Max...I got an old residential oil heater from the scrap pile of a HVAC
company that worked...prev owner converted to gas..
I use it to heat the larger portion of my 40X40 shop. I just get 10 gal of
diesel at a time and it heats it all fine above 20deg..Can' say how well it
would work below that here in the Pac NW. I only go thru about 50 to 80 gal
of diesel per year, but it keeps it warm enough when I am using that
area...Its quiet and does the job for little cash outlay..Even for a
temporary solution, its a plug in and vent thru a window opening and takes
up minimal space...Just an option...
Daryl of AA Transaxle
----- Original Message -----
From: "Max Wellhouse" <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, December 19, 2005 2:08 AM
Subject: Garage heater: Propane or kerosene?(LVC)

> 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
>