Question about building new heating for the garage.

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I wasn't sure which section to put this in but it is a welding project so I guess hear is good. right now I'm using a ready heater to heat my garage which does the job just fine, but the cost of kerosene is starting to add up and the heater is starting to make fumes in the garage. so I have been trying to read up online how to heat with wood in my garage. my dad has a double 55 gallon drum wood burner in his garage and it works awesome. the problem with this is I don't really have the room to dedicate to an indoor and also I can't afford to have my insurance drop my garage or my policy all together. so my option is to move the burner outside and pipe the heat in through the wall. so I have been trying to wrap my mind around the best and cheapest option. I know there's companies that make outdoor heating units for buildings but they are very expensive. I can't afford that option. so I'm thinking of building a burner out of a recycled propane tank and putting an air duct in the top of it to pull hot air from the fire box into the garage. the duct would be recessed into the fire box and would be blocked off from smoke and fire but would have vent areas open above the fire box to pull in outside fresh air. which would be heated and then pumped into the garage via a fan in the duct work. here's some VERY crude paint drawings of what I'm looking at building.  Another option is a boiler setup. I'm more then confident and capable of build a pressure vessel/system to hold up to this task. being that the vessels we build at work test at 350-400 PSI. I would build a water boiler/tank in the fire box and the steam would be pushed through some piping into the garage where I would build a heater coil that would have a fan pushing across it to blow the hot air into the garage. the coil would condense the steam back into water which would run back into the tank to get boiled again. sorry I don't have a sweet paint drawing for this option but I hope I described it well enough. My other option is a forced air system basically like the first system but instead of fresh air getting recirculated, I would push the air out of the garage with a blower fan to get heated again around the fire box then pushed back into the garage. I have looked at mini split systems but they are also costly.  I should add that I'm only in the garage for about 6 hours at a time on the weekends. So I would like to hear some input from you guys on mine or any other ideas. thank you.
Reply:My opinion? Bite the bullet and put a small one inside. The time and trouble it would take you to build, insure and keep your build in code, I have a hard time seeing benefits.What is the size of your shop? If it is to small for a stove, then anything you make is likely going to be overkill. I heat our 2 car garage in the winter with only space heaters. Sure its not the hottest, but anything more i will be sweating when wearing my welding clothes. No real noticeable power increase as well.
Reply:Hanging propane/natural gas garage heater would be my vote.I heat mine with wood - but if you don't have the space, hanging heaters work great.Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.
Reply:Wood heat is great if you have got wood to burn.  At $55 a truck load it isn't cheep I would look for an oil furnace or something like that.  I heat with wood but I trade fab work for it.
Reply:You mentioned that you don't want to get dropped by the insurance company . . .Have you talked to them about what you are planning?  My guess is they would drop you anyway, even with home made heater outside.  Unless it is like 50 feet from the building.  Up here they are only interested in heaters (wood/kerosene/propane/whatever) that have a UL tag.  No tag no insurance.Where are you located?PaulMiller Thunderbolt XLPraxair O/AOther stuff
Reply:Wood is nice, but way too long to get hot enough to be comfortable, I use an oil fired hot air, big in size, but simple and relatively trouble free.  fab_man21, I use wood in my house, and only wish it was $55 a truck load!
Reply:Originally Posted by BrianCWood is nice, but way too long to get hot enough to be comfortable, I use an oil fired hot air, big in size, but simple and relatively trouble free.  fab_man21, I use wood in my house, and only wish it was $55 a truck load!
Reply:Here is what you need,  Runs 24 hrs on a grill tank running on high.northern tool has it.  Search protemp cabinet heatermillermatic 130XPharbour freight 180 amp mig with added caps.hobart stickmate ac/dcpowerarc 200
Reply:My garage is only 21 X 24 with about 8ft ceiling. So I'm concerned with a natural gas heater scorching the ceiling. Unless it was a floor or low mounting model. The ones we have at work burn the piss out of everything above them. I want to heat with wood because I get it for free. Where I work our sheet metal comes in on oak and yellow pine pallets. They just pulled up outside until someone takes them home. Not to mention my mother in laws husband owns about 16 acres of Tibet with plenty of down trees.I planned on calling the insurance company before any building started. I was just getting details and ideas at this time.
Reply:I get hardwood cut offs from a friend who works at a saw mill.  I pay for that by doing all his race car fab work building bumpers motor mounts ect.  ( don't tell but that sorta welding work ant really work)
Reply:Wood is great heat source, been using it for many years. However, this year we installed a mini split ductless system and its been worth every penny. I would have to pay .84 per gallon for propane to match the running costs and to beat it install a geo thermal. They are pretty much trouble free.  A single system puts out about 8K BTUs. FugitsuGeezerPower Mig 255C185 TIGBlue 175 MIGRanger 8 Kohler 20HP1974 5K Lincoln/Wisconsin Powered (Cherry)Victor/Harris O/AK 487 Spool Gun
Reply:none of the outside burners for hot water heat that i've seen are pressurized.your insurance company and state inspectors would have a picnic with that one.what they do is run the heated water thru a heat exchanger like this-http://www.supplyhouse.com/FlatPlate-FG5X12-4-4-plate-3-4-Thread-20-GPM-Heat-Exchanger-5-x-12.your outside water loop is vented so it won't explode if the circulator pump dies while a fire is going.the heat exchanger is only to tie in to existing hydronic system that is pressurized.. for garage heat ,you could use a radiator (non-pressurized) with a fan blowing thru it.miller thunderbolt 250vlincoln square wave tig 175 prolincoln idealarc mig sp250everlast tig 210EXTeverlast power plasma 50chicago electric (hf) 130 tig/90 arcchicago electric 90 amp flux wire3 sets oxy/acet
Reply:I as well use wood heat because it is cheap. Trees keep falling down in my yard every year so I get wood for the price of chain saw gas.12v battery, jumper cables, and a 6013.I only have a facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/VPT/244788508917829
Reply:Originally Posted by warnoI wasn't sure which section to put this in but it is a welding project so I guess hear is good. right now I'm using a ready heater to heat my garage which does the job just fine, but the cost of kerosene is starting to add up and the heater is starting to make fumes in the garage. so I have been trying to read up online how to heat with wood in my garage. my dad has a double 55 gallon drum wood burner in his garage and it works awesome. the problem with this is I don't really have the room to dedicate to an indoor and also I can't afford to have my insurance drop my garage or my policy all together. so my option is to move the burner outside and pipe the heat in through the wall. so I have been trying to wrap my mind around the best and cheapest option. I know there's companies that make outdoor heating units for buildings but they are very expensive. I can't afford that option. so I'm thinking of building a burner out of a recycled propane tank and putting an air duct in the top of it to pull hot air from the fire box into the garage. the duct would be recessed into the fire box and would be blocked off from smoke and fire but would have vent areas open above the fire box to pull in outside fresh air. which would be heated and then pumped into the garage via a fan in the duct work. here's some VERY crude paint drawings of what I'm looking at building.  Another option is a boiler setup. I'm more then confident and capable of build a pressure vessel/system to hold up to this task. being that the vessels we build at work test at 350-400 PSI. I would build a water boiler/tank in the fire box and the steam would be pushed through some piping into the garage where I would build a heater coil that would have a fan pushing across it to blow the hot air into the garage. the coil would condense the steam back into water which would run back into the tank to get boiled again. sorry I don't have a sweet paint drawing for this option but I hope I described it well enough. My other option is a forced air system basically like the first system but instead of fresh air getting recirculated, I would push the air out of the garage with a blower fan to get heated again around the fire box then pushed back into the garage. I have looked at mini split systems but they are also costly.  I should add that I'm only in the garage for about 6 hours at a time on the weekends. So I would like to hear some input from you guys on mine or any other ideas. thank you.
Reply:My friend had 40 55 gallon barrels in his basement, His plan was to pipe solar heated water through them. The insurance company got wind and cancelled him. Insurance companies don't like inventors! Your plan is a huge waste of energy. You need a water jacket surrounding your firebox to efficiently capture the heat you'll generate. Do an indoor wood stove with metal solid fuel rated chimney, or water jacket, with indoor FHW heater, or a small addition with wood stove. Unless you'll heat it every day go with a gas heater.
Reply:If your using a jet engine type kerosene heater then just switch to diesel instead of kerosene. Its a bit cheaper. Also, try cleaning your spark for a cleaner burn. I use one in my basement with no fumes and no problems. If your using a kerosene type that just burns and has no fan then I say, get rid of it.
Reply:Originally Posted by NorOntYou mentioned that you don't want to get dropped by the insurance company . . .Have you talked to them about what you are planning?  My guess is they would drop you anyway, even with home made heater outside.  Unless it is like 50 feet from the building.  Up here they are only interested in heaters (wood/kerosene/propane/whatever) that have a UL tag.  No tag no insurance.Where are you located?
Reply:Ventless propane heater hanging from a rafter. What good's a boiler for part time use. Would take you 1/2 a day just to get the water temp up.REAL TRUCKS DON'T HAVE SPARK PLUGS
Reply:Originally Posted by InsanerideIf your using a kerosene type that just burns and has no fan then I say, get rid of it.
Reply:I just got off the phone with the insurance company and they said it's fine as long as the burner is not inside the building.  So I guess it's time to start getting prices on parts to see if it's doable.
Reply:Get a used oil burner forced hot air, a wood furnace FHA, or build a firebox inside a 275 gallon oil tank to duct cold and hot air through. add a blower to push cold air into the furnace.