Need a shop stove

[SalsaBueno]

I’ve got a 1200 square foot workshop with 12’ walls and an 18’ roof peak. It’s a metal building, insulated, and I am gonna throw a stove in there for heat. I’m looking at the GM60 and the Shelburn/Hipster and I wanted the advice of those more learnéd than myself.

I absolutely need an overnight burn, and that about my only concern, other than overall quality.

 

[Geoff C]

Probably need to go bigger than those stoves. Low and slow won’t keep a large shop with high ceilings warm.


I would look at something like Englander 32NC. 3.5 cu feet.

 

[bholler]

I’ve got a 1200 square foot workshop with 12’ walls and an 18’ roof peak. It’s a metal building, insulated, and I am gonna throw a stove in there for heat. I’m looking at the GM60 and the Shelburn/Hipster and I wanted the advice of those more learnéd than myself.

I absolutely need an overnight burn, and that about my only concern, other than overall quality.

What is the shop used for?

 

[begreen]

Probably need to go bigger than those stoves. Low and slow won’t keep a large shop with high ceilings warm.

I would look at something like Englander 32NC. 3.5 cu feet.

Agreed. The Englander 32NC or a Drolet Austral would be a better shop stove.

 

[Highbeam]

Absolutely need an overnight burn? That’s odd, you aren’t sleeping out there are you?

I have a permitted and insured installation of an Englander nc30 in my 1800 sf insulated shop. Works fine.

If I wanted another stove, I like what I’m seeing with the biggest drolet stoves. That or a wood furnace from drolet. The wood furnace offers slick automation, safety advantages, and a very large blower.

 

[SalsaBueno]

What is the shop used for?

It’s a woodshop primarily. Will have outside air supply

 

[SalsaBueno]

I

Absolutely need an overnight burn? That’s odd, you aren’t sleeping out there are you?

I have a permitted and insured installation of an Englander nc30 in my 1800 sf insulated shop. Works fine.

If I wanted another stove, I like what I’m seeing with the biggest drolet stoves. That or a wood furnace from drolet. The wood furnace offers slick automation, safety advantages, and a very large blower

I want the overnight burn to keep the shop above freezing when I have half finished projects on the table. Minimizing temp fluctuations as much as possible helps reduce wood movement

 

[bholler]

It’s a woodshop primarily. Will have outside air supply

Check with the local code office in many areas woodstoves are not allowed in woodshops. If they are allowed you need to be sure gasoline or any flammable vapors are not in the same area of the woodstove fresh air intake or not.


As far as stoves go I would be looking at hot air wood furnaces.

 

[stoveliker]

I also have to say that a (big) wood stove might give you more temperature fluctuations due to the batch burning system than the natural temperature cycle of a decently insulated shop.

Of course, if it is not the fluctuation in temperature that's the problem (i.e. from 70 to 45), but temperatures getting below freezing (i.e. from 40 to 25, a smaller fluctuation but reaching below freezing), then a stove will surely help.

 

[Highbeam]

So you say your shop is insulated. Mine is too, r50 ceiling, r19 walls and 2” foam under and around the edges of the slab. Is yours similar?

The way it works is you use the stove to heat the shop, machinery, and most importantly the slab. That immense mass will keep the space very warm overnight even if the fire goes out. The space will slowly cool until you start a fire again. When you burn just one load of fuel it may provide immediate warmth but it takes all day burning to charge up the slab to where it stays warm for days.

Proper insulation works great in a well sealed shop.

Other reasons to look at the drolet wood furnace is that it’s fairly cheap, powerful, and filters the air.