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Heating the Shop

burnt

Well-known member
Well we are almost at the point where we can hook up a heat source to our in-floor heat system in the work shop but now I'm having second thoughts about the heat source.

A propane fired water heater or maybe a boiler was the preferred option for convenience sake. But my neighbor 2 farms down just got his similar system working on a propane water heater and kinda went into shock after his first propane tank refill. It jumped from 48 cents to 72 cents and took a lot more than he figured.

We have tons of wood in the bush and it makes it kinda attractive from a "free" fuel perspective to go the route of some sort of wood fired boiler/furnace. Of course the downside of that is having to fire the furnace on a regular basis.

Jigger Boss, do you mind telling me a bit more about your system? Did you have it installed or was it existing when you got you place? About how much wood do you go through?

Oil or propane would be so much easier but the fuel cost . . .
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
I'm not JB but..... 2 neighboring brothers here just had those systems put in, outside wood heater, hose, radiator with fan for inside the buildings, heat both house and shop with one stove.

Roughly $25,000 EACH.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
We have infloor heat in the house. We have used a 60 gal electric water heater for 10 years. We were looking at a new electric boiler that should lower our power bill but the initial cost was a bite. Adding solar would have lowered it more but again the initial cost is substantial.

Check out a Lang boilers. Going back over my notes. The boiler was about $3,000 add domestic hot water for $1,500 Solar added another $12,000 with pay back under 10 years.

I am pretty sure I found that same boiler on the net down east for quite a bit less money then we were quoted but we are so far far from trades people it could be hard to find some one to hook it up.
 

burnt

Well-known member
gcreekrch said:
I'm not JB but..... 2 neighboring brothers here just had those systems put in, outside wood heater, hose, radiator with fan for inside the buildings, heat both house and shop with one stove.

Roughly $25,000 EACH.

You sure got that right - you're not JB. She's way better lookin. :wink:

Wow. I think that if I were spending that kind of money, I would go to a ground loop/heat pump and have no fuel issues at all. However having said that, my brother has a ground loop for his house and isn't terribly thrilled with it.

The propane fired boiler would cost about $5 - 6000 compared to an industrial 60 gal. water heater at $2000. The boiler has fuel efficiency and longevity going for it.
 

per

Well-known member
If you are going with a propane boiler, check with Wolseley or one of the big mechanical suppliers and ask if they have any dented or damaged but still good equipment. I have back up boilers that cost about 10% of retail. A simple double wall solar gain system can be built for the price of another layer of tin on the south side which can eliminate the day time heating cost.
 

Jigger Boss

Well-known member
My system was already installed when this place was bought. If I remember correctly I believe the former owners said it cost them about $7,000 to have it installed. I don't know how long ago that was.
It goes through approx 25 cord a winter.
Here is the one I have....
http://www.empyrestove.com/
 

burnt

Well-known member
That's a good idea about the solar source but we already have a fairly big polycarbonate door facing south, taking up almost the entire end of the shop. And on the dent discount stuff, my neighbor's water heater was dented and he got it for 1/2 price.

Thanks Jigger Boss. I'll check it out. That sounds like a fairly efficient furnace compared to what I've been seeing in wood consumption from some around here.

BMr, those Lang boiler folks are in New York State - I would prefer to deal closer to home.
 
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