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Considering switching to propane from oil furnace in garage

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JL1132
JL1132 Member Posts: 4
edited January 4 in THE MAIN WALL

I have a well Insulated 1120sqft garage built in 2016 which is all open floor, I work out of the shop full time year round. Since it was built I have been using a 120000btu 81% afue Baird hot air oil furnace which is set up about center of the wall blowing straight to the other end of the garage, set up just as it is in the attached photo

PXL_20260103_215259133.jpg

. I know this is oversized for the application but I got it for free. I keep the furnace set to 67 degrees all winter long and on average I would burn through 375 gallon of off road.

To make a long story short I am faced with putting up a new chimney (selkirk stainless) and I am looking at $1800 to do so. For the last few years I had been wanting AC in the garage so I got thinking about going with a propane/central AC system.

From generic calculations online and being in northeast VT it looks like I would roughly need a 60000-80000btu propane furnace depending on which AFUE and 1.5 ton AC system. Being the application is a garage I am assuming a single stage furnace.

I have been doing as much research as possible in my spare time such as brands, AFUE percentages and the pros and cons of those percentages such as venting, serviceability and what the difference will be in cost in gallons of propane VS what I have been going through in oil, and I understand oil has a higher btu per gallon than propane. Any input/recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you

Comments

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,877

    punch in you're Cost of fuel

    https://coalpail.com/fuel-comparison-calculator-home-heating

    I think you’ll find oil is still cheaper

    JL1132
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 27,056

    For such a small load maybe a mini split is the answer for heat and cool?

    Neither oil or LP gets you AC.

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 3,409

    I like the mini-split idea for your home. Just add a heat strip for a back up .. Hang the condenser high ,out of the snow drift..

    The chimney would the cheaper way out ….

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,877

    mini in Vt

    Better be a low ambient heat pump.

    MaxMercybburd
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,881

    Won't be happy with a HP.

    pecmsgJL1132
  • JL1132
    JL1132 Member Posts: 4
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1880834#Comment_1880834

    No I wouldn't think so, to cold here and I need some legitimate heat in the shop, temperature needs to be consistent, my shop is a engine machine shop that I work daily out of, need something that's not just taking the chill off.

    The furnace I had been using was great as far as never coming up short handed but cost of chimney got me thinking about the size of these propane furnaces which leaves me more options on where to install it as floor space is a premium right now and to be able to utilize the furnace for AC.

  • pecmsg
    pecmsg Member Posts: 6,877

    Machine shop with flammables bet to consider a hotdawg heater with outside combustion air!

    Hot Dawg® Power-Vented Gas-Fired Unit Heater | Modine HD/HDB

    JL1132
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,881

    The Hot Dawg is a good idea as @pecmsg mentioned. Then you could do a HP for AC and also have BU heat from that as straight AC and a HP are almost the same price.

    But as mentioned oil is probably cheaper than propane.

  • JL1132
    JL1132 Member Posts: 4
    edited January 5

    Flammables is something I had thought of, If I go the propane route I was actually thinking of installing it in the upstairs of the garage to save floor space. Although I believe the furnaces I've been looking at use outside combustion air.@pecmsg

  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 27,056

    60-80,000 btu heater for 1120 square feet of well insulated shop seems high? You don’t want an oversized heater that constantly short cycles

    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • JL1132
    JL1132 Member Posts: 4
    https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/comment/1880864#Comment_1880864

    Cooling estimate: 1.5 Tons (18,000 BTU)

    Heating estimate: 52,000 output BTU

    Recommended Standard 80% AFUE Furnace Size: 80,000 BTU (64,000 output BTU)

    Recommended High 96+% AFUE Furnace Size: 60,000 BTU (57,600 output BTU)

    Using this estimation calculator for my SQFT and area I live in is what it suggested. I'm sure these calculators are pretty generic though but just what I was going by to get a estimate.

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,881

    If you use the Hot Dawg you can hang it and gain some floor space

    JL1132
  • MikeL_2
    MikeL_2 Member Posts: 540
    edited January 5

    If your budget & floor / ceiling height allows, consider a radiant floor retrofit.

    High R foam the floor, install a radiant panel system, modulating condensing boiler, and outdoor reset with constant circulation. A little pricey but the comfort level will be unmatched.

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