i'm going to enjoy the shop now. i just bought a forced air propane heater. 30000 BTU

the shop is 30* right now. its -20 outside. i'm waiting before i freeze my ass off.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419ZMBWPC0L._SS500_.jpg

They work pretty good, but depending on the size of your shop, 30,000 BTU might be a little on the small side. I have one that's adjustable from 50,000 to 85,000 BTU. I just used it outside today in 5°F weather to thaw out my CTD.... the fuel gelled up on me last night.

They work pretty good, but depending on the size of your shop, 30,000 BTU might be a little on the small side. I have one that's adjustable from 50,000 to 85,000 BTU. I just used it outside today in 5°F weather to thaw out my CTD.... the fuel gelled up on me last night.

at 5º damn that sucks. Do you have the choice to buy cold weather fuel down there or is it up to you to takle care of it?

my shop isn't too big... it seems to keep up very well. and i have insulation.

my shop heated up to 65* in about 1 hour.

i wonder how long my propane will last.

my shop isn't too big... it seems to keep up very well. and i have insulation.

my shop heated up to 65* in about 1 hour.

i wonder how long my propane will last.


How big "isn't too big"? I'm shopping for a heater right now I just have a 2 car garage.

i wonder how long my propane will last.

Probably not as long as you think. What size tank are you running?

I have the multi fuel Reddy Heater and it works kinda. Blows hot, loud and stinky. My shop is 1500sqft and the thing has to be running constantly. Ok I guess. I'm looking to buy a wood stove.

at 5º damn that sucks. Do you have the choice to buy cold weather fuel down there or is it up to you to takle care of it?

All we have here is #2. It's pretty much up to the user to add anti-gel, etc. Kind weird though, I've had this thing for 5 years and been through night just as cold, if not colder and never had a problem before.

It did look cool as hell, though, when I got the propane heater fired up under the engine compartment. I stepped back and took a look and you could see all the heat wave distortions in the air underneath the whole truck and coming out around the sides. :D Running at the 85,000 BTU setting, it only took about 10 minutes and fuel was flowing again.

IT'S probably 700-800 sq ft. enough for two jeep commanders to fit into nose to tail.

i'll see how long the tank lasts. its a regular propane tank for a BBQ.

i bought the heater for $150.00

Well I don't know what a ctd diesel is, but whatever it is someting is wrong with it. I have a 01 powerstroke with 210,000 miles on it and it starts at temperatures of below 5*'s all day long.

most have a fuel consumption spec on them. i have a lowes propane forced air heater, i think its 30-35K btus and it was saying 16hrs with a BBQ tank.

Well I don't know what a ctd diesel is, but whatever it is someting is wrong with it. I have a 01 powerstroke with 210,000 miles on it and it starts at temperatures of below 5*'s all day long.
it has nothing to do with the engine, its the fuel. Sounds like Mech got a bad batch or something.

Put that same fuel in your Powerstroke and it will gel and not run either :shaking:


ctd....... think D.O.D.G.E. then spell it out.

I have a 50k one I use in a 2 car garage I only ran it for 20-30 minutes and it was toasty and stayed warm. Insulation is key.. get it warm which takes time, then lower the heat and manage the temp.

FWIW those units do consume a decent amount of oxygen so adding a sensor may be a good idea. Esp. if you are running it for HOURS on end in <800sq.ft w/everything shut and sealed....

-Todd

Well I don't know what a ctd diesel is, but whatever it is someting is wrong with it. I have a 01 powerstroke with 210,000 miles on it and it starts at temperatures of below 5*'s all day long.

I'd be willing to bet that up there in MA, your fuel stations probably switch over to winter fuel (#1 diesel) and that's what you're running in cold weather. Down here, they do not switch to #1... they sell #2 all year. It's up to the buyer to add an anti-gel additive if the temps are going to drop below the gel point of #2. I got caught with my pants down and didn't have any anti-gel in that tank.

watch the carbon monoxide with those heaters.... CO is very sneaky ... I remember feeling kinda sleepy and weird one night as my bro and I were working away with a similar heater in the shop ( some would say " hey Ben you're always sleepy and weird" ) and sure enough as soon as we got outside we both had the mother of all headaches......... needless to say that was it for that heater, I'd rather be cold than dead

How big "isn't too big"? I'm shopping for a heater right now I just have a 2 car garage.

I have been using this kerosene heater in my insulated 2 car garage for the last two winters. It doubles as my house emergency heat source if we lose power. Some folks hate the kerosene smell but to me its only strong upon first lighting it and during shutdown. Its like standing near a fire within 20 minutes after lighting and burns clean.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200316420_200316420

I use these with 250W heat lamps on my workbench- more light plus excellent heat to keep my fingers warm!

http://www.nothingbuthardware.com/503896.html

:D

I don't see how anyone can stand working with those jet engine sounding torpedo heaters in the shop - what an annoying racket.

I don't see how anyone can stand working with those jet engine sounding torpedo heaters in the shop - what an annoying racket.

It's better than being so cold you can't feel your fingers.

I'm still running a diesel fired salamander. I have two gas furnaces, but I did some math and realized the diesel is quite a bit cheaper and more easily available. Once I get a tank so I can have off-road fuel delivered, my fuel costs will drop by more than $0.50/gallon.

I don't see how anyone can stand working with those jet engine sounding torpedo heaters in the shop - what an annoying racket.

Not to mention the smell, and rapid depletion of oxygen .

Have fun with the impending headaches :flipoff2:

I guess the salamanders you guys are using don't have low-oxygen shut-offs.

Mine won't run if the oxygen concentration falls, just like the gas log in the house. Sadly, the shop is so far from air-tight, there is plenty of "make-up" air-LOL.

(I still have a CO monitor in the shop)

i use one just to heat the shop in a hurry. then i lite a fire in the wood stove.:D

I have Three torpedo heaters... 70,000 85,000 and 400,000 BTUs. Both of the small ones are over 20 years old and only smell when you start them. If you replace the filters at the recommend intervals they burn better and don't smell. One of the warning stickers says one square foot of ventilation for a every 100k btu.
The 400k unit is used to heat up a 8000 sqft shop. It is older than dirt my Dad bought it from waco. It burns 3.5 gallons an hour. If you run it out of fuel it puts out a metric shitton on smoke.

with any unvented source of heat you have to remember that it burns oxygen and puts out some fumes that you may or may not be able to smell.

Propane will put out fumes as well, just you may not smell them.