Looking at heaters for my garage

[Corey Bit Spank]

I actually have one like the Black and Decker (although this is a "patton" and the case looks a bit different) and while it took an hour to heat up the garage it does work pretty well. I don`t have temperatures but I had to take my sweatshirt off while washing my car. It`s 32 degrees out. Not extremely cold so take it for what it`s worth.

[ToolTime]

When it`s about 35 degrees outside of my garage, I use a Lasko ceramic (forced air)heater. They are very quiet and when turned on with my dual 500 watts halogens, my 2 -car garage will get to about 65 degrees. Depending on what I am doing, I sometimes have to remove my sweatshirt or set the temperature control on the heater.



This may sound strange but with carpet on the floor, the garage will heat up quicker and stay warmer longer. I recently had to roll the carpet up since I will be doing some major work to my `94 Mustang Cobra and don`t want to spill anything on the carpet.



The Lasko heater Model # is 5365 Ceramic and cost me about $45.00. It is 1500 watt, has a digital display with temperature control and also oscillates. The ceramic heaters come in MANY sizes and are not too expensive. You`ll just have to figure out whether you want to pay for the electricity or the fuel. I have seen the torpedo heaters. Very effective for heating quickly, but they do give off fumes and are noisy... almost like a small jet engine.



Hope this helps.

[White95Max]

Thanks for the info. I was discussing this with family, and the concern came up that the wire underground may not be of a thick enough gauge to withstand the current drawn by the heater, a 500W halogen, my garage lights, and my PC. If the wire were to melt, I`d be left with a dark garage. My landlord would never dig up the ground to fix my wire.

Thoughts? Am I more worried about this than I should be?

[MorBid]

A healthy concern but a 1500w heater on a 120v circuit pulls 12.5 Amps. Add to that the 500w halogens (4 Amps) and your at 16.5 amps. Add in a couple of amps for the regular lights and you might be close to 18.



A 15 Amp breaker may trip with that alone (or when you power up a tool with a motor in it).



What I`m saying is the wire will only start to melt (burm) if your overloading the circuit for a given time, the breaker will trip before then as that what they are designed to do.



So you may end up with taking walks to the panel.



Garages (unless specifically built or rewired) typically don`t have that much juice out there or are even on they`re own leg.



Between my two pairs of halogens (1200/1000), Rotary polisher, Electric PW, and Forced Air heater I`m always tripping the breaker if I`m using the lights and two or more of the others.



I don`t have access to the panel so I had to put a Surge thingy out there so I can reset everything instead of standing in the dark.

[White95Max]

Yeah I`m highly doubting that my landlord installed a heavy-gauge wire for the garages. I`m sure he expects the tenants to just use the light bulb that`s out there for 10 minutes and come back in. I`m the only one crazy enough to use a heater, halogen lights, and a polisher out there, as well as the light bulb and 2 36" flourescents.

[MorBid]

Ohh your so right. The lady from the rental office told me that it`s in my lease that the garages are for "storing" your car only, although most folks who moved from a house into these townhomes use it as storage.



the thickness of the wire also plays an important role when you have to factor in the length of the circuit.



All wire has a natural resistance and the longer the wire the less power you get (voltage drop) so you have to compenstate by increasing the gauge just to get back what you lose.



Again as you stated most landlords aren`t going that extra mile. I can`t wait to move this spring.



Dude I`m tellin ya grab one of these propane one`s at lowes and hook em up to your BBQ tank (which your not using in the winter or get another one) and your done.

[JJ_]

Check out my garage thread I have two convector heaters and One would be more than ample, gets warm in about 3 minutes and roasting in 5/6 minutes.



The heaters are 3000W each and I only have them on to take the chill out then switch em off.



John.

[Swoop411]

Search for an infrared heater. It will heat the concrete and the car....objects...that in turn warm up the air. It doesnt use a fan, but is quite effective. Heres a link to one...just googled it....

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....topnav=FRWIN06

[zippymbr]

Search for an infrared heater. It will heat the concrete and the car....objects...that in turn warm up the air. It doesnt use a fan, but is quite effective. Heres a link to one...just googled it....

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog....topnav=FRWIN06

That thing is crap! My dad has one and all it does is warm up your hands!



This is what I plan on buying; http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/200307959.htm

[thestaleys]

I use a Dayton heater rated at 5000 watts and it works perfect for our 500 square foot two car garage. Here is a link to see what it looks like.Our 5000 watt Dayton electric garage heater.