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Hangar Spot Heating Recommendation

L

LarryT

Well Known Member
My hangar is 2000 sq. ft; 12' @ eaves 18' @ peak. A large volume.

I have a 250,000 BTU contractors heater that takes too long to heat up the volume and costs too much to operate with the current cost of propane.

I thought about getting a propane patio heater, but they empty a 20 Lb. propane tank in 10 hrs. - still too expensive.

110V electric is 1500 Watts = not much heat

I have two 220V single phase outlets for my welder. I made a 220V extension cord so I can get any place in the hangar. Are there any reasonably priced 220V electric radiant heater that I could hang on a stand at about patio heater height or higher that would warm me and the floor for a 10 x 10 or 15 x 15 area? I have a floor mat to stand on.

I continue to throw away entire winters when I should occasionally be working on my plane. Thanks for any suggestions you can pass my way.

Larry Tompkins
N544WB -6A
W52 Battle Ground WA
 
Indoor "Greenhouse"

You might consider making an indoor "greenhouse" style tent around your workspace made from 2" PVC pipe. Fittings are available from greenhouse supply shops; see:

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/hobby-diy

Build to fit over your work area, cover in plastic. Add door zipper(s) for access or just overlap the plastic. You can easily enclose your cowl and cockpit (let the wings poke out) or make a small enclosed workshop in a large hangar.

A small (1500W) electric heater will make one of these toasty in minutes. T-shirt weather inside.

Side benefit: you've also just built a portable paint booth if you add filters on the inlet side and adequate exhaust fans on the outlet side. Put the filters in the "ceiling" at one end and the exhaust fan(s) at the opposite end for a nice downdraft.

PVC structures are easy to put together and tear down as long as you don't glue the connectors! Also easy to store when you're not using them. Throw the connectors in a box and tie the pipe in a bundle.

Good luck,
Mike
 
Larry I have the same Problem down in Olympia, My 250,000 BTU Kerosene heater will run all day long and i can only get the hanger to 50 degrees or so. Now what I have been able to do is i removed one of the filters/fans to my paint booth and I direct the heater into the paint booth. By doing this I am able to get the paint booth up to 120 degrees or so, turn the temp down on the heater and you can control the heat pretty well. Depending on the weather when I get back i plan on using this method to cut my canopy. It also works real well for drying paint!!!!

I am considering extending my paint booth for this reason alone. it works that well.

-david
 
Hanger Heat

Larry and David,
I have the same issue with my hanger heat. I have, in past years, used:
1) Jet heaters (kerosene)
2) Jet heater (propane) Clean, no smell/soot. (Worked well, but expensive)
3) Kerosene static heater (worthless) Heat to rafters, no circulation.
4) Wood Stove (would have worked, although not approved at airport)
5) In two weeks an electrician friend will install an electric commercial heater that will blow down from rafters on to my work area and RV. This should spin the power meter. Not the efficient choice, but a friend gave it to me for free. I will try it.
6) I have felt heat from other hangers with the radiant overhead heat systems. This is the best system I have ever seen for a hanger situation. Radiant heating system would be my choice if I had natural gas access, which I don't.
7) Waste oil forced air heaters. Affordable, although everyone I know that has ever had one says it is great when it works, although you have to mess with them to keep them running correctly. If you have pleanty of used motor oil this may be a good choice.

Let me know what you guys come up with for heat.
 
This may not be feasible if the hangar is rented but it works for me.

I have a 20'x12' insulated shop area in one corner of the building and heat it with a couple 1500 watt heaters. In fact the heaters are off over night. I turn them on about an hour before I want to work and the temp is 65-70.

Yes, it has been a warm winter but we have had a couple windy cold days and it is very comfortable. I can not endure indoor propane heat, the fumes caused head aches.

Also, I built a 24" insulated warming oven for primer cans, pro seal and other items that work best if warmed up. It is heated with a 60 watt light bulb hooked up to a line thermostat from Granger.

Lots of time is wasted over winter and this has worked for me.
 
Paint booth type room

I made a paint booth to paint my plane in, and did my reassembly durring the coldest winter in NC history, using only a kerosun heater and the halogen work lights , and it stayed 70 degrees inside! My hangar is about same size as yours, so I made a 26x26 "room" using 2x4 walls (2 walls were the existing hangar walls. I spaced the 2x4's at 4' spacing and then made full span cieling supports from 2x4's spliced together and susspended them from the rafters of the hanger in the centerpoint using nylon rope. I covered the entire thing with heavy clear plastic (stapled) The front "wall" is really only the cross beam and a couple small diagonals on the ends, with a full span plastic roll up door made with a 2" PVC pipe that rolls upwards and hooks onto a rope loop at the top.Plane rolls right out the front.. Very simple, and built for about $ 150.00. All screwed together, and assembled in 1 day. I made a simple 1x1 frame door in the side, that had a light bungeee to keep it closed. I took it down last year to make room for another plane, and I often miss it !
 
Hah! Coldest winter in NC history would still be warmer than warmest WY winter. In fact, I think this is the warmest WY winter in history. I can think of 3 friends right now that have a wall tent set up in their hangar. I think the enclosure idea is your easiest way out. If you hurry you might get some use before spring. I've worked in all kinds of hangars under all kinds of heat and gotta say that square footage is your enemy. Sometimes in customer hangars I'll just grab components/parts and sit in my car to work on them. Sucks, but at least the radio is good & I can smoke.
 
Overhead radiant is the way to go. If you don't have natural gas get a 100 lb propane tank and pipe it in from outside. Toasty warm where you're working, minimal heat loss to areas that don't need to be heated.

Think about something like this (or a couple):

garage_heater_mh25ng_138_157.jpg
 
I also have a large hangar, 54x48x14, with an open ceiling in Minnesota. I also built a room with 2x4's/plastic sheet to keep heat from escaping to the ceiling. Fellow builders I know of have used PVC pipe/plastic and variations of what I did but one guy just went out and bought one of those cheap plastic garages from a discount lumber yard. It has a plastic sheet roof made to fit over a metal tube frame. The same frame & roof was adapted as a the basis for a spray booth later. I do believe that cost wise the garage was cheaper than my setup as 2x4's/plastic and materials cost me more than I realized. Also the garage can be set up very quickly and his cost was some $85 to $100. His project has been flying for years and the garage is now set up for a second project but with new plastic. The frame comes apart so he just stows it in the hangar when not needed.

Just my observations.

Dick DeCramer
RV4 Rebuilt wreck, RV6 flying, RV8 fuselage
Northfield, MN
 
Phlyan Pan said:
Overhead radiant is the way to go. If you don't have natural gas get a 100 lb propane tank and pipe it in from outside. Toasty warm where you're working, minimal heat loss to areas that don't need to be heated.

Think about something like this (or a couple):

garage_heater_mh25ng_138_157.jpg
Click to expand...


Can you provide a link to the radiant heater in your photo.
 
Thanks for the additional info on radiant heater.
No natural gas access. Darn.

I do use the parabolic electric heater. It works on me with exception to my feet. It also works on the RV. problem is it is line of sight.

The Forced air electric heater I am installing in two weeks will blow down from the rafters. Good when working inside the RV. Disadvantage is it will spin the power meter.
 
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