Heating the workshop

[John Cornforth]

Hi

As Autumn approaches and the gardening season winds down, thoughts turn to Austin Seven maintenance.  My workshop is heated by an electric fan heater, and my friendly supplier British Gas has now told me I will be paying 34.2 p for every kilowatt hour.

It occurs to me that if I were to burn a Gallon of E10 costing £7.38, that would yield 41.9 kilowatt hours of heat.  That works out at only 17.6 p for every kilowatt hour.  

Anyone found the flaw in this scheme (apart from the fire risk).

[Ivor Hawkins]

I’m just about to make an axle nut locking tool using a scrap brake drum and a length of thick wall steel tube and wondering how much it will cost to fire up the mig welder and weld it up!

My workshop of pretty nippy, I think I might carry on with the gardening instead...

[Colin Wilks]

An LPG 15 kW heater from Screwfix is £100. 13kg Propane is about £35 (once you've got the bottle). Propane is 14kWh per kg, so standard 13kg bottle gives 182 kWh, which gives around 19p / kWh of controllable heat which doesn't smell.
Alterntively, install an air source heat pump with a coefficient of performance of 3.5:1, so an investment of a mere £8k or so provides you heat at "only" 9.8p/kWh!
On reflection John, a few rags soaked with E10 in a bucket in the corner is clearly the way to go if you're wanting to limit your capital investment!

[Chris KC]

I bought an electric fan heater and found it curiously ineffective unless you are standing right in front of it. My old Aladdin paraffin stove does a much better job of heating, though condensation is the downside / risk.

[Reckless Rat]

For winter pottering I have a calor gas "Super Ser" butane heater which I blagged from SYP before I retired - even in my big garage it is enough to take the chill off on the days when I have to resort to a pullover.

In the summer I have a portable air-con unit that is vented to the outside. The Beardy Wizard Bloke can testify as to its efficacity.

[Jason Franzone]

I’ve got a diesel heater for my shed. Sounds like a 747 at takeoff but warms the shed in about 2 minutes flat! 

[David Stepney]

I don't heat my garage. Given that the four winds of heaven appear to meet regularly inside, there is little point. Long johns, a good thick woolly, a heavyweight set of overalls, a body warmer (with lots of pockets for dropping bits and pieces in) and my trademark flat cap (it's surprising how much heat one loses from one's head) and I am as snug as a bug in a rug. Moving about is fun, though; it feels as if I am wearing armour.

[Charles P]

Quilted overalls. Available from any agricultural merchants for about £20-30

Charles

[Peter Naulls]

I've just bought myself a heated gilet - a cross between a waistcoat and an electric blanket. It's not yet cold enough to tell how effective it is but first impressions are good. The battery life is shortish but apparently I can plug it in to a phone charger if I'm working at the bench for any length of time.

[Dave Mann]

    I find this boiler which heats the house keeps my cellar workshop toasty.