running workshop heaters from gas

[michael1703]

Has anyone (succesfully) run a big workshop heater intended for natural gas from gas cylinders?

I'm looking to get a heater cheap in summer in preperation for next winter

The sort of heater I am thinking of is something like this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ambi-rad-Gas-...181?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2eb5728255

 

[shenion]

I assume you mean using propane?

You would need to change the orifices for propane or the air/fuel ratio will be wrong. You will need a large tank. I ran my 70kBTU furnace of a BBQ tank (20lb) and it lasted about 7 hours of run time

 

[tigler]

+1
It will need a LPG burner. Just to give you an idea of how much it will burn, my domestic central heating boiler at home is on LPG, I live in the sticks. In the worst of the weather last winter it was using a 47 KG LPG cylinder, thats the big ones, in a week !!! Thats with the thermostat set on fridge !! So that bigboy will really suck it up !! Cheapest I could get a 47 for last winter was £52, it will be more this coming season.

 

[gordon stephenson]

I have converted a 43" Schwank 75.000 btu heater to operate from a propane bottle, removed the jets (one from each end) tapped 6mm and fitted 0.6mm mig tips and gradually opened up the orifice in steps of 0.003" until i got it burning correctly.Also used an adjustable pressure regulator on the bottle,This heater is to be used as an alternative to wood in a pig roasting machine I built for my daughter.
As already stated gas usage will be very heavy and I think we may just stick to wood burning, Takes a lot more effort looking after be will be much,much cheaper,

 

[mike os]

the only reason to run one on propane/butane is because you cant get mains gas... even with the instal costs it will be cheaper in teh first year, unless you are a long way off a main.

 

[Engineer]

The heater itself seems cheap, but running costs seem to be considerably higher than alternatives. The cheapest of all is a home built waste oil heater, which will work reasonably well, and can be run for next to nothing if waste oil can be found FOC.

 

[michael1703]

No mains gas in my area.

The heater is for a workshop, I could justify a bottle of gas a week if it means I can get more billable hours of work in.

I've thought about waste oil burners but not keen on the safty aspect with customers cars/petrol/thinnes etc in close proximity

 

[mike os]

just a case of getting the right jets and regulator then.

note the work still should be done by a gas safe registered fitter,

 

[gordon stephenson]

Does the maker have a website, the info about jets for different gasses maybe on there, Or give them a call, I'm sure they will have the relevant parts you require.