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Garage Heaters - Opinions


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I've put it off long enough, I need to put some heat in my garage. Winters in Northeast PA aren't that terrible, but I'm getting older and working in the cold just isn't as much fun as it used to be. My garage is 24 x 38 and will soon be insulated. I'm thinking a propane unit would do the job but was wondering what others do for heat and how pleased they are with their set up. Thanks !

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I have one of the propane heaters that hang from the ceiling, installed it about 20 years ago and it has served me well. Probably depends on how much you plan to heat the building, if you plan to heat the building all of the time it will be too expensive but if you are like me and just heat the building when you are working then I think propane is the way to go. I get in from work on the coldest days, turn the heat on and by the time I have changed clothes and are ready to start work it will be nice and warm. The working area (heated area)of my shop is only 24'x40' and it is well insulated, if I was going to heat the building all of the time I'd probably look at a heat pump.

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I put in a Mitsubishi split system, very economical to operate, a little expensive on the front end. It's a heat pump, so for outside temps below 20 degrees F you'd want an electric or propane supplemental heat source.

I heat a 750 square foot garage, and after installation since October of 2012, my utility bill only went up about $25. So, what you spend on the front end, you save every month from now on.....

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I'm still looking into it but I found out they make a small heat pump device, some are window or through the wall and others are free standing inside with a duct through the wall to outside. Prices seem to go from around $400 for a small free standing to $800 or so for a bigger through the wall unit. I only heat a 12'X30' area that is well insulated with only a small outside door. I have a lare inside door to move in project cars from the main part of the barn. I figured there are as many days that I cut my shop time short because it is to hot as to cold. These units would give me heat and cool. If it gets so cold that I have to switch to electric or some other back up I just wouldn't work that day or fire up my current system, a free standing KeroSun header and a small electric. Once I get it up to temperature I can maintain on either by itself.

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Make sure that you calculate the required BTU's to heat/cool your space, and buy a unit that's at least 25% higher in capacity than your calculation. There are tools on the Internet to do the calculation.

Nothing's worse than spending short money for something that doesn't do what you want it to do.....when a few more dollars would have bought the correct item....

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I have two friends that both have shops with "in floor" hot water heat. I have never been in a more comfortable,stable and uniform means of working than with them. Also the tools and equipment in their shops are at a stable temperature, no up and downs nor taking hours to warm every thing up. It is a pleasure to get on a creeper under a car there. One fires with wood and a back up natural gas, the other uses just gas. Of course they are super insulated. --Bob

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I have two friends that both have shops with "in floor" hot water heat. I have never been in a more comfortable,stable and uniform means of working than with them. Also the tools and equipment in their shops are at a stable temperature, no up and downs nor taking hours to warm every thing up. It is a pleasure to get on a creeper under a car there. One fires with wood and a back up natural gas, the other uses just gas. Of course they are super insulated. --Bob

Is there an affordable way to install this system to an existing garage?

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Tom, sounds like the propane ceiling mount would be a good fit. Can you provide any details on the heater ? How many BTUs, does it have a fan ? Is it 110V ? Is there an exhaust to the outside ? I already have a propane furnace in my basement so I could just extend the supply line... sure would make the gas company a little happier !

The Mitsubishi is tempting too...

The cost of a retro-fit heat in the floor would be prohibitive in my opinion... if you were doing a new floor that would be the time.

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If you are not working in the whole shop ...

Buy a ' bullet ' floor mount propane heater and an upright portable tank.

You need a 120 volt power source, the ignition is electronic and they have a fan.

They put out a lot of heat ....

It will quickly and economically heat the area you need warmth in.

Forget insulating the shop - unless it is already weathertight and just a few years old.

Jim

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Big problem if you use the big jet engine propane type heaters is they put out a lot of water with the heat. Not a problem in a very loose building with lots of ventilation for the occasional use but if the building is tight at all you will have moisture problems. Been there done that.

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I'd have to check the BTU's but yes, it has a fan and is wired to 110V with a thermostate mounted on the wall. There is a 6" metal pipe vented through the ceiling and out the roof. The heater is mounted from the ceiling in one corner of the building and blows towards the other corner. I'll look tonight to see the spec's and brand name.

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We use a Reznor waste oil furnace.all winter long,keep it @ 55,if you want to work ,be @ 70 fast. That way,nothing freezes.Window a/c during the hot days..Nothing molds.and sweats.Not real cheap,unless the fuel is free.Bests investment ever bought.They are not maintenance free

Edited by old car fan (see edit history)
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I bought one of the "jet engine" propane heaters for my garage too. My shop is 2400 sq ft and I only use the heater when I am working out there. I like it because I can move it around and heat any part of the shop I am using and it heats FAST. I have never had a problem with any water and I have used it while the rain and snow were falling. These heaters can be bought in several different BTU ratings and also (I think) most have a high and low heat setting so can be used on high for larger areas or low for better economy if you are working in just one area. My heater is listed to heat up to 3000 sq ft but I only work in one area at a time so only use high to get that area heated quick. If anyone is considering these type heaters, be sure to get the propane one as there are also some that use diesel or kerosene and those kind put out a lot of fuel fumes and can get real bad in a closed area. Another thing I like about these heaters is that you can point them in any direction and you don't have to wait for "your" area to warm up.

Big problem if you use the big jet engine propane type heaters is they put out a lot of water with the heat. Not a problem in a very loose building with lots of ventilation for the occasional use but if the building is tight at all you will have moisture problems. Been there done that.
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A contractor was using a propane jet engine heater in our tight house while it was being finished, before they got the furnace in and we had damp walls to the point that some were dripping and had mold problems in a couple of places. In most shop type buildings there probably enough air leaks that it would not be a problem and you would probably be using it for fewer hours.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have an 850 sq ft home shop with floor radiant heat from a small gas water heater. My son and I installed it befor the floor was poured, but you can also do it on top of your existing floor. The recirculating pump, PEX tubing, & used water heater cost less than $300. IMO, this is the best kind of heat for a car shop or storage. I can drive a car in from the pouring rain and it will be bone dry an hour after it is parked.

I recently acquired a car 2400 sq ft metal building (my new car barn) that I am currently insulating with lots of fiberglass batts the previus owner left. I bought an old oil burning whole house heater built in the 40's & when it gets too cold and damp, I plan to use a combination of waste oils just to keep everything from freezing and getting too damp. The leather straps on my prewar cars already started to mold from the excess dampness here in the Pacific Northwest.

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Whitmoyer,

Given your location north of Harrisburg, insulate well especially the ceiling. Suggest using the Hot Dawg (from Modine)ceiling mounted forced air heater that is propane fired unless you have gas at your location. The unit direct vents either up or out the side. Mentioned here by another poster, do you need to heat the entire area?? Perhaps including vertical hanging strips to partition your shop may concentrate the heat where its needed.

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Am I correct to assume that if you have a garage that's well below freezing, and go out to turn on your heater of whatever type to raise the temperature to a working range, that you run the risk of developing cracks in the paint of your cars? Especially if they are older lacquer paint jobs?

I've always been afraid to do that, if not for the paint but the thermal cycling of everything from 15 or 20 degrees to 55 or so, and then back to 15 or 20 that night. Or hot spots where the warm air blows directly on a frigid car. I'd much rather maintain a constant 45 degrees out there, then bump it up to 55 for comfortable working.

This topic is getting dear to my heart because in the past few years I don't even work in the garage until the outside temperatures get into the 40's at least. So that's almost three or four months of no activity. Talk about withdrawal symptoms ! (Earlier this week we got into the mid-50's and I spent the day in the garage. Boy, was I happy ! This morning it's back in the low 20's. :-(

--Scott

Troy, New York

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After a move from Florida where I could work year round in the barn, I'm now in NC where I couldn't.

Last fall LOWES had a sale on big patio heaters. The thing looks like a stainless steel umbrella and is

powered by a propane tank (Often seen in outdoor cafe's) It was only $99.00, so I bought it.

It does take the chill off of the area around it, does not stink and seems to make occaisional winter

projects possible. (Not gas or paint related). I also have one of those jet blast heaters powered with

propane but the noise is awful, and I prefer the umbrella heater. My main section in the barn is un-

insulated and has no ceiling, fresh air is not restricted enough to make propane fumes a problem.post-32318-143141801562_thumb.jpg

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After a move from Florida where I could work year round in the barn, I'm now in NC where I couldn't.

Last fall LOWES had a sale on big patio heaters. The thing looks like a stainless steel umbrella and is

powered by a propane tank (Often seen in outdoor cafe's) . . . .

Wow, what an idea.

The first time I saw one of those things was during a visit to California maybe 15 years ago. We ate supper at an outdoor cafe in February where it would ordinarilly be too cold, but the heaters did a swell job of providing an island of warmth. Being a frugal Yankee, the thought of a 100% waste of heat was an anathema, but in a garage? Hmmm. . . . With a ten foot ceiling you could mount it there and forgo the pole. Your radius of warmth would be larger, too. And without insulation with a ridge vent in the roof, the water vapor would just rise while the radiant heat warmed below.

This is probably the same idea as radiant ceiling mount heaters which look like long thick pipes running under the rafters. Only these are probably alot cheaper.

Again, I am worried about the radiant heat on automobile paint. You are heating the surface of the paint directly while the metal under remains frigid.

--Scott

near SW Vermont

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Thanks to everybody for your thoughts and suggestions. Lots of good info and ideas put into practice. If I was starting from scratch, or at least had not poured the concrete floor I would be doing the in floor heat... but the concrete is down and I'll go for the next best for me - the suspended propane heater. I checked out the Modine Hot Dawg and saw a number of favorable reviews. I also did the BTU calculation, several times - there are a number of BTU calculators on the web and each one gives you a different value. Based on how I'm going to insulate the garage, I'll be getting the 45K BTU Modine Hot Dawg. The BTU calculations ranged from 29K to 38K, so a 45K Hot Dawg should give me plenty of heating power. Insulation of the garage may start this weekend... the garage is 24 x 38 and is attaced to the end of my home at the basement level - walk out of/into the garage from the basement, and the basement is heated so one wall is essentially done. The remaining walls get 3-1/2" of fiberglass in the side walls and 1/2" sheetrock or sheathing. The ceiling will get 1" of styrofoam with reflective foil face and all joints taped.

Thanks again for the tips and info ! I'll add a post as the project progresses.

Bob Whitmoyer

Bloomsburg PA

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Thanks to everybody for your thoughts and suggestions. Lots of good info and ideas put into practice. If I was starting from scratch, or at least had not poured the concrete floor I would be doing the in floor heat... but the concrete is down and I'll go for the next best for me - the suspended propane heater. I checked out the Modine Hot Dawg and saw a number of favorable reviews. I also did the BTU calculation, several times - there are a number of BTU calculators on the web and each one gives you a different value. Based on how I'm going to insulate the garage, I'll be getting the 45K BTU Modine Hot Dawg. The BTU calculations ranged from 29K to 38K, so a 45K Hot Dawg should give me plenty of heating power. Insulation of the garage may start this weekend... the garage is 24 x 38 and is attaced to the end of my home at the basement level - walk out of/into the garage from the basement, and the basement is heated so one wall is essentially done. The remaining walls get 3-1/2" of fiberglass in the side walls and 1/2" sheetrock or sheathing. The ceiling will get 1" of styrofoam with reflective foil face and all joints taped.

Thanks again for the tips and info ! I'll add a post as the project progresses.

Bob Whitmoyer

Bloomsburg PA

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  • 3 months later...
Guest 58packardwagon

i live in MN and have an insulated garage. I finally installed an electric heater 36,000 cfm. It works great. Made by Ouellet. It is electric and made in Canada. I purchased it at Norther Tool (midwest chain, but they do have a good website). Setting #2 keeps it at 40 degrees while I am not out there. When I am out there, I turn it to #4 and it is 70 degrees in 15 minutes. I opted for electric verses gas because I did not want the flame and venting to mess with. Good luck

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  • 1 month later...

I put in a Hot Dawg, same size, in my uninsulated (ceiling is insulated) 24x36 garage here in Northern Maine. The ceiling mounted furnace in stalled easily, and brings the temp up from 20 degrees to 50 degrees easily, and maintains that heat easily. In winter, I like working in 50-55 degrees. Very comfortable. The Hot Dawg is a high quality item. You won't go wrong.

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  • 3 months later...

I have a Reznor 45,000 btu heater in my 24x24 log garage in Northern Lower Mi and it is all the heater I need, I keep the temp around 47 degrees, it runs on propane and isn't bad on fuel usage, I have never set it more than 58 degrees, i usually have to shut it off, doesn't take long to heat up the garage.........Rooney3100

DSCN0877_zps97896b50.jpg~original

Edited by Rooney3100 (see edit history)
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