Looking for recommendations to heat my 3,600 hangar space

[Splooter]

Hey all!

I live in a house built into a metal airplane hangar. As part of this building I have about 60x60 space that is a big open hangar space, with ceilings 14 to 22' high.

I am in the process of insulating it. I have R30 in the ceilings, R21 in the walls, and R13.3 on the hangar door. I plan to go over the walls and door again with another R13.3 rigid foam, and seal it up.

I currently have a 5ton heatpump with two ductless heads in the space.

With the insulation about 50% done it can maintain ambient + 10-12* or so. I suspect even when fully insulated, especially on colder days this system will remain fairly under-sized.

I am considering adding a pellet stove to help with extra on-demand heat. I will generally only turn both systems on when I plan to work out there for the day. I am also considering adding a second 5 ton heat pump, but I do like how quickly a pellet can output heat and it might help get the space to temp a good bit faster.

Assuming I go this route, do you all have any recommendations for a pellet stove? Ideally it would have a larger hopper (2 bags are nice), a thermostat control, and if they exist, wifi control so I can turn it all on from the comfort of my bed. But if the latter doesn't exist then I'll get my lazy butt out there in the cold to fire it all up .

I have a ProPel 130 already in another space that works pretty well, but I see reviews are mixed, and I'm not the biggest fan of a 1-10 heat system as opposed to a targeted temp setting. But on the flip side many of the ones I see with a target temp only have a 40lb hopper.

Thanks for reading and looking forward to any advice ya'll have!

Picture for context about the type of building I'm in:

 

[johneh]

I think what you want to heat a pellet furnace is what you need
The biggest pellet stove available is rated at 65 thousand btu and
with a hopper extension will hold 2/3 bags of pellets
Also, check with your insurance provider because what you want to heat
may be classified as a shop/garage.

 

[Splooter]

Any specific reason to check with them? Just curious!

 

[Splooter]

Also any recommendations on a brand, especially one that size?

 

[peakbagger]

Unless you put in a heat recovery duct under the ridgepole of the building trying to heat a tall space like that is tough as all the heat going to rise to the ceiling. Unless you have lots of paddle fans to try to move it down its going to take a long time to heat. In most cases the recommendations for a space like that are either gas/propane infrared heaters or radiant floor. With a space like that, a pellet boiler running through a radiant floor is probably the only way to heat with wood.

Reportedly not cheap but an option to retrofit a floor with radiant is this product https://thermalboardradiantfloorheating.com/product-specifications/ Put a layer of high density foam underneath it and it could be fairly efficient. Some folks just scarify the existing floor and pour in a tubing run with a acrylic modified concrete but its inefficient as there is no insulation under it.

 

[peakbagger]

Any specific reason to check with them? Just curious!

BTW, insurance companies and building code do not allow units with open combustion to be installed in garages where flammable vapors like av gas could be present as they are heavier than air and can get sucked into the air intake of the heating unit and ignite. Generally, the only option is to install an addition that is sealed from the interior of the building which can only be accessed from the outside of the building and put the heating unit in the addition.

 

[zrock]

BTW, insurance companies and building code do not allow units with open combustion to be installed in garages where flammable vapors like av gas could be present as they are heavier than air and can get sucked into the air intake of the heating unit and ignite. Generally, the only option is to install an addition that is sealed from the interior of the building which can only be accessed from the outside of the building and put the heating unit in the addition.

depends on where you live.. all im required to do is have the stove 18" above the floor and i meet building code and insurance requirement's.

To the OP now thats my kind of house..LOL

 

[peakbagger]

OP is in Oregon, not Canada

 

[bholler]

depends on where you live.. all im required to do is have the stove 18" above the floor and i meet building code and insurance requirement's.

To the OP now thats my kind of house..LOL

Yes that is in Canada. In the us its not allowed by code. (Which I think is dumb but not my call)

 

[zrock]

Yes that is in Canada. In the us its not allowed by code. (Which I think is dumb but not my call)

i agree that is just dumb.. Look how may shops use a gas furnace to heat their shop.. Now if it was me and had a shop like that i would just install a radiant heat system. We have them in our shop at work and on the coldest day its warm and cheap to operate. A few years ago we used a oil burner and 2 gas furnaces to heat the shop and the heating bill monthly was over $5g a month. Ripped out all that crap and put in the radiant and our heating bill is less that 1/2 and our shop usually has a door open 100 times a day and is quite drafty..

 

[Splooter]

The issue with radiant heat is what I don't have quick access to oil or gas outside of my propane tank which also heats my house and water. Before going down this path I did the math on heat pumps vs. pellets vs radiant, both the cost to install (DIY) and fuel costs. Propane was the most expensive for me at 3-3.40 a gallon, and 2 tubes, which is what I'd likely need in this space to cover enough area and generate the BTUs needed. That would burn about 1.3 gallons per hour, so 8 hours would be about $35. Pellets would be a bit less than that for the same given BTU output, and heatpumps would be about $15.

Given the restrictions on solid fuel sources in attached garages it seems that a second heat pump would be the way to go for insurance reasons. If I was building from the ground up I'd be doing radiant floor heat, but it's on a slab already, and I have equipment like lifts and a CNC already installed, so it would be a massive undertaking to do that now.

Thanks all for the help and clarification, I appreciate it!

 

[bholler]

The issue with radiant heat is what I don't have quick access to oil or gas outside of my propane tank which also heats my house and water. Before going down this path I did the math on heat pumps vs. pellets vs radiant, both the cost to install (DIY) and fuel costs. Propane was the most expensive for me at 3-3.40 a gallon, and 2 tubes, which is what I'd likely need in this space to cover enough area and generate the BTUs needed. That would burn about 1.3 gallons per hour, so 8 hours would be about $35. Pellets would be a bit less than that for the same given BTU output, and heatpumps would be about $15.

Given the restrictions on solid fuel sources in attached garages it seems that a second heat pump would be the way to go for insurance reasons. If I was building from the ground up I'd be doing radiant floor heat, but it's on a slab already, and I have equipment like lifts and a CNC already installed, so it would be a massive undertaking to do that now.

Thanks all for the help and clarification, I appreciate it!

It's not just attached garages it's any garage in the usa

 

[Splooter]

It's not just attached garages it's any garage in the usa

Gotcha, thanks for the clarification.

 

[shtrdave]

If you want to do a pellet burning device a pellet furnace would be what I would look for. They have some outside pellet boilers you could run in and runs a heat exchanger to get the hot air. If you want to install something inside, build a furnace room in a corner.

I bought a shop and built living quarters in it. When the insurance company came out they made me put a fire door on the room where the oil furnace is because of the garage. The building was built i the 50's and had a door that had lattice on the bottom for the cold air return. I put the door on but it is usually open.

As for pellet furnaces or boilers I am of no help on brands or anything. Hopefully someone else can help with that.

 

[bholler]

If you want to do a pellet burning device a pellet furnace would be what I would look for. They have some outside pellet boilers you could run in and runs a heat exchanger to get the hot air. If you want to install something inside, build a furnace room in a corner.

I bought a shop and built living quarters in it. When the insurance company came out they made me put a fire door on the room where the oil furnace is because of the garage. The building was built i the 50's and had a door that had lattice on the bottom for the cold air return. I put the door on but it is usually open.

As for pellet furnaces or boilers I am of no help on brands or anything. Hopefully someone else can help with that.

I agree if going with pellets a furnace in a furnace room is the best option

 

[Jeremy6500]

I have a Ussc 6500. USSC also made an 8500 that is a little bigger. Both are technically multi fuel furnaces and can be easily installed with duct work. If I remember correctly there is/was a member here who put their 8500 in a shed just outside there house and then ran the duct work to it there. Of course they insulated the duct work really well for when it was outside.

My 6500 runs off a thermostat, but doesn’t have an igniter.