Propane heater in the shop

Carol Reed

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5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
I have a two head Mr. Heater mounted on a 10 gallon tank. Last night it sputtered out - empty. $3 a gallon to refill. :eek:

I am trying to warm the double carport that I've tarped to keep the wind out. Works OK for a few hours a day.

Called the plumber to give me an estimate to run an extension off the house gas line. Propane is $1.50. Better.

Problem, or question. The Mr. Heater has a combo regulator on/off valve. The house propane is already regulated at the meter. Can I bypass that? Would I need to install an on/off valve between the hose and the heater? I plan to use an RV hose to give a little flexibility of movement. I planned to remount the Mr. Heater on an old sturdy light tripod, instead of the tank.

If this becomes a real hassle, then Plan B.

Next summer I plan to build a new shop building - if the county will let me. They can get a little weird around here, but that is another thread, someday, maybe. So maybe I'll get the furnace/heater now and rig it for the carport and move it later.

Where can I shop for shop heaters? Anybody got on-line resources?
 
i would consider a new heater and have it plumbed from the main tank. i had one in the old shop and they had to put a regulator on the shop wall where it went in..also at the house where it went in there.. alot of folks like the modine heaters or the hot dawgs i think they are called. they do have a online web page i dont have it but have been there..i am now using a furnace but there might be some used trailer furnaces around you for a reasonable cost :thumb:
 
A regulator just controls the pressure. Having a second one shouldn't cause a problem and you heater might even use a lower pressure than your house has. I wouldn't remove the one from the heater unless I had a problem.
 
Hi Carol

An online all sorts company that i have even ordered from up here in Canada and had no issues with is

Northern Tool They have real stores as well and always have deals going on lots of heaters.

Best of luck with the heating.
 
Carol, If and when you get around to the new shop you might consider lots of insulation. If you do it right you can save a lot in heating and cooling. I know some shops that are so well insulated that they can be heated with a hot water heater for not much energy. My shop has a fair amount of insulation and it stays cool for quite a few hours in the summer and stays around 50 degrees in the winter unless I turn the fan on the hot water radiator. I can then hold 60 degrees easy.
 
That tank you've been using was, surely, propane. That given, you won't need to change out your orifice(s) in the heater if/when you switch to the big tank. You really should keep the original regulator & just plumb it in line with the house's regulator. Under all but the most unusual conditions the heater's regulator will just run wide-open like a pipe... but it'll BE there.

You WILL NEED a shutoff valve AT the heater, where you can get to it if something happens. That one is full-up necessary, and if you skimp on it you're really beggin' for troubles someday. You'll also need a drop line next to the heater - that removes most of the crud that might have found its way into your heater's orifice & wrecked its ability to give you a clean (safe) burn.
 
Drop line? Please explain.

I will leave the original regulator/shut-off valve in line.

The plan is to have a valve plumbed into the carport, then attach an RV type rubber hose to the Mr. Heater valve/regulator.

I had a line plumbed to the deck and attached the B-B-Que via the hose and it works fine. I shut the gas off at the deck valve when I finished cooking.

I would shut off the carport valve when not heating as well.

Do NOT want to go BOOM!
 
Drop line?
A trap at the end of the run. The run will come into a tee one line up to the appliance and one line down (about 12" long) with a cap on it. That way any crud that get into the line hits the tee and drops. If you are having a plumber install this line most likely he will put this in and put the shut off in as well. Depending on the run he may have to bump the pipe size up to get the volume to be right to run the heater. If so you will need the regulator to bring it back down to working psi.
 
Another thing to consider Carol in regards to the new shop build is to establish a utility trench from the house to the barn/shop. When i ran the power out to the barn I buried a gas line for natural gas, which I ended up not using but it is there if someone ever needs it in the future. I also ran a water line and the electrical in the same trench which was put in according to code. (Buried at different depths ) You can also bury a PVC pipe with some line in it for future use like pulling in a CAT 5 cable etc.
 
There will be in fact, several trenches from the shop to various utilities. My brother has a tractor with a backhoe. I get to go, "Start here and go there." :thumb: :D

I am planning on a toilet/sink, heat, A/C in the 'office,' lottsa lights, 120 & 240 service, an overhead trolley, a small loading dock, drapery track to cordon off chip producers like the lathe, and cleaner areas for finishing. Also a small outside deck to hoist a fizzy, ponder the pond out back and noodle out designs. Not a Marty build though. Thinking 400-500 square feet.

Soon as I get the basic requirements from the county, I'll start sharing and you all can get into the act. :thumb::thumb::thumb::eek::eek::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
Thinking 400-500 square feet.

Soon as I get the basic requirements from the county, I'll start sharing and you all can get into the act. :thumb::thumb::thumb::eek::eek::rofl::rofl::rofl:

I think the county reg are going to require you build a 5' wide by 80' long to get to the square footage that you need.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
But on the bright side they require the the top of the roof be no taller than 4':rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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Carol if this build is not so far off then why not just tough it out with what you have for one last winter. Or get a cheap electric space heater. Save the cost of running gas to a location that will become obsolete in a short time. Then get the right size heater for the space you build. The other thing is that you would be surprized at how much heat a pair of 500 watt halogens lights put out.
 
Carol, here is a similar heater to what Larry referred to.

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200307961_200307961

This is what I put in my new shop. My heating guy doesn't have it hooked up yet so can't tell you any specifics except it looks good on the wall and I hope to use it next winter!!!:dunno::huh::eek::doh::doh:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_51118-51507-MD200TBE_0_?productId=1187155&Ntt=blue%20flame%20heater&Ntk=i_products&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?newSearch=true$Ntt=blue%20flame%20heater$y=0$x=0
 
Funny, Don! Fair to point out that you are almost as tall as I am! :D

Tough it out, Chuck? Not me. I am a total wuss when it comes to cold. To go without more heat out there means I stay in here. I am trying to get friendly with my new lathe. A long distance relationship won't get it!
 
Funny, Don! Fair to point out that you are almost as tall as I am! :D

Tough it out, Chuck? Not me. I am a total wuss when it comes to cold. To go without more heat out there means I stay in here. I am trying to get friendly with my new lathe. A long distance relationship won't get it!

You as bad as my wife. She pokes her head in and if it's not at least 75 she turns and leaves. Muttering some thing about it being to cold.:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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