Cheapest way to heat work area this winter?

[brightspark]

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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yep genuine quartz heaters project the heat on to your body only i fitted 3 of them on to 3 squash courts on the ceiling 40 years ago they were brilliant

 

[not done it yet]

Er, woolly gloves, as well as a woolly hat? Has that made your stickler feel better?

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!

 

[AVI_8]

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.

 

[Cato]

As a couple have already said, a red rad will heat you without wasting energy trying to head the inanimate stuff. Appropriate clothing and rubber mats to stand on if still for any length of time will make a big difference.

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. Plus I need to get the insulation on the inside of the roof before I use it or the roof will give way with the weight of all the crows, pigeons and gulls sat on it.

 

[not done it yet]

Just need to get a supply of fuel for it, either red diesel or heating oil.

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….

 

[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

 

[not done it yet]

Around £10 per hour by my calculations

Not commercial and not even private/domestic after Oct 1st!

 

[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.