Fall Through Winter Cost Thread

[35k0]

Hey guys,
Could you list your heating method (in floor, forced air, hot dawg hanging type, etc.. )
Electric, propane or natural gas
temp set point if running 24/7 and your monthly average to run it?

Copy this template

Method
Fuel
Set Temp
Cold Months Average $

 

[Kaizen]

Probably want state as well. Big difference in “cold” months


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[Robby321]

Every state has diff climates, power source, and live sea level or mountain top? It is what it is, just be glad ya got it. WAY to many variables

 

[D45]

Hot Dawg 75k
Natural Gas
1000 sq foot shop

I only heat the shop when I am out there working

I will go pull some bills and see

I initially had a 45K heater. Took way too long to heat up the shop and ran forever.

I feel the 75k does a much better job at maintaining temps

 

[Jarnipman]

udas 100 for 1200 sq ft shop, open doors in minus 15 and it would heat back up in minutes. Awesome heater, sealed combustion safest and cleanest way to go.

 

[finn]

You need to be more specific, or you will get garbage results. Geography has a big effect. I live south of Lake Superior, where it can get really cold, ie below zero, but all in all, the proximity to the lake moderates the temperature compared to areas as close as fifty miles away, which may be twenty degrees colder for weeks.

Having said that, my propane fired 96% efficiency boiler, with pex in an insulated slab, uses about $1000- 1100 worth of propane to keep the 48’x75’ stick built shop with 2x6 , 16’ walls, at ~45 degrees, while I spend six months wintering in Tucson.

I think propane was $1.29 last season.

 

[nadogail]

Heat in the workshop? Well, if I want to work in a tee shirt and shorts I will throw the switch on the electric heater for a few minutes.

 

[35k0]

I Live in Northern MN, 10 miles south of Lake Superior and didn’t realize how dumb I was until I made this post...
Anyways I put in a new 30x44 shop and pex in the slab but am debating if I want to heat it while not using it for the near future.
Thinking I’ll just hang a hot dawg style for now and throw it on when I’m going to be in the garage.
Thanks guys.

 

[Showkey]

1000 sqft R19 walls R50 in the ceiling .......NATGAS Ceiling mounted 45k heater in central Wisconsin ........guesstimate $1.00 per day in the coldest months of Jan/Feb to keep it at a constant 50*.

 

[stingry]

Method: in floor radiant
Fuel: natural gas
Set Temp: 65 degrees
Cold Months Average $100 for nat gas and electric (for circulating pumps, power vent hot water tank)

My shop is 3600 sq ft with 10 foot ceiling. Well-insulated, R25 walls, R40+ ceiling, 2 inch XPS under and around perimeter of slab. 3 overhead doors and 2 man doors. This is located in Western Nebraska. Climate zone 4b. Pretty cold winters.

 

[35k0]

Thanks guys, that is helpful.

 

[LaneRover]

I have a garage with an apartment above along the coast of Maine. My in-laws go to Florida between Christmas and mid-May. All insulation is up to code and even though it wasn't absoilutely required we also fully insulated the garage. The only heat and cooling source is a mini-split system. When they are gone we keep the apartment at 50. During the coldest months the electric bill is around $130. Yes this isn't the cost for the garage but in many ways its very similar as no one lives in the apartment during the winter. I hope this helps.

 

[Falcon67]

5000w electric, cost - ?, about .099/Kw Hr. Runs when I need it only. I have several 30 gallon propane tanks for a dual burner Mr Heater, but in the last 8 years I haven't needed to use them in the winter. "Cold" is high 20s~low 40s, 960 sq/ft shop will only get below 50F if exterior cold lasts a week or so and I don't run the heater. If it's in the 30s outside, the heater probably runs 15 minutes out of every hour on average.

Heating days have been minimal over the last few years, it's nothing to be mowing in December and January and sit out in shorts. That said, we've already been in the 40s this week, so who knows what we'll get this time around. The long range forecasts are getting more useless as time goes on. Locals are barely able to call it 2~3 days out.

 

[Showkey]

5000w electric, cost - ?, about .099/Kw Hr. Runs when I need it only. I have several 30 gallon propane tanks for a dual burner Mr Heater, but in the last 8 years I haven't needed to use them in the winter. "Cold" is high 20s~low 40s, 960 sq/ft shop will only get below 50F if exterior cold lasts a week or so and I don't run the heater. If it's in the 30s outside, the heater probably runs 15 minutes out of every hour on average.

Heating days have been minimal over the last few years, it's nothing to be mowing in December and January and sit out in shorts. That said, we've already been in the 40s this week, so who knows what we'll get this time around. The long range forecasts are getting more useless as time goes on. Locals are barely able to call it 2~3 days out.

Same with the OP in MN..........only he’s in shorts .....but.......it might be 40 below zero while he’s blowing snow in JAN/ FEB !!

 

[jkeyser14]

700 sq. ft insulated with living space above. Keep it set at 55. A month of average temps of 32 deg and my the garahe adds about $20-$30 to my electric bill. $.11/kwh including all taxes.

 

[35k0]

700 sq. ft insulated with living space above. Keep it set at 55. A month of average temps of 32 deg and my the garahe adds about $20-$30 to my electric bill. $.11/kwh including all taxes.

What are you using to heat? Radiant boiler?

 

[Copymutt]

1000 sq. ft shop w/ a 12x20 clear story studio. In floor for the studio, Modine 30k hang down for shop. 7000’ in Co. both systems are NG. $35.00/ month total.
Both OH doors face south. I install polycarbonate glazing units on both. Just outside the doors during the winter months. Passive solar gain with lots of natural light are the way to fo here.

 

[35k0]

1000 sq. ft shop w/ a 12x20 clear story studio. In floor for the studio, Modine 30k hang down for shop. 7000’ in Co. both systems are NG. $35.00/ month total.
Both OH doors face south. I install polycarbonate glazing units on both. Just outside the doors during the winter months. Passive solar gain with lots of natural light are the way to fo here.

Very cool. Thanks for sharing

 

[couch67]

Hey guys,
Could you list your heating method (in floor, forced air, hot dawg hanging type, etc.. )
Electric, propane or natural gas
temp set point if running 24/7 and your monthly average to run it?

500 Square feet, attached shop (garage) to house
Ottawa Ontario

Method- Baseboards
Fuel - Electric (4000 W total)
Set Temp- 18C when in the shop, 10C rest of the time
Cold Months Average $ - $30 / month

 

[James-W]

I have 24X36 garage with 8ft ceiling, so 864 sq ft of space. My garage has 2X6 walls so I have R-19 in the walls and R-30 in the ceiling. I have a Hot Dawg natural gas heater and I keep it set at 50 degrees unless I am working out there and then I turn it up to 72 degrees. I have a meter charge of something like $10.50 each month even though I am not using any natural gas during the warm months. A typical Winter month around here will cost me about $25 to $30 but that includes the meter charge. If it is a super cold month and/or I am working out there a lot, then it will be a bit higher, but it has never been over $40 in a month.

 

[theoldwizard1]

A lot of the cost depends on how many hours your heating plant runs per month ! If you only in the shop 30-40 hours/month and you keep the temp around 50F-60F the answer would be a lot different than if you were in the shop 200 hours and kept the temp at 70F !

That said, temps between the 30s and the 60s are where mini-split heat pumps excel for cost of operation.

 

[Showkey]

A lot of the cost depends on [

That said, temps between the 30s and the 60s are where mini-split heat pumps excel for cost of operation.

Excel not when compared to NAT Gas .......where in many areas Nat Gas is considerable less cost.

 

[Dragfluid]

40x70x14 true inside dimensions. A 12x36 apartment taking up some of that.
Walls, R36. Ceiling R63.
2 overhead doors, 2 man doors.
3) 52" ceiling fans.
A single 75k BTU propane hanging furnace.
The furnace is on all day on Saturday, a little while Sunday morning before mama get's up, and in the morning for a couple hours before I log in to work. (in the office that has an electric baseboard, plus two PC's) in the shed)

Since it's bulk propane, there is no monthly bill, but I can tell you approx 200 gallons were burned during the winter. I'm 150 miles south of you, in Dayton, so maybe a couple degrees warmer.
The propane was purchased "pre buy" @ $1.39 per gallon last year. (This year $1.29)

 

[benjamintmiller]

I have a 36x56x13 pole barn, in central Iowa. (About 2000 sq ft).

For insulation and air sealing, I have:
- R-10 XPS at the edges of the slab extending 2' into the ground
- R-10 XPS under the outer 4' of the slab. The inside of the slab is uninsulated.
- Tyvek on the outside of the walls with all seams and edges taped
- Fiberglass R-19 unfaced batts in the walls, with no gaps or voids
- Meticulous air sealing in the walls with canned foam. Every post and bookshelf girt has been sealed to the Tyvek. Buy a foam gun for this task.
- Primed and painted drywall on the inside walls
- A metal ceiling with R-49 cellulose blown on top. The ceiling is gasketed where it meets the walls and I sealed any gap from above where I saw light shining through.

I calculated the design load of this building in my climate at 51,000 BTUh and installed a 2-stage 53k/80k natural gas furnace. I kept the building at 55 all of last January and it cost me a whopping $19 in gas.

 

[35k0]

I kept the building at 55 all of last January and it cost me a whopping $19 in gas.

That is wild man! Nice work.

 

[yeldogt]

I Live in Northern MN, 10 miles south of Lake Superior and didn’t realize how dumb I was until I made this post...
Anyways I put in a new 30x44 shop and pex in the slab but am debating if I want to heat it while not using it for the near future.
Thinking I’ll just hang a hot dawg style for now and throw it on when I’m going to be in the garage.
Thanks guys.

Why not get the floor working and factor the savings of not doing the hanging into the floor.

My space is 1700sf --- propane and that killer winter 10 or so years ago that started early and went late ... I used a few 100 gallons of propane keeping it 70 degrees -- maybe 400.

 

[35k0]

Why not get the floor working and factor the savings of not doing the hanging into the floor.

My space is 1700sf --- propane and that killer winter 10 or so years ago that started early and went late ... I used a few 100 gallons of propane keeping it 70 degrees -- maybe 400.

It was a funds issue, but that has changed so I will be getting it going.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Sterling 45k
Natural Gas
850 sqft foot shop (14' ceilings), 2x6 R20 walls, R30 ceiling, 2 OHDs insulated, no slab/stem wall insulation

60* 24/7

Its only been a month since install, ~ $88... which surprised me. However our house heatloss is ~25k and the garage is tracking towards 18k. Besides, the house has a modcon boiler with panel radiator setup.


NatGas is ~$1.6/CCF delivered to us in CT. I dunno, maybe I should switch to a minisplit, which I plan to install come spring/summer. Electric rate is ~$0.25/kWh

 

[Showkey]

Sterling 45k
Natural Gas
850 sqft foot shop (14' ceilings), 2x6 R20 walls, R30 ceiling, 2 OHDs insulated, no slab/stem wall insulation

60* 24/7

Its only been a month since install, ~ $88... which surprised me. However our house heatloss is ~25k and the garage is tracking towards 18k. Besides, the house has a modcon boiler with panel radiator setup.


NatGas is ~$1.6/CCF delivered to us in CT. I dunno, maybe I should switch to a minisplit, which I plan to install come spring/summer. Electric rate is ~$0.25/kWh[/QUO


Ouch

Your rates are outrageous...........
Don’t thing mini split is going to be an answer at .25/kWh


We are:

.12/kWh all in delivered with fees/tax
.50/therm all in delivered with fees/tax

 

[paultribbiani]

It's good that they have made something like these.
This looks a whole lot better to me.

 

[Farsana]

very informative thread..

 

[JoeMash]

This is my first winter in “new to me” shop.
Always had smaller garages with numbers comparable to others posted here.
New shop is 44x56x14 pole building (2464sq ft/ 34,496 cu.ft) built in 82’ , fully insulated w/metal interior and pretty nicely sealed. Two OH doors, 12x10 & 9x8 with two man doors.
I’m in the UP of Mi. so that means approx. 1200ft above sea level and cold six months of the year on average.

Heat mode/Source-Garage has new HD125 Modine Hot Dawg, one center mounted 56” ceiling fan.

Fuel source-LPG

Temp set is 58 degrees 24/7 steady

Last months fuel usage/costs (average daily temps of 27day 18 night)............

Drum roll... 263 gals @ $1.49 gal. Ouch !!!

But when one considers its the same cubic volume as two 2400sq ft homes it’s understandable.



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