

| Subject: | Garage heater: Propane or kerosene?(LVC) |
| From: | Max Wellhouse |
| Date: | Mon, 19 Dec 2005 04:08:01 -0600 |
Help!! I am needing to heat a 22x30 garage with minimal insulation and a ridge vent in the roof(stands alone in back yard unattached from the house. I tried one of those wall mount 30k btu propane heaters last year and it didn't get the job done much below 20 degrees. I sold it and now need a REAL heater. Don't have a natural gas line to the garage and would like to not have to bury one, so that pretty much leaves me to electricity(have a 220v line in there), kerosene, and propane too heat this bad boy. So far, I've found a $480 mount in the rafters propane heater( with a stainless exhaust system that adds another $130 to the cost) that throws 45k btu. The other option is going to a kerosene fired Reddy heater or something like that, but kerosene is higher than diesel fuel these days and I would likely have to mount a CO detector in the garage if I bought one of these, but its portability would be a plus. They come in sizes from 55k btu to 175 k btu($200-420), and they drink about a gallon per hour of usage. The other option is to get the propane-fired version of the Reddy heater, but it wouldn't be as portable if I used the tall propane tanks stationed outside the garage. they also run in the 55k to 125k capacity range, but the 125k is only $200. The initial cost is important, but I'm more concerned about what either of these systems will cost me to run when it gets below 20 degrees. Is propane substantially cheaper to use than the kerosene? Since the 30k btu unit didn't do the trick, any guess as to how high I need to go? the attic area oft his garage is substantial, although the roof pitch is moderate at best. I think by cracking either the walk in door or raising the bottom of the double garage door, I should get enough ventilation with the heat escaping through the ridge vent, but any help or experience from the list would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I would be working on my Vanagon in this garage(RVC) Thanks DM&FS
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