Help needed what type of heat

[BORING HOP YARD]

Hello.
I have a 60x30 stick framed shop with 14 foot ceilings.
The walls are 2x6 12 foot studs on top of a 2 foot cement foundation.
No insulation or interior have been installed yet, and the floor is cured.
I plan on insulating the heck out of it.
I have it about 90% wired and I am trying to decide how to heat it.
The fuel options are propane or electric.
I live in Oregon and we could see a 30 to 60 days of sub 32 deg.
Plan on spending weekends iand after work in the shop.
I have future plans to add on to the back of the shop another 30 feet in about 5 years.
I have been looking at all the information posted and have found it overweming at times.

Please help me to the best choice for heat.
Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Sledgehammer]

I am in the same boat but at a little smaller scale with a 32x42 stick built building.

I am looking at taking the oil furnace that I will be replacing in the house and setting it up for the shop. I am tired of the propane mushroom heaters and kerosene torpedo heaters. I am looking forward to some quiet heat hopefully this winter.

 

[oldgoat]

Are you already on propane for the home? Do you have enough power coming into the garage to run electric heat and still have power for the tools you will have or plan on having?
I don't have one available but I believe there is a chart that can figure the costs of using propane VS electricity. Around here anyway people have the tanks and usually rent them. One friend that I have owned one and bought another one so that he would be able to shop for the best price during the summer and hopefully have enough for the house and 30 x 40 shop. Right now he is also looking into options for replacing the heater in the shop and is looking at the propane radiant heater.

 

[trovato]

Here's a site for comparing prices:

http://ces.ca.uky.edu/energy/calculators/fuel_price_comparison/index.htm

 

[oldgoat]

Found this site also:

http://www.energyexperts.org/fuelcalc/default.asp

 

[NHCharger]

I have a 30 x 50 shop with 11' ceilings. Plenty of cold winter days here in NH. I installed a 75k BTU Hot Dawg. Have been very happy with it.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Hey thanks for the replies.
Shop is on it's own meter and has a 200 amp service.
{some history}
2 years ago the gas company was working on the line in front of my shop and wanted to know if they could use my land to stores some gravel. I had half a pile of gravel so they used it and replaced with a new pile.
The contractor used his eqouipment and re-graded the gravel in front of my shop as a thank you.
I called the gas company and told them the story of having the line exposed in front of my shop and how I was helping them. I asked how much to get my shop hooked up with a meter. $3200 even with all the equipment on site and my shop less then 30 feet from the line.

My house meter would be very hard to trench to due to distance, trees and elevation between house and shop.

I would prefer gas over propane and propane over electric.

I have worked in a shop that had gas fired tube heat and thats on the top of my wish list. I have a lift and roll up door that are close to the ceiling and I know they would play into this. After reading 10 pages of post I about ready to call a contractor to tell me how much money.
Thanks again for your input!

 

[kbs2244]

In your case overhead radiant makes the most sense.
You know it and you like it.
It is easy to install.
Propane for now and covet to NG when the time comes.

 

[Franz©]

Look around for an underground boring contractor. Distance doesn't come into play under half a mile any more. You could also contact the local distributor for Vermere and Davis and see if anyone in the area has a "Missel" and could do the job.

Either way, no trench, no backfilling and no landscape damage.

 

[badgerboiler]

Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating if you want to be comfortable. NG or Propane. But you should start with the calculator as suggested. If electric IS cheaper then go for an electric boiler so you can change your mind if electric goes up.

MA