Shop temperature control

I punched a hole in my fabrication shop for the hose that feeds my buddy heater. I keep the tank in the garage. The fab shop is 10 x 15. Bench grinders, welder, plasma cutter, presses, and torch.

Moisture in there won't hurt much and it heats pretty fast with 9000 btu. One 20 lb tank will go for a full winter. Propane to warm up and electric to maintain.
 
Every pound of propane makes nearly 2 lbs of water vapor, but where it goes and what it does after that is really complicated. Condensation stops when your tools are above dew point, and with your use scenario, you're keeping it in the green for avoiding that. You're not likely to have any moisture problems. You guys in the midwest and rust belt really have it tough in winter, I don't envy you at all!
 
pontiac428 said:
Every pound of propane makes nearly 2 lbs of water vapor, but where it goes and what it does after that is really complicated. Condensation stops when your tools are above dew point, and with your use scenario, you're keeping it in the green for avoiding that. You're not likely to have any moisture problems. You guys in the midwest and rust belt really have it tough in winter, I don't envy you at all!
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I'm in Ohio. That's part of the reason I eliminated combustion in the shop. Just too much moisture for no benefit. In the fabrication shop it won't bother much.

It's funny that I can't tell much right now because 50⁰ is too warm....lol. The oil heater has it up to 66⁰ barely running. I had to turn it down.

Putting a second pane of plexiglass as insulation has helped too.
 
pontiac428 said:
You guys in the midwest and rust belt really have it tough in winter, I don't envy you at all!
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It's not that bad until we have a warm front push up from the south. Cold for several days, but not cold enough that you really want to put heat in the shop. Still tons of cast iron give up all their heat.
Then that warm air moves in, letting the cold pull all the moisture out of it. The wife leaves the garage door open, because "it is such a nice day". And you walk out to see every piece of cast iron with a layer of water on it.
 
Shotgun said:
It's not that bad until we have a warm front push up from the south. Cold for several days, but not cold enough that you really want to put heat in the shop. Still tons of cast iron give up all their heat.
Then that warm air moves in, letting the cold pull all the moisture out of it. The wife leaves the garage door open, because "it is such a nice day". And you walk out to see every piece of cast iron with a layer of water on it.
Click to expand...

In my buddies shop, every time we fired up the torpedo heater starting at below freezing. Everything dripping.
 
If the weather stayed in the 40's and 50's outside it would only cost $24 a month to maintain mid 60's. I know it won't last. Lol.
 
So far the outside temps and inside temps are holding steady. I am pretty sure I'm only going to see the worst case scenario of non stop running except for a few weeks.
 
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