Garage Heaters (ie torpedo)

[bkm]

Looking for opinions on kerosene torpedo heaters.

My garage is 900 sq ft, partially insulated walls and non insulated ceilings. I'm looking at used torpedoes on Craigslist, but they vary in btu's 70k-250k.

What size are you guys using? I'm not looking to bake cookies so when it's 10-40 degrees outside I'd like a comfortable 65 degrees, but I want it there pretty quickly.

I've also been thinking of a ceiling mount electric heater. I have 220v right where I would mount it.

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[big specht]

With a non insulated ceiling go big on a heater

[sledcrazyinCT]

Buy at least 100,000 BTU unit

[Shep1970]

I worked for my dad (construction) for a while yrs ago, he used to use a kerosene torpedo heater to keep warm, if in a sealed area my eyes, the stink, headache on those nights i would have rather been cold all day....
I'd have to recommend to get an electric cieling mount one.

Shep

[sledcrazyinCT]

Shep makes a good point that they burn a little dirty compared to other heat sources

[bkm]

I worked for my dad (construction) for a while yrs ago, he used to use a kerosene torpedo heater to keep warm, if in a sealed area my eyes, the stink, headache on those nights i would have rather been cold all day....
I'd have to recommend to get an electric cieling mount one.

ShepLast time I was around one was 20 years ago. It was used in a very small 2 car garage. I now vaguely remember smelling like kerosene after being in there. Thanks for reminding me of that.

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[hublake]

I have a 400 square foot shop and I installed a ceiling mount 220v electric heater and it wasn't enough plus my electric bill went through the roof. I live in Northern Michigan
I finally found a small gas furnace and installed it It keeps my shop comfortable for working at 55 degrees.
I would skip the electric heater and the kerosene heater.

[Jd110]

I was going to say electric. https://north40.com/comfort-zone-ceiling-mount-wire-industrial-heater-white-5000w
Probably because I've installed hundreds and only recall a few complaints about the power bill(it's cheaper here).
If the correct size wire is in the wall, to me, it's the least expensive. IMO, if you are going to heat your garage this way, insulating/sealing any air gaps is key.
Now, I've got a gas forced air. Called our natural gas provider this morning about a possible leak on our property. Turns out it was the furnace. Gas provider gave us a 'red tag'. He said 'don't use it until it's fixed'. Heating technician will be here tomorrow.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171101/71f7ce48f9bea758d318301a6ae3898f.jpg
It does a good job with 2,200 sq ft. Think about the price of the gas set-up and how long it would take to recoup the cost difference. Oh and kerosene makes me ill.

[Shawn Powell]

I would insulate the ceiling. Other wise anything you use is just getting pumped out into the ether. Never been a fan of the kerosene units in closed areas myself. I’d go electric or propane. We used to use two propane ones that mounted on top of 5 gallon tanks in a 400 square foot insulated steel building and it was plenty. Also we’re in so cal so it’s like 50 degrees when it’s “cold”.


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[Rob Canadian]

Big problem with kerosene is that is burns up the oxygen in the room. Hence the headaches. I would stay away from them myself.

[ponderinjunkman]

I used a salamander as they call the torpedo heaters here, for a couple years. I had it OUTSIDE with a stove pipe from the heater opening thru a window. That way it was always pushing in fresh(er) air as it ran, not burning up all the oxygen from the closed space. Still smelled of kerosene tho. Wasn't that cheap either, as it went thru several gallons every couple days. Worked for a while tho!

[big specht]

Never thought about it but they do make some good propane heater it would go that way. And at least put some plastic on the ceiling to help keep some of the heat down at least put something up there to help seal it up cause heat rises and if the ceiling isnt insolated all your heat is going out the roof. That's why you see one house with snow on the roof and the other without snow cause the one with the snow has better insulation

[DAM shop]

I have l.p where I live.. so I have a propane ceiling mounted forced air unit.. walls and ceiling insulated, does great. Stay away from kerosene keep your white blood cells healthy, get a natural gas or l.P heater..

Everyone you will ever meet will know something you don't..

[90nut]

My opinion, if you don't have a ceiling let alone an insulated ceiling, don't bother trying to heat that space. Save your Pennies, search CL for osb, or drywall. Even make a ceiling out of 2" pinkboard. Any $ you spend on the ceiling will be beneficial in the long run. Best friend has a 20'x34' garage, 8' ceiling. Insulated decently, has a hanging 220v heater. Keeps garage warm enough in the cold in winters. Electric bill does go up a bit, but he .doesnt have access to natural gas and propane is expensive. Wood stove is the next option but it has a high install cost. Food for thought man. My garage is warmer thAn the the house in the winter, but I spend all my free time out there. Heated with wood stove

[atc007]

I would also get the roof done asap. No use throwing good money away. If you don't have the time. Paying for a pro to do it will still pay for itself. In one winter. Having said that. I had a 140K torpedo for 20 + years. Now, granted, I'm a farmer,so 40 to me is very balmy. But the noise never bothered me a bit,,it meant I was getting warm. The fumes never bothered me. I even used it in my basement a cpl times. Plugged it in outside for start up,then put it in. It would heat up 2400 Sq ft in a blink of any eye. I love em. But that's just me. I also have a new 220V Warehouse heater in my home. 5268 sq ft :( :( It takes the chill off mornings this time of year in a hurry. If you choose to not insulate. Anything electric will be gruesome.

[bkm]

Winter snuck up on me. I had planned to better insulate, but when it goes from 80 down to the 30's in a week or so, it kinda bites you in the rear. My walls are almost 11ft tall and the peak of the ceiling is over 20ft so there's a lot of wasted heating space up there. The right side is scissor trusses for the 2 post lift I need to get off my butt and install, so there's really no way to make a ceiling closer to the floor to eliminate that area up there. I know I need to insulate the roof, I'm just not big on ladders or heights and too stubborn to pays someone else to do something I can on my own.

I think for a stop gap this winter I'm going to insulate all walls (the doors are insulated, but the outside wall is not, and that's really killing me) and use the kerosene heater for this year. They're cheap enough for a year and can sell it next year for what I have in it. My neighbor has a 100k btu unit that he fired up for me last night. It smelled a little, but nothing I couldn't deal with. His garage is smaller and sealed up much tighter than mine.

I have propane at the house already, but it's expensive and I don't feel like messing with running the lines, so I think electric is the way to go for me after fully insulating. The wiring and everything is right where I'd want to put it.

Thanks fellas.

[200xman]

You may want to try getting some quotes on insulation. Around here its cheaper to have it done. When I built my garage I couldn't buy the insulation for what they charged to insulate it.

[bkm]

You may want to try getting some quotes on insulation. Around here its cheaper to have it done. When I built my garage I couldn't buy the insulation for what they charged to insulate it.That may be the case, but the extra money I could possibly lose by doing it myself is worth the piece of mind not having some crackhead in my garage. Joe the honest company owner/job bidder might be honest, but they never seem to hire salt of the earth employees.

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[big specht]

I know what you mean we are in the process of getting the door on the shop at home replaced and I was thinking the same thing

[NeverLift]

My garage is always closed when someone i don't know is around. No need to advertise.

247427
This is my garage in the background. How in the hell do I insulate it? It's just bare metal walls like the outside. I have a wood burning stove in there but it does next to nothing. Is spray insulation the only option?

[stoshu]

With no vapor barrier you will cause some damage to your roof. Your decking and shingles need to be kept cold in the winter. Heating without insulation and a sealed vapor barrier will cause ice dams at the eaves. Either pay for a proper ceiling now, or pay for a new roof in a couple years when it rots. I know you just built the garage, and money is probably tight. Do it right the first time. Once you move all your stuff in it will never get done. Just went through this last fall with my new build. The tapers didn't understand why I needed the garage done before the house. As a builder, I knew if the garage filled up with tools and toys it would never get done.

[El Camexican]

To start with I hate those heaters. Worked with them inside hoarding up on scaffold, constantly got colds and sore throats. Did a motor with my Dad in minus 35 weather one year using one to heat the garage too. Loud, fumes and God only knows what the CO2 levels were. Not a fond memory.

All the tools would frost up and then the frost would melt and sweat as would every nail and metal item in the garage. Every thing made of steel in the shop was rusty in the spring. It's something I would only use to stay alive and never as a means to do leisure work in a shop.

Too late now, but the nicest winter time experience I've had working in a shop is when they have PCV pipes plumbed into the concrete and are connected to a circulating water heater. The shop is never hot, but it's never below freezing either. A set of insulated coveralls on a cold day or a pullover on a mild day is enough to work comfortably and it's always nice when you need to kneel or lay on the floor. If I ever built a shop up North I'd add that feature.

[jeswinehart]

I.just went thru complete garage over haul and it was not much less then fully traumatic ! Trying to keep up with hobby work and every thing scattered all over house + storage.
Worth every pita moment and 5 months or so to do.
I had thinly insulated walls and open to rafter ceiling as well. Hard pressed to throw enough propane into old unit heater to maintain comfortable heat to work (toes would be numb ! ).
6+ inch in walls now, couple feet in attic,,, worth every penny
New natural unit heater don't run long (course it ain't been but 34 degree so far for a low).
Went wayyyy over budget and couldn't be happier that I did ( now).
Yep, do it right the first time cuz it is 100 times harder to do right lator.
john

[bkm]

Looks like I'll be buying a new ladder soon. Garage looks great John, nice job.

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[atc007]

JMHO Bryan. I would shop around for a contractor. Life is short. Falling off a ladder and getting busted up isn't fun. I know it stinks to hand the keys to someone else. I don't think anyone on here likes too ! But if you pay enough :( , you might find a real pro. They are out there. Ask around. You have lots of friends. And maybe some of them hire things done ;). Bid it out and see what you get. To come home in a few weeks to a garage that is insulated,maybe for a couple grand,would be great. JMHO,,

[Shawn Powell]

My garage is always closed when someone i don't know is around. No need to advertise.

247427
This is my garage in the background. How in the hell do I insulate it? It's just bare metal walls like the outside. I have a wood burning stove in there but it does next to nothing. Is spray insulation the only option?

They have styrofoam insulation panels. 4’ x 8’ sheets. You can spray glue them to the walls. There not cheap but when you factor in what actual insulation costs plus the drywall to cover them it washes out. And these are light weight and easy to cut (razor knife and tape measure) then when your done use a heavy duty tin style duct tape to seal all the joints. I did this with great success at a guys steel garage here locally where I live. Keep the heat out in his case. ( I work commercial construction if that holds any weight ) comes in different thickness (thicker is better “r” value). Any material supply yard that carries drywall would have it ( also Home Depot but at a much larger price)


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[Yamawheeler]

Looking for opinions on kerosene torpedo heaters.

My garage is 900 sq ft, partially insulated walls and non insulated ceilings. I'm looking at used torpedoes on Craigslist, but they vary in btu's 70k-250k.

What size are you guys using? I'm not looking to bake cookies so when it's 10-40 degrees outside I'd like a comfortable 65 degrees, but I want it there pretty quickly.

I've also been thinking of a ceiling mount electric heater. I have 220v right where I would mount it.

Sent from my SM-G900V using TapatalkI'm running a l.b.white 80 propane heater and it works great. 2 1/2 car garage. 100 lb bottle thermostat set at 10 degrees 98% clean burn I do believe they are rated for it has natural gas conversion in it as well.

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[Scootertrash]

Ever heard of carbon monoxide?

Any "torpedo" type heater, whether its NG, LP, or kerosene should have a fresh air supply attached to the heater as well as an excellent supply of fresh air ventilation.

The problem is keeping a garage properly ventilated usually means keeping a window or door cracked open, which completely negates the ability to heat the garage.

Saving money shouldn't override your safety and health. But then if you're dead you'll be saving plenty of money. Right?

[bkm]

Common bath fans aka vent/lights mounted in the ceiling and ducted to the soffit work great for ventilation and exhaust evacuation. Can get them with lights too, more light is always good in the shop.

Obviously your garage isn't sealed up like a zip lock so any negative pressure is going to exchange the air. Thats why the tube heaters are the best choice, heat and fresh air double duty. By the way Bryan I looked at Menards they have a 60k tube htr for $315.Those tube heaters are really nice. I worked for a small municipal public works and our garage was a poorly insulated 100x 200 metal building. Those tubes never had a problem keeping that place warm, even with constant door opening moving equipment in and out.

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[bkm]

Decided to give this little propane forced air heater a try for $90. 30k-60k btu. It's about 25 degrees outside and I've been working in a long sleeve T-shirt today. I'm very pleased with it. I don't have a thermometer in the garage, but it has no problem heating it up to probably around 60 degrees in 15-20 minutes. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171214/eb0838ac0c18151758cccf2beb38f0b0.jpg

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