OakBehringer
XS650 Guru
Has anyone ever used on of these? I'm hoping to find a way to keep my detached Chicago Garage warm enough to work in this winter.
Thanks!
Adam
Thanks!
Adam
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Propane Heater?
- Thread starter OakBehringer
- Start date
roadcall
XS650 Addict
There are several different kinds of propane heaters. As you know, they eat up your oxygen, dont use any flammable fluids like gas and such, and prolly a couple more that I am sure someone will chime in on.
But anyhow, I have used them, they work, and not real expensive. Are you planning on leaving it on 24/7 or just when your in there working?
But anyhow, I have used them, they work, and not real expensive. Are you planning on leaving it on 24/7 or just when your in there working?
OakBehringer
XS650 Guru
Just when I'm in there working, maybe a couple nights a week.
Am I likely to suffocate?
Am I likely to suffocate?
roadcall
XS650 Addict
You will if you dont keep the door cracked and a window open for cross-ventilation. So keep the door cracked and a window open. Remember, the propane is a liquid gas and it needs oxygen to burn, and you need oxygen to breath.
pyroman
Pyroman
Be VERY careful....You dont want to wake up dead.
I have this one: http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=46&id=30
It's heats up my 24'x24' insulated garage with 9'6" ceilings pretty damn quick.
You are supposed to have a fresh air supply when you use them. My fresh air supply is my leaky garage door. I lose all of my heat out of it, but at least there is some oxygen to breath. I usually turn it on for about 10-15 min at a time, and depending on how cold it is I might have to run it once ever hour. If you get a headache or if it smells like propane, shut the heater off and go inside for an hour or two. Sometimes if I need to be out in the garage for more than a few hours, I'll open the garage door, let it all air out for half an hour, close it and heat it back up again. Make sure the propane is burning blue and not yellow. Also, use at least a 40lb propane tank for best results.
Pyroman, how do you wake up dead?
It's heats up my 24'x24' insulated garage with 9'6" ceilings pretty damn quick.
You are supposed to have a fresh air supply when you use them. My fresh air supply is my leaky garage door. I lose all of my heat out of it, but at least there is some oxygen to breath. I usually turn it on for about 10-15 min at a time, and depending on how cold it is I might have to run it once ever hour. If you get a headache or if it smells like propane, shut the heater off and go inside for an hour or two. Sometimes if I need to be out in the garage for more than a few hours, I'll open the garage door, let it all air out for half an hour, close it and heat it back up again. Make sure the propane is burning blue and not yellow. Also, use at least a 40lb propane tank for best results.
Pyroman, how do you wake up dead?
I don't really think it's lack of oxygen that's the problem, I think its the potential build up of Carbon Monoxide. Maybe they're one and the same. Anyway, if you are worried about it, maybe put a CO detector out in your garage.
I don't think it is the heater doing that directly. Its all the cold metal pulling the moisture out of the air (I think). My chrome sockets and tools also get covered in dew when i first turn on the heater. Not much you can do about that unless you heat up the work space slowly.
OakBehringer
XS650 Guru
Well this thread can continue as a discussion of just propane heaters and the other thread can continue as a general garage heater thread.
Beau
I like metal.
I picked up a little plug in style stove coil thing from the thrift store. I'm gonna build a steel box around it and put a fan in there.
I plan to use the propane to get the garage heated up quick, then the oven coil to help maintain.
Safe? Probably not. But nothing is.
I plan to use the propane to get the garage heated up quick, then the oven coil to help maintain.
Safe? Probably not. But nothing is.
Last edited:
Grinder, I've been reading about heaters and read something about unvented propane heaters putting moisture into the air. So I guess I was wrong about that!
Water vapor is a by-product of combustion, as when you find water dripping out of your muffler. Therefore the condensed water in your shop, because I doubt you'd have that with electric. In fact you'd probably need a humidifier then to be comfortable.
So I was looking at propane heaters online for a long time last night. Vented, unvented, forced air, convection, radiant, etc. Lots of options out there! Anyone have a propane radiant heater? How well does it work?
sgt sleazebag
XS650 Enthusiast
wood burner hands down.smells good,creates a wonderful beer drinking atmosphere.oh and you get to use a chainsaw for hours on end- lol?
mehunglong
XS650 Member
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You want to go with a sealed combustion (intake and exhaust) ceiling hung unit for use in garages, that way it's not consuming your oxygen for combustion and there's no chance of it igniting any fuel fumes. It being sealed there is no pilot lights or ignitors or open flames of any sort so they are much much safer! You can also trust them to run while your not around/home. You can leave them powered up or on just like a regular gas furnace without any worries. They are controled by a normal household thermostat so you can set it to a low temp when your not there (or shut it off) and also program your t-stat to come up to your desired temp for when your going to be in your shop or garage. That way its nice and toasty when you walk in. Code, at least here in C.T. says that any source of ignition has to be a min of 18" above floor level in a garage even your electrical outlets cause they can spark. If it's got to be at waist level or higher why not mount it 1" from the ceiling, most of them allow zero clearance to combustibles and at that hight it'll def be out of the way. And you, your family, friends, and beloved toys will be safe from explosion and oxygen depletion 
A guy right down the road from me was refueling his sleds in his garage which was under his house a few months back and the fumes dropped to the ground and traveled over to his open flame propane heater, and well lets just say the explosion was felt for miles around when the tank itself went off and through the floor above it and the ceiling above that and the roof of the house had a five foot across whole in it when i drove by the next morning!!
The whole house was a total loss, none of which would have happened with a sealed combustion ceiling mounted heater!!
Sorry for the long post but i'm an hvac tech and also have seen in person what can really happen without the correct heater setup. That being said it's worth the extra money to get the right type of heater!
A guy right down the road from me was refueling his sleds in his garage which was under his house a few months back and the fumes dropped to the ground and traveled over to his open flame propane heater, and well lets just say the explosion was felt for miles around when the tank itself went off and through the floor above it and the ceiling above that and the roof of the house had a five foot across whole in it when i drove by the next morning!!
The whole house was a total loss, none of which would have happened with a sealed combustion ceiling mounted heater!! Sorry for the long post but i'm an hvac tech and also have seen in person what can really happen without the correct heater setup. That being said it's worth the extra money to get the right type of heater!
Some of the portable propane heaters have an oxygen depletion sensor built in. If the oxygen level gets too low the heater turns of.
The guy that was stupid ehough to be fueling a machine inside got what he deserved.
The guy that was stupid ehough to be fueling a machine inside got what he deserved.
