Heater Types and Sizing
Propane Top Hat Heater, 200k BTU
Heat where no electric is available, best for center of a room, heat radiates out 360 degrees and upward.
Inexpensive to buy or rent
Exposed flame, heater gets hot, always on (no thermostat)
High output, up to 200,000BTU
Propane Torpedo Heater, 170k BTU
Forced air with thermostat (electric required), no ducting
Directional, can point at an area of work
Heat work areas quickly and efficiently, equivalent to Kerosene Torpedo heaters without the smell or mess.
Propane Battery Torpedo Heater, 68k BTU
Forced air Propane torpedo heater that runs on a Dewalt battery.
No thermostat – always on
Propane Radiant Patio Heater
Effective to a max of 10 feet away
Best for outdoor areas and events. Most effective when people stand around it or placed close to tables
Keep in mind what is above heater (like a tent), top dome gets very hot.
Runs 9 hours on a 20lb propane tank
Propane Premier Heaters, 40k, 80k, 170k BTU
Safe, contained flame. Air passes over flame, then through fan before exiting
Air is still in contact with flame and produces as much carbon monoxide as any other direct flame heater, must have good ventilation.
Good for tents, warehouses, wedding houses – only in well ventilated areas)
12’ Ducting available
Lengthening duct or to many bends in duct will cause back pressure and shut heater down
Fairly quiet
Propane Exchange Heater 175K
Exchange Heaters vent fumes and produce 100% clean heat, flame does not contact heated air
Best for occupied spaces (Inside houses, wedding tents, office space, as temp heat in place of a failed furnace)
Quiet because heater is outside and ducted in (up to 100’ total)
Most efficient when used with return duct.
Kerosene Torpedo Heater, 200k BTU
Inexpensive raw heat, most inefficient heater.
Best for outdoor work, i.e. Masons, Construction
High moisture content, and smell
Runtime 9 hours
Kerosene “Hot Gun” Heater 125k BTU
Efficient Kerosene heater, burns fuel efficiently and is cleanest direct flame oil heater
Low smell
Can be used in enclosed well ventilated areas
Runtime 15 Hours
Kerosene Infrared “Val6” Heater 125k BTU
Radiates heat like the sun, not a forced air heater
Burns clean with low smell, quiet
Good for use outdoors, direct heat on masonry, outdoor events, or heating large spaces with high ceilings
Runtime 17 Hours
Kerosene Exchange Heater, 175K
Exchange Heaters vent fumes and produce 100% clean heat, flame does not contact heated air
Best for occupied spaces (Inside houses, wedding tents, office space, as temp heat in place of a failed furnace)
Quiet because heater is outside and ducted in (up to 100’ total)
Most efficient when used with return duct.
Runtime 15 Hours
Kerosene Exchange Heater, 500K
Exchange Heaters vent fumes and produce 100% clean heat, flame does not contact heated air
Best for occupied spaces (Inside houses, wedding tents, office space, as temp heat in place of a failed furnace)
Quiet because heater is outside and ducted in (up to 100’ total)
Most efficient when used with return duct
Setup in a trailer with duct work
Runtime 20 hours
Electric Infrared Heater, 6K BTU
120V Clean heat for small indoor applications
Electric 240V Forced air heater, 30K BTU
Good for indoor remodeling projects,
Best in insulated, unventilated areas.
Electric Concrete Blankets
Creates heated area with insulation on top, heating element on the bottom
Good for concrete curing, ground thawing or placing over anything to keep it warm.
Electric Pipe Thawing Machine
Thaw Frozen Pipes with electric current
General purpose Heater Sizing Recommendation
LB White Heat Calculator: https://www.lbwhite.com/heater-app/
Based on a poorly insulated structure but fully enclosed.
Cubic feet of area x desired temperature rise x .133 = BTU’s of Heat needed/hour
Example:
200,000 BTU Heats up to 4,700 sq. ft. (50' x 94' x 8'=37,600 cu.ft.) at 40 degree temp rise
How to size a heater for a tent
Cubic Feet of Tent × Temperature Rise Required × .25 (Insulation Factor of a Tent)=BTU’s of Heat needed/hour
Example:
• A tent size of 40’ × 80’ × 15’ (average ceiling height) = 48,000 cubic feet
• The forecast is 40° for the low that night and you want to maintain 70° inside of the tent = 30° temperature rise
• 48,000 × 30 × .25 = 360,000 BTU/hour
| Vaporization Rate |
| 100 LB Propane Cylinders (approximate) |
| Maximum Continuous Draw In BTU Per Hour At Various Temperatures In Degrees F. |
| Lbs. of Propane in Cylinder | 0° F | 20° F | 40° F | 0° F | 20° F | 0° F | 20° F |
| 1 Tank | 1 Tank | 1 Tank | 2 Tanks | 2 Tanks | 3 Tanks | 3 Tanks |
| 100 | 113,000 | 167,000 | 214,000 | 248,000 | 367,000 | 545,000 | 807,000 |
| 90 | 104,000 | 152,000 | 200,000 | 228,000 | 334,000 | 501,000 | 734,000 |
| 80 | 94,000 | 137,000 | 180,000 | 206,000 | 301,000 | 400,000 | 662,000 |
| 70 | 83,000 | 122,000 | 160,000 | 182,000 | 268,000 | 363,000 | 589,000 |
| 60 | 75,000 | 109,000 | 140,000 | 165,000 | 239,000 | 310,000 | 453,000 |
| 50 | 64,000 | 94,000 | 125,000 | 141,000 | 206,000 | 260,000 | 382,000 |
| 40 | 55,000 | 79,000 | 105,000 | 121,000 | 174,000 | 217,000 | 319,000 |
| 30 | 45,000 | 66,000 | 85,000 | 99,000 | 145,000 | 217,000 | 319,000 |
| 20 | 36,000 | 51,000 | 68,000 | 79,000 | 112,000 | 174,000 | 246,000 |
| 10 | 28,000 | 38,000 | 49,000 | 62,000 | 84,000 | 136,000 | 184,000 |
| Hose Sizing |
| For low pressure heaters that use 3/8" hose, use 3/8" up to 50 ft, and use 1/2" for 75 ft to 150 ft. |
| for low pressure Natural Gas Heaters 150k and smaller, use 1/2" hose up to 50 ft, 3/4" hose up to 150 ft. |
| LP Conversion |
| 8.547 cu. ft. per pound |
| 4.24 lbs. in gallon |
| 36.45 cu. ft. per gallon |
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