Cheapest way to heat work area this winter?

[AVI_8]

I've got a 3 phase 30kW fan heater which warms the workshop up in no time, but I imagine that'll be a little pricey to run this winter.

Around £10 per hour by my calculations

 

[AVI_8]

One I have (same type burner but direct heater) recommended either kerosene or diesel but only to leave it off-line with one or the other - but cannot remember which.

One heater I have needed a new air pump rotor. Got the part but not yet sorted it. I may get round tuit one day….

The instructions for mine says diesel or paraffin, don’t know where you’d buy paraffin these days, pretty sure it’ll run on pretty much anything other than petrol.

 

[Cato]

Around £10 per hour by my calculations

I fixed the electric price last year so I'll have to see what the rate is. That said, if it's cold enough to need a heater that size I'll either use it and cost be damned or if whatever I'm doing isn't urgent I'll go home.

 

[gaz1]

I was looking for an indirect space heater for a while but they don’t come up second hand very often and cost around £600 new, this one came up last spring, went to look at it and it wouldn’t fire up, the guy I bought it from practically gave it away, I paid £20, he said that it was working the last time he used it and he appeared to be a very genuine guy
When I got it home I discovered there was no fuel in it so I’m hoping its as simple as that, though they’re simple machines so I’ll get it working one way or another.
The good thing about it being indirect is that the exhaust gasses which create lots of condensation can get vented out of a window, I got the flue with it. I don’t like working in a freezing garage.
Just need to get a supply of fuel for it, either red diesel or heating oil.

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id advise checking the heat output of that before sticking it out the window if its too hot you will melt the plastic window if you have that installed

 

[CaptainPugwash]

These infrared heaters warm you up very quickly. Brilliant in spaces too large to heat the air. I have one surplus to my needs too….

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Sounds good, I might he interested, I'll have to work out how to send a private message and see how much you reckon for it. Cheers

 

[CaptainPugwash]

Great replies

It's rented and I'm only there 1 - 2 days a week so not spending money and time attempting to insulate or make small warm area.

Current plan now is duck boards and rubber mats, walking socks, layers, overalls on top, and wooly hat.
With a red rad (i think) for a blast next to me now and then

 

[gaz1]

I prefer a work area thats confortable to work in if that means im building a structure then i have to consider what type of structure i want and could i use it to store gear upon it

racking is a good reference but comes with a cost and so does mezzanine floor

however it gives you a warm area to work within and easier to heat up as well whilst the rest of the workshop is cold

 

[AVI_8]

id advise checking the heat output of that before sticking it out the window if its too hot you will melt the plastic window if you have that installed

I‘ve a wooden building with wood window frames, yeh I’ve got that in consideration, will wrap a fire blanket around it and keep a good eye on it, think it’s 19,000 btu, I’ll chain it up if needs be so it’s not touching the frame.

 

[Johnnybravo]

They are silly money new

 

[gaz1]

I‘ve a wooden building with wood window frames, yeh I’ve got that in consideration, will wrap a fire blanket around it and keep a good eye on it, think it’s 19,000 btu, I’ll chain it up if needs be so it’s not touching the frame.

take the whole window out and fit board/ fibre board around the flue would be your better option

even if the window could be broken into a more secure board maybe the better option to use

 

[AVI_8]

take the whole window out and fit board/ fibre board around the flue would be your better option

even if the window could be broken into a more secure board maybe the better option to use

It’s a domestic garage gaz, the best option would be to run a log burner style flue out the wall or roof, that may be the way I’ll go, in the mean time I’ll just use common sense and keep an eye on it, won’t be left unattended. It’s just to take the chill out of the air for short periods of time.

 

[brightspark]

Great replies

It's rented and I'm only there 1 - 2 days a week so not spending money and time attempting to insulate or make small warm area.

Current plan now is duck boards and rubber mats, walking socks, layers, overalls on top, and wooly hat.
With a red rad (i think) for a blast next to me now and then

they radiate the heat from a fair distance no need to have it welded to your jaxie

 

[Pete.]

I use a single bar infra-red heater to warm up when I forst go out into the workshop. It heats me and the surfaces which then lose their heat into the air, so you get the best of both worlds - instant warm-up when you first go out there then slow convection keeping the air a bit warmer.

I just bought a 2-bar one at the boot fair for a few quid, but I think it's going to be too hot my my 20m2 space. Mostly I wanted it because those tubes are damn expensive.

 

[Maker]

Current plan now is duck boards and rubber mats, walking socks, layers, overalls on top, and wooly hat.
With a red rad (i think) for a blast next to me now and then

Whenever I've had to call it a day and come in from my unheated, uninsulated workshop, it's because of cold toes. Doesn't matter how good your boots are, standing on a cold concrete floor will suck the heat out of you, so duckboards are probably the best single change you can make. Dirt cheap too, just chuck a couple of pallets down. As a bonus, if the boards have a bit of give to them, they'll act as anti-fatigue matting.

The other big cheap change you can make, which I don't think has been mentioned yet, is to eat more, just have a bigger breakfast when you'll be in the workshop, it makes a world of difference.

 

[minimutly]

We use a diesel space heater for our workshop which is 19th century barn. It works fine, though I am in padded shirt, long johns etc, as well as overalls. As the red diesel store is in the barn ***. However, isn't gas oil the alternative name for red diesel, when it is sold as heating oil? We have drums of waste oil, and had to pay for disposal last time we got rid of it, but DEFRA charges an arm and a leg for the licence to burn it, thus turning a useful fuel into a hazardous waste, overnight.

Followed a Transit minibus burning it whilst driving allong this morning...

 

[maroon]

Log burner and raid the window fitters skips for old window frames (with permission of course)

It kept me warm for years. For f'all

 

[stuvy]

Log burner and raid the window fitters skips for old window frames (with permission of course)

A walk in the woods every weekend nets some nice fallen wood.

If you wanna be eco friendly a cycle trailer and a silky hand saw will give you almost free fuel for a wood burner

 

[Scalarocco]

I bought one of the Chinese 5kw diesel heaters to try and take the edge off in the winter. Gives off plenty of heat but my workshop isn't insulated and has a huge steel radiator at one end masquerading as a door. Poor thing doesn't stand a chance...

 

[DAPPH]

I’m mostly stuffed where gloves are concerned - not safe where moving machinery (lathe and mills) are concerned. But a hat, these days, most certainly helps - it replaces the insulation that used to be there!

Learn to use strong chromed leather gloves when doing such work if you ever do it again , they have saved me from some nasty injuries .

 

[James1979]

I’ve got an ex French army tent heater.

Burns heavy oil so DERV, Kero, Red Diesel, JET A1 when I get it. Whatever Dino juice I find. It isn’t fussy. Uses about 20l every three days and that’s 8 hour days.

There’s one at Jackson’s at the moment as I’ve just sent my mate the link

Deville - Multi Fuel Heater | L Jackson & Co

Workshop heaters for sale, diesel heater for sale, oil burner, garage heater, Deville, L Jackson& Co

ljacksonandco.com

That link says 1.5l/h in the spec. That’s on maxi chat. You can’t be near it when it’s balls out like that. About a pint is more accurate / sensible. That’s what the night heater in truck uses as well, for comparison