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workshop heating

4K views 50 replies 22 participants last post by  weldtech 
#1 ·
hopefully moving to bigger workshop soon so looking to put heating in there as it will be about 1000 sqft .
need some ins and outs from hands on experience of most effective hassle free and cost effective heating systems , don't want to go log burner but have seen the industrial ones that run on old oil or wood . anyone have any true figures of the costings to run something through the winter ??
naked frame log burner is out of the question for obvious reasons !! any advice appreciated :tup:
 
#34 · (Edited)
I have finally got my workshop/office heating system running ( been waiting on an oil delivery) made up a blown air heater from a 24" fan and 50m of 10mm copper that is hooked into the oil fired wet central heating system i installed just before christmas. The whole kit stands me at £770. (£400 for the boiler ( which came with loads of bits) £220 for pipe, rads and bits, £100 for the fan and £50 for the IBC including adapter and valve. ( i had the 10mm copper over from a job years ago)
So filled up with oil and chugging away stands me at just over 1k and a weekend and a half of work.
The fan will never be able to heat the shop (3000sq/ft plus mezzanine) but the office and toilet are toasty, so creature comforts are sorted.
The fan set up blows warm air and actually knocks the chill off so job done for me ( too warm and i would not get busy on the projects)













Sorry about the images, cant seem to rotate them
 
#42 ·
Honestly find a decent pair of boots ( Doc Martens normally ) and a wool hat are all I need in my 31' x 26' garage. I have a Lil Devil heater but haven't used it in 4/5 years . My new /old apprentice is used to working in cold stores si hates having the heat on. I have halogen strip heaters on the walls if anything needs warming through for any reason.
 
#44 ·
I've a 24 x 12 wooden garage and find it's the the initial psychological battle of going out there on a cold day. For that I've a 2.5kw cylinder fan heater from Lidl that I switch on in the area I'm working. Soon often find I can switch it off, but it's enough to get me started. However, ideally, I'd be looking at a min of 8 deg C. In other words, not today!
 
#48 ·
However, ideally, I'd be looking at a min of 8 deg C. In other words, not today!
I feel your pain!! When I had an attached garage a cheap fan heater and oil radiator did the job.

With my two remote garages it's just layers of clothes that make my overalls budgie smugglers.
Max of 4° next week and I'm off so by jingo I'm going there to tinker.
Remember a hot bath is fabulous to get the feeling back, tumbler of chardonnay, car mag, bridge over the river kwai on tv next door. Bliss :smoke:
 
#50 ·
I get my garage to 13 degrees with a camper van diesel heater..
Granted its not as big as Chris's shop,but for 130 quid it has been a good investment.
 
#51 · (Edited)
Im working this weekend in my well insulated paint booth with 2 180 watt 5ft tube heaters and a 2kw radiant heater and its 19c. This means i can do all the bodywork on the panels (filling sanding etc)
I then get as many panels as i can ready for paint and then turn the extract fan on with just enough airflow to clean the air of spray mist ( speed controller on the fan) i then place the radiant heater outside the booth next to the filter intake to coalesce the intake air. The temp drops to 11c with this colder air intake. I use extra fast activator due to this and monitor the air humidity and the dew point of the air/steel.
Its all well within the parameters of the paint (primer/mid coat) so all good.
So as i finish painting and the solvent smell drops i bring the heater back in to bring the temp back up.
I have set my shop up in zones so i can heat the areas i will be inactive and not keeping warm by exercise (office toilet, paint booth for the paints and conditions required)
This way i keep my heating bills down and only heat the areas that need it. The heater fan i have just made can only knock the chill off and not heat the full shop, so when i am out there i have to stay busy. I basically jump between warm zones when i can.
 
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