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Kerosene, Diesel and Torpedo Heaters

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  • #16
    Yeah : I gotta get off my lazy butt and read the manual . . I think it may have an automatic shutoff when reaching a certain temp - i think .

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    • #17
      Here in Ca we don't get anywhere near the cold temps many of you folks get in other areas. Yet it has been pretty chilly here the last few days. I have all of my engine parts and still have not gone out in the garage to finish putting it together, only a couple hours max left of work to have it a long block, because it has been in the 30's here over night and 50's in the day. I know that is not cold to you guys, but here, that is really cold and with a big hunk of metal in my neck...I don't like the cold now. Locks up my neck Kryptonite bike lock. Some kind of heater is in my future.

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      • #18
        We found a nearby source of kerosene and bought the last 75,000 btu torpedo heater they had for $40 off. Sometime this summer we plan to insulate and drywall the garage. We will run new electric and install a furnace at that time. We would have gone with the LP heaters except in the city I don't know of any place to get any larger than the size used on BBQ grills filled. And knowing this city I suspect anything that uses a tank larger than those on BBQ grills require permits.
        sigpic

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        • #19
          Back in the mid 90s I did a lot of work on the '53 in a un-insulated garage and used one of those kerosene heaters like you are looking at. In rural MN they are generally called Knipcos by all the farmers although most of the ones you see are not that brand name (sorta like kleenex....). Mine was (is) a Reddy Heater. They come in many sizes from hand carry to ones on wheels big enough to look like small JATOs from a airforce bomber.... Too sealed up of area and you will get a headache from the exhaust. I also found they put out a lot of water vapor (as they would from basic combustion chemistry) and that got my garage to be somewhat damp and I had some problems with tools getting rusty. Mine is now still buried in my shed and hasn't been used since 1996 (moved to present house in '97) since I have a oil furnace in the garage. Hopefully it is not all gummed up if I ever need it. My dad when he was farming used to set one to blow onto the tractor engine (along with a block heater plugged in) that was used for the snowblower in the winter to get it warmed up quicker so it would start.

          Jeff in ND

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          • #20
            Originally posted by Jeff_H View Post
            Mine is now still buried in my shed and hasn't been used since 1996.
            Mine are on Craigs List...

            Kerosene Heater

            Shop Heater
            Dick Steinkamp
            Bellingham, WA

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            • #21
              In Canada, portable heaters are often referrred to generically as Herman-Nelsons.

              http://www.herman-nelson.com/

              They are the go-to guys for heaters to warm up aircraft.
              Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

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              • #22
                Thanks for the memory, Craig. I spent some time in the Arctic about a zillion years ago, and we used Herman-Nelsons for everything. It only takes about an hour for the engines of a DC-3 to get too cold to start when parked in temps of minus 40 (as you know, that's the same in both degrees C and F). But you can't leave the port engine running, as the draft from the prop makes it too windy for anyone to load/unload and refuel the aircraft from that side. The solution was to let the starboard engine idle while the port engine was kept warm with a Herman-Nelson.

                We once re-occupied an abandoned ice station near the North Pole, and only had an hour or so to see if the 20-year-old Cat diesel generator on the station could be coaxed back to life after a couple of years of slumber. (If not, we had to get back aboard the plane and go back to Barrow.) 55 minutes of blasting by two Herman-Nelsons, and that old Cat roared back to life.
                Skip Lackie

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                • #23
                  Originally posted by JJWMACHINECO View Post
                  This is what I use. It heats up my shop real fast and it runs on propane. It's adjustable from 75,000-200,000 BTU and it's only $130.00 from McMaster Carr.

                  I have one that looks exactly like this, but I got it at Northern Tool. It will keep you warm if are staning right next to it, but not if you are very far away from it isn't worth very much.
                  Joe Roberts
                  '61 R1 Champ
                  '65 Cruiser
                  Eastern North Carolina Chapter

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by JRoberts View Post
                    I have one that looks exactly like this, but I got it at Northern Tool. It will keep you warm if are staning right next to it, but not if you are very far away from it isn't worth very much.
                    Yea, they do make a smaller one that Northern Tool sells and it's only 80,000 BTU. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too..._503598_503598

                    I did not mention that my 30X42 shop is insulated and I have 2 Jet filtration systems at ceiling height that circulates the hot air that hangs up high. The 200,000 BTU one I have takes about 15 minutes to make it comfortable in my shop when it's 20 degrees outside.

                    With all the equipment in my shop, I don't have enough floor space to use a torpedo heater.
                    sigpic

                    J&JW Machine Co.
                    Bubbaland South
                    Resident Machinist

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                    • #25
                      may i suggest going with a wall mount gas heater that is used in many apartment buildings, they can be converted to lp and if you go to a large HVAC company you can pick up new one that has been scarched or has a dent fairly cheap. i have gone the torpedo route and did not like it noise ,smell, etc the wall mount heaters are about 5 foot high and 8 inches deep and atre made to fit betwween the wall studs

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                      • #26
                        John Clary
                        Greer, SC

                        SDC member since 1975

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                        • #27
                          Originally posted by BubbaBear View Post
                          We found a nearby source of kerosene and bought the last 75,000 btu torpedo heater they had for $40 off. Sometime this summer we plan to insulate and drywall the garage. We will run new electric and install a furnace at that time. We would have gone with the LP heaters except in the city I don't know of any place to get any larger than the size used on BBQ grills filled. And knowing this city I suspect anything that uses a tank larger than those on BBQ grills require permits.
                          BB

                          Just a note to future readers of this post as you have your heater. Most midsize and larger travel trailers have 30# and possibly 40# tanks that our local LPG facilities will fill. 30# cylinders, Which I Use, should be the equivalent of 4-5 gallons of kerosene. I believe the 100# and larger cylinder can not be transported here by private citizens. Your results may vary by state.

                          For your short usage period, 30# tanks new would add a fair amount of cost so kerosene should be a good choice for you.

                          Bob

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                          • #28
                            At one time I used to heat my garage with a wall mounted propane heater and a 100 pound tank of propane. It heated my garage ok but always felt that I was losing to much heat because I always made sure that I had plenty of air flow through my garage. However I never felt comfortable having an open flame while working in the garage and never liked the Oder that propane heaters put off. After a dispute with the local propane company I installed electric base board heating in my garage. I feel that by installing the electrical heat that I am much safer working in my garage and not putting up with that hated Oder.

                            I think that using any type of torpedo heater in any type of enclosed space for any length of time is risky at best even though you think you have proper ventilation.

                            John S.

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                            • #29
                              "However I never felt comfortable having an open flame while working in the garage"

                              Yes, and in that regard, KEEP THE FLAME OFF OF THE FLOOR.
                              I believe there is a spec for this, but gasoline fumes tend to "float" or "accumalate" just above the floor, and can be ignited by exposed flames such as pilot lights, ignitors, and any other flames.
                              A leaky gas tank or a spilled gas can can be a disaster.
                              I worked in a commercial shop where a customer car sprung a leak after hours. The drip and or fumes made their way to the grated floor trough, and from there to the hot water heater pilot. It was a pretty good fire and they were lucky not to lose the whole building.

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