# Are space heaters safe?



## newbiewoodworker (Aug 29, 2010)

I may very well pickup a space heater on the way back from an appointment tommorrow. But my question is: Are oil filled heaters safe for use in a shop? Will they warm an uninsulated 1 car garage? The size is 11×24, would one suffice?

Also, are they cool to the touch… or do I have to worry about getting burned by one(so I can figure out where to position it, so while planing a board I wont end up cooking a "Rump Roast"... :O

Thanks


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

since they are space HEATERS, I can only assume it also gets hot 

I have a space heater (electric) and it's hung from the wall so that I won't accidently bump it, touch it, or knock it over something that might want to catch fire. just remember not to use any solvents (finishes/mineral spirits/etc) near it, the vapor could easily start an unwanted BBQ party.


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## Quixote (Jun 9, 2008)

Yes, maybe, maybe not, no, yes.

Q


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## newbiewoodworker (Aug 29, 2010)

http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xh3Zaq30/R-100646471/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I am refering to one of these.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Herer in WaterWorld, Western WA, 10 watts per sq foot is a good number for insluated room. It may make a nice little spot to warm up, but it will not heat the space.


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## snowdog (Jul 1, 2007)

I use a torpedo to bring the shop up to temp then a hanging electric heater to keep it warm. The electric heater is a new addition and has not yet been put through the zero degree test. This winter will be the true test. The torpedo worked for me, I just had to shut it off after 10 min due to the fumes. Good luck.

I don't thing your heater will heat your shop, but it depends on how cold it gets


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## Toolz (Feb 26, 2008)

In the winter I heat my shop (22'x44') with a torpedo heater to bring the temp up to about 55F. It has a thermostat and cuts off when it reaches the desired temp. I also have a 220V electric heater that I place a fan in front of to circulate heated air. The torpedo come on about 10 minutes every hour.


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I have a Fahrenheat 5000 Watt Unit Heater ( http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/1161 ) that I am quite happy with. I considered other options, but IMHO, electric was the cleanest and safest for my situation.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

All I have is a space heater in my office at the plant but outside my office in the plant there is no heat. At home I have a space heater in my shop. We don't have cold weather but about two or three months since we're in North GA. I would not use a space heater in the house especially if there were children or pets that could knock it over. I know that most of them will cut off if knocked over but I still don't trust them if no one is right with them.


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## dbhost (Jul 20, 2009)

I have one that I use in my 2 car garage. Will it keep up with an uninsulated garage? That all depends on just how leaky the building is, and how cold it gets where you are I guess. BUT… in my 2 car garage, prior to insulating last winter, my shop heater was able to keep up with a Texas winter, windy sub freezing days without door seals and my shop would still stay in the 70's.

I am in a 2 car garage, but a small one. (18×20), so even if you are in a colder climate, you SHOULD still be okay with it since you are minus about a third of the square footage.

As far as are they hot. Yeah, they are hot. But not enough to cook your rump roast as it were… I can lay my hand on top of mine with it running at high heat no problem.

I find that a small box fan on low, and I suspect now that I have an ambient air filter, would be sufficient to move the air all the way around the shop so you don't have hot and cold spots. Except for maybe by the overhead door.


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## Gregn (Mar 26, 2010)

I have one of the oil filled space heaters. As a single source they don't heat enough for one to stand alone. You may want to use 2 of them to make a comfortable temperature to work in. I first bought mine for the chicken house, at 0 degrees it kept the chicken house 20 degrees warmer than the outside temp. They are warm to the touch but won't burn you. I had no problems with dust on the heater causing problems. Depending on where you live you may want to check into something with more BTU's to be more economical to heat the shop.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

I have installed a lot of unit heaters of the type TheDane recommends. IMO, they are the best style for heating shops if yoiu are going with electric. That style comes for gas and hot water systems too.


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## NathanAllen (Oct 16, 2009)

That one is safe, but won't do much to heat an uninsullated garage. The other down side is they are expensive to run, figure $20-$30 a month to run a few hours a day.

Your best bet is if you have a natural gas service pipe located nearby that you can have a plumber tap into to install a wall or ceiling mounted unit. The blue flame versions will throw off enough heat, but will smell, cause some extra moisture in the air and are a risk of explosion. Not to understate the risk, but all three are a pretty minor risk.

The next step up is a direct vent natural gas heater, which I use. They minimuze the main three risks of using gas around wood working and still keep the biggest two advantages; cheap to run and effective.

Beyond insullation and drywall or other wall enclosure you're probably going to need around 20k btu/hr worth of heat to keep working through the late fall and winter.


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## newbiewoodworker (Aug 29, 2010)

My father is worried about a space heater starting a fire… so I think I may go electric baseboard, its about the same price per 4ft segment…. and then I can attach a thermostat..

We dont have Natural Gas over here in HickTown USA….

IF we dont sell the house(divorce) I am going to insulate.. but, not until I am certain my money will go to use for ME.. not the next owners…. Even the workbench can be removed… and it will unless it increases the houses value by more than $200(about what I have into it…)


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## kosta (Mar 20, 2009)

I got a heater and it does get hot when I use it. I dont have enough power going to my shop so I cant run my heater and my tablesaw at the same time its one or the other. The most important thing when your using a space heater is dont get dust on it and in it. If your in a garage you dont want to put gas cans within 10ft of your heater. As long as you pay attention to whats going on you wont have any problems


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Do not put gas cans in the shop at all!! Fumes can collect up to 18" deep. Above that is considered non-hazardous.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

I have a similar sized garage that I intend to heat this winter; I live in Thunder Bay, Ontario where the temp will regularly dip to -20, -30. In preparation, I've insulated the garage door and plan to blow insulation into the attic to about R40. I had planned to insulate the walls but the genius who owned the house before me finished the walls with chipboard nailed on top of drywall which also was nailed in; after 2 days I'd only managed to tear down about a 6 ft. section so I gave up my plan to insulate the walls. 
In answer to your question; I don't think baseboard heaters will be sufficient to heat your garage unless you live in a really temperate climate. Most baseboard heaters put out ~250 watts per foot. For my own garage I calculated that I'd need at least 5000 watts of heat on the coldest days; putting in 20ft of baseboard heater was just not practical for me and exposed a lot larger section of heating element to dust etc. Instead, I bought a 4800W electric, fan driven heater which I'm hoping will be sufficient.
My only other comment, is that if you go with any sort of open flame heat system spend the extra $50 and get a CO2 detector and fire extingusher…


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## kosta (Mar 20, 2009)

garage doors are the easiest way to loose heat in the winter. I added new weather stripping and fixed one of the insulation panels on my garage door and it mad a difference last winter


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

here's a link to a heat loss calculator which allows you to figure out the wattage of heat you need:
http://www.dimplex.com/heatcalculator.asp


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

Manitario, you might look into styrofoam insulation with foil on one side. You can nail (or glue) it onto the chipboard pretty easily. For more insulating, glue foil to the chipboard before you attach the foam, foil side out. So, it would be chipboard/foil/foam/foil. To help with understanding how well foil reflects heat, I invite anyone interested to take one square foot off a roll of foil and go outside. Take that piece of foil, lay it on a flat board and let the sun's rays reflect off it onto your face. Close your eyes first!


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

AtomJack, that's a good idea; I've seen some of that insulation at HD. I'd have to get used to having reflective walls though!


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I heated my shop in Ohio for three years with a Karosun kerosene heater and then added a Buddy propane heater. Shop was 12×16 (but had a 13 ft ceiling) They worked okay but remember these kinds of heaters(unvented) are a wet heat and the humidity goes up.


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## Sarit (Oct 21, 2009)

I wonder if anyone has tried emptying their dust collector next to a combustion source like a propane heater?


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## snowdog (Jul 1, 2007)

Now that might be fun to watch from a distance.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I have the same Farenheit heater that dane has in Central kansas Shop is a 1 car Garage, 2X4 walls (insulated) with an insulated garage door. + 36 inch entry door with the top half a 9 pane window, and two windows 24X30 inches.
You do need 220 to run it, but the fan is built in and there are no exposed filaments to have to worry about sparking a fire.
Even when it is 0 here (~ -20C) it keeps everything toasty and doesn't run all the time although I tinker with the thermostat switch to get it into my comfort zone.
I used an oil filled heater and it didn't cut the mustard at my temps, however they are quite safe and can perhaps be used to keep your space from freezing up when you aren't there


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

I would use caution when using an unvented flame type heater. There is danger of asphyxiation when using this type of heat. You have to allow an air intake that will draw cold air which cancels out the heat your unit is putting out.
*I lost a school classmate died from using a kerosene heater in 1950, in his basement, & his Dad was the fire chief in our town, & should have known better.*

If you have natural gas, or propane get a heater that vents out , & draws in outside air.
They mount on an outside wall.


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## nobuckle (Nov 3, 2010)

I've been using an oil filled heater for a couple of years now. I went with oil filled for the very reason that I did not want an exposed heating element or an open flame. My shop is only 99 sq. ft. so I wanted something compact. I settled on a DeLong (I think that's the brand) and it has worked well. It does jack up my heating bill in the winter but I like the thought of working in a warm shop.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

I'd say start by insulating the area to be heated


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## BurtC (Oct 30, 2009)

I have a oil filled heater I keep on most of winter. Only heat insulated small room (1940's old garage 11'x18') in shop I use for assembly, finishing and lumber storage. I set the temp to 50 degrees just to keep room above freezing.
The heater just gets warm to the touch, not hot. Located by a window. Wipe dust off on reqular basis.
Prior to working in shop, I fire up a couple convention space heater for an hour prior to working, while having breakfast. I also have a small cabinet with 60 watt lamp in bottom that keeps glue and finishs at a cosy temp, 24×7. Extra cost is approx. $20/month electric bill.
I would definitely insulate, then give the oil filled a chance. Here in Denver area it is a must.


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## Viking (Aug 26, 2009)

We use a 175,000 btu kerosene forced air heater, with thermostat, to heat workshop during very short Texas Winters. It is placed at far end of shop, away from dust producing machines and gets shop to 70 degrees within 20-30 minutes on a mid 30's morning. Shop is about 2800 sq.ft. with 20 ft. ceiling.

Picked heater up at HD for less than half price at end of 2009 winter. It operates on kerosene but, can burn diesel also. Fumes are almost non-existant.

Good luck!


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## snowdog (Jul 1, 2007)

Maybe I need a new torpedo heater  mine stinks (literally) when I turn it on for about a minute but it is enough to fill the room with that wonderful oily smell.


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## Chipncut (Aug 18, 2006)

*snowdog,*
You may need a new fuel injector nozzle, or maybe just cleaning it will help.

But don't use these in an enclosed space, because they'll eat up all of the oxygen.


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## Lochlainn1066 (Oct 18, 2010)

I vote for insulating too.

I use a single space heater in my (insulated) two car garage. It does a perfectly fine job even on the coldest days. Granted I'm in southern MO so YMMV, but it holds up to single digit cold.

A single car garage should be easier to heat but you have to hold that heat in.

Electric is safer than gas and the oil filled radiators get hot but you can't burn yourself badly with them. And it should have a knock-over shut off (most do). Keep it free of dust and don't put anything on it, you should be good.


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