Heating a 40 x 60 x 13?

[Dowco9902]

Looking for opinions on heating a 40 x 60 garage that I just got the permit for today. I'm in a rural area so no natural gas. My house is propane with a 500lb inground tank. Looks like a propane Mr. Heater may be the way to go with an above ground tank outside. Would one 75,000 unit suffice or should I go with 2 45,000 or otherwise? Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Sean

 

[IDASHO]

How cold does it get where you live?

Typically you can go by a 15k btu for every 1000 square feet. But that is assuming you have a 8' ceiling.

Seeing that you will have the tall ceiling, and assuming it is very well insulated, figure on needing at least 30k btu for every 1000 square feet.

Personally, Id go for more than 1 unit. In a shop as big as yours, maybe even 3 or 4 smaller units instead of one large unit.

 

[Dowco9902]

The walls will be 2x6 w/R19 and r38 in the ceiling, all sheetrocked, w/insulated doors. It can get into the teens here, but not too often. Mostly 20's - 30's in the dead of winter. I was thinking maybe a 45,000 unit at each end in the back corners?

Thanks for the response.

Sean

 

[IDASHO]

Thats not cold!

Just throw a couple of candles in there..... aught to heat it up enough

Two 45k btu units should be fine

 

[Dowco9902]

LOL.....Thanks IDASHO.

Sean

 

[BillK]

Sean,
Try this site, it might help you decide:

http://www.heatershop.com/btu_calculator.htm

 

[BillK]

Sean,

Just curious ..... how large is your house and how much propane did you use heating it last winter ? Reason I ask is that we have been looking at building and will probably have to go with either Oil or Propane. We have natural gas now, and had oil for almost 20 years till they ran the gas line down our street. You are close enough that it should be a good comparison.

 

[Dowco9902]

Bill,

My house is a one story rancher with a finished basement. Total of about 2600 sq ft. I have an inground 500 gal tank. I usually go thru about 900 gallons a year. This is my year round total, and the propane also fuels my stove and hot water heater so it's hard to get an accurate amount on just the heat. Spring 'till fall the tank only goes down by about 1/3 tank. So that leaves about 750 +/- during the winter, but that still includes water and stove.

Either way those bills are ugly when they hit you upside the head with a 400 gal fill up in the middle of winter!! Can't wait to see what it's going to be in the new garage.

Thanks,

Sean

 

[BillK]

Sean
Thanks, that is the type of info I was looking for. What is Propane going for now days ? My last shop had it but that was over 5 years ago. We were paying about $1.50 / lb or gal at the time if I remember correctly.

 

[Dowco9902]

Bill,

Yeah, that was about right back then. This past winter it was about $2.70. The previous winter it was $3.00....ouch.

Sean

 

[Dean]

Just an FYI check out radiant ceiling tube heat by PerfectionSwank or similar brand. The idea is it heats objects and is effecient. therfore when a door is opened and then closed the objects that retained heat now give off heat to provide a relative warmer recovery rate thus warmer. Just an idea Dean

 

[Beegs]

Have you considered radiant floor heat?

 

[Kevin54]

When we had a new furnace put in our house, I took the old furnace and put it in the garage. 75,000 BTU and it is more than adequate. I run it with a 120 gallon propane tank and we usually are in the 20's in the winter months and can get below zero for a few weeks. At those temps, the propane tank will last 1-1 1/2 months and I keep it at 75 degrees in there in the evenings and cut the temps back to around 60 during the day. Check around with furnace companies for either a used furnace, check with someone replacing their furnace, or there are places that sells scratch and dents for real reasonable prices. One place we have around here when I checked a couple of years ago, I could have bought a 45,000 BTU for a little over $300.

Kevin

 

[russellmn]

Have you considered radiant floor heat?

X2!!! Nothing beats a warm shop with a nice WARM floor to work in.

 

[Dowco9902]

I haven't checked into floor heat yet. What would a ballpark cost be to do radiant floor heat in a floor that size?

Sean