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Heating my hangar

C

cardinalflier

Well Known Member
As winter approaches and I prepare to do a panel upgrade on my recently purchased RV6, I need to take the chill out of my hangar. Typical temps might be in the 40's ( this is Northern Ca.) The hangar is the typical steel T hangar, 39.5' door width, and probably 14' roof ht. I don't need the hangar to be toasty, just warmer than 40-50 degrees. What suggestions do all of you have? Thanks, Bruce Estes
 
A hangar is a tough place to heat.

What does your hangar lease allow?

Propane fired torpedo or ventless heaters are an option, as is an electric space heater in the baggage compartment.

Another option would be to build a small plastic tent over the immediate work area and use an electric heater n that space.
 
You have to decide your intended use. If you plan to work for hours in the hangar, you will benefit by insulating and stopping air exchanges through holes and cracks around the door. If you only plan to be there short periods working or getting ready to fly, a torpedo type heater will warm the hangar up faster than most "shop" heaters. There will be fumes, but if you are not there for long periods, you could probably live with therm.

I have a T hangar in Caldwell ID. I installed one of these:http://www.mrheater.com/big-maxx-natural-gas-unit-heater-1193.html

I had to convert it to propane and get a tank placed behind my hangar to make sure you have the ability to do that if you dont have natural gas at the hangar.

It will heat my hangar from 15 degrees to about 60 in a couple hours. My hangar is insulated, but I have not figured out how to stop air coming in around the doors yet.

Good luck.
 
A couple parabolic electric heater's would do just fine for those temps. I see no reason to attempt heating the whole hanger or using a noisy torpedo heater. I worked three days in my hanger last week with temps in the 30's and one parabolic did the job at keeping the chill off. Another option would be one of those propane patio heaters. If you own the hanger or plan on being there a while and rules permit, an infrared overhead heater would also be a good choice.
 
Have you tried a fire pit? I hear Jet A burns nicely :p

In all seriousness I use a tornado blower system in mine (you can get one at home depot or lowes for $200 or less) and it warms it up nicely. I just have a T Hanger though not anything big.

The other nice thing is I think the people on either side of my hanger have big heaters in there so my hanger even in the dead of winter doesn't get too cold.
 
two different schools of thought on this.....

I did my winter annual in a small meat locker...I mean, hangar, probably was a few degrees below freezing, leaky doors etc.

if the ceilings are truly 14', you might benefit from heaters that blow hot air, then install a ceiling fan to push the warm air down to you.
the floor is still going to be cold, so for that kind of work on the gear & belly, be sure to throw down some foam insulation or moving blankets etc.

I found the small propane radiant heater worked best, with little or no fumes as it burns very efficiently. Pointed at the aircraft, the metal gets warm, and radiates the heat back at you. Your tools on the wing get warm, your butt gets warm if you are standing in front of it for a minute, but you aren't trying to heat 6,000 cubic feet of air.
 
Best Christmas present ever - my wife bought me a Dickey's one piece insulated worksuit. Makes working in a 40 F hangar comfortable.
 
If you have propane the only economical way is to get a radiant type heater that you can hang from the ceiling at the correct height to heat where you are working . There are several nice ones on the market and you won't have to vent it if it's a really leaky space I am an HVAC contractor
 
BobTurner said:
Best Christmas present ever - my wife bought me a Dickey's one piece insulated worksuit. Makes working in a 40 F hangar comfortable.
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Same + a torpedo heater. All winter long. I also hook up a CO monitor just in case. I think it does help to have a kinda drafty space when using a torpedo so you get air exchange. Its not a super efficient way to heat, but it will warm up the area quick. I also find a ceiling fan helps move the heat around vs having a toasty roof and a freezing floor. If youre working at a bench a lot tho a radiant heater is the best. Just sucks when you move out of the "zone".
 
i live in n. wi. and insulating and heating my hangar would cost a fortune.maybe this won't work for building a plane but it works for maintaining one.
I have a well insulated 8' x 8' shop with all the tools and space I need in the hangar. it heats up quickly on a couple elec. space heaters.dress warm AND put your tools where you work in an electric frying pan. also a hairdryer comes in handy to keep hands warm working in tight places. I have no problem spending half a day at the hangar in 20 deg. weather. the shop area is 70 deg , microwave, radio, computer, work bench, etc. you stay warm from the frequent trips into the shop. anyway, I keep my plane in flying condition all winter like this.
it would add to the value to insulate the hangar but for the $1000's it would cost it would be way under utilized.
and as a bonus the roof of the shop is a good place to store more stuff!
 
My hanger has a big o propane heater and the walls are insulated. The door is a metal bi-fold. This summer I finally got off my b_tt and insulated the hanger door.

WOW! WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!! The heater cycles much less and the hanger will keep heat much better. I typically see delta T's in the 25 degree range between OAT and inside (this is before I turn on the heater).

For your T hanger you could insulate the walls and doors, then be able to use a smaller heater. The insulation is also good in the summer to keep the heat out as I'm sure you get some of that wonderful central valley heat in the summer.

Cheers,
Dan
 
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Heater

I have a 25x35 hangar. I started with a 210,000 toroedo heater that runs JetA, Kerosene, or Diesel. I run Diesel. It has a 10 gallon tank. I usually am able to work 30-50 hours in my hanger. A bug heater and a cheap fan blowing the air down from the ceiling and that's about as good as you can get without throwing money at it. Next step, try to keep the air down low. Grap a surplus military parachute and put in a drop ceiling.
 
cardinalflier said:
As winter approaches and I prepare to do a panel upgrade on my recently purchased RV6, I need to take the chill out of my hangar. Typical temps might be in the 40's ( this is Northern Ca.) The hangar is the typical steel T hangar, 39.5' door width, and probably 14' roof ht. I don't need the hangar to be toasty, just warmer than 40-50 degrees. What suggestions do all of you have? Thanks, Bruce Estes
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What direction does your bifold door face? N, S, E or W ?

If you own the building, insulation is the best return for the money spent.

If you have an unobstructed south wall or bifold door, it is very low cost to turn the entire wall or door into a very effective hot air solar collector, however with no insulation inside, the heat will be lost almost as fast as it is harvested.

Is it a stand alone building or in a row of T hangars?

https://youtu.be/a62mZMIMpc0

Use your imagination. Black sheet metal with a lexan cover panel over a 4" air space on the entire south wall will make a lot of cubic feet of hot air quickly. If your airport has any objection to solar panels, just paint some old cessna or piper wings flat black and bolt them up on the roof into the sun. Or roll them out the door on a wing cart and use flexible ducting back to your hangar. A duct fan and thermostat will finish the job.

Alternatively a small portable electric heater will keep you comfortable and get you working on the AC in a few minutes. And you can take it with you to a new airport if that is in the cards.
 
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Heat

I have a 25x35 hangar. I started with a 210,000 toroedo heater that runs JetA, Kerosene, or Diesel. I run Diesel. It has a 10 gallon tank. I usually am able to work 30-50 hours in my hanger. A big heater and a cheap fan blowing the air down from the ceiling and that's about as good as you can get without throwing money at it. Next step, try to keep the air down low. Grap a surplus military parachute and put in a drop ceiling.

I did end up later putting in insulation in the ceiling and it did make a large difference. But I do have to say, insulation is not the key to adding heat, merely the key to KEEPing the heat. Buy the biggest tri fuel heater you can stomach. Propane is louder and the smaller tanks will freeze up. Diesel is cheap and plentiful and easy to transport. Try to have a buffer between you and the concrete. Old carpet for your house, or even buy some foam squares used to line kids play areas. That's the best insulation you could have, that and the parachute.
 
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One downside to the salamander/torpedo unit is the noise. I run one in my insulated 50X55' hangar when necessary and I'll place it in a far corner in an attempt to tame the noise from the forced air. With 30* OAT, 20 minutes of run time and it's comfortable.
 
My Sweat Shop....

I'm planning on several months of work in the hangar this winter, I did my final assembly, inspections etc in 10-20* OAT's in a drafty uninsulated hangar with one 4' light.
I may be optimistic but I just constructed my "Sweat Shop!" I bought a Caravan 10 X 10 Canopy with sides for about $230 from Costco, it set up pretty easy with Velcro and zippers. Some scrap carpet squares, halogen lights and a couple space heaters will hopefully keep me comfy. I plan on most of my maintenance being done during the winter months so I can justify the cost to myself.

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Infidel said:
One downside to the salamander/torpedo unit is the noise. I run one in my insulated 50X55' hangar when necessary and I'll place it in a far corner in an attempt to tame the noise from the forced air. With 30* OAT, 20 minutes of run time and it's comfortable.
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And the smell.. Even if you use the clean burning kerosene it still has a pretty strong odor..
 
Guys around here use surplus RV (the land bound kind) furnaces. There is a guy who renovateds and scraps old motor homes and sells the old furnaces for $300-$400 apiece. He mounts them on a rolling frame and plums the fuel line to a dip tube that goes into a plastic diesel fuel can. The exhaust gets routed outside and the warm air can be ducted with flexible ducting. You might try going to a motor home dealer and seeing if they can help you out.

I have an old home oil furnace that I am renovating to heat my workshop but for the time being I am using a torpedo heater and CO detector just in case.
 
Robb said:
If you have propane the only economical way is to get a radiant type heater that you can hang from the ceiling at the correct height to heat where you are working . There are several nice ones on the market and you won't have to vent it if it's a really leaky space I am an HVAC contractor
Click to expand...

I have a 48X72X14 uninsulated pole building with steel siding with 40' HiFold door in one end located in eastern Iowa. Concrete floor, open ceiling. Most of it is used for farm machinery storage but I put an airplane in the end with the door. I'm toying with the idea of putting a radiant heater across the narrow axis back about 10-15 feet from the door and up about 14''. Height is critical as I need to get the combine in.

I am trying to extend the season a month or two on each end. I would heat it only when I am in it. Would not be doing really precise work if it is too cold, mostly simpler jobs like oil changes. Might do rough work on farm machinery there, too.

I don't want to spend a lot of money. I already have a 1,000 gal propane tank on wheels. Is it feasible to put in about a $2500 unit that I plan to use in Oct-Nov and Mar-Apr to take the chill off? I'm zoned where I can legally do the work myself and have some HVAC friends who can help me do it right.

TIA
 
Hangar heater

Try a Val 6 Infared Heater. The most incredible heater I've ever used. Burns diesel. There is absolutely no odor! Mine is the EPX model, I think it's 190,000 BTU. Pretty quiet too.
 
hangar heater

i am wondering about condensation in an uninsulated hangar with unvented heaters. is is an issue?
the val infrared heater looks interesting so i looked it up. the mfgr. claims 170,000 btu on 1/2 gallon per hour. how do they do that with a fuel that contains 120,000 btu per gallon?
 
My new old drummer likes to sing that Clapton song like this:
When you need you some heat, cause you can't feel your feet...propane. When you're freezing your azz, better get you some gas...propane.
 
jnmeade said:
I have a 48X72X14 uninsulated pole building with steel siding with 40' HiFold door in one end located in eastern Iowa. Concrete floor, open ceiling. Most of it is used for farm machinery storage but I put an airplane in the end with the door. I'm toying with the idea of putting a radiant heater across the narrow axis back about 10-15 feet from the door and up about 14''. Height is critical as I need to get the combine in.
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Don't know anything about prices but the hangars out here that use overhead gas-fired radiant heat have considerably better heat distribution and are noticeably more comfortable than mine is with a forced-air unit. The hangars that I've been in with radiant heat are 40x50 and 60x40, and the heaters are up at least 16 feet.

Dave
 
[IMG said:
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Ha!
That's my same setup except I have to use a radiant propane heater since I'm limited to 15A in the hanger. The tent works well and it sucks to step outside of it!
 
Hangar Heat

:)Bob, I think the high BTU output on the Val 6 is because it burns the fuel completely. (May be a catalytic heater). Also, yes there is some condensation dripping from the fiberglass skylights for a few minutes. Then it gets toasty.
 
David Paule said:
Don't know anything about prices but the hangars out here that use overhead gas-fired radiant heat have considerably better heat distribution and are noticeably more comfortable than mine is with a forced-air unit. The hangars that I've been in with radiant heat are 40x50 and 60x40, and the heaters are up at least 16 feet.

Dave
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A bit of thread drift, but perhaps related to those mulling over a hangar construction project that live in colder climates and studying the comments here for ideas...I bought my already-flying -7 in the dead of an Ohio winter early in 2015.

We did the pre-buy, inspections, etc, in a hangar heated with a floor heating system using a boiler and recirculating water-it was awesome! Single digits outside in the morning, but toasty warm inside, especially while laying on the floor working under the ship. Temps in the 60's in the hangar, so ~50 degree delta between inside and out...and supposedly, also very efficient to operate.

If I were to be building a hangar, or, had an unfloored building that I was converting, it would be at the top of the list. It was soooo nice to be walking around with toasty warm feet as well as to be able to shuck off the heavy boots and wear something lighter and more comfortable to work in.

Rob S.
 
Hydronic

Aggie78 said:
A bit of thread drift, but perhaps related to those mulling over a hangar construction project that live in colder climates and studying the comments here for ideas...I bought my already-flying -7 in the dead of an Ohio winter early in 2015.

We did the pre-buy, inspections, etc, in a hangar heated with a floor heating system using a boiler and recirculating water-it was awesome! Single digits outside in the morning, but toasty warm inside, especially while laying on the floor working under the ship. Temps in the 60's in the hangar, so ~50 degree delta between inside and out...and supposedly, also very efficient to operate.

If I were to be building a hangar, or, had an unfloored building that I was converting, it would be at the top of the list. It was soooo nice to be walking around with toasty warm feet as well as to be able to shuck off the heavy boots and wear something lighter and more comfortable to work in.

Rob S.
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Hydronic heating. Our house is heated with it. Warm floors are awesome. I seem to remember a product made for installing in completed shops. It was a floor mat of some sort. Wish I had included my garage in the system but we had to get a handle on costs.
 
Boy do I hear you about the floors. While my hanger is toasty, the floor is not. I wear my wool socks and thermal winter boots while working with just a long sleeve shirt and vest. Cold feet are miserable!!
 
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