Workshop heating revisited

[les chicken]

I have searched through the archives and the last post seems to be about feb 2004.

In the workshop today bl***y freezing, extending the garage :wink: by 12ft to make room for me and equipment. Heaters all on machinery going making roof trusses then bang fuse blown overload.

I would like to get away from electrical heating more power for tools :roll: Any advice re wood burning etc workshop size will be approx 9ft x 32ft with ceiling height of about 8ft.

Les

 

[tim]

les

Try these guys:

http://www.thehotspot.co.uk/

I have the second smallest one for a well insulated workshop which is 4.8x6.5m with a pitched ceiling of 3m in the middle and 2.2m at the wall plate. I keep it at around 68 during the day and stoke it and shut it down at night. Normally its about 54 in the morning when its freezing outside.

Inc flue etc around £150.

Cheers

Tim

 

[trevtheturner]

Hi Les,

I'm with Tim on this. I have one of these stoves - excellent. Only advice I would add is to go for a stainless steel flue rather than the flimsy Hotspot galvanised 'tin' one - costs a bit more but much more substantial and made to last.

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[Scrit]

Only comment I'd like to add is that if you burn a lot of wood you'll need to sweep out your flue once or twice a year to avoid problems (flue combustion). Consider installing a pipe with an access trap to make this easier. BTW, another vote for Hot Spot

Scrit

 

[les chicken]

Thanks guys seems very interesting.

Have you burnt mdf offcuts and dust or does it clog. tanalised wood is that ok as well :?: :?:

Les

 

[DaveL]

Les,

I have a Jotel wood burner, only because one came along, burns any type of wood. I save all of the planings and saw dust from the shop, this is supplemented with wood from friends and neighbours who pass anything made of timber in my direction. Not everything makes it in to the burner. I have recycled pine table tops and mahogany planks into new bit of furniture. You might be surprised what you get given once they know you can use it.

I have a cast iron flue, the flue puts heat into the shop as much as the stove so keep as much as you can inside.

And it takes the nails out of pallets real easy. :roll:

 

[Real wood]

Ive been looking at hot spot and i think id have to get the biggest one as my w/s is about 14x7x7m. My old cast pot bellied stove is starting to crack in places but i cant warrent spending £400 on a new fire.

Steve

 

[Mcluma]

So how much smoke do they through out. Just to be sure that neighbours aren't complaining about a smoke screen :wink:

McLuma

 

[tim]

Meant to put this earlier, I keep my airfilter which is suspended in the rafters running on its lowest setting when its cold because it brings the hot air down from the ceiling.

Cheers

Tim[/quote]

 

[trevtheturner]

So how much smoke do they through out.

Depends what I put on it. Dry hardwood logs and offcuts - they just glow 'til they're done. Damp logs - loadsa smoke and nice smell outside, too, but fortunately no close neighbours to worry about. :wink:

It also takes bits of ply, MDF, old pallets complete with the nails (just dig 'em out of the bottom once every few months), old rags, paper and most anything that I need to get rid of that will burn - very useful.

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[tim]

fortunately no close neighbours to worry about

is this linked to this?

most anything that I need to get rid of that will burn - very useful

Cheers

Tim

 

[trevtheturner]

Damn - sussed out. :roll:

Yep! :lol: :lol: :lol: But don't tell anybody. :wink:

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[matt]

A small fan heater worked a treat in my garage today. The I use has a stat which I only set to 1 (it goes up to 5).

 

[devonwoody]

HELP:

.

 

[DaveL]

Devon,

Looks to me that you need to supplement the heat from the chest freezer and may need to add a dehumidifier. Is the shop well insulated? That helps but if the windows are the coldest thing in the shop then that’s where the condensation will form, attack with a high absorbance sponge from the kitchen works well for clearing the problem.

 

[devonwoody]

Davel:

That was frost, on the outside of double glazing

Hopeless situation, the roof is corrugated asbestos, and that is drafty (most probably just as well)

One day I will have a new roof if someone would help me.

 

[Scrit]

Devon

Corrugated cement asbestos is quite difficult to insulate, but something like a layer of Visqueen (1000 gauge polythene) and some Kingspan insulation might do quite well. Apart from wiping the windows have you thought about one of those secondary insulation kits - double sided tape, cling-filmy stuff and a hair drier. Not as good as the real thing but none theless they do keep the heat in (and more to the point, are inexpoensive)

Scrit

 

[devonwoody]

The window is already a double glazed unit so I suppose another layer could help.

The roof is one of my next jobs when I can get some help. (I have a storeage site for the asbestos).

 

[JFC]

Does the hotspot system go outside the workshop with ducting putting the heat in ? I dont like the idea of a fire glowing all night in my workshop with dust settling on it .

 

[trevtheturner]

Does the hotspot system go outside the workshop with ducting putting the heat in ? I dont like the idea of a fire glowing all night in my workshop with dust settling on it .

Turned down at night the stove and flue, sited in the workshop, have about the same safety factor as a radiator left on. There is no exposed flame, just a gentle radiated warmth.