From: dwilkins@mega-com.com (Don Wilkins)
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking
Subject: Re: Heating Workshop
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 1997 16:54:12 GMT

On Wed, 12 Mar 1997 15:30:14 GMT, owen@davies.mv.com wrote:

>>  shafner@webspan.net writes:
>>  cduke wrote:
>>  >
>>  > Does anyone have any experience (or thoughts) on heating a workshop with
>>  > a vent free propane heater? Thanks for inputs..

DON'T DO IT. The stuff that is added to the propane so that it stinks
is a sulfur containing compound. The combustion process turns it into
sulfuric acid. Not a whole lot but never-the less sulfuric acid.

I raised this question with the manufacturer of one of these heaters
and  got the nicest run-around I have heard in a long time. I am a
research chemist by profession and quickly recognized that they really
didn't want to discuss this problem.

There is a building here in town which added a natural gas furnace
about two years ago. As you all probably know the flue gases can be
vented with PVC pipe. In this case due to space restrictions the vent
is tight against the building and about 4 feet above ground level. It
is my guess that in another year or so the acid will have eaten its
way completely through the bricks.  The first layer of bricks are
already gone and nobody seems to have noticed. (It is a senior citizen
center)

I live in northern MN and my shop sees 40-50 below zero every winter.
I put R22 insulation in the sidewalls and R50+ in the ceiling. I keep
it at 50 degrees using ONE eight foot electrical heater which I run on
110 volts instead of the rated 220. My electrical usage is trivial and
I tell people that I think I could heat it with a candle. The shop is
only 12x24 but in my opinion for casual use electrical heat is the way
to go.

I also have a small wood stove. Now 50 degrees is OK for short term
projects but if I am going to be there for a few hours I just keep
adding my mistakes to the wood stove. It gets up to a cozy 70 degrees
in about 15 minutes and I need to be careful that I don't load the
stove too much.

>>  I use one of those units that looks like a bazooka with a torch inside.
>>  It is only rated at 45,000 btu's, but it does manage to heat up my
>>  workspace (which is the size of a large one-car garage).

We call these devices salamanders and the ones I have seen sound like
a bazzoka as well. I would not use one of these in any area where I
was working. Carbon monoxide is nothing to play with in order to save
a few bucks on a heating bill.