# workshop heating options



## flanajb (20 Nov 2010)

Now the winter has arrived I am finding working in my garage a little too nippy and was contemplating some form of heating. Originally I was thinking of putting a wood burner in, but before I do I just wonder what other forumites use and what are the pros / cons of each.

Thanks


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## PeterSk (20 Nov 2010)

I have a fan heater and have just bought another 3Kw unit from Argos as the original makes some odd noises at times. They are pretty good and very well suited to quickly heating a medium sized space such as a garage or smaller workshop. Plus they're very easily portable so you can position them according to where you are and what you're doing


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## Bkn (20 Nov 2010)

I'm looking to get some sort of heating for my single garage workshop. I'm fine in there at the moment but if it gets much colder it'll be uncomfortable.

Was thinking of just getting a £30 oil filled radiator jobby from Screwfix.


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## Bkn (20 Nov 2010)

PeterSk":1k8yymfg said:


> I have a fan heater and have just bought another 3Kw unit from Argos as the original makes some odd noises at times. They are pretty good and very well suited to quickly heating a medium sized space such as a garage or smaller workshop. Plus they're very easily portable so you can position them according to where you are and what you're doing



I'd have thought anything with an exposed heating element wouldn't be a good idea in a dusty workshop?


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## jeffinfrance (20 Nov 2010)

at the moment, i'm heatless. bit nippy down here too in my north facing barn.

eventually i'll be going for a scrap burner, but untill i've filled in all the holes, when it gets really cold, i'll be dragging a convection heater around on wheels and a long lead. pointless to try to heat up anymore space than my immediate vicinity.

jeff


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## flanajb (20 Nov 2010)

Also concerned that a 3KW electric blower will be very expensive if left on all day ?

Just wondering which is the more economical out of gas / electric ?


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## Gary (20 Nov 2010)

I use one of these. Very good heats you and not the rest of the workshop.


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## PeterSk (20 Nov 2010)

Bkn":foykggec said:


> I'd have thought anything with an exposed heating element wouldn't be a good idea in a dusty workshop?



I keep my shop pretty clean, plus you can always site it up on a shelf or something to keep it away from piles of debris on the floor if you're particularly concerned.

Also, the nature of the beast is such that if any fine dust is getting sucked in and hitting the element, the airflow is going to help it burn very fast, so you're not likely to actually have anything on fire actually getting expelled from the heater itself. Really though a little common sense would see it not being in a position to suck in any quantity of dust at all.

It may well be expensive to run it all day, however any method for heating my workshop is going to be expensive to run, as it's not exactly well insulated, and there's very little I can do about that. I use the full power mode for about the first 30 minutes that I'm working, then after that switch it down to half power


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## danielddr (20 Nov 2010)

I'm going to second the idea of an oil filled radiator. 

I bought a real cheap one from Argos and connected it to one of those timer switches so that it comes on a few times during the day and night. So far it's on its lowest thermostat and power setting, but still seems to keep the shop (well it's more a shed!) from getting cold. I wouldn't call it 'toasty' when I go in there, but it's certainly not uncomfortable and I hope the warmth will protect my tools/glues/finishes etc from the worst of the cold and any possible dampness. Of course there is a (smallish) cost with heating a building that isn't being occupied, but then the tools and other bits that are in there weren't exactly cheap in the first place, so I reckon it makes sense to protect them. 

Little fan heaters I think are fine if you're in the shop when they're on, but I don't think I'd leave one on unattended.


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## Dodge (20 Nov 2010)

IMHO alot of it depends upon the size of your workshop - Electric fan heaters are ok in small areas but for anything bigger than the size of a garage I would recommend a woodburner.

I used to have a sawdust burner but to be honest found that the low smouldering fire didnt give off enough heat to get my workshop (1500 square feet) up to a reasonable temperature quick enough.

After putting in a large woodburner from Machine Mart (About £300) and frommy workshop is up to t shirt standard in about an hour from a bucket of off cuts and just a few bit added now and then keep the workshop just right.

One thing you must not consider is any form of heating using bottled propane or butane - The amount of moisture put into the air burning the gas will cause havock with the humidity in your workshop and machines will start to rust let alone the problems you will get with timber movement.

Rog


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## tisdai (20 Nov 2010)

How about a couple of these, Hylite IP55 80W Tube Greenhouse Heater
http://www.greenhousepeople.co.uk/a...aters/hylite_ip55_80w_tube_greenhouse_heater/

Not that dear to run and no moisture from them. Might not get red hot in their but it will keep the chill off and prevent your tools from rusting.

Cheers

Dave


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## Jonzjob (20 Nov 2010)

When the temp really drops here I take my shorts off and put trousers on :roll: :roll: 

Not really! It gets well below freezing, but for short periods only normally. When it does get cold I have a small fan heater and as has been said earlier as long as it's not in a silly place there isn't a problem.


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## Shultzy (20 Nov 2010)

Oil-filled heaters are the best bet for single garage size workshops. Mine has a frost setting at 5 deg and its never been on, just shows that good insulation is, well worth the investment. My workshop has never been lower than 9degs since I built it.


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## PeterSk (20 Nov 2010)

Certainly I wouldn't leave a fan heater on unattended, nor a convection heater come to that. I'll probably pick up an oil rad myself soon to keep the worst of January off the tools, but I've found that they don't heat a space very quickly which is where a fan heater or two really excels


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## Ian (20 Nov 2010)

I use this







Supplies some serious heat and I even cooked dinner in it  

Ian


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## Jonzjob (20 Nov 2010)

OK, you cooked in it, BUT did you eat wot you cooked in it :shock: :shock: :shock:


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## Ian (20 Nov 2010)

Oh yes, roast chicken with roasties

Yummy

:wink:


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## eggflan (20 Nov 2010)

I use this 






It may not look pretty but it gets my workshop toasty warm , oh and it was free and is free to run 8)


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## Hudson Carpentry (20 Nov 2010)

I had a 1500w oil rad in mine recently. It did nothing in 3 days of being on. Space is 36x13' well insulated with only about 2 meters of one wall not having another room on the other side. In the office i had what Gary has 13x13'.

Now until i put in a scrap burner i have the same unit as Gary has in the workshop and the oil rad in the office. I keep the oil rad on its lowest setting with the stat turned pritty low and its warm in there all the time. Workshop heats up within about 2hours to where its T-Shirt fit with what Gary has.

I am quite worried about using this type in the workshop even more so as i can't leave it on when im not in there so until i get the scrap burner (late next year i reckon) i think ill get 2 bigger oil rads for the shop!


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## Lons (20 Nov 2010)

tisdai":5h567h83 said:


> How about a couple of these, Hylite IP55 80W Tube Greenhouse Heater
> http://www.greenhousepeople.co.uk/a...aters/hylite_ip55_80w_tube_greenhouse_heater/
> 
> Not that dear to run and no moisture from them. Might not get red hot in their but it will keep the chill off and prevent your tools from rusting.
> ...


I had one of those in my last workshop, a long time ago, and it's surprising just how hot it got. Certainly too hot to touch.

BTW the the models available from Toolstation are more powerful and MUCH cheaper eg 600mm x 120wt = £16.65 / 915mm x 180wt = £20.46 and 1220 x 240wt = £25.31 and free del.

cheers

bob


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## Steve Blackdog (20 Nov 2010)

eggflan":364t9prq said:


> I use this
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Did that used to be a calor gas bottle?


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## tisdai (20 Nov 2010)

I have seen them posted on here somewhere, has anyone used any of these yet my father uses 1 for his greenhouse and that never got too hot to touch. 

He has i think an 80 watt, pretty sure that is the size. He uses it to keep the frost off the plants he keeps in their over the winter, and he moves it arround but has never mentioned it getting hot.

I'll have to ask him when i go down their tomorrow, see what he says, you got me thinking now Lons lol

Cheers

Dave


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## eggflan (20 Nov 2010)

It was until my angle grinder and jigsaw got to work :lol: , this was a prototype one that i ended up using so just kept it , ive since made a few for friends :lol:


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## Jonzjob (20 Nov 2010)

Did you use the gas before you lit it? Or is that why it looks so HOT! :shock: :shock:


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## Steve Blackdog (20 Nov 2010)

eggflan":2fg0ywww said:


> It was until my angle grinder and jigsaw got to work :lol: , this was a prototype one that i ended up using so just kept it , ive since made a few for friends :lol:



I'm impressed


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## big soft moose (20 Nov 2010)

they are easy enough done - you use all the gas you can with a burner or such, then cut through the brass fitting on top (brass doesnt spark), and fill the bottle with water to be sure there is no gas left

after that its just a simple cutting and welding job

if you dont feel like doing it yourself you can buy them here (for a price)

http://www.stonecarve.com/woodburners.html


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## Eric The Viking (21 Nov 2010)

big soft moose":3kq4u7h3 said:


> http://www.stonecarve.com/woodburners.html



I love the names, especially "Ned Kelly Extreme". Prices not so nice.

Have Grinder and MIG set (and diamond core drill for the flue!), looks too much fun to not do it sometime soon.

T'other thing is sorting out the drafts. Can anyone suggest a good non-payment source of rubber sheet, to make a skirt for the bottom of the up-and-over door? Half the fun of this is doing it on a near-zero budget!

Cheers,

E.

PS: I do realise I'll need ventilation for the stove, incidentally.


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## ondablade (21 Nov 2010)

I guess a lot depends on how well insulated your workshop is. I'm lucky enough that mine is a cavity walled large garage with good insulation.

I've just recently plumbed in three large double panel radiators I picked up for €30 each from a stock clearance sale. They are heated from an oil boiler at present, but the plan is to install a solid fuel boiler that will run on wood/sawdust in parallel when finances allow.

All nice and toasty. The biggest issue was probably the need to be very careful about siting the rads - with the pipe runs they take up wall space....


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## tomouse (21 Nov 2010)

After using a whole bottle of gas in one week, costing £45 i decided to make my own heating solution.........

A bit of cutting with a 5 inch grinder, some old T bar hinges and some welding and i ended up with this




Works a treat....

I also, while building my workshop, stuffed the walls with straw. Works brilliantly as insulation and is cheap and eco friendly


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## big soft moose (21 Nov 2010)

tomouse":2sd57830 said:


> After using a whole bottle of gas in one week, costing £45 i decided to make my own heating solution.........
> 
> A bit of cutting with a 5 inch grinder, some old T bar hinges and some welding and i ended up with this
> 
> ...



its the sp;am trap - it will dispear once you have three posts -

plus you had a spare [ in your second img tag


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## tomouse (21 Nov 2010)

> its the sp;am trap - it will dispear once you have three posts -



Ahhhhh I see.... thanks mate


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## eggflan (21 Nov 2010)

If anyone is thinking of the gas bottle route to make a burner be warned that even when you have used up all the gas inside it still has residue in the bottom so MUST be filled with water to force any left overs out , you will not want to do this inside as the gas stinks real bad :lol: 

Also dont be put off if you dont have a welder , if you look close you will see that my door hinges are held on with simple self tappers into 3mm holes and the liberal use of fire cement and self tappers to hold the top on :wink: 

And the steel cuts very easy using a metal cutting bit in a jigsaw so an angle grinder is not needed ..


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## 9fingers (21 Nov 2010)

Eric The Viking":2lzeeaxh said:


> T'other thing is sorting out the drafts. Can anyone suggest a good non-payment source of rubber sheet, to make a skirt for the bottom of the up-and-over door? Half the fun of this is doing it on a near-zero budget!



Ask round at tyre fitting bays. They usually have the odd inner tube around in the rubbish. The rubber is quite thin but can be backed up with something to stiffen it or use two layers glued together.
I always keep an inner tube 'in stock' as they are good for punching out sealing washers and even certain sorts of gaskets.

Bob


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## softtop (21 Nov 2010)

Has anyone used one of those tubular heaters and will they actually do anything other than take the worst of the chill off in a garage?

Many thanks,

Henry


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## RogerS (21 Nov 2010)

softtop":q6936sb3 said:


> Has anyone used one of those tubular heaters and will they actually do anything other than take the worst of the chill off in a garage?
> 
> Many thanks,
> 
> Henry



Depends on the size of workshop. If it's a dog kennel then I reckon it should work very well. Tubular heaters are usually very low wattage ..say 150w..so think how much heat you get from running a 150w light bulb. Not a lot.


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## Lons (21 Nov 2010)

9fingers":1xug3obg said:


> Eric The Viking":1xug3obg said:
> 
> 
> > T'other thing is sorting out the drafts. Can anyone suggest a good non-payment source of rubber sheet, to make a skirt for the bottom of the up-and-over door? Half the fun of this is doing it on a near-zero budget!
> ...



If you are rural the ask around the farms. best stuff is from tractor & trailer tubes which are much thicker than usual and very useful stuff to have in stock.

Other decent material is the "rubber" ribbed matting which isn't too expensive and sometimes thrown out when worn.

Cheers

Bob


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## Racers (22 Nov 2010)

Hi,

I used plastic DPC in a U shape pop riveted to the bottom of my garage door, its lasted years and works well.

Pete


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## Eric The Viking (22 Nov 2010)

Racers":1teyj5pd said:


> Hi,
> 
> I used plastic DPC in a U shape pop riveted to the bottom of my garage door, its lasted years and works well.
> 
> Pete



That's a grand idea! 

I'm not disparaging those who've suggested inner tube. It's great for other things (record player suspension mountings and water seals, to name but two!), but the problem is that it's a long straight line to seal. There's a curve on inner-tube that would make it a bit tricky.

DPC sounds like a brilliant solution.


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## 9fingers (22 Nov 2010)

Eric The Viking":2gza7gk9 said:


> Racers":2gza7gk9 said:
> 
> 
> > Hi,
> ...



I agree the DPC should do the this job well but should you ever want a long flat (ish) strip from an inner tube then it is possible to cut a helical strip from a tube. Tricky but possible!

Bob


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## Eric The Viking (22 Nov 2010)

9fingers":3cohg0fx said:


> I agree the DPC should do the this job well but should you ever want a long flat (ish) strip from an inner tube then it is possible to cut a helical strip from a tube. Tricky but possible!
> 
> Bob



Good point (haven't had my second coffee this morning yet)!


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## OPJ (22 Nov 2010)

Eric The Viking":1p54d8ob said:


> Can anyone suggest a good non-payment source of rubber sheet, to make a skirt for the bottom of the up-and-over door? Half the fun of this is doing it on a near-zero budget!



Last year, I bought one of these from Toolstation (I'm sure they were £4 cheaper?). It works well and has made a difference - of course, if you use the same door for access, you're still going to have some trouble with the cold... Only problem is that the concrete below the door dips slightly in the middle, meaning some draughts and water creep in where the excluder doesn't quite reach.

It might also be worth looking for a brush-type excluder, as opposed to something with a rubber strip - I think Screwfix used to do them? While you're budget approach is commendable, £16 isn't likely to empty many bank accounts. 

Ventilation can be higher up as well, which should help to keep your toes warmer! :wink:


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## Eric The Viking (22 Nov 2010)

OPJ":cmak8had said:


> Eric The Viking":cmak8had said:
> 
> 
> > Can anyone suggest a good non-payment source of rubber sheet, to make a skirt for the bottom of the up-and-over door? Half the fun of this is doing it on a near-zero budget!
> ...



Aye. good thought. It might do for the top of the door, as the door doesn't meet the lintel, with rather a big gap. Down below, it only just clears the padlock staple on the outside, so something very flexible is important.


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## Lons (22 Nov 2010)

A good way of sealing the bottom of an up and over door from rain and draughts is to close the door and screw a length of 20 - 25mm thick timber to the floor against the door - a silicone bead under it stops water, You can also fit a length of excluder along the front edge if necessary (folding or bubble types work). Best timber to use is treated and slaters laths are ideal at about 40p metre.

Does the job and still allows access over it for a car.

:-k Bet there aren't many of us use our garage for that purpose :roll: 

cheers

Bob

ps - I'd forgotten about the DPC. I have used it on our last house and it works flat around the sides and top if fixed carefully. It's remarkably strong and durable - and cheap!


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## misterfish (23 Nov 2010)

I use a cheap 2kW electric convector heater from Argos. This has a timer and thermostat and works well. Mind you my workshop is well insulated - floor, walls and roof. My workshop at the previous house was uninsulated and draughty and impossible to heat in cold weather, hence the insulation in the current one.

Misterfish


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## woodbloke (23 Nov 2010)

If it gets really cold then I use a 1.5Kw oil filled rad which I can use with a plug in thermostat...it also doesn't take up much room against the wall. I also have some 1" polystyrene and ali foil behind it to reflect the heat back. The 'shop is well insulated as well so doesn't take long to warm up, but I usually wear a thick jumper and woolly hat as well - Rob


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## Dibs-h (23 Nov 2010)

What about if you have a timber floor - is a wood burner (home made or bought) still suitable? I assume as long as you put a concrete\stone plinth (slab) down you'd be ok?

Dibs


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## eggflan (23 Nov 2010)

Couple of concrete blocks under it will be fine , you would need to be carefull with any sparks but a firegaurd could be used i reckon :wink:


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## 9fingers (23 Nov 2010)

The real key to a warm shop is no draughts first, insulation second and economic heating third.
My shop is around 100 cubic metres in volume and is plenty warm enough with a low power oil filled radiator on a thermostat. First thing on a really cold morning I use a fan heater for 10 mins or so and from then on working keeps me warm. 

If you go the wood burner route and have the room, I'd build a framework at the back and sides clad with foil (fronted!) plasterboard to help keep offcuts and anything else falling towards the heater as well as having say four decent sized paving slabs for it to sit on.

A wood burner needs air and so it is best to bring in a pipe from the outside to deliver air just near the stove intake so you warm air does not go up the flue dragging in cold air to replace it.

Also make sure that any dust extractor you have does not exhaust outside or the draught for the fire will be upset when that is running in addition to pumping out your nice warmed air.

Bob


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## jeffinfrance (23 Nov 2010)

sound advice there bob, thanks.

jeff


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## Bucks (3 Dec 2010)

I haven't tried it yet but it is on my to do list which is to screw a length of rubber hosepipe to the bottom of the garage door, should make a good draught excluder/water seal.

With regards to heater I used to use a small fan heater, but I have just fitted a kitchen plinth heater in the plinth of one of my cupboards (takes up no space at all) I hardly ever use it, its only to take the chill of in the extreme cold.
on the odd occasion when I do have to us the heater, I do make sure there is no sawdust on the floor around it & give the heater a good blow out with my compressor.


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## jamiecrawford (16 Sep 2014)

For working at my bench I use one of those three plant pots over some tea lights things. Got the idea from some American site; small then medium pot inside of a larger one, held fixed with threaded bar and bolts with an inch or so between, sat over a tray with four candles. Pots warm up, as does the air between, surprisingly good, but only if your hovering nearby... I keep getting tempted to just smear myself in Deep Heat.


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