Dry Heat Heater

[Bingy man]

I've been researching indirect heaters, where the heat is ducted from outside of the working area. Do you know think that If I draught proof as well as possible, this would not be a possible solution?

Alternatively, I could buy/make a wood burning stove and exhaust it outside. I wonder if this would ensure most of the moisture from the burning of the wood would be exhausted with the waste gas.

I think there may be many options, just trying to find the best way to do it without using electric.

The garage doesn't belong to me and neither does the energy bill that it generates. So I'm trying to stay as "off their grid" with regards to energy consumption as possible.

Yes they are quite small but the heat is blown through a vent similar to an electric fan heater but it runs off diesel- exactly as you would have in a camper van etc . As long as the exhaust is sent outside and your are sensible about where you terminate it - windows, vents or any other opening it should suffice. Cheap enough to buy ( approx £80 ) and will cause minimal damage to the garage ( suggest a core drill if approximate size .

 

[furnace]

I fitted one of these to my workshop and it's great. Uses very little electricity, provides dry heat, v reliable and cheap to run on a mix of heating oil and red diesel. Happy to share more details if needed.

 

[Myfordman]

Sorry Fitzroy I don't fully understand your comment. Is there something useless I've said and yet you consider the heaters awsome?

Ah ok. Understood

 

[ivan]

A knotty problem. Even intermittent dry heat can cause condensation, as us humans loose moisture to the air, along maybe with your timber store, when switching on heat raises the air temperature. Warmer air holds more moisture, and when you switch off and leave you may well get condensation on heavy metal - a cast iron table, say. This can also happen with changes of outside air temp. if the building is not insulated.
My favourite is a dehumidifier of the dessicant variety (Meaco Zambesi). This also generates a bit of heat as a by product of dehumidifying. Not too expensive to run, and works even when the air is cold. It also samples the air briefly every 30 mins, and if not needed goes to sleep for another 30 mins. Keep relative humidity below 60% to prevent rust.

 

[Woodypk]

I think I’m going to go with a combination of draught proofing and the introduction of a small diesel heater.

On the YourTubes if you search “workshop diesel heater” there’s a really smart setup by a guy called Quentin (one of the first results if you type it in as above) and it looks like a really neat set up that he’s sorted.

Once the gaps are somewhat sealed, I’m thinking about lining the roof with polystyrene insulation sheets or building a suspended Ceiling from the roof framework. The metal framework is quite low as you’d expect in a prefab/sectional garage but I suppose that makes the working space smaller and less room that needs to be kept warm.

Has anyone here tried and succeeded in properly insulating one of these prefab/sectional garages with the double up and over doors? I can’t imagine it’d be easy to insulate around the doors and the doors themselves.

 

[Woodypk]

A knotty problem. Even intermittent dry heat can cause condensation, as us humans loose moisture to the air, along maybe with your timber store, when switching on heat raises the air temperature. Warmer air holds more moisture, and when you switch off and leave you may well get condensation on heavy metal - a cast iron table, say. This can also happen with changes of outside air temp. if the building is not insulated.
My favourite is a dehumidifier of the dessicant variety (Meaco Zambesi). This also generates a bit of heat as a by product of dehumidifying. Not too expensive to run, and works even when the air is cold. It also samples the air briefly every 30 mins, and if not needed goes to sleep for another 30 mins. Keep relative humidity below 60% to prevent rust.

Ivan,

This has intrigued me. I like the idea of having a low energy method of also removing moisture from the air once I’ve done my best sealing up gaps and trying to improve my insulation. Why do you say the desiccant versions of dehumidifiers? Could you explain what the differences are between the types of dehumidifier and why one might be better than another?

I’ve just had a look at the Meaco website and It’s definitely something I could add to the mix to try and do as much as I can to combat any introduced moisture.

 

[highwood122]

hi, was part owner in a 30x40 sq ft workshop roller door wide open all day every day for 35 years. work harder stay warmer

 

[Woodypk]

hi, was part owner in a 30x40 sq ft workshop roller door wide open all day every day for 35 years. work harder stay warmer

Sound advice.

Other advice may be work smarter, not harder.....

 

[baldkev]

Dessicant dehumidifiers work more efficiently at lower temps than refrigerant ones, but below maybe 4 or 5°c, it starts being pointless. Also, as i found out they can freeze and get wrecked..... so 8f it gets proper cold, save youself the hasstle and keep it off because it doesnt work near freezing anyway.
Im pretty sure refrigerant ones become useless at 8 to 10°c?

Imsulate the roof as the bare minimum.... dont cheap out, otherwise you'll end up doing it twice