the most cost effective way to heat my shop. It is 28 by 48 with R19 in the walls and yet to be determined in the ceiling. I am thinking of blowing in or using R19.

My question is what is the most cost effective way to heat this building located in Tennessee with winter ambients not much lower than 10 to 15 worst case. I have considered Radiant in the floor as I can still do that, but I am thinks that would be overly expensive for the climate I am in. Have consider a wood stove also as I have plenty of wood available.

Any ideas/suggestions? Thanks

 

[femcadder]

Wood dust is an explosive. You can't use a wood stove if that is what your shop will be.

 

[PAToyota]

Wood dust is an explosive. You can't use a wood stove if that is what your shop will be.

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

I'll agree that under proper conditions wood dust can be explosive. But at that point the greater concern would be that you've likely suffocated unless you have a SCBA system...

I know lots of wood shops with a wood stove in the corner - that's where the scraps go!

 

[oldgoat]

I know that if you are using a vac system for your woodworking it needs a grounding system or it can cause a explosion, but as far as in a shop I know of a couple of professional woodworkers that use woodburning stoves for years to heat their shops. I would be careful about dust buildup on the surfaces, but I don't think that I would be concerned about explosions.

 

[two2fastforu]

Sorry, It is an auto shop, I just built it in the woods and have plenty to clean out.

 

[PhantomEB]

How about put the wood stove in a spot that you may put in an overhead forced air furnace later after all the woods are cleaned up.

 

[two2fastforu]

That is a plan, now how about a solar powered water heater for radiant in the floor. Has anyone tried that?

 

[Franz©]

Dust exhaust systems are grounded to bleed off the static electricity generated during the transportation of the dust.

 

[kbs2244]

If you are working on cars in there keep any open flame a least 18 inchs above the floor. I prefer 24 inchs.
The fumes from the stuff we work with are heavier than air and steelt to the floor.
You do not want any flame down low.

 

[sctattooer]

I'm not far from you in SC, and my shop's about the same size. Since A/C is needed more in this area, I just got one of those dual burner units that sits atop a propane tank. I run it for about 10 minutes every hour and a half. It heats up quick, and a tank of propane lasts me a month or so, tinkering in the evening a few hours and working on my days off. It stores in a cabinet for the summer, and I only have to use it when I need it.

If you're looking for something a bit more permanent, try this one from Lowe's:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=141643-234-LCR30NT&lpage=none


If I'm not mistaken, you can run these temporarily off the small propane tanks without having to contract a gas supplier. Just keep a couple tanks on hand.

 

[rickairmedic]

sctattooer has a good idea I do heating and air for a living . I currently heat my garage with a tank top heater picked it up at wally world half price . I will say though if you are looking for a permanent solution you could either go Hybrid heat or you could get a wood burtning boiler and go radiant . I have a customer who has a cabinet shop and he heats his house and shop most of the winter with scraps from his shop he only has to load the wood burner every couple of days.


Rick

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I like the wood idea as free is tough to beat. Your insurance agent may not like the wood stove idea much.

Hydronic heating is definitely the berries, but it is an expensive proposition.

In your area, won't a/c be needed in the summer? I'm north of you and my old barn used to get unbearable in the summer months. If so, I'll agree with the recomendation of a hybrid heat pump. Doesn't the TVA just give power away anyhow?

Phil

 

[jackwoodheat]

Be careful of any propane or natural gas non-vented heater
as it dumps quarts of water vapor into the air. Not a good
idea because of rusting, then you have to install a dehumidifier. Might better just get a vented unit. I have
thru-the-wall closed burner units and it addresses the water
vapor problem and to a great extent the sometimes flammable vapors you get when using solvents, paint, etc.

 

[two2fastforu]

I'm not far from you in SC, and my shop's about the same size. Since A/C is needed more in this area, I just got one of those dual burner units that sits atop a propane tank. I run it for about 10 minutes every hour and a half. It heats up quick, and a tank of propane lasts me a month or so, tinkering in the evening a few hours and working on my days off. It stores in a cabinet for the summer, and I only have to use it when I need it.

If you're looking for something a bit more permanent, try this one from Lowe's:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=141643-234-LCR30NT&lpage=none


If I'm not mistaken, you can run these temporarily off the small propane tanks without having to contract a gas supplier. Just keep a couple tanks on hand.

Thanks for the ideas. Are you using a heat pump for AC? If so what did it cost?

 

[Vicegrip]

Be careful of any propane or natural gas non-vented heater
as it dumps quarts of water vapor into the air. Not a good
idea because of rusting, then you have to install a dehumidifier. Might better just get a vented unit. I have
thru-the-wall closed burner units and it addresses the water
vapor problem and to a great extent the sometimes flammable vapors you get when using solvents, paint, etc.

Good advice not only is there a lot of vapor but it is acidic. I used some tank tops for the first winter. My shop was up but not done and I had a car to get done. Gave them away. YMMV.