Need some help

[xtrmes]

I currently have a 26x30 shop with radiant heat. Its a 6" slab thats insulated underneath. It has I think a 30 gallon hot water heater putting out 120 degree into the floor. It works really well and has been working since 1999.
The main problem is it's expensive to run. Uses about 100 gallons of propane per month. It has a 100 gallon tank which was filled for times this winter and thats with keeping the temps at 45 degrees.
When it was first put in it was-int a problem propane was cheap.
Now that the price is rising I want to swap it out with something more efficient with price being a concern.
I've done lots of searching on he and to much info has become confusing.
So I'm looking for some recommendations on how to improve what I have or a good replacement.

 

[anthony666]

problem is water heating tanks aren't designed for space heating operation

do a heat loss calculation to get a btu size requirement, do some insulation upgrades in any weak areas and buy a modern condensing wall hanger .. in a few years it'll pay for itself

 

[Milton Shaw]

Get larger propane tank and buy all the propane in the summer when the price is about half winter prices.

 

[xtrmes]

At the time when the water heater was installed it was cheap. its what I could afford at the time. The garage was brand new in 99 and very well insulated.
I am looking to upgrade to a more modern setup. Would like to go with a wall mount unit still using propane. Electric here went through the roof this past year so I want to steer clear of an electric boiler.

Just looking for some input on a good boiler thats not to expensive.
The last couple of years I had a 500 gallon tank. Used one fill up per winter. But the company I buy propane from switched it to a 100 gallon tank. They did it because they were not making enough on the tank rental.
But currently I'm installing a new propane heating system in my home so I will be buying my own 500 gallon tank. That will also save a dollar or so per gallon.

 

[anthony666]

I am looking to upgrade to a more modern setup. Would like to go with a wall mount unit still using propane

sounds like you're on the right track .. i cannot stress how important it is to get a heat loss calc done so you can properly size a boiler .. it's a lot like buying a vehicle; if you're hauling a car trailer across the country you don't wanna do it with a smart car, and if you're doing errands in town the peterbuilt might be a bad choice

once you have a btu range nailed down you can pm me and ill help you find something decent

you're probably gonna be a bit shook up by the sticker price of a modern boiler, they aren't cheap .. and you'll be tempted by stuff like on demand, wall hung water heaters .. the buy in $ amount is tempting, but you can reasonably expect 10 - 20 years of service from a properly designed, built and sized boiler system .. you won't get that from a water heater, they are a completely different animal