Looking for a way to heat your shed without using electricity? No other option than using solar power can do good, then. Solar heater for a shed is one of the most cost-efficient and trouble-free ways of doing so.
The shed will be a small word if we compare it with its uses and purposes. Sheds have become more of multi-purpose, multi-operational spaces nowadays, as people are getting to work their minds more into creativity and putting them to use. Sheds are being turned into home gyms, office areas, gardens, outdoor living barns, etc.
Heating the sheds with using electricity can be inconvenient or a nasty business at times if you already do not have in-built electric facilities as wiring up the shed will be costly enough, and using cables or extension cords running from your house straight to the shed might be a mess and an ugly site.
You do not want yourself, or your guests tripping over wires all the time, do you? Therefore, looking up ways to warm up the shed with no electricity is completely fine and more manageable. Using a Solar heater for a shed or other methods can provide a solution in the long run.
Here, we have a list of ways to warm up the space you have without any ugly wiring lines. So, let us look through some of the options available for doing the job.
Insulation
The first and foremost thing you would do while trying to heat a shed without electricity will be to provide it with proper insulation because sheds are usually made for storage purposes, and hence, people do not spend too much on other details.
Before doing any operations to your existing shed for added heat, you will have first to aid it with insulation. Therefore, making it retain the heat.
Sunlight
It is basic science; using direct sunlight inside your shed can be the simplest way to have it heated up without using any other stuff, but the question that pops up in one’s mind is how?
Installing windows if you do not have one already in the right places, through which the sun rays could straightly shower your shed with warmth and light. You can try fitting magnifying glass in the window panel to strengthen up the light and heat.
It is a no secret design hack that having windows placed at a correct angle could work wonders to provide the room or area with sufficient brightness.
Solar Power (Solar Heater for Shed)
Solar power is yet another way to eradicate cold out of your shed. Solar power is not just limited to one piece of equipment. With the growing technology, it is now possible to use solar power in numerous ways.
Solar panels, today, come with a lot of development. It is nowhere like before. The manufacturing has taken a few turns in the process, resulting in better and efficient outcomes. Instead of just using batteries, which are more likely to run out after some time of use, water is being used to reserve the energy.
Using a solar heater for a shed will work too. Only the disadvantage its proofers will be it will run out of power once the sun is down.
Rainy or cloudy days will be a hindrance to your shed’s heat as well.
Next, you can create a solar box for your shed, which you can call an alternative for using an electric heater maybe. Even not just one, you could make several of those to get better results.
All you need to build a solar box is- scrap!
Items like spray paints of black, soda cans, junk lumber, a window frame, and insulation sheets.
DIY Solar box
This DIY solar box will work as a little solar heater for the shed and be the cheapest way of providing heat to the shed.
Purpose it serves: The box, when made successfully, will capture heat from the sunlight when kept under it for some hours. Once you place the box inside your shed, it will transfer the captured heat through holes.
Advantage: It can be used as many times as you want. You just must put it under sunlight, and after some hours, you are ready to use it!
Procedure:
- Using black spray paint, cover the empty cans. Crushed cans will not work. Let the cans dry.
- Secure the window frame with lumber around edges, eventually creating a box with a glass bottom.
- Put the dry cans inside the box and cover the other end with insulation sheets securing the cans inside the frame.
- Start drilling holes into the lumber so that you can pierce the cans.
- The box will be ready to be used. Put it under sunlight.
Solar Water Heater
As self-explanatory as the name is, solar water heaters use energy from the sun to heat water. A solar water heater is just an extension or a more innovative way of using a solar heater for a shed. A solar water heater consists of a thermal panel, a tank, and possibly a circulating pump. There are a wide variety of designs available for these heaters.
Light is absorbed by the thermal panel placed on the roof, which is then converted into heat. The circulating pump passes the heat to the water tank. A thermal regulator observes the process, which also prevents overheating.
Solar water heaters are characterized by the type of collector and circulation system where Batch collectors, Flat-plate collectors, Evacuated tube collectors are the types of collectors and Direct systems, and passive systems are some of the circulation systems.
A solar water heater can serve as a better option than a solar heater for a shed as the only disadvantage of the solar heater for a shed, going off without sun, will be eliminated. Though, of course, it would require sunlight but will store the energy for a more extended period.
Hence, you could think about using a solar water heater instead of the shed’s solar heater.
Propane
Warning: Do not use a propane heater designated for outdoor use because it possesses a high risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Propane is safe and cheap, and there are many propane heaters available that do not use electricity.
An inside-use propane heater produces “ideal burn” with zero risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. This will be safe to use when having it inside an enfolded area.
Size matters! It entirely depends on the size of area or space for which you require a heater which will decide what type of heater will be the best for your shack. Small areas can be done with small heaters, but if you want more energy or have a large space, going for bigger units might work well.
Stoves for the Shed
Pot-belly stove, barrel stove, rocket stove, wood stoves; you have these countless types of stoves available if you do not feel like using one of those solar water heaters for shed.
Some of these might be difficult to install, such as wood stoves, pot-belly stoves, or barrel stoves, because these tend to meet a large shed’s needs. If you have a small shed, these might not work for you. Many of them need a chimney or pipes.
Rocket stoves are the best options for a confined area. For fuel, they burn almost anything from paper to cardboard, and the best reason for building them is you can use recycled and cheap materials.
This one does sound more promising than a solar water heater for the shed. These stoves can be used when required for the long run or if your requirements are more than necessary. On the other hand, the solar heater for the shed can be kept as an option if you have basic needs.
Hoping that you got your ideas and innovations from the information mentioned above, keeping you protected from cold showers of winters, here is a wind-up suggesting, few other ways of heating a shed without using electricity.
Some other good alternatives:
- Pipes are containing hot water.
- Kerosene Heater
- Build a fireplace.
- Solar space heater
- Heater water (keep it near the shed, outside probably and use an old radiator for pumping the water inside your shed)
Safety First
Remember all the warnings and risks of the equipment you use and install. Keep company if you are not confident enough to do it all by yourself or have pre-knowledge about the project you are taking on. Heat, fire, and anything related to it, like flammable substances or liquids, are dangerous if not attended to cautiously. Stay safe and read the instructions and important points to remember.
Make sure to follow the essential codes and have emergency kits already available near you if anything goes wrong. Keep thorough checks of your installed system in case it is malfunctioning or poisoning the space. You should not feel suffocated inside the shack, and abundant oxygen should be available. The system needs to be functioning in a way that allows the person inside to be breathable.
Some FAQs
What Is the Cheapest Way to Heat A Shed?
Firstly, make sure that your shed has proper insulation on the ceiling, floor, and walls. Next, you can try using electric radiators, electric fan heaters, or solar-powered heaters.
What Is Best to Insulate A Shed?
The best option for doing so might be using fiberglass wool.
How Do You Heat an Uninsulated Shed?
Portable electric heaters, putting transparent sheeting on the roof, or installing infrared heat bulbs might be the cue.