Looking at heaters for my garage

[s2skimon]

if u have the money, I suggest getting it done by your gas company. They run a line from your current heat from your house in a large ceiling mounted unit and voila, another heated room.



I found electrical too expensive and could not heat up an entire area sufficiently.



If you don`t have the mone, you can do what i did, and invest in a propane heater. I attach to my bbq tank, crack the door to allow fresh air in and can work in t-shirt inside after about 30mins as it gets so warm in there. And I`m talking when the temp outiside is like -20 witih windchill, i`m nice and cozy optimum`ng away with my rotary.

[Super]

Use your car has a heater just put an extension pipe on the tail pipe that runs the gas/s outside. Wear long Johns, Drink 3 shots of whiskey, Use natural gas and buy a cheap used heater

If you work in your garage a lot find some insulation for the roof and what ever and make it a part of your living area

[AL-53]

I have a propane heater...does a fast job of heating an area....and cost effective also....I tried an electric one and it was to expensive to run....The one I have mounts on a tank and can be temp controlled...this is like the one I have..but mine is a dayton..a pretty reliable name...I put a little fan in the garage to move the air some...make short time of heating up the area...



http://www.air-n-water.com/product/392.html



I had a oil filled radiator type in my bathroom in the basement while I was doing it over...it took over a hour to heat it up a few degrees...on the high setting...and it was over 50 degrees in the room when I turned it on...electric heaters are not the best in a colder climate area...and suck up electricity.....





with propane you just need to crack a window an inch..plus most heaters have a low oxygen shut off.....look at this way..people have gas cookstoves and ventless gas fireplaces...



AL

[shumax]

Here`s the heater I`ve been talking about that I installed in my garage in Chicago-land.



45,000 BTU forced air, natural gas unit that`s vented. Works GREAT!

[lagniappe]

`White,



Have you considered putting a HVAC vent in your garage? If your garage is part of your house you could get a HVAC guy to see if your system has enough capacity to run a duct to it.



If you did this, it would be safer, you would have more uniform heat, and you would have A/C in the summer.



You could even have a motorized damper in the duct installed so that you can flick a switch to turn the heat and A/C off when you don`t need it.

[LightngSVT]

Shumax, nice heater. How big is your garage and how good does this heater work? I saw the same unit, but the 75k btu one and was wondering if it could heat a 4+ car garage? Has it impacted your heating bills much running the unit? Do you run it all the time or just when you are working in your garage?

[shumax]

Shumax, nice heater. How big is your garage and how good does this heater work? I saw the same unit, but the 75k btu one and was wondering if it could heat a 4+ car garage? Has it impacted your heating bills much running the unit? Do you run it all the time or just when you are working in your garage?

I have a 3-car garage. The heater works GREAT! It was 10 degrees outside when I first got it. Within 30min. my garage was 60 degrees! It`s quiet, doesn`t stink one bit, is controlled by a thermostat and is up out of my way.



I can`t comment on the gas bill as I just had it installed last week. I only run it when I`m out there working/cleaning cars, etc., so it likely isn`t going to cost me much more at all.



I saw your garage and I think you would at LEAST need the 75,000 BTU unit.



My unit is $450 and then I paid $500 to have it installed. I got the unit for $100 because I know someone who sells them. The installation is something I would have done if I was comfortable with natural gas Plumbing (water) and electrical don`t bother me that much, but natural gas isn`t something I mess with. So, out comes the check book to the local mechanical HVAC guys...



Enjoy!

[imported_chpsk8]

`White,



Have you considered putting a HVAC vent in your garage? If your garage is part of your house you could get a HVAC guy to see if your system has enough capacity to run a duct to it.



If you did this, it would be safer, you would have more uniform heat, and you would have A/C in the summer.



You could even have a motorized damper in the duct installed so that you can flick a switch to turn the heat and A/C off when you don`t need it.

Probably dont` want to do that. Two reasons...

1. Obviously it`s not to code.

2. Fire that starts in the garage will spread through the duct into the house. There aren`t any fireproof flaps to add to the ducts. (thats why it doesn`t meet code) I tried doing this when I built my house and got shot down right away.



I think you should start with a torpedo heater, if you get addicted then move up to a real natural gas garage heater. The best thing you can do is insulate the walls and ceiling of the garage. I have r13 in the walls and r38 in the ceiling. My torpedo cycles half what it did before I insulated. I can hold a temp without a heater running af 13 degrees above the outdoor temps. (30 outside-43 in the garage) THe warmer it is the better. I ran the heater for a couple hours on a 34 dergree night and it was still 50 in there 6 hours later. (insulation is good!)



Cracking a door or putting in a makeup air vent from the outside is good also. I run a CO detector in the garage and the cars set it off more than the torpedo ever has. Actually I don`t think the torpedo has ever set it off, it`s always been the car running in the garage.

[White95Max]

`White,



Have you considered putting a HVAC vent in your garage? If your garage is part of your house you could get a HVAC guy to see if your system has enough capacity to run a duct to it.

I live in an apartment with a detached garage. With the way this mild winter is going, I haven`t been thinking much about a heater. We`ve had highs above freezing for the last week, and at least several more days to come.

[LightngSVT]

Shumax, I think what you did is exactly what I want to do. However I guess I didnt anticipate $1000 to put in heat. Oh well I wont need it until next year anyway. I hope the 75000 btu will be enough for my new garage.

[shumax]

Shumax, I think what you did is exactly what I want to do. However I guess I didnt anticipate $1000 to put in heat. Oh well I wont need it until next year anyway. I hope the 75000 btu will be enough for my new garage.

I didn`t either, to be honest. I knew the heater would be $4-500, but when I found it for $100, I snatched it right up. Then it took nearly two months to get a mechanical HVAC contractor to come to my house---the job was too small they all said :sosad



Finally, three guys came out and the quotes ranged from $400-$900. I took the one for $500 because I know them and trust them. What I should have done was hang the thing and vent it on my own and then had them run the gas line. I would have done that, but I was afraid that would have been an even smaller job that they wouldn`t have wanted to touch. Sigh....



It`s in, works great and I`m not looking back!

[LightngSVT]

Well Im going to need to have a humidifier installed on my furnace too, so might be worth someones while. Im having a gas line put in my garage, Im just a bit concerned about doing the venting myself (cutting a hole in the roof, etc). thanks again!

[lagniappe]

Probably dont` want to do that. Two reasons...

1. Obviously it`s not to code.

2. Fire that starts in the garage will spread through the duct into the house. There aren`t any fireproof flaps to add to the ducts. (thats why it doesn`t meet code) I tried doing this when I built my house and got shot down right away.



I think you should start with a torpedo heater, if you get addicted then move up to a real natural gas garage heater. The best thing you can do is insulate the walls and ceiling of the garage. I have r13 in the walls and r38 in the ceiling. My torpedo cycles half what it did before I insulated. I can hold a temp without a heater running af 13 degrees above the outdoor temps. (30 outside-43 in the garage) THe warmer it is the better. I ran the heater for a couple hours on a 34 dergree night and it was still 50 in there 6 hours later. (insulation is good!)



Cracking a door or putting in a makeup air vent from the outside is good also. I run a CO detector in the garage and the cars set it off more than the torpedo ever has. Actually I don`t think the torpedo has ever set it off, it`s always been the car running in the garage.

I toured the Southern Living home a few months ago and it had a heated and cooled garage with insulated garage doors so I don`t think there would be any code violation in my state. Other states may have codes against doing this. I think the issue is exhaust fumes getting in the vents and not a fire getting into the vents. After all, there are vents in almost every kithchen and that is the place where most fires start.



It seems to me that a duct from a heat pump/central HVAC would be WAY safer than a torpedo or gas heater. There is no flame, no fumes, no sparks, no potential gas leaks, no carbon monoxide, no spill hazard, no super heated metal parts that can burn people, etc, etc.

[shumax]

Well Im going to need to have a humidifier installed on my furnace too, so might be worth someones while. Im having a gas line put in my garage, Im just a bit concerned about doing the venting myself (cutting a hole in the roof, etc). thanks again!

How you vent it depends on how you install it. If you mount it within 5` of an exterior wall, you can vent it horizontally like I did, which makes installing the vent kit MUCH easier. Otherwise, it has to be vented vertically.

[LiquidKernel]

DeLonghi

Oil-Fill Radiator Heater with Timer



that is the one i would get. no fan and it will keep heating even after you turn it off so you have a more even heat

I have one of those, they work very well.