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There are 2 very different experiences with them. Here's mine: I put one in my garage and ran it one day. It generated so much moisture (along with a distinct odor) that I happened to be in the attic of said garage the next day for an unknown reason. The roof decking was absolutely dripping with water which had condensed from the moisture the heater gave off. My garage ceiling was insulated, but had no moisture barrier. I dismounted it that day and took it to Goodwill as a donation. So my experience says avoid them and get a vented heater. That said, there are others who use them and seem to have no problem with any of this.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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Unvented appliances are a very bad idea.
Blackhat
Bad experiences come from poor decisions. So do good stories.
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For what its worth, and since it looks like you and I are in the same neck of the woods, Menard's has the vented Mr Heater unit for around $350 now. I think it's rated at 45k btu. Of course that would mean punching a hole somewhere to vent it. I've read enough reviews of the Mr Heater brand to be a little leery of it, but it's a good price.
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I have an unvented propane heater in my shop but it gets very dry here in the winter so moisture isn't a problem
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11-22-2017, 02:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-22-2017, 02:39 PM by Mr Eddie.)
(11-20-2017, 02:16 PM)blackhat Wrote: Unvented appliances are a very bad idea.
+1
Cletus,
A vented heater is the proper way to do it especially using propane. Also, remember, heaters are usually rated by btu input. Multiply the input by the efficiency of the furnace to get a truer picture of output. For example, a 30k heater running at 85% will output roughly 25k btu. The gives you about 30-35 btu/sq ft. That's on the low end if you want to be hot.
Sometimes the only difference between a 30k heater and a 45k heater is the orifice and/or pressure setting. 45k (about 50 btu/sq ft) should be enough to keep you very comfortable (if you have reasonable insulation). A 60k heater will roast you good at over 65 btu/sq ft. It's been a long time since I was in the business but I'm sure some of the hvac guys can dial you in. Depends too where you live.
Lonnie
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(11-22-2017, 02:38 PM)Mr Eddie Wrote: +1
Cletus,
A vented heater is the proper way to do it especially using propane. Also, remember, heaters are usually rated by btu input. Multiply the input by the efficiency of the furnace to get a truer picture of output. For example, a 30k heater running at 85% will output roughly 25k btu. The gives you about 30-35 btu/sq ft. That's on the low end if you want to be hot.
Sometimes the only difference between a 30k heater and a 45k heater is the orifice and/or pressure setting. 45k (about 50 btu/sq ft) should be enough to keep you very comfortable (if you have reasonable insulation). A 60k heater will roast you good at over 65 btu/sq ft. It's been a long time since I was in the business but I'm sure some of the hvac guys can dial you in. Depends too where you live.
Lonnie
Thanks for the tips.
Mark
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(11-20-2017, 12:29 PM)CLETUS Wrote: If I can tack onto this thread... I'm looking at moving away from wood to propane for the shop.
A 30,000 vent free Mr. Heater is good for 750 sq ft. My shop is 600 sq ft. Will I be able to get the shop HOT? Gimme the run down on vent vs. vent free.
My shop is also 600 sf. I heat it with a Blue Flame wall mounted heater. Fuel is natural gas , not vented. I am in southern NJ where winter temperatures can go down to 0. The shop is warm , average 70° .Furthest area from the shop may be 2 ° cooler at most. This heater has been in service with no problems for 19 years. I have never had the heat up any where near capacity. This heater is rated 30,000 BTU's.
mike
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(11-25-2017, 07:58 PM)mike4244 Wrote: My shop is also 600 sf. I heat it with a Blue Flame wall mounted heater. Fuel is natural gas , not vented. I am in southern NJ where winter temperatures can go down to 0. The shop is warm , average 70° .Furthest area from the shop may be 2 ° cooler at most. This heater has been in service with no problems for 19 years. I have never had the heat up any where near capacity. This heater is rated 30,000 BTU's.
mike
Thank you for the real life example.
Mark
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This bad boy is going to heat and cool a 30x50 shop. 1" pleated Pre-filter and a 4" pleated merv 10 filter- air handler will stay clean. 10 year warranty on all parts. Will feel the air moving throughout the whole shop. Used a 5 ton air handler on a 4 ton condenser.
![[Image: K7zh0Ag.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/K7zh0Ag.jpg)
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(12-01-2017, 03:35 PM)daddo Wrote: This bad boy is going to heat and cool a 30x50 shop. 1" pleated Pre-filter and a 4" pleated merv 10 filter- air handler will stay clean. 10 year warranty on all parts. Will feel the air moving throughout the whole shop. Used a 5 ton air handler on a 4 ton condenser.
What would the cost of something like that be
