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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Best way to heat cabin/garage
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Princelake
Member
# Posted: 20 Feb 2021 05:21pm
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Hey guys, what’s the fastest and best way to heat up a cabin or garage? The house I bought has a garage with a sketchy looking wood stove. I’m either going to replace it or go with a gas heater. I don’t plan on constantly hearing it but when I have a project I want to work on I want to get it heated and quickly. Also this spring I’ll be framing my cabin and deciding the same thing. Going with a wood stove or furnace or both and want to heat it quickly when I get to camp

ICC
Member
# Posted: 20 Feb 2021 07:01pm
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For a shop or garage, it is hard to beat one of those gas (propane or natural gas) forced air heaters that hang from the ceiling. They need a direct vent chimney. With a smart thermostat, they can be turned on and off and the temperature setting adjusted with your smartphone. (There's another reason to have a smartphone; I make use of that feature).

When I built the new place I installed a larger PV system. Most of the year I have enough surplus that I use a heat pump to keep both the house and shop warm. That is also nice in summer as I can cool either or both as well. The system can switch to the propane furnace for home or shop depending on the solar situation.

I used to have a wood stove for heating the old shop. Not as convenient as the furnace and needs handloading and ash hauling, but I have loads of trees. However, if I am using flammable things; solvents, etc. I do not like to have that burning.

For a cabin with a ready supply of near free wood I like a wood stove along with a direct vent propane heater. When warming up from cold run both together.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 20 Feb 2021 07:12pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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Propane 'torpedo' heater is fast. Aim it toward something to use as a heat sink, like a V8 engine block.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 20 Feb 2021 07:31pm
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I'm just starting to work in my new shop, and have been using only a tank top propane heater with the doors open. Easy enough to move around and point towards the area I am working in. The ceiling mount forced air sounds good though when I get around to upgrading.

Fanman
Member
# Posted: 20 Feb 2021 09:46pm - Edited by: Fanman
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My garage / workshop is heated by a natural gas (converted to propane) furnace that was removed from my mother in law's house when the A/C part went bad, the heater part still worked. A whole house furnace may seem overkill for a garage, but it works quite well considering the garage isn't well insulated and it may be starting from freezing temperatures. And it was free...

Brettny
Member
# Posted: 21 Feb 2021 06:36am
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I have used propane torpedo heaters and kerosene heaters. They both arnt very good.

I currently have a wood stove and hanging propane heater (that I haven't used this year). A few years ago I would leave the hanging heater on 40* so I could work out there after work. Now I just put another layer of clothes on and light the wood stove.

In a garage especially you will need to get alot of heat in quick because theres usualy alot of mass in garages, vehicles, tools and a cold concrete floor that needs to be heated up. It takes a whole weekend to heat my floor up and that's ripping the wood stove.

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