It's gonna get cold!

[Batmanacw]

Everything behind the right garage door is fabrication shop leading into the main machine shop. I framed the garage door in today so I can insulate the temporary wall. 4 screws and the wall will pop right out.



I am deciding if I'll remove the door between the shops and heat the two sections of the shop, or keep the main shop warmer (40⁰+) and just keep the fab shop above freezing.

 

[Dhal22]

I’m already dreading cold weather. I hate the cold.

 

[Ischgl99]

As much as I hate getting things in or out of my basement, I remind myself the temperature is consistent all year long and I don’t need to dread winter. I recently got a welder that will be in the garage, so I might be getting some experience fabbing just above freezing this year.

 

[Batmanacw]

As much as I hate getting things in or out of my basement, I remind myself the temperature is consistent all year long and I don’t need to dread winter. I recently got a welder that will be in the garage, so I might be getting some experience fabbing just above freezing this year.

Those torpedo heaters work. Lol.

I have a small and tightly sealed shop so I only use electric heat in the main shop. I'm avoiding both smell and water vapor. I keep a oil radiator heater running all winter and two big radiant heaters for quick heat.

In the fab shop I was running a Mr heater buddy heater to warm it up quickly and a infrared heater to maintain it. Now I've got three machines in the fab shop.

 

[Ischgl99]

I don’t have any machines in the garage, so a torpedo heater would work without worrying about humidity. I’ve used electric space heaters in the past when working on the cars, but with the price of electricity here in CT now, it’s about $0.30/kw-hr now, it would probably be cheaper to buy the torpedo heater and fuel!

 

[Batmanacw]

Right now my goal is to keep the machines warm enough that they don't sweat when I do warm things up. My electric with all fees and taxes included is $0.125

Running 600 watts non-stop for 30 days would cost me $54. That would keep my shop above 40⁰ except when the weather hits single digits.

Now that I'm nearly doubling the heated space I might be into some real money for a couple months. I might try to keep the fabrication shop above freezing and not try to get fancy. Lol.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Those torpedo heaters work. Lol.

I have a small and tightly sealed shop so I only use electric heat in the main shop. I'm avoiding both smell and water vapor. I keep a oil radiator heater running all winter and two big radiant heaters for quick heat.

In the fab shop I was running a Mr heater buddy heater to warm it up quickly and a infrared heater to maintain it. Now I've got three machines in the fab shop.

I installed a mini-split with a heat pump that works well, before that I used an LP catalist heater which doesn't put off carbon monoxide (it is rated for indoor use).

 

[Batmanacw]

I installed a mini-split with a heat pump that works well, before that I used an LP catalist heater which doesn't put off carbon monoxide (it is rated for indoor use).

All propane heaters put out copious amounts of water vapor. A mini split would be nice but not in the budget.

 

[Ischgl99]

Running 600 watts non-stop for 30 days would cost me $54.

There is a solar salesman in my business networking group, he mentioned he has a client that was spending about $125/month heating his pool and bought a few panels for the roof of the pool cabana. I know solar is not as efficient in the winter, but would something like that work for the shop? Might be able to hook up directly to a resistance type heater to keep it cheap.

 

[mmcmdl]

mmcmdl's heater sources ........................one of those hotel air conditioner /heater units , woodstove , propane torpedo , 2 kerosenes . Everything is back from camp now . The propane torpedo will heat the garage in seconds and actually run me out on high . Looking to be back in the original basement by years end .