# Anyone using a pellet stove to heat their workshop?



## doublewide

I have a 24 X 24 detached 2 car garage shop.  I do not keep cars in this garage, it's my workshop.  I insulated it pretty well when I built it.  Due to the garage doors and windows I know the insulation is not air tight.  It also has a very cold concrete floor. 9 foot ceilings as well.  Just wondering what size pellet stove (BTU's) would do the job for this space.  I live in Eastern PA.   Anyone interested in selling a used stove in my area I would be interested.  Thanks


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## heat seeker

Check zoning - around here, solid fuel stoves cannot be used in a garage (whether you keep cars in it or not).


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## Bioburner

No problem in MN. Residential areas are banning outside boilers because of the smoke though. My pc45 couldn't keep up last night and froze the milk. Was -13 and the wind blew at the double doors. Perfect storm to not keep enough heat  in my garage shop.


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## mikkeeh

I have a 5500M in a workshop.  Concrete floor, half of a pole barn, shop space is 24x24, 10 foot ceiling w R19, R11 sidewalls.   At 20 degrees, the stove will keep it comfortable to work in........66-68 degrees, while running on #1,( of 5. )   Takes a while to get it heated up...but seems to maintain really well.


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## doublewide

heat seeker said:


> Check zoning - around here, solid fuel stoves cannot be used in a garage (whether you keep cars in it or not).


I understand a garage attached to the house should not have a pellet stove, but a detached garage would not allow a solid fuel stove for what reason?  Is a wood stove banned as well?


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## heat seeker

They are concerned with fuel vapors and flames in a structure. And yes, they'll allow an oil burner or a gas heater. I don't really understand the logic, either.


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## jrsdws

I use a 30,000 btu pellet stove in my 24x24 shop with R11 walls and R40 ceiling.  I keep it set back pretty low on thermostat (40deg).  It doesn't have any problem maintaining any set temperature.  Warming it up can take a while depending on outside temp and wind, etc.


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## heat seeker

Bioburner said:


> Residential areas are banning outside boilers because of the smoke though


Same here. Too many people were smoking out their neighbors, mostly by burning their trash along with the unseasoned wood.


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## Bioburner

heat seeker said:


> Same here. Too many people were smoking out their neighbors, mostly by burning their trash along with the unseasoned wood.


Not near as bad as the shredded tires or used railroad ties I would bet!


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## DirtyDave

I have for years in uminsulated attahjed garage and shop with pellet /wood stoves. Car, harleys , diesel, gas. I keep the fuels far away from stove  and the vehicles. I have seen more fires from a torpedo kerosene shop heaters than wood/pellet stoves out here. We dont get as long length  of single didget temps either.


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## Boondoggie

heat seeker said:


> They are concerned with fuel vapors and flames in a structure. And yes, they'll allow an oil burner or a gas heater. I don't really understand the logic, either.


 
I think many places don't allow a floor mounted heater of any sort... there are gas heaters than hang from the celing, away from the settling fuel vapors near the floor.


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## katman

I have my Harman pb 105 in my 30 x 40 pole barn (12 ft height, two 10 ft doors, window and concrete floor.  Uninsulated.  I have about 30 feet of 1 1/4 inch exposed supply and return copper pipe.  The Harman doesn't throw off a lot of heat but the pipe does keep the barn at about 50 during normal cold days and about 40 now.  I left the pipe exposed to keep paint and other liquids from freezing.  I also have a small coal stoker stove.  When I fire that up on one of tese cold days I can easily boost the temperature to 70.


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## Bioburner

Boondoggie said:


> I think many places don't allow a floor mounted heater of any sort... there are gas heaters than hang from the celing, away from the settling fuel vapors near the floor.


 What the *&$% about the rising vapors of Natural gas? Mn blows up a house or two every month on average because of NG. Fuel vapor alarms could be as cheap as CO detectors and could be tied to most heaters to prevent this.


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## bonesy

I use my BigE to heat my approx 900sqft garage with 9' ceilings. Walls and roof are insulated with R11 I think. Two 9x8 garage doors, one man door and two double hung windows. When its working (has a ctrl brd issue), the BigE has no issue keeping the temp to whatever I set it at running on level 3. I think it is listed as a 45k or 50k BTU stove.


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## Harvey Schneider

I have a 25-PDVC in my 1200 sq ft unfinished basement. (Concrete floor and walls) It warms the air from 55 deg F to in about 70 deg in a half hour, as indicated by the thermostat, but it chugs down a bag of pellets in about six hours.


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## Seasoned Oak

My workshop[ 20x30 has so much scrap wood that it would be crazy to burn pellets.  Even so i cant use up all the scraps


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## doublewide

I called the township building tonight and asked if I need a permit to install a pellet stove or a wood burning stove in my detached garage.  I was told that I can install either a pellet stove or a wood burning stove and no permit would be needed.  I am leaning towards a pellet stove because I already burn pellets in my basement.  Also a woodstove would require quite a bit of piping and would have to be located near the center of the garage to vent out of the roof above the ridge.  I'm planning on buying a used pellet stove hopefully around 40,000 BTU's.


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## Bioburner

Well the main heating season is over and the bargins should be had. CL in minneapolis has close to 100 pellet listings. Even a new unused englander with rust for $600. Project never gotten to. A ceiling fan will help both in winter and summer.


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## Reno605

If like for me it's your insurance company that may care a lot about an open flame heater of any type in any building even detached that has highly flammable items in it. Gasoline first on list even in a vehicle, garden tractor etc then on to paint thinners and more. Aside from that pellet stove works great for me, mine on programmable thermostat set to have heat in the building about a hour before I plan to use it.


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## doublewide

I have a ceiling fan already and it works really well when I run my portable Propane Heater. I plan on only running the pellet stove when I am in the garage. I don't plan on using a thermostat on the pellet stove. This stove will probably be used less than 3 hours a week. I'm figuring maybe 3-4 bags of pellets a year. I have 2 small kids, so don't really get too much garage time anymore. It might not seem worth $1000 to put in, but I will be using it more and more down the road as my kids grow up. And, man is it cold out there right now. Here are some stoves on my local craigslist.  Can you guys tell me anything about these.  I don't know the brand of the 2nd one.
http://allentown.craigslist.org/hsh/3498819744.html
http://reading.craigslist.org/app/3561386317.html


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