This video is a re-post as it was posted on our Offcuts channel. Every year, people ask about shop heating options so I decided the video needed to be in front of our entire audience. If you haven't seen it, please enjoy. Here's the full article if you're interested: www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/shop-heating-options/ Here are the two units I installed: Fahrenheat FUH54 - amzn.to/2iO2NhE Fahrenheat FUH724 - amzn.to/2imiYjf
The Wood Whisperer I should have looked at the comments first. I was watching thinking man I’m so in Marc’s head I feel like I know what he’s going to say next! Being in your head seemed a bit weird, glad it was just a video I’d seen before :) Great video!
Have you considered building DIY solar air heater? It could be a solution for a workshop, at least on cold but clear days in the winter. There are a lot of plans available, e.g.: freeonplate.com/diy-solar-panels/ ...it could be scaled to fit your needs and built with different materials (available to you).
With a woodshop you never run out of scrap wood to burn, so a wood burner is the most logical, economical and useful way to go! Been heating with a wood burner for over seven years and love it!
We were lucky at our new place, we have plenty of timber on our land. I was a little hesitant to put a wood stove in my shop but I love it. It's quite and don't even mind having to add wood every once in awhile. Plus I usually have a pot of water on there at all times so it's easy to have coffee or tea at anytime. When the temps get into the negatives I have a Perfection kerosene heater I can use to help supplement the heat. It's the glass model and it's absolutely gorgeous when it's going.
I lived in Oak Ridge TN for a while and all the houses had radiant in-floor heating. It was great, especially in the morning when you get out of bed and the floors are nice and toasty.
I had this question before I built my shop. I decided on hydronic in floor heating. It has been 20 years since I installed it and am very comfortable working in my shop all winter long. It is 12 degrees outside this morning but a comfortable 65 in my shop! I have never looked back and love my hydronic heat!
Marc, love the channel. I have a couple small forced air heaters in my finished basement playroom. What I ended up doing for controlling them was ran the electric power to a 220 volt wall switch at the top of the basement stairs. The 2 heaters are then controlled by a thermostat that is installed between the two heaters on the wall, heaters are in ceiling. This way when we want to heat the space, we just hit the switch and they turn on and the thermostat controls the heat. When they are done playing or we are not down there, we hit the switch and turn them off. If you add a switch and thermostat, you may want to put the switch by the door going into the house, allowing you to turn them on prior to entering the shop and turn them off when you leave.
Two quick comments: Breakers are not made to be on/off switches. They will wear out. Second, at work we had the same problem with the thermostat location. Just reach up with a stick, there's enough grooves on the side of the plastic knob to catch on the edge of a stick and you can quickly and easily turn the knob to adjust the temperature. once you've adjust the temp a couple of times, it get's pretty easy to do.
Middle TN Woodworker here. I decided on a pellet burner. I buy the pellets in the off season when the price has dropped. Since 2009 it has only cost me $100 per winter. But then I wasn’t out there every day and have a 28x30x9 shop. I was working my regular job 3 to 4 days a week. Now that I’m retired I haven’t been through a full winter yet. I still love the pellet burner. As for your heaters, you could put a 2 pole switch rated at the correct amperage to turn on your heat as breakers aren’t really supposed to be used for switching.
when we upgraded the house heater we put the old fernace in the garage its stupid over powered for that job but man is it nice to turn it on and 10min later be in a Tshirt when its -20 out side
On my place, I grow a lot of apples and nuts, also coppicing them to make greenwood furniture. That leaves me with small diameter woodfuel as a byproduct. The thing is, my tools don't care if they're cold, nor does the workshop airspace. So why throw heat into it, just for some to land on me? So, I'm currently building a Rocket Mass Heater out of mostly materials off my land. They're a very economic form of masonary stove and easy to build, but highly efficient using less than a quarter of a standard woodstove cordage. They heat you as you sit (or lie) on them, much as a cup of coffee warms you through your hands. A couple of hours burn time can give you 48 hours heat, depending on how you design it. There's loads of them on RUclips, but you can't do better than reading the RMH intro book by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson, then the technical RMH Builder's Guide by Erica and Ernie Wisner. It's a total paradigm shift, but a great path to follow, and then there's all your waste wood to use for 'free' heat.
Use electric space heater‘s that you can put very close to where you’re working when you can. I find in cold weather if I can heat any part of my body a little it will ultimately keep me warm.
I'm sure you could build a nice looking enclosure for the heat pump outdoor unit. Ground source heat pumps are pretty cool too if you're really worried about low COP of air/air heat pump when the outdoor temp drops below -10°C or so. Above that, they are really efficient nowadays.
With my garage shop in Michigan I used a radiant tube heater. Worked very well and kept the cars warm in the winter. Also, didn't worry about blowing dust around the shop like a fan based heater would do.
When I finished my shop and needed some form of heat (Living in MN), I weighed a lot of these options (minus the torpedo/propane garbage can). I ended up actually going with a residental forced air furnace, hanging along with 1 trunk and 6 vents across the back ceiling/wall corner across the 28' shop. It works fantastically. Had the bid for it been only $5000 for mine, I would have been happier lol But it's 98% efficient, sealed combustion, and has a filter, which I sometimes use to supplement the ambient air cleaner. I'll also just use it as a fan in the summer too (I don't have A/C in it, but that is an option). Overall, I'd do it again.
I installed my own forced air gas furnace and ducting for my shop, with dampers in the feeds going to areas of the shop I am not using. Contracted the heating guy to install piping and setting it up. I'd found the garage gas heater in my friends shop would creat an allergy problem for me when we were sanding his oak furniture. This is not exposed. Like Marc said cost and return. I'm in southern MN. Getting super cold in October super quick.
I'm in a unique position (thanks to our town owned/operated utilities) where electric is actually my cheapest option. I never let the shop go below 38 degrees (glue and finish). A single 5000 brings my heavily insulated 400 sq foot shop up to 60 degrees in the time it takes me to make some coffee and make my way out to the garage. It's quiet and out of the way. I do find that leaving it on the high power setting and letting it run more often but at less of a duration is more efficient than switching to the lower power setting. Insulation is key though. Also, no added moisture to the air
I had a Reznor gas unit installed with exterior air for combustion. I live in North Central Ohio so I know cold. I keep the garage at 65 degrees in the winter and the gas bill is barely touched as far as I can see. Everything is warm when I go to work in the morning with no wait time. Very satisfied
We used a large window unit capable of 1050 square feet (shop was 22' x 40'). I cut a hole in the side of the shop that was big enough, ran the 230 VAC line and the socket and we put it in. It ran great for almost 10 years and never missed a beat on heating or cooling. When it died, I replaced it with anotherone that still runs fine 5 years later. Just seemed to be a categoy you skipped right over and can also cool in the summer.
I am in Australia and both the OP and comments just blow my mind, I just can’t imagine what it is like to have a garage that cold. Really makes me think, makes me realise most of the world is colder then what I am used to. Wow!
blackdatto I can tell you that leaving in Canada and having my shop on a detached uninsulated garage is a true test to my will to go and do stuff during winter, but nevertheless I go and enjoy it up to -10ish celcius, removing my gloves only to use rotary power tools. In the end we adapt to whatever conditions to do what we like to do I guess. Below -10 a few minutes without gloves and you can’t get your fingers back until you go back to the house.
My shop is in half of a small, 2 car garage, drafty. I bought a single head radiant heater that screws into a 20 lbs. propane can (15 lbs with the cheap ass Home Depot fill). A few evenings a week and 6-8 hours over the weekend used about to cans per winter the past couple of years. When I get home from work, I'll light it, & go in the house & do whatever chores need to be done, after 35-45 minutes the shop is very comfortable in a sweat shirt
I am just setting up a shop and learning woodworking and have been looking at a heating solution for this winter. My concern has been safety. Sawdust is certainly combustible and can be explosive. Different types of finishes can give off combustible gases. I'm wondering if I am overtly concerned about this topic?
So, I'm in Aurora, Colorado. Last year I installed a Cadet 4000 watt electric heat in the garage. It worked great. I started using it in November and for one month my bill went up ~$125. After that, I figured I'd just deal with the cold. I'm not doing it for money so I cut back on projects. I can't even image what the bill for Jan and Feb would have been. The heaters in the video should work find for the Oct-Dec time frame. It's Jan-Feb that is going to be the real test.
I had the same experience. I ran an electric heater for approximately 1 month, only for a few days a week and a few hours each time. My electric bill went up at least $75 so I decided to close my workshop (10x12 shed) up for the winter. I am using the time off to catch up on projects inside the house now that my personal projects are on hold for a few months.
We just finished our house where we use in-floor heating. The water is wormed up by a heat pump just bigger then yours and effective on -15C but you can even use condensing gas boiler. Still have to plan it ahead because of the in-floor pipes.
Two observations... first, I have a 6KW 240V electric heater in my 2-car garage and I've only used it a few times because it costs so much to run it. I live in Southern Ontario so our winters can get pretty cold. My garage is also only about 50% insulated, and the front end of the garage is draughty so it's probably not a good test, but it costs about $30 to run the heater all day in winter. That might not sound too bad until you realize it's about $200/week. I plan to fully insulate and block the draughty area above the doors, but even so, I plan to switch to natural gas when I can afford it. Second, avoid the temptation to go with a portable propane heater just because they can be had for fairly cheap. One of the main products of propane combustion is water vapor. Running a propane heater in an enclosed workshop is pretty much guaranteed to rust every tool you own, especially in winter when the cold tools condense the humidity and then freeze.
Happened to be at Woodcrafters in Portland, OR last week and talked to one of the employees there about this very topic. He mentioned that both propane, and gas heaters add additional water molecules to the air. As far as electric heat he is a fan of Infrared Heaters. If I go with forced heat - like you did - I definitely would want a thermostat added. Thank you for your perspective.
How do they add water? They are sealed combustion units with an air exchanger so no combustion air goes into your building to kill you with CO. That sounds like the myth that radiant adds moisture to the building. Radiant is the way to go for sure, gas if possible.
Colorado...nice temperature...here in Quebec, in the laurentians, we get bad winters, global warming forgot us, we get the minus 40 and piles of snow...in my shop I only have 2, 4 feet wall radiators about 6 inches from the ground, and I keep the temperature around 65 to 68...I find it's the right temperature to work, less sweating but still .... the problem is the summers when the temperature goes to the 90 degrees, in the afternoon the heat in the shop is a pain!!! Looking for a mini split next year!!!
Good information. I worked in the air barrier field. And air tightness is your friend with heat. Seal those windows with some plastic. Every winter I turn my shop into a trash bag and that does me very well
Marc - I live in Denver and am from here originally, and so far I've had the best luck heating my garage with an oil-based electric heater. I think these units are 80%+ efficient and what I like is that I can move them around to heat up the area I'm working in. With natural gas and coal-fired power plants being a key contributor to climate change and air pollution it seems a bit wasteful to be using up to 10,000 watts of electricity at a time to heat your garage.
Not sure about the sun light conditions in Colorado during the winter months but have you thought about a Solar Heat Collector made out of black painted soda cans? Material wise it's relatively cheap and for someone with your skills an easy project to build. After that enjoy your freely collected energy. In combination with your new electric heaters you could cut down on your electric bill. Just a thought :)
Gasp on costs energy ROI. ' I was an energy conservation engineer and a simple calculation which will give you a reasonable estimate is a 7500 Watt (7.5 KW) ( about 25,000 BTU/hr) draws 32 amps @ 240 v. 7500/240=31.25 amps . Assuming this is 7.5 KW at $0.11/hr. Assuming an average 40% cycle for 5 months. 7.5 kw *768 hr/mo * 5 mo x .4 Cycle time x $0.11 /kwh = $1 267.20 for 5 months. vs Natural gas at 25000 btu /hr * 768 hr/mo * 5 mo x .4 Cycle time x $1.00/ 100000 btus-hrs = $384.00. electric vs Gas is $1267 vs $384 per year in other words Gas heat should be about 30% of the cost of electricity heat. Heats pumps can even be more efficient. So how is your monthly cost running with electric heaters.
I went crosseyed trying to understand math lol. but, the final numbers seem right from my research. I do Propane. I prefer being as offgrid as possible. We have often had power outages here. I stock smaller cans of propane, I think I am up to 20 cans. Easier to handle and I can go get filled very cheaply at Tractor supply once a season (Georgia here isn't too bad) As you said though, this way I do not have to rely on power NOR do I have to tax my already stressed electrical system. I should really upgrade to 200amp service but too expensive at the moment.
I am from west central saskatchewan, and as you expect we are very concerned with staying warm. My house has a geothermal heat pump with forced air/in floor and I plan in floor for a future shop . There are a couple aspects you didn't touch . One option for the heat pump is to put the lo pressure side straight down, mine is in 7 200 foot 6inch diameter holes . A shop where you live would not need more than one. In floor heat is wonderful , but the recovery time is slow , up to three days if you cool your room right off . I am planning infloor in a future shop but with a forced air loop in the system to recover faster. The slab should have insulation under it as well as between slab and grade beam , 2 inches of Styrofoam is recommended. I talked a friend into laying in loops when pouring shop floor 40 years ago, he then built a wood boiler , 2 fills a day keeps a 40x60 shop warm
I've got the 5kw unit in a 700sqf shop and it definitely does the trick. I put a meter on it and it's pulling a little over 22a so I'm thinking the electric bill will notice it. Thankfully the shop is well insulated and it doesn't have to cycle that often.
I am up here in New York State, and the problem I have is my shop is first very small (only about 185 square feet) and that being said, it is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter!! As far as cooling it for the summer months I think I am going to install a 12 volt roof top air conditioner unit, like those used on an RV!! You see the thing is I want to install a small solar power system to my shed anyhow so I can run LED 12 volt lighting into my home (we have a lot of power outages in my area, so that would be perfect)!! And I think by using an RV air conditioner as well my work shop would get plenty cold in the summer as it isn't that big to start with!! Heating on the other hand is currently a total nightmare!! I don't have a lot of space for a large heat source, AND because I only have a 50 year old 50 amp electric service I can't really run a lot of electric either!! That means I can't run electric heat in my shed workshop!! Currently I run a propane torpedo heater in winter but that takes up a lot of floor space and I wish there was a small forced air heats I could run near the ceiling but I haven't found any that will work yet.
I'm in Michigan and I recently put in a FUH 54 after watching your review...thank you...it works great. My shop is a bit smaller...it's 16 x 20 and not insulated (yet) but the heater still can get it warm enough to work in light clothes. I thought that I'd be switching off the breakers too at night but instead I just dial it down to the first dot and it keeps the temp at 45 degrees. It doesn't cycle that much at that setting, so I don't expect the bill to be outrageous. I won't know till the first bill comes in though...so I'm keeping my finger crossed LOL. Again, thank you for your review. I enjoy your videos.
Hi Jim I'm from Northern Michigan could you tell me how much your electric bill has been running this heater and if you still have the same heater. Thank you.
Mr Judy here. As a retired HVAC tech (among other things). I do not understand people's fascination with adjusting thermostats. While there is a difference between summer and winter comfort temp (it's only 3-4 deg), you don't need to adjust it but twice a year. So, in your case you'll only need to use the ladder twice a year since the off/on switch is within reach😊👍
If anyone is planning on building a new shop, in-floor radiant is the only way to go.Existing shop that's well insulated, any heat source will do fine. It comes down to personal preference. But' the mini-splits have come a long way and there are a couple of manufacturers that are able to heat down to -10 F.
I'm in Florida and we have pretty mild winters normally (DUH!) But, it does get cold even here; cold is relative. I have a mini-split heat pump. 1 1/2 ton. My shop is mildly insulated and it cools and heats very well. Best 1,400 I've spent for my shop.
One of those heaters attached to the top of a propane tank offer a good start to the day that can bring the room up to temp to let the electric units maintain the temp. Fans will definitely be a plus. With a covered floor one is not standing on the concrete.
I was lucky enough to be able to install a 3 ton mini split that keeps my 20x30 shop in the 70s when the temps drop below 20. I have a pair of those heaters from before the mini split and they did a good enough job before the foam insulation was put in the metal shop building. we have 8 foot doors and are still able to keep the temps in the 70s all year in Texas. The heaters do take a lot of power to run. The mini split cost about 20 bucks a month in the summer when temps are over 100. winter is about half that. If you can the mini split is a good option especially where you have cold winters and hot summers like we do in Texas. Also keeps humidity down, this is good news for all my cast iron.
I put a motel room heater/air conditioner in my shop. I had to cut a hole in the wall and also installed an external thermostat, which allows me to keep the shop at minimum 45F in winter. So far, so good. Cost about$900.
in 2022 electric is very very exspensive but like you said it’s the easiest way to heat a garage / workshop that’s insulated. i only heat the area when im working . it’s a hobby .i’m retired .
Hey brother. Firstly would like to say I'm not being critical. That being said, folks are missing out on the cost benefits of wood burning stoves in garages and shops, especially if they are occupied daily. Combined with air cleaners and air movers, a considerable amount of the cost of running A/C in the warmer months can be recovered by wood stoves during the winter.
John Barduhn Install a 240v w/24 v transformer at the heater. Connect the 24v on the relay to the Nest thermostat. Use thermostat control wire to connect the relay to the Nest. Only install the red & white wires. Nest has an issue with not staying charged if you connect all 3 wires. I used the cheaper white plastic Nest. In that one you connect the white wire to W1 and the red to red. The cheapest source for the relay is supply house.com, follow this link www.supplyhouse.com/Honeywell-Aube-RC840T-240-240v-Relay-w-Built-In-24V-Transformer
I looked at just about every source of heating that you put on this video. I decided a closed heating system would work. I have to go 100 feet around my house to the garage and I'm willing to spend the money the first trip through maybe even trench it in partly myself but I think it's better to do it this way then to have to redo it later , I did a lot of research on this particular heater it brings in combustion air from outside there's no chance of ignition, combustion air, doesn't run fumes or dust particles through the flame box or the heating chamber I have dust collection and I have a room filter
I use a mini split for my a/c and heat in Maine. In winter it can get pricey but keeps it shorts and t -shirt nice about $75-100 a week when outside 29 to -20. Summer when in 90’s keeps shop 68-72 and cost practically nothing to run. So pricey for 3 months and 2 months still a high electric bill. Worth the ease of use and how comfortable it is in shop which is around 700 sq feet
Thankyou for the video! This is a question ive had on my mind! I am a young woodworker currently working out of a unheated-uninsulated shop in Nova Scoita, Canada. I am trying to save up money to afford a heated building of any sort! Woodworking in the cold is a whole different kind a thing. Much easier to become frustrated when the conditions are frustrating. haha
Very interesting video. Thank you. My biggest concern: I don't recall you mentioning carbon monoxide! You can not run a fuel burning heater in a confined area without adequate ventilation! Opening a window and running a propane heater is Not adequate ventilation. It will kill you! Just saying.
For a thermostat all you need is a contactor like for big 3 phase equipment. Get one with a coil voltage of 24 volts AC and power it with a doorbell transformer with your thermostat of choice wired in between. I'd recommend switching to NG or propane eventually though way more efficient and cost effective. Electric is more applicable in spaces used for short times
I have a 3000/5000w heater like you have. When it’s colder I have a little propane heater that I throw on for about 10 minutes and then the electric heater maintains a very nice temperature
A thought on waiting 45 min to an hour to let it heat up. I have heard it said that it is more energy efficient to keep your air conditioner running, even when you're not home because having it run hard for that hour or whatever to cool the air takes more energy than maintaining a temperature once it is reached. Perhaps the same can be done for your garage with the heaters. Now you will have to have a thermostat installed I'd imagine for that. My main concern with that thinking in a garage is, a house is insulated perhaps the garage is not. So take from that what you will.
Convection heating/cooling is one of the most effective ways of transferring heat. So long as you minimize the period you have your door open it should not make a big difference. Just remember electricity probably costs you three times the heat you are losing/gaining.
I had a propane heater in mine shop. After using it a few times I had to remove it. I could smell what they put in the propane and was burning my eyes and throat not to mention all the moister it was creating. So I went with 2 some 1500 watt heaters. My shop is only 12x20 so not very big but I insulated the heck out of it so once the temp hits the point I like it takes some time to cool down.
For my new garage build, I put the tubes in the floor for radiant heat and plan on a mini split as secondary heat and air conditioning. I figure if I keep the garage at 55/60 and when I get inside I can turn the mini split heat on to get it comfortable.
I had two of those 5000w heaters in my other garage and they heated well but the lower 3’ was always cold and the ceiling fans didn’t do a good enough job.
I was originally planning on using a wood stove to heat my garage/workshop but the cost to have it installed and cleaned every year was cost prohibitive. I ended up going with a $100 propane space heater. Which works really well. Eventually I’d like to upgrade to the electric heaters like you have. And just leave them at like 55/60 degrees so the shop isn’t freezing when I come in. It’s a stand alone garage that is not connected to my house.
My workshop came with a small and crappy electric stove with its own 240v dedicated wall outlet. I have a small fan that I put on top of the stove, I open the oven door and turn it to 350F. Heats things up quite nicely.
I heat my garage with a single 5K heater. The ceilings are lower than yours, 9' vs 11'. Instead of hanging it from the ceiling I set it on the floor and point it down slightly. It just plugs into the wall and unless I am leaving the doors open for an extended period of time it works OK. Hanging heaters where they are going to heat the warmest air has always seemed backwards to me.
I use infrared panels on a thermostat. No noise, no air movement and it heats the shop easily. No cold feet - no hot face. And they are no thicker than 2 inches - and placed in the ceiling.
I went with the exact same units. I do wish I had installed the line level thermostat, but like you said - you can that later on as well. These things work great, but if your shop lacks 220 single phase your electrician cost may go up. :)
If you review how split systems are installed in apartments, you may find a solution for the compressor unit that's close to your internal heater via a rigid frame and bracket mounted to your workshop. Just a thought. Allan
What I use in my Maine Mountain Shop is. Large gas (propane) Rinnai unit. They are about 97% efficient. Our local ski area Sugarloaf uses these in a number of places.
I'm leaning towards the parka option, though I didn't see it explained during the presentation. you could offer wood whisperer parkas in your store and then you could pay for a real heat option.. Danny in California (wearing T shirts in December)
I'm about to exercise the heating option of moving back to Arizona. I am currently a bit south of Jackson Wyoming and hot hide glue is my go to adhesive. I use heat lamps, hair dryers and heat guns to warm parts prior to gluing. Not an enjoyable way to work!
Great video! In the UK, some businesses have found the cost of running electric is double that of propane (gas) heaters - though there is a greater fire risk for woodworkers with gas heating over electric.
Start with insulation. Underfloor heating such as electric mats and use propane gas to supplement the heating then might be the cheapest option. I have underfloor heating and an air circulation system but that is not really an option for everybody. There is no point heating the space if cold air circulates or if warm air can easily move out.
Mark if you are not heating this space all the time or at least maintaining a minimum temperature will the wide temperature swings cause problems with your project pieces. What I mean is if it gets down to freezing or below in the shop overnight and you come in and crank up the heat the next morning how long before your tool surfaces and more importantly your project materials are all at a uniform temperature? I would think it's difficult to measure the internal temperature of a piece of wood more than one inch thick. The surface and first 1/4" may be at room temp within an hour, but how long till the internals of a 2 inch thick piece are at the same temperature and what would happen if you cut that piece while there is a large temperature differential between the surface the interior? I don't know I'm just asking. Maybe do a video on this with some experiments to determine if it's a concern or not. Seems to me it would be since it is customary to let your wood acclimate before using it. I'm not targeting you with these questions, this is something that has always concerned me as I don't heat my shop 24/7 because I am not in there every day.
One day I want to make educational videos on things I have no education on. I've never lived in a cold climate but after one winter I'm an expert. I can't believe you put in a ductless unit and then removed it a week later hahah
You don't want moisture in the air when working with wood so I wouldn't be using propane. There are heaters that don’t create any moisture at all. These include indirect fired heaters and electric heaters. Direct fired heaters create some moisture because they generate heat by running air directly over a fuel burning flame. Indirect fired heaters heat the air without running it directly over a flame. Because of this, they don’t come in contact with any fuel.
Thanks for the overview. I’m in N.J. and plan to use the mini splits for two reasons: one is you also get AC which is truly needed here during July and August. The other reason may assist you as well. I’m putting solar panels on the roof which should great off set the higher electrical usage.
Just a joke, but get a 55 gallon drum and burn your scrap wood! As for the ceiling fan, run them in reverse to pull the air up and push it towards the ceiling. I live in South Florida where we only have few cold days during the winter, but when it does get cold enough to need some heat, (my wife needs it, I love the cold), I switch the direction of the fans and you can feel the difference it makes from running them where they push the air directly down on you.
I bought a heater yesterday then saw your video and thought hmm well this should induce buyers remorse. Well not so much! I bought the Fahrenheat 5000 unit off of Marketplace for $140!
When you consider you have saved $3,500 or more on the heating system that you can put towards to difference in fuel cost, it might be a number of years before you’re spending more overall. We used to have to replace gas unit heaters every 10 years at several thousand dollars each. Not sure electric wouldn’t have been cheaper overall because they last a lot longer.
Phew... I thought this was going to be new info the day after I order my heating solution! Thankfully, I watched this during my research. I ended up getting a ventless propane heater. We'll see how that works!
I have radiant floor heat in my basement and attached garage and it is very nice however I choose not to go that route in the shop becuase I don't want to keep the shop at temp all the time. I turn mine down to 55 when I'm not in it and radiant floor heat would take way to long to heat it up, my forced air furnace heats the space up to temp in about 10 minutes.
I have a 3 car garage with one bay for the shop. I heat with two 23k kerosene floor heaters and it takes a good 90 min to get to shirt sleeve temperature in a typical Mich winter day. Cost for a day of kerosene is about $12. Hassle factor is higher though. Can you update your cost estimate for daily use of your heaters? Thanks for all you do for us!
At 12 cents per kWh (average US price apparently) running both the heaters for an hour would cost about 70c. When you think about a whole day and running constantly for 9 hours that's about $5.50. Whilst not cheap, it's actually very inexpensive and more so given they would probably shut off at some point. You could easily spend that much on a fancy coffee or buying a quick lunch out somewhere.
Thank you for this video. I would like to see a video of you doing the connections for the external thermostat and switch. I have an electric heater in my shop that I turn on and off from the panel. It does the job just fine, but like you, if I want to change the thermostat, I am climbing a ladder...not the solution I want. I'll keep my eyes out for that video!
Sorry but that video will never happen. I will never show electrical work on my channel for liability reasons and for my own sanity. :) Happy to share some information offline via email though.
This video is a re-post as it was posted on our Offcuts channel. Every year, people ask about shop heating options so I decided the video needed to be in front of our entire audience. If you haven't seen it, please enjoy. Here's the full article if you're interested: www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/shop-heating-options/
Here are the two units I installed:
Fahrenheat FUH54 - amzn.to/2iO2NhE
Fahrenheat FUH724 - amzn.to/2imiYjf
Infrared panels appear to be more eaven than tubes but that too can result in cold spots.
The Wood Whisperer I should have looked at the comments first. I was watching thinking man I’m so in Marc’s head I feel like I know what he’s going to say next! Being in your head seemed a bit weird, glad it was just a video I’d seen before :) Great video!
So what was your increase in your electric bill?
Have you considered building DIY solar air heater? It could be a solution for a workshop, at least on cold but clear days in the winter. There are a lot of plans available, e.g.: freeonplate.com/diy-solar-panels/ ...it could be scaled to fit your needs and built with different materials (available to you).
You could have put a series of radiators around the room. I saw this in a large metal shop where the room was large and toasty.
With a woodshop you never run out of scrap wood to burn, so a wood burner is the most logical, economical and useful way to go! Been heating with a wood burner for over seven years and love it!
We were lucky at our new place, we have plenty of timber on our land. I was a little hesitant to put a wood stove in my shop but I love it. It's quite and don't even mind having to add wood every once in awhile. Plus I usually have a pot of water on there at all times so it's easy to have coffee or tea at anytime. When the temps get into the negatives I have a Perfection kerosene heater I can use to help supplement the heat. It's the glass model and it's absolutely gorgeous when it's going.
I lived in Oak Ridge TN for a while and all the houses had radiant in-floor heating. It was great, especially in the morning when you get out of bed and the floors are nice and toasty.
I had this question before I built my shop. I decided on hydronic in floor heating. It has been 20 years since I installed it and am very comfortable working in my shop all winter long. It is 12 degrees outside this morning but a comfortable 65 in my shop! I have never looked back and love my hydronic heat!
Marc, love the channel. I have a couple small forced air heaters in my finished basement playroom. What I ended up doing for controlling them was ran the electric power to a 220 volt wall switch at the top of the basement stairs. The 2 heaters are then controlled by a thermostat that is installed between the two heaters on the wall, heaters are in ceiling. This way when we want to heat the space, we just hit the switch and they turn on and the thermostat controls the heat. When they are done playing or we are not down there, we hit the switch and turn them off. If you add a switch and thermostat, you may want to put the switch by the door going into the house, allowing you to turn them on prior to entering the shop and turn them off when you leave.
Two quick comments: Breakers are not made to be on/off switches. They will wear out. Second, at work we had the same problem with the thermostat location. Just reach up with a stick, there's enough grooves on the side of the plastic knob to catch on the edge of a stick and you can quickly and easily turn the knob to adjust the temperature. once you've adjust the temp a couple of times, it get's pretty easy to do.
I love this idea but I’m scared to ask...how much did your electric bill jump?
This little space heater isn’t cutting it anymore.
Thanks!!!
:)
Middle TN Woodworker here. I decided on a pellet burner. I buy the pellets in the off season when the price has dropped. Since 2009 it has only cost me $100 per winter. But then I wasn’t out there every day and have a 28x30x9 shop. I was working my regular job 3 to 4 days a week. Now that I’m retired I haven’t been through a full winter yet. I still love the pellet burner.
As for your heaters, you could put a 2 pole switch rated at the correct amperage to turn on your heat as breakers aren’t really supposed to be used for switching.
I always appreciate it when you share what you’ve learned Marc. Thank you.
There's also electric radiant ceiling heat (a couple of variants, actually).
Disclosure: My company makes these units.
We insulated our garage shop this summer and had the smaller of these two installed. Living in WI, this option works great. Thanks
I live in Northern Canada and I use a natural gas furnace in my shop, works great and costs about 20 bucks a month during the coldest months.
In my last two shops I’ve put both my heat and dust collection in the slab , it’s the best way to go if you’re building from scratch.🔨📐👍
when we upgraded the house heater we put the old fernace in the garage its stupid over powered for that job but man is it nice to turn it on and 10min later be in a Tshirt when its -20 out side
On my place, I grow a lot of apples and nuts, also coppicing them to make greenwood furniture. That leaves me with small diameter woodfuel as a byproduct.
The thing is, my tools don't care if they're cold, nor does the workshop airspace. So why throw heat into it, just for some to land on me? So, I'm currently building a Rocket Mass Heater out of mostly materials off my land. They're a very economic form of masonary stove and easy to build, but highly efficient using less than a quarter of a standard woodstove cordage. They heat you as you sit (or lie) on them, much as a cup of coffee warms you through your hands. A couple of hours burn time can give you 48 hours heat, depending on how you design it. There's loads of them on RUclips, but you can't do better than reading the RMH intro book by Ianto Evans and Leslie Jackson, then the technical RMH Builder's Guide by Erica and Ernie Wisner.
It's a total paradigm shift, but a great path to follow, and then there's all your waste wood to use for 'free' heat.
Use electric space heater‘s that you can put very close to where you’re working when you can. I find in cold weather if I can heat any part of my body a little it will ultimately keep me warm.
Yes, but this is a guy that wants to wear his t-shirts like it's summer time.
I'm sure you could build a nice looking enclosure for the heat pump outdoor unit.
Ground source heat pumps are pretty cool too if you're really worried about low COP of air/air heat pump when the outdoor temp drops below -10°C or so.
Above that, they are really efficient nowadays.
With my garage shop in Michigan I used a radiant tube heater. Worked very well and kept the cars warm in the winter. Also, didn't worry about blowing dust around the shop like a fan based heater would do.
When I finished my shop and needed some form of heat (Living in MN), I weighed a lot of these options (minus the torpedo/propane garbage can). I ended up actually going with a residental forced air furnace, hanging along with 1 trunk and 6 vents across the back ceiling/wall corner across the 28' shop. It works fantastically. Had the bid for it been only $5000 for mine, I would have been happier lol But it's 98% efficient, sealed combustion, and has a filter, which I sometimes use to supplement the ambient air cleaner. I'll also just use it as a fan in the summer too (I don't have A/C in it, but that is an option). Overall, I'd do it again.
I installed my own forced air gas furnace and ducting for my shop, with dampers in the feeds going to areas of the shop I am not using. Contracted the heating guy to install piping and setting it up. I'd found the garage gas heater in my friends shop would creat an allergy problem for me when we were sanding his oak furniture. This is not exposed. Like Marc said cost and return. I'm in southern MN. Getting super cold in October super quick.
I've installed thousands of furnaces. You made the right choice for a space of that size.
Very timely! I really need to finally get around to heating my dang shop...
try a rocket heater. You can make it yourself.
I'm in a unique position (thanks to our town owned/operated utilities) where electric is actually my cheapest option. I never let the shop go below 38 degrees (glue and finish). A single 5000 brings my heavily insulated 400 sq foot shop up to 60 degrees in the time it takes me to make some coffee and make my way out to the garage. It's quiet and out of the way. I do find that leaving it on the high power setting and letting it run more often but at less of a duration is more efficient than switching to the lower power setting. Insulation is key though. Also, no added moisture to the air
I had a Reznor gas unit installed with exterior air for combustion. I live in North Central Ohio so I know cold. I keep the garage at 65 degrees in the winter and the gas bill is barely touched as far as I can see. Everything is warm when I go to work in the morning with no wait time. Very satisfied
Winnipeg, Canada. I laugh at your cold.
We used a large window unit capable of 1050 square feet (shop was 22' x 40'). I cut a hole in the side of the shop that was big enough, ran the 230 VAC line and the socket and we put it in. It ran great for almost 10 years and never missed a beat on heating or cooling. When it died, I replaced it with anotherone that still runs fine 5 years later. Just seemed to be a categoy you skipped right over and can also cool in the summer.
I am in Australia and both the OP and comments just blow my mind, I just can’t imagine what it is like to have a garage that cold. Really makes me think, makes me realise most of the world is colder then what I am used to. Wow!
blackdatto I can tell you that leaving in Canada and having my shop on a detached uninsulated garage is a true test to my will to go and do stuff during winter, but nevertheless I go and enjoy it up to -10ish celcius, removing my gloves only to use rotary power tools. In the end we adapt to whatever conditions to do what we like to do I guess. Below -10 a few minutes without gloves and you can’t get your fingers back until you go back to the house.
blackdatto that must be amazing! I live in Wisconsin and must store my wood glue in the house or it will be frozen by morning...
My shop is in half of a small, 2 car garage, drafty. I bought a single head radiant heater that screws into a 20 lbs. propane can (15 lbs with the cheap ass Home Depot fill). A few evenings a week and 6-8 hours over the weekend used about to cans per winter the past couple of years. When I get home from work, I'll light it, & go in the house & do whatever chores need to be done, after 35-45 minutes the shop is very comfortable in a sweat shirt
I am just setting up a shop and learning woodworking and have been looking at a heating solution for this winter. My concern has been safety. Sawdust is certainly combustible and can be explosive. Different types of finishes can give off combustible gases. I'm wondering if I am overtly concerned about this topic?
So, I'm in Aurora, Colorado. Last year I installed a Cadet 4000 watt electric heat in the garage. It worked great. I started using it in November and for one month my bill went up ~$125. After that, I figured I'd just deal with the cold. I'm not doing it for money so I cut back on projects. I can't even image what the bill for Jan and Feb would have been. The heaters in the video should work find for the Oct-Dec time frame. It's Jan-Feb that is going to be the real test.
I had the same experience. I ran an electric heater for approximately 1 month, only for a few days a week and a few hours each time. My electric bill went up at least $75 so I decided to close my workshop (10x12 shed) up for the winter. I am using the time off to catch up on projects inside the house now that my personal projects are on hold for a few months.
We just finished our house where we use in-floor heating. The water is wormed up by a heat pump just bigger then yours and effective on -15C but you can even use condensing gas boiler. Still have to plan it ahead because of the in-floor pipes.
Two observations... first, I have a 6KW 240V electric heater in my 2-car garage and I've only used it a few times because it costs so much to run it. I live in Southern Ontario so our winters can get pretty cold. My garage is also only about 50% insulated, and the front end of the garage is draughty so it's probably not a good test, but it costs about $30 to run the heater all day in winter. That might not sound too bad until you realize it's about $200/week. I plan to fully insulate and block the draughty area above the doors, but even so, I plan to switch to natural gas when I can afford it.
Second, avoid the temptation to go with a portable propane heater just because they can be had for fairly cheap. One of the main products of propane combustion is water vapor. Running a propane heater in an enclosed workshop is pretty much guaranteed to rust every tool you own, especially in winter when the cold tools condense the humidity and then freeze.
Happened to be at Woodcrafters in Portland, OR last week and talked to one of the employees there about this very topic. He mentioned that both propane, and gas heaters add additional water molecules to the air. As far as electric heat he is a fan of Infrared Heaters. If I go with forced heat - like you did - I definitely would want a thermostat added. Thank you for your perspective.
How do they add water? They are sealed combustion units with an air exchanger so no combustion air goes into your building to kill you with CO. That sounds like the myth that radiant adds moisture to the building. Radiant is the way to go for sure, gas if possible.
Colorado...nice temperature...here in Quebec, in the laurentians, we get bad winters, global warming forgot us, we get the minus 40 and piles of snow...in my shop I only have 2, 4 feet wall radiators about 6 inches from the ground, and I keep the temperature around 65 to 68...I find it's the right temperature to work, less sweating but still .... the problem is the summers when the temperature goes to the 90 degrees, in the afternoon the heat in the shop is a pain!!! Looking for a mini split next year!!!
Good information. I worked in the air barrier field. And air tightness is your friend with heat. Seal those windows with some plastic. Every winter I turn my shop into a trash bag and that does me very well
Marc - I live in Denver and am from here originally, and so far I've had the best luck heating my garage with an oil-based electric heater. I think these units are 80%+ efficient and what I like is that I can move them around to heat up the area I'm working in. With natural gas and coal-fired power plants being a key contributor to climate change and air pollution it seems a bit wasteful to be using up to 10,000 watts of electricity at a time to heat your garage.
Not sure about the sun light conditions in Colorado during the winter months but have you thought about a Solar Heat Collector made out of black painted soda cans?
Material wise it's relatively cheap and for someone with your skills an easy project to build. After that enjoy your freely collected energy. In combination with your new electric heaters you could cut down on your electric bill. Just a thought :)
Gasp on costs energy ROI. ' I was an energy conservation engineer and a simple calculation which will give you a reasonable estimate is a 7500 Watt (7.5 KW) ( about 25,000 BTU/hr) draws 32 amps @ 240 v. 7500/240=31.25 amps . Assuming this is 7.5 KW at $0.11/hr. Assuming an average 40% cycle for 5 months. 7.5 kw *768 hr/mo * 5 mo x .4 Cycle time x $0.11 /kwh = $1 267.20 for 5 months. vs Natural gas at 25000 btu /hr * 768 hr/mo * 5 mo x .4 Cycle time x $1.00/ 100000 btus-hrs = $384.00. electric vs Gas is $1267 vs $384 per year in other words Gas heat should be about 30% of the cost of electricity heat. Heats pumps can even be more efficient. So how is your monthly cost running with electric heaters.
I went crosseyed trying to understand math lol. but, the final numbers seem right from my research. I do Propane. I prefer being as offgrid as possible. We have often had power outages here. I stock smaller cans of propane, I think I am up to 20 cans. Easier to handle and I can go get filled very cheaply at Tractor supply once a season (Georgia here isn't too bad) As you said though, this way I do not have to rely on power NOR do I have to tax my already stressed electrical system. I should really upgrade to 200amp service but too expensive at the moment.
...Also, shame he hasn't responded to this. I don't sub to creators who do not interact with they audience.
I am from west central saskatchewan, and as you expect we are very concerned with staying warm. My house has a geothermal heat pump with forced air/in floor and I plan in floor for a future shop . There are a couple aspects you didn't touch . One option for the heat pump is to put the lo pressure side straight down, mine is in 7 200 foot 6inch diameter holes . A shop where you live would not need more than one. In floor heat is wonderful , but the recovery time is slow , up to three days if you cool your room right off . I am planning infloor in a future shop but with a forced air loop in the system to recover faster. The slab should have insulation under it as well as between slab and grade beam , 2 inches of Styrofoam is recommended. I talked a friend into laying in loops when pouring shop floor 40 years ago, he then built a wood boiler , 2 fills a day keeps a 40x60 shop warm
I've got the 5kw unit in a 700sqf shop and it definitely does the trick. I put a meter on it and it's pulling a little over 22a so I'm thinking the electric bill will notice it. Thankfully the shop is well insulated and it doesn't have to cycle that often.
I am up here in New York State, and the problem I have is my shop is first very small (only about 185 square feet) and that being said, it is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter!! As far as cooling it for the summer months I think I am going to install a 12 volt roof top air conditioner unit, like those used on an RV!! You see the thing is I want to install a small solar power system to my shed anyhow so I can run LED 12 volt lighting into my home (we have a lot of power outages in my area, so that would be perfect)!! And I think by using an RV air conditioner as well my work shop would get plenty cold in the summer as it isn't that big to start with!! Heating on the other hand is currently a total nightmare!! I don't have a lot of space for a large heat source, AND because I only have a 50 year old 50 amp electric service I can't really run a lot of electric either!! That means I can't run electric heat in my shed workshop!! Currently I run a propane torpedo heater in winter but that takes up a lot of floor space and I wish there was a small forced air heats I could run near the ceiling but I haven't found any that will work yet.
I'm in Michigan and I recently put in a FUH 54 after watching your review...thank you...it works great. My shop is a bit smaller...it's 16 x 20 and not insulated (yet) but the heater still can get it warm enough to work in light clothes. I thought that I'd be switching off the breakers too at night but instead I just dial it down to the first dot and it keeps the temp at 45 degrees. It doesn't cycle that much at that setting, so I don't expect the bill to be outrageous. I won't know till the first bill comes in though...so I'm keeping my finger crossed LOL.
Again, thank you for your review. I enjoy your videos.
Hi Jim I'm from Northern Michigan could you tell me how much your electric bill has been running this heater and if you still have the same heater. Thank you.
Mr Judy here. As a retired HVAC tech (among other things). I do not understand people's fascination with adjusting thermostats. While there is a difference between summer and winter comfort temp (it's only 3-4 deg), you don't need to adjust it but twice a year. So, in your case you'll only need to use the ladder twice a year since the off/on switch is within reach😊👍
If anyone is planning on building a new shop, in-floor radiant is the only way to go.Existing shop that's well insulated, any heat source will do fine. It comes down to personal preference. But' the mini-splits have come a long way and there are a couple of manufacturers that are able to heat down to -10 F.
I'm in Florida and we have pretty mild winters normally (DUH!) But, it does get cold even here; cold is relative. I have a mini-split heat pump. 1 1/2 ton. My shop is mildly insulated and it cools and heats very well. Best 1,400 I've spent for my shop.
One of those heaters attached to the top of a propane tank offer a good start to the day that can bring the room up to temp to let the electric units maintain the temp. Fans will definitely be a plus. With a covered floor one is not standing on the concrete.
I was lucky enough to be able to install a 3 ton mini split that keeps my 20x30 shop in the 70s when the temps drop below 20. I have a pair of those heaters from before the mini split and they did a good enough job before the foam insulation was put in the metal shop building. we have 8 foot doors and are still able to keep the temps in the 70s all year in Texas. The heaters do take a lot of power to run. The mini split cost about 20 bucks a month in the summer when temps are over 100. winter is about half that. If you can the mini split is a good option especially where you have cold winters and hot summers like we do in Texas. Also keeps humidity down, this is good news for all my cast iron.
I put a motel room heater/air conditioner in my shop. I had to cut a hole in the wall and also installed an external thermostat, which allows me to keep the shop at minimum 45F in winter. So far, so good. Cost about$900.
We use an electric heater since our power is in an apartment garage and we dont have to pay that electric bill :)
in 2022 electric is very very exspensive but like you said it’s the easiest way to heat a garage / workshop that’s insulated. i only heat the area when im working . it’s a hobby .i’m retired .
Hey brother. Firstly would like to say I'm not being critical. That being said, folks are missing out on the cost benefits of wood burning stoves in garages and shops, especially if they are occupied daily. Combined with air cleaners and air movers, a considerable amount of the cost of running A/C in the warmer months can be recovered by wood stoves during the winter.
I installed a similar heater in my garage and hooked up a Nest thermostat to it. I can turn it on via internet so the shop is warm before I get there.
TIm how did you do that? That’s a great idea.
John Barduhn
Install a 240v w/24 v transformer at the heater. Connect the 24v on the relay to the Nest thermostat. Use thermostat control wire to connect the relay to the Nest. Only install the red & white wires. Nest has an issue with not staying charged if you connect all 3 wires. I used the cheaper white plastic Nest. In that one you connect the white wire to W1 and the red to red.
The cheapest source for the relay is supply house.com, follow this link www.supplyhouse.com/Honeywell-Aube-RC840T-240-240v-Relay-w-Built-In-24V-Transformer
I looked at just about every source of heating that you put on this video. I decided a closed heating system would work. I have to go 100 feet around my house to the garage and I'm willing to spend the money the first trip through maybe even trench it in partly myself but I think it's better to do it this way then to have to redo it later , I did a lot of research on this particular heater it brings in combustion air from outside there's no chance of ignition, combustion air, doesn't run fumes or dust particles through the flame box or the heating chamber I have dust collection and I have a room filter
I use a mini split for my a/c and heat in Maine. In winter it can get pricey but keeps it shorts and t -shirt nice about $75-100 a week when outside 29 to -20. Summer when in 90’s keeps shop 68-72 and cost practically nothing to run.
So pricey for 3 months and 2 months still a high electric bill. Worth the ease of use and how comfortable it is in shop which is around 700 sq feet
How do you deal with the dusty environment on the mini split intake? I want to install a mini but the contractors are saying it’s not a good option
I installed a Mr Heater 25k btu garage radiant heater. Works great.
Thankyou for the video! This is a question ive had on my mind! I am a young woodworker currently working out of a unheated-uninsulated shop in Nova Scoita, Canada. I am trying to save up money to afford a heated building of any sort! Woodworking in the cold is a whole different kind a thing. Much easier to become frustrated when the conditions are frustrating. haha
Did you consider propane or compressed natural gas. the companies that provide the service even deliver and change the bottles for you .
Very interesting video. Thank you. My biggest concern: I don't recall you mentioning carbon monoxide! You can not run a fuel burning heater in a confined area without adequate ventilation! Opening a window and running a propane heater is Not adequate ventilation. It will kill you!
Just saying.
it will also burn the oxygen out of the room creating massive condensation on your cast iron and worse labors breathing.....
For a thermostat all you need is a contactor like for big 3 phase equipment. Get one with a coil voltage of 24 volts AC and power it with a doorbell transformer with your thermostat of choice wired in between. I'd recommend switching to NG or propane eventually though way more efficient and cost effective. Electric is more applicable in spaces used for short times
I have a 3000/5000w heater like you have. When it’s colder I have a little propane heater that I throw on for about 10 minutes and then the electric heater maintains a very nice temperature
A thought on waiting 45 min to an hour to let it heat up. I have heard it said that it is more energy efficient to keep your air conditioner running, even when you're not home because having it run hard for that hour or whatever to cool the air takes more energy than maintaining a temperature once it is reached. Perhaps the same can be done for your garage with the heaters. Now you will have to have a thermostat installed I'd imagine for that. My main concern with that thinking in a garage is, a house is insulated perhaps the garage is not. So take from that what you will.
Convection heating/cooling is one of the most effective ways of transferring heat. So long as you minimize the period you have your door open it should not make a big difference. Just remember electricity probably costs you three times the heat you are losing/gaining.
Here in Alaska we put Pex tubing into our concrete and hook it up to a boiler and pump. I use a water heater myself.
I had a propane heater in mine shop. After using it a few times I had to remove it. I could smell what they put in the propane and was burning my eyes and throat not to mention all the moister it was creating. So I went with 2 some 1500 watt heaters. My shop is only 12x20 so not very big but I insulated the heck out of it so once the temp hits the point I like it takes some time to cool down.
For my new garage build, I put the tubes in the floor for radiant heat and plan on a mini split as secondary heat and air conditioning. I figure if I keep the garage at 55/60 and when I get inside I can turn the mini split heat on to get it comfortable.
I had two of those 5000w heaters in my other garage and they heated well but the lower 3’ was always cold and the ceiling fans didn’t do a good enough job.
You might also consider a hydronic pellet stove with a circ loop into fan coil units which could also be used to help filter the ambient air
That would be an expensive option to convert in a workshop. It would almost be as cheap for insulation, electric heating and air circulation.
I was originally planning on using a wood stove to heat my garage/workshop but the cost to have it installed and cleaned every year was cost prohibitive. I ended up going with a $100 propane space heater. Which works really well. Eventually I’d like to upgrade to the electric heaters like you have. And just leave them at like 55/60 degrees so the shop isn’t freezing when I come in. It’s a stand alone garage that is not connected to my house.
My workshop came with a small and crappy electric stove with its own 240v dedicated wall outlet. I have a small fan that I put on top of the stove, I open the oven door and turn it to 350F. Heats things up quite nicely.
Congratulations.
I heat my garage with a single 5K heater. The ceilings are lower than yours, 9' vs 11'. Instead of hanging it from the ceiling I set it on the floor and point it down slightly. It just plugs into the wall and unless I am leaving the doors open for an extended period of time it works OK. Hanging heaters where they are going to heat the warmest air has always seemed backwards to me.
I use infrared panels on a thermostat. No noise, no air movement and it heats the shop easily. No cold feet - no hot face. And they are no thicker than 2 inches - and placed in the ceiling.
I went with the exact same units. I do wish I had installed the line level thermostat, but like you said - you can that later on as well. These things work great, but if your shop lacks 220 single phase your electrician cost may go up. :)
If you review how split systems are installed in apartments, you may find a solution for the compressor unit that's close to your internal heater via a rigid frame and bracket mounted to your workshop. Just a thought. Allan
I use a natural gas radiant heater. In Northern California I only need to use it part time, never when sanding or painting.
What I use in my Maine Mountain Shop is. Large gas (propane) Rinnai unit. They are about 97% efficient. Our local ski area Sugarloaf uses these in a number of places.
Great timing. Winter is coming...
Have you thought of insulation to prevent mould?
Was wondering if you were ever able to figure out the monthly cost of adding the heaters?
I'm leaning towards the parka option, though I didn't see it explained during the presentation. you could offer wood whisperer parkas in your store and then you could pay for a real heat option.. Danny in California (wearing T shirts in December)
Parka is cheaper but it will mean the wood is colder and more prone to moisture. A well regulated space is the best but not everybody can afford that.
I'm about to exercise the heating option of moving back to Arizona. I am currently a bit south of Jackson Wyoming and hot hide glue is my go to adhesive. I use heat lamps, hair dryers and heat guns to warm parts prior to gluing. Not an enjoyable way to work!
Great video! In the UK, some businesses have found the cost of running electric is double that of propane (gas) heaters - though there is a greater fire risk for woodworkers with gas heating over electric.
Start with insulation. Underfloor heating such as electric mats and use propane gas to supplement the heating then might be the cheapest option.
I have underfloor heating and an air circulation system but that is not really an option for everybody.
There is no point heating the space if cold air circulates or if warm air can easily move out.
Mark if you are not heating this space all the time or at least maintaining a minimum temperature will the wide temperature swings cause problems with your project pieces. What I mean is if it gets down to freezing or below in the shop overnight and you come in and crank up the heat the next morning how long before your tool surfaces and more importantly your project materials are all at a uniform temperature? I would think it's difficult to measure the internal temperature of a piece of wood more than one inch thick. The surface and first 1/4" may be at room temp within an hour, but how long till the internals of a 2 inch thick piece are at the same temperature and what would happen if you cut that piece while there is a large temperature differential between the surface the interior? I don't know I'm just asking. Maybe do a video on this with some experiments to determine if it's a concern or not. Seems to me it would be since it is customary to let your wood acclimate before using it. I'm not targeting you with these questions, this is something that has always concerned me as I don't heat my shop 24/7 because I am not in there every day.
One day I want to make educational videos on things I have no education on. I've never lived in a cold climate but after one winter I'm an expert. I can't believe you put in a ductless unit and then removed it a week later hahah
1000 watt halogen work lights give off good heat and great light.
You don't want moisture in the air when working with wood so I wouldn't be using propane. There are heaters that don’t create any moisture at all. These include indirect fired heaters and electric heaters.
Direct fired heaters create some moisture because they generate heat by running air directly over a fuel burning flame. Indirect fired heaters heat the air without running it directly over a flame. Because of this, they don’t come in contact with any fuel.
Thanks for the overview. I’m in N.J. and plan to use the mini splits for two reasons: one is you also get AC which is truly needed here during July and August. The other reason may assist you as well. I’m putting solar panels on the roof which should great off set the higher electrical usage.
I use a heat/AC unit that some 8 years ago and have had really good luck with it. Here is SC we really don't get that cold
You do the research so we don't have to! Excellent and informative video, I've saved it for future reference. Thanks for sharing
I had electric baseboard heat in my house in the suburbs of Denver, in Nov, Dec, Jan and Feb, my bill was $300-350 month
Wood stove is the only way to go. Cheap to buy and run, and a good way to get a last little use of all those small cut offs.
How well did the mini split system work disregarding the aesthetics?
Just a joke, but get a 55 gallon drum and burn your scrap wood!
As for the ceiling fan, run them in reverse to pull the air up and push it towards the ceiling. I live in South Florida where we only have few cold days during the winter, but when it does get cold enough to need some heat, (my wife needs it, I love the cold), I switch the direction of the fans and you can feel the difference it makes from running them where they push the air directly down on you.
I bought a heater yesterday then saw your video and thought hmm well this should induce buyers remorse. Well not so much! I bought the Fahrenheat 5000 unit off of Marketplace for $140!
When you consider you have saved $3,500 or more on the heating system that you can put towards to difference in fuel cost, it might be a number of years before you’re spending more overall. We used to have to replace gas unit heaters every 10 years at several thousand dollars each. Not sure electric wouldn’t have been cheaper overall because they last a lot longer.
Phew... I thought this was going to be new info the day after I order my heating solution! Thankfully, I watched this during my research. I ended up getting a ventless propane heater. We'll see how that works!
Hope it works out!
Be sure you have a carbon monoxide unit that beebs, loud.
Be sure and vent your shop. When staining you may want to go outside and back a few times to see if the air is breathable. Be safe!
I got an furnace out of a mobile home and stuck that in my garage. Works great if you can get your hands on one.
I'm going to use a 12v Chinese diesel night heater in mine, hopefully be fairly cheap to run. I also have lots of solar gain.
I have radiant floor heat in my basement and attached garage and it is very nice however I choose not to go that route in the shop becuase I don't want to keep the shop at temp all the time. I turn mine down to 55 when I'm not in it and radiant floor heat would take way to long to heat it up, my forced air furnace heats the space up to temp in about 10 minutes.
I have a 3 car garage with one bay for the shop. I heat with two 23k kerosene floor heaters and it takes a good 90 min to get to shirt sleeve temperature in a typical Mich winter day. Cost for a day of kerosene is about $12. Hassle factor is higher though. Can you update your cost estimate for daily use of your heaters? Thanks for all you do for us!
At 12 cents per kWh (average US price apparently) running both the heaters for an hour would cost about 70c. When you think about a whole day and running constantly for 9 hours that's about $5.50. Whilst not cheap, it's actually very inexpensive and more so given they would probably shut off at some point. You could easily spend that much on a fancy coffee or buying a quick lunch out somewhere.
Thank you for this video. I would like to see a video of you doing the connections for the external thermostat and switch. I have an electric heater in my shop that I turn on and off from the panel. It does the job just fine, but like you, if I want to change the thermostat, I am climbing a ladder...not the solution I want. I'll keep my eyes out for that video!
Sorry but that video will never happen. I will never show electrical work on my channel for liability reasons and for my own sanity. :) Happy to share some information offline via email though.
Can you tell us about your electric costs now that you’ve used it?