Heating a 40x64 Shop

[cfpinz]

I've got a 40x64x14 shop with no ceiling in it, just plyfoil insulation on the roof/walls at the moment. I understand that it'd be a waste of money trying to heat it as-is, but am kicking around the idea of insulating it and trying to heat it somewhat. I work in it a few hours each night, and have a handful of barn cats that call it home. Ideally, it'd be nice to keep it at 50F or so, that'd be comfortable enough to work in and I'm sure the feline employees would appreciate it.

If I put insulation in the walls and covered them (6x6 pole barn construction) and added an insulated ceiling, what type of heating source would you recommend? I like the idea of a waste oil furnace, but know absolutely nothing about them. Safety is my #1 priority, along with reasonable cost of operation.

Winter temps here are generally 40's during the day and 20's at night, though it can get down below 0F at night and highs not much more.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Silver]

If it were me I'd go with radiant tube propane (or natural gas if you got it). It's a quick heat, you can turn it on when you want to work and turn it off or way down when you're not.

 

[skyhightree1]

Personally like forced air heaters

Build your own waste oil heater

https://youtu.be/ShTLaYKjzxw

 

[littletom]

My shop is just a tad bigger but insulated. I just run a jet heater to warm it up. Quick simple but loud. We have had a fire before i like the idea of nothing on when no one is there

 

[cfpinz]

My shop is just a tad bigger but insulated. I just run a jet heater to warm it up. Quick simple but loud. We have had a fire before i like the idea of nothing on when no one is there

That's what I'm doing now, without the insulation part.

I'm scared to death of a fire. If it weren't so far from the house, I'd entertain hooking it into my outdoor wood furnace - but it's probably 300' away from the boiler.

I've seen some round propane fired floor model heaters that were pretty quiet, anyone know much about them?

 

[haase]

My shop is around the same size, put a steel ceiling in it and blew in R-38 and 6" in the walls, heat it with a modine heater that hangs from the ceiling, have a 250 gallon propane tank behind the shop, heats it fine.

 

[Silver]

If you ever get a chance to stand under a radiant tube heater you'll want one at home.

 

[jltrent]

For that size shop one of these will heat it up pretty quick as that is what I use. My shop is not hardly as big as yours, but the Forced Air Heater I use works good. It has a thermostat and will kick on and off as needed.


This one is CSA Certified to run on Kerosene, #1 &2 Diesel Fuel, JP8/Jet A Fuel and #1 & 2 Fuel Oil, the Master MH-45-KFA is a versatile multi-fuel heater

https://www.northernsafety.com/Product/ ... Air-Heater

 

[JMJ Farms]

A couple of smudge pots will heat it up.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Waste oil burners are nice but you need to have a pretty good source of clean waste oil. No trash, antifreeze, gas, etc.

At 300 feet I would consider running water lines and heating from your OWB. That's assuming your wood stove is large enough for the increased demand.

 

[Logar]

Wood furnace with a fan on top to blow hot air.

Works like a charm here.

Cheaper than anything that needs to be pumped from the ground and then hauled to a tank.

Temps here get below minus 30 and with good insulation you can keep it in T-shirt temps easy.

 

[cfpinz]

For that size shop one of these will heat it up pretty quick as that is what I use. My shop is not hardly as big as yours, but the Forced Air Heater I use works good. It has a thermostat and will kick on and off as needed.


This one is CSA Certified to run on Kerosene, #1 &2 Diesel Fuel, JP8/Jet A Fuel and #1 & 2 Fuel Oil, the Master MH-45-KFA is a versatile multi-fuel heater

https://www.northernsafety.com/Product/ ... Air-Heater

That's what I'm using now, but I think it's in the 150-200k BTU range. The one in your link is a whoptooter!

My only complaint with it is the noise.

 

[Silver]

Personally like forced air heaters

Build your own waste oil heater

https://youtu.be/ShTLaYKjzxw

That's a slick little heater

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Our shop is 40 x 60 with tall ceilings [12~24ft]. The woodstove blazing takes the edge off, and a fan upstairs helps move it around. Only the walls are insulated and rocked. Some R~30 in the ceiling would help a lot. And firewood is free.

 

[skyhightree1]

Personally like forced air heaters

Build your own waste oil heater

https://youtu.be/ShTLaYKjzxw

That's a slick little heater

I like it too

 

[snoopdog]

When it's cold, under 20, we use the torpedo heater to get the walls and floor warm, then let the woodstove takeover. If you get a chicken house thermostat, you could set it and forget it with a torpedo, and keep the kitties happy .

 

[skyhightree1]

 

[cfpinz]

Is that a convection type propane heater under the table? If so, how do you like it?

 

[ddd75]

When it's cold, under 20, we use the torpedo heater to get the walls and floor warm, then let the woodstove takeover. If you get a chicken house thermostat, you could set it and forget it with a torpedo, and keep the kitties happy .

i bought a new mr. heater torpedo last year after my remington rusted through after about 10 years of use.

It has a T-stat on it that you can turn.

 

[skyhightree1]

Is that a convection type propane heater under the table? If so, how do you like it?

It is and I love that heater for heating the place up my only gripe is I only have the lil propane tank for it. I really like it that torpedo heater gets things hot and such that smell of kerosene is what I hate. If I had to pick what I bought over again it be a torpedo heater run off propane.