Boiler heated floot question

[Garys Garage]

My shop is 30x48x12 pole building. I have 1/2 in rigid in the ceiling under the sheet metal roof. I have been heating 30x33 of it with a propane fired boiler for 12 years. I have just poured the last 15x 30 foot of it with one more zone of tubing. rest of the shop has 3 zones and 4th zone is not hooked up yet. I have plastic sheeting on the ground under the concrete. The tubing is tied to concrete 'fence" and pulled up. I also have 3 inches rigid insulation in all the walls. Our weather has been in the 20s and 30s and I keep the shop about 50 degrees. My problem is it goes through 1000 gallons of propane in 6 to 8 weeks. Would I best to change to electric? Is my boiler too large or small? Is there a way to run the pump with out firing the burner like an efficient furnace where it continues to run and use the heat up?

 

[Muttly]

Why don't you add more insulation in the ceiling?

1/2" foam would be about r-3, you should have r-38 to r-50.

Can you get into the attic to blow in insulation?

 

[Garys Garage]

Actually there is no dropped ceiling. I have never had it in the budget to get that done. I want to hang steel panels from the trusses but never have the time and money at same time.

 

[tdkkart]

Actually there is no dropped ceiling. I have never had it in the budget to get that done. I want to hang steel panels from the trusses but never have the time and money at same time.

At $2000/month in propane you can certainly find the budget to put in the ceiling, especially since the ceiling will likley drop your heating bill by 50% or more. I'd bet 2 months in savings would pay for the ceiling.

BTW, I heard a $1.60/gallon propane price here the other day......

 

[Oldram__Newram]

I just got my gas bill for the first full month of heat in my shed $162. Average outside temp last month was 28, I kept the inside between 45 to 50. It's 40x40' 14' ceiling, R19 walls, R38 ceiling, four insulated garage doors, four windows, two man doors, 1" insulation under slab with 1500 ft of 1/2" pex. I use a standard 30 gallon natural gas water heater (32,000 BTU per hr input).