Heating workshops

[graduate_owner]

Hi everyone,
A previous post prompted me to ask - what type of heating do people use in their workshops? I know electricity is likely to be expensive, and LPG produces about 50% water vapour when burnt. Kerosene also produces water vapour but less than LPG. Then there's the solid fuel stove, but I think I would rapidly use up my collection of offcuts there and flue parts seem really expensive. So, what do others do in the cold weather?

K

 

[Glynne]

I use a small electric fan heater. My workshop is pretty well insulated so a short run first thing usually sets it up for the day. For example the temperature this morning was 8 degrees C and after about 30 mins it was up to 13.
Once it is cooled I do give it a quick blast to clear out any dust and then store it away in a cupboard so as no dust settles on the elements just in case of a fire risk.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

Yep, fan heater and insulation is the way to go. With good insulation, not much electricity is required.

 

[SimonT]

Generally a coat and fan heater for me. My shops double skinned but not insulated (budget prevented this option whilst building.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've been wodering what to do about heating in mine. Originally I was going to have a woodburner. Pretty and romantic idyll, but I have one in my house and it just eats wood. Plus a woodburner in a wooden building might make insurance difficult.

Ray suggested I look at a halogen heater Lots of places have them at about 15 quid a pop, so not expensive to buy, but running costs could mount up if I used them a lot. Anyway, yesterday I googled Halogen Heater and up came one at DunElm, for £11.99. For the posh amongst you, DunElm is a budget home store and there is one not far from me. According to their website there was one in stock. Pity, I was thinking of getting two. Anyway, off I trundles to DunElm and there are two left on display. No boxes and one had a tiny scratch on it.
"If I have them both, can I get a BOGOF?", says I. Nice Young Man went off to see his manager, who said I could have 20% off both. So I came home with two heaters for less than £18.
I went down this morning to put them in the workshop and found that I had accidentally left the lights on all night. Despite it being about 1 deg outside, inside it was 10 deg, that is with just the insulation and about 700W of fluorescent lighting
So I'm hoping that I have a good solution that won't cost a lot to run. Of course, the up-front cost is another matter.....

 

[Glynne]

Following my earlier post, I turned the fan heater off at 13 degrees but left the lights on (4 twin tube fluorescent) for about 2 hours and it's now 15+ degrees so insulation seens the way to go.

 

[Myfordman]

I went down this morning to put them in the workshop and found that I had accidentally left the lights on all night. Despite it being about 1 deg outside, inside it was 10 deg, that is with just the insulation and about 700W of fluorescent lighting

To avoid this problem I have a relay on my lighting circuit that switches off when door is locked. There is also a link back to the house so I can see if the door has been left unlocked and the alarm not set.

MM

 

[Graham Orm]

Rocket stove: Wood burner with zero emissions and consumes about 1/3 the amount of wood a conventional wood burner does. Did you see the key word in there? Wood....it will run on the waste you produce (not personally....you know what I mean!).
this-years-rocket-stove-developements-t86016.html

 

[wizard]

my oil filled heaters seem to have disappeared they are just like the ones in her greenhouse

 

[Peter Sefton]

I have a mixture within the school and tool shop, both of which are well insulated.

A wood burner in the machine shop about £400 for the stove plus £800 for the twin flue plus fitting to comply with insurance. Its easy to light but needs re filling to keep it going, cheap to run off our scraps not ply or MDF.

A saw dust and shaving burner in the hand tool workshop great for burning all the waste but not easy to control, once it's lit it will go until about 2PM, I will top it up with solid timber if required. A very similar set up cost as above.
I never let them burn late in the afternoon, I always like them out before I leave the workshop.

I have electric frost proof heaters in the tool store and the tool shop to ensure our stock of tools and glues stay in tip top condition. These cost about £80.00 each plus running costs.

The office and design studio both have oil filled radiators on timers so its comfortable when sitting down at about £120 each from memory.

As steve is finding insulation is the key and keeping the place dry within the build and then with dehumidifiers if required.

Cheers Peter

 

[Lord Kitchener]

Generally a coat and fan heater for me. My shops double skinned but not insulated (budget prevented this option whilst building.

My workshops are actually structures that I built myself inside a much larger un-insulated building. They are mostly made from 25mm celotex which you can get for £140 for 10 x 2.4M x1.2M sheets. It might be worth your getting some and fixing them to the internal walls.

The difference they make is substantial, and as a bonus their aluminium skin reflects light as well as heat, so can help keep the workshop brightly lit.

 

[Doug B]

Well insulated shop with 3 small radiators off the house central heating combi boiler. Pipe work ducted in soil pipe & insulated as it's a 10 meter run from the back of the house to the front of the shop, cost me about £100 to install but I saw no increase in the gas bill after installation, though with thermostatic rad valves & good insulation the radiators aren't on that much.

The shop is around 13 degrees 24/7 which I find comfortable to work in with the added bonus of no damp or rust.

 

[Stu_2]

Nice. I did toy with that idea myself, but just didn't have enough space to do it. Settled for a couple of heat tubes and fan heater in the end, but it works well enough.

 

[Scottdimelow]

Waste oil heaters are the way forward for free heat. If you can find a source for veg, used engine oil etc, you won't look back. Even though the oil can be dirty, they burn surprisingly clean. And they kick out a lot of heat for the amount of oil used.

Have a look on youtube for drip feed oil heater.

 

[Higon]

Having had enough of 4 and 6 degree days in the workshop, and having brass monkeys borrowing welding masks, I've just finished my shopping list to put a workshop stove in the workshop. Even moved the bandsaw ready! build a plinth tomorrow.. (this might benefit from its own thread? TBC...)

Anyway, workshop stove is where I'm going. Time will tell if its a good decision.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

At least with a stove there is no excuse for rubbish hanging around.

 

[Steve Maskery]

FWIW, it was 5 deg in my workshop at 10.30 this morning. I switched on both my halogen heaters and it slowly climbed to 10 by about 1.30. I switched them off at that, it was quite comfortable to work in, I was togged up for the cold. When I left at 4.45 it was a balmy 12 deg.
S

 

[dickm]

Just seen the post about drip feed oil heaters. I thought these had been banned back in the 1950s as a serious fire hazard? There was a factory that made them on Bromfield Road in Ludlow, and they had to stop work altogether about that time. But it sticks in my mind more because we had what could have been a major fire caused by exactly such a heater.
Maybe the design has been sorted out now?

 

[Wildman]

it is relative humidity that causes rust problems rather than heat however heat can affect the humidity. A dehumidifier rarely works a nature will ensure the humidity inside is similar to that outside unless the place is well insulated and draught proofed.

 

[Scottdimelow]

Just seen the post about drip feed oil heaters. I thought these had been banned back in the 1950s as a serious fire hazard? There was a factory that made them on Bromfield Road in Ludlow, and they had to stop work altogether about that time. But it sticks in my mind more because we had what could have been a major fire caused by exactly such a heater.
Maybe the design has been sorted out now?

I obviously see how they can be a risk, no more so than a woodstove imo. I turn mine off and it goes out within seconds. I wouldn't leave it going unattended but just because I've just built it and don't fully trust it yet.

Insulation is definitely key. I like the idea of the celotex sheets, I would of boarded over them but I like the idea of the added light bouncing around.