How warm do you keep your shop?

[John Weber]

How warm do you keep your shop? I keep mine around 45 degrees in the winter with an electric base board heater. That seems to keep the tools happy and rust free and is warm enough to work in with a sweatshirt. If needed I crank up a kerosene heater and can quickly heat the shop to 70 for finishing or if I want it a little toasty.

John

[Bart Leetch]

About 60 degrees.

[Paul B. Cresti]

Being that this is the first winter (only second year in my house and first year of my business) that I have actual real heat in my shop this is what I currently do. When I am not in there I set the thermostat at 55. When I am going to work I set it at 65 and sometimes lower it once I have all the machines and phase converter running. I was surprised to notice the amount of heat gain in the shop when in full blown work mode. By the way I have base board hydronic heat which is tied into the house boiler and zoned separately. Real convient, safe heat.

[Matt Meiser]

I keep mine at about 45 when I'm planning to be in and out over the course of several days and set the temperature to 60 when I'm working in there.

<geek mode on>
At work I deal a lot with interfacing IT systems to programmable logic controllers, so I bought a PLC on Ebay and wrote some software that allows me to remotely control the temperature via email. I can send a message to an email address (only from one of my accounts) and set the status to off, low temperature, or high temperature. I'll be adding control of my air conditioning in the spring. If I decide to work in the shop, I can have it warmed up by the time I get home. The software also reminds me if I forget to turn the temperature down or off.
<geek mode off>

[Andy London]

I have heated mine since 86 with a wood stove but this shall be the last year. I find with all the cast machinery and -30 temps oitside, it just takes too long after work to get the shop warm. Then there is the issue of gluing things up, if the shop drops below freezing there are those white glue lines that are hard to get rid of so.......I am off to buy a pellet stove next week. You can hook these up to a thermostat and for about $2.25 a day even in these temps I can heat my shop.

[Frank Pellow]

I keep the thermostat for the propane space heater set to +5 (that's about 40 Farenheit), then I light a wood fire when I am working and let the temperature rise to the +15 to +18 range (around 60 to 65 Farenheit).

[Jerry Golick]

My workshop consists of 1500 sq ft of unfinished basement, that is surrounded on three sides with lots and lots of packed earth, and a well insulated garage door on the fourth side.

Of course, the real secret of staying warm here in the north of Quebec is simple. Rent your country house for the winter! While this does cut down on the number of projects completed over the winter, one does stay very warm.

[mike lucas]

I have a high low thermometer in the shop, and over the past 3 weeks the temperature has not gone beyond these temps 59.4* for a low, and 62.7* for a high. This has been while outside temperature has been as high as 75* and as low as -11*. So I think I have the shop pretty well insulated.
I think the perfect temperature for a shop is 60*

Ohio weather is crazy. we had 11 days and nights that ranged from 34* to 75* then we had 12 days and night ranging from -11* to 31* But the shop stated very consistent.

[mike lucas]

I have heated mine since 86 with a wood stove but this shall be the last year. I find with all the cast machinery and -30 temps oitside, it just takes too long after work to get the shop warm. Then there is the issue of gluing things up, if the shop drops below freezing there are those white glue lines that are hard to get rid of so.......I am off to buy a pellet stove next week. You can hook these up to a thermostat and for about $2.25 a day even in these temps I can heat my shop.

Those pellet stoves were the rave for a few years, but for some reason they all but went away.

[Bruce Page]

Since adding natural gas heating, I keep the thermostat at 50° when I’m not working and set it at 68° when I am.

[Andy London]

Those pellet stoves were the rave for a few years, but for some reason they all but went away.

There were some serious issues with them, they tended to backdraft and when they did the smoke released would do serious damage to the inside of homes. From what I have read locally, one could have to replace their furniture, Insurance companies said enough is enough and for a time would not insure a home with a pellet stove.

They have had a perfect track record with the new version for the past three years, 96%+ effecient, they have a power vent so they can't backdraft, no flu required, direct vent out through the wall. The stoves are very expensive, around $2,800 min. then at least $600.00 to install it yourself and have it certified for insurance. However the upside for me is there are a number of factories very nearby that make the pellets and they are dirt cheap, $2.50 for a 80 pound bag which would heat the shop for 30 hours on high. The other downside is no power....no stove. I have a generator but I won't need heat that bad

Although we have the largest natural gas deposit in north america, it is only piped to business's and the rest goes to the new england states, oil is the next option but at $2.50 a gallon for heating fuel that is out and our electricity is the highest in Canada....an average house with electric heat will pay a power bill of $480.00 a month....so that is out and no other options are left. Wood is a cheap source of heat however you have to be around to keep it going.

These new pellet stoves come on and off based on the room telp, they are computerized in that you program a 24 hours heating cycle for a 7 day period, with overides for days when you are stuck home and want it warmer.

[Stefan Antwarg]

Just yesterday I had a 240/30 amp outlet installed for my new heater. The basement is large and uninsulated. I don't know how hot I can get it, but I hope to get it in the mid to upper 60's. Without it, the basement is usually in the low 50's.

Stefan

[Thomas Prondzinski]

John
I heat my garage all winter long. keep it about 55 to 60 when not out there,then turn up to 70 when working.If not going to be out there for a week or more will turn down to 40 to 50. has not been turned down much in the last 3 weeks.Working on vanities and linens then on to kitchen cabinets.




Tom

[Dick Parr]

When not in the shop I keep it between 55-60 and then turn it up for a little bit when I go out until the chill is off, then set it back down because it gets to hot.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I don't heat the shop! :O... I only run a small mr buddy heater when I am in there to be able to warm up my hands.

I guess it pays to be young and dumb sometimes!