164 Suggestions for heating a shop.
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This article is from the Woodworking FAQ Collection 5, by multiple authors.
164 Suggestions for heating a shop.
From: townsend@handel.mpr.ca (Paul Townsend)
Date: 30 Nov 89 16:23:23 GMT
I am interested in putting some heat into my shop. The main objective
is to keep the shop warm enough over the winter so that tools won't rust
and it is comfortable to work in (I don't mind wearing a sweater). I have
a small portable heater (220/240 volt, 4000 watt) which I can use to
provide some additional heat while I am using the shop, but I am
apprehensive about leaving this heater on while I am not in the shop.
The building is detached from the house and fully insulated. There are
some large gaps around an overhead door, but I plan on putting up some
weatherstripping to seal up these. The total area to heat is approximately
30x30 (900 square feet) with a 12 ft ceiling.
The options I have come up with so far are:
1. Wood burning stove. Works great once you get it fired up, but since
I only use the shop on evenings and weekends, there will be periods
of time when the shop is unheated. I have pretty much ruled this
out.
2. Electric Baseboards; these are installed near the floor and usually
under windows. As most of my equipment is against a wall and
as close to a window as possible (to gain natural light), I am
concerned about the affects of sawdust getting in touch with the
heater element. Is this an issue? As the windows (and equipment)
are on two sides of the building, I could install baseboards on
the other sides away from the equipment. Would such a scheme give
even heating, or would the use of baseboard require atleast one
to be installed on each wall?
4. Gas. There is gas in the house and it is conceivable to have it
run from there to the shop. I used to work in a wharehouse, and
they had gas heaters installed on the ceiling, which had blowers
in them to force the heat downwards. I like the idea of putting
it on the ceiling, away from the sources of dust. However, I am
still wondering about potential fire hazards. It would probably
cost less to heat the place with gas than electricity, but
I expect installation would be more expensive. I could install
electric myself, but gas requires a licensed installer.
5. Do the same thing as 4. but use electricity. That is, some
sort of electrical heater than mounts on the ceiling with
a blower to force the heat down. I don't known if this even
exists.
If you have any suggestions I would be most appreciative. I would
be interested in hearing how others heat their shops.
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