Shop Heaters

[cfpinz]

I've installed many tube heaters, Reznor and Schwank are the nicest, but with the price of LP I wouldn't want to heat a not so well insulated barn that way.
I use a cleanburn waste oil heater, they're reasonable price, usually only need 240v have a low amp draw, and throw some serious heat. And the fuel is free.
If you don't go through enough oil, #2 heating oil (AKA off-road diesel) works too.

Local fellow quoted my cousin either $11k or $12k for a new CleanBurn waste oil heater, no thanks. I've seen used ones sell in the $2k-$4k range, fwiw.

 

[cfpinz]

Wood heat appears cheap at first glance.

We heat our house with a wood fired outside furnace. The wood is free in most cases, but my labor isn't. Plus I'm not getting any younger, no desire to throw heat at a pole barn with wood.

 

[jkwilson]

Make sure to check with your insurance company before installing any sort of furnace.

Local guy lost his shop and a couple of pieces of equipment from a wood stove fire. Insurance company didn't pay a dime. My insurance company won't insure my shop if I put in a wood stove either.

My farm insurance says no solid fuel or non-UL approved heaters within 30ft of any covered structure. I'd love a wood furnace in the shop, but that's not going to happen. My neighbor has a wood burner with a waste oil drip that I'm jealous of. At least he uses my old oil.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I heat my shop with an old UL approved fuel oil forced air furnace. I mix filtered waste oil with #2 fuel. I have to clean the nozzle about once every two weeks or so. A waste oil furnace would be better but this furnace was free.

 

[cfpinz]

My farm insurance says no solid fuel or non-UL approved heaters within 30ft of any covered structure. I'd love a wood furnace in the shop, but that's not going to happen. My neighbor has a wood burner with a waste oil drip that I'm jealous of. At least he uses my old oil.

We have one of the Hardy stainless steel outdoor wood burners, and I've often wondered about finding a way to get waste oil into the firebox. I'd think one would need to put it on a solenoid controlled valve so that it wasn't dumping oil into the firebox while the damper and blower were off and the stove was in "smolder" state.

 

[SmokinM]

We had a similar redneck version of the oil/wood stove in our shop growing up. Dad had some paver floors welded in about a 3' cube with a piece of 1/4" wall well casing for a pipe. Put a 55 gal drum on it's side on the cabinet behind it and ran copper tubing down to a hole drilled in the top. Simple sillcock like you use for water mounted with a few fittings at the drum end. Most people thought it was a still at first! Start your wood fire then turn on oil flow to your desired speed. Didn't take much you could get the whole fire box cherry red if you went all the way. No insulation and worked in a tshirt if you wanted too. He had plenty of "free" firewood splitters though.

 

[BFE]

We had a similar redneck version of the oil/wood stove in our shop growing up. Dad had some paver floors welded in about a 3' cube with a piece of 1/4" wall well casing for a pipe. Put a 55 gal drum on it's side on the cabinet behind it and ran copper tubing down to a hole drilled in the top. Simple sillcock like you use for water mounted with a few fittings at the drum end. Most people thought it was a still at first! Start your wood fire then turn on oil flow to your desired speed. Didn't take much you could get the whole fire box cherry red if you went all the way. No insulation and worked in a tshirt if you wanted too. He had plenty of "free" firewood splitters though.

Speaking of free wood splitters, when my son gets big enough I'll burn wood in the house as well as the shop. Don't have hog pens to clean anymore like I did growing up so got to do something to work the meanness out of him.

Funny, my dad quit burning wood when my brothers and I left the house. Still ain't figured that one out.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Speaking of free wood splitters, when my son gets big enough I'll burn wood in the house as well as the shop. Don't have hog pens to clean anymore like I did growing up so got to do something to work the meanness out of him.

Funny, my dad quit burning wood when my brothers and I left the house. Still ain't figured that one out.

My folks got a gate opener when I moved out!! What the heck