3800 Need heat in my garage

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imported_PaceCarBoozer

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I want to be able to heat my garage while working in there or hanging out in there (no smoking in the house), so not all the time. It has to be electric. I saw a couple different ones at home depot that i am looking at. there is a radiator type oil filled heater, or I was thinking or getting two of the heaters that hang from the ceiling that have the heating elements in them.
What would be the most efficient way? I was just looking for ideas as to how anyone here is heating their garages. I would like to stay away from propane cause it burns the hell out of my eyes and is noisy as hell (tube heaters). Not sure if kerosene has the same smell, but it may be an option if it doesn't.
TIA for any ideas.
CJ
 

chipmonk212121

TCG Elite Member
May 28, 2007
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how high is your ceiling? the radiator type havent worked for huge spaces.....but the ones that hang from the ceiling work well.....the best is the torpedo ones...but ya they smell.......if you have a gas hookup in your wall anywhere near there or the option to get one there they have wall heaters that hook up to the gas in your house and work very well and dont smell
 
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imported_Ron Vogel

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I have a oil filled electric one. Takes forever for it to start working. I have about 3000 watts of hologen lighting in the garage, and it works better to keep things from being unbearable. In this weather it stays in the 50-60 degree range out there.
 
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imported_Theautoguy

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I work at Grainger, I've helped heat over 50 residential garages (some of our club members too) over the past few years...I can say that I am somewhat of an expert here.

Torpedo heaters are way noisy relative to other, more permanent unit style heaters. Further, kerosene smells bad and propane is not much better! Another problem with these vent free heaters, they create condensation like crazy! Imagine your windows icing up on the garage…or maybe moisture getting all over your tools and rusting. (That is a common problem!) So when it’s all said and done you are warm, wet and smell funny!

If you don’t want anything too permanent and you don’t have a gas line convenient to hook up to then electric is the way to go.

What I would need to know is the size of your garage; ceiling height, width and length. (Ballpark it, it doesn’t have to be exact) I’ll also need to know how well insulated the garage is.

You get me that information and I’ll give you a few suggestions including the “Family Discount” prices.

I’m not on any type of commission so this is not an attempt to gain for myself, I just want to help a fellow nut-case out.

Don
 

00GTPSC

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Dec 20, 2008
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I got one in my garage that is hooked up to a natural gas line, i love the thing, i go out and pop it on and in about 15 minutes the whole 2 car garage is nice and warm, right now it's 14 degrees outside and my garage is 40, i love it. I think i saw one like mine at menards but the guy who lived here before us had it put in, just open up the gas line, turn the pilot on and give it a click thn it goes on and turn the gas up, i will never go without heat in the garage again
 
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imported_Theautoguy

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Radiant heat does not work well in a space as confining as a residential garage. It will heat an object over air. This sounds OK unless you turn out to be one of the objects, it can get hot fast. Radiant, tube heaters work well in higher ceiling applications of 10' feet or more. Even then you would need to break it down to high-bay and low-bay applications.

A heater that will blow heated air into the space is best because you are working in the air, not on the surface of the car; it's a lot more efficient and comfortable for the application.

I have a natural gas-fired, low-profile unit heater in my garage. I keep it at 45 degrees until I work on a car, then I'll turn it up to 555. In keeping it at 45 all of the time it keeps the cars comfortable and easy to start in the morning plus I can store chemicals outside of the house. It's uses a hot surface igniter and is better than 80 plus percent efficient. Further, it's relatively quite so you can carry on a conversation while it's running. I can get those for you cheaper than any "Box" store can sell them and of a lot better quality!

That may be too much though. Once again, all I need is dimensions and how you'd want it to make heat!
 

Royalgtp

TCG Elite Member
Dec 24, 2008
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My uncles radiant heat works great in his normal 2 car garage. Yes, I know radiant heat heats objects rather then the air.

Its based off the same principles of the sun and its cheaper to run than any fuel source what ever it may be.


With radiant heat, the room and every object in it become radiators. Typically, the temperature in a radiantly heated space matches your skin's temperature thus eliminating heat loss from your body. Because of this, the room actually feels warmer, even though the actual air temperature may be cooler. As a result, radiant heat offers unparalleled comfort and decreased energy bills!


Again, it works great and is much cheaper to operate.

Does any one have radiant floors in there house? 10x better the FA system.
 

Royalgtp

TCG Elite Member
Dec 24, 2008
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Radiant heating equipment is designed to provide quiet, energy-efficient, comfort-level temperatures through application of radiant heat transfer. Radiant heat transfer means that heated infrared rays are radiated until they are absorbed by objects, such as floors, equipment, or people. Infrared heat rays do not warm the air. The air immediately surrounding the "heated" objects is warmed because of the increase in temperature of those objects. This makes infrared heating ideal for spot heating applications such as garages, parking ramps, and any other indoor location where heat is needed in only a specific area.
OVERALL BENEFITS

Heat where it's needed: Since the infrared rays are absorbed by the floor, infrared heating provides warmer floor-level temperatures.

Quiet: infrared heating equipment does not require fans or blowers.


Energy-efficient: Combustion efficiency stands around eighty (80) percent. Hot surface ignition or direct spark ignition systems have replaced the standing pilot light.

Clean: Without drafts or blowing air, these units will not spread dirt or dust and will not interfere with daily building operations.

Reliable: Even though burners seldom fail, if one or more do, the rest will continue to heat the building. Therefore building owners need not worry about lost time due to a complete breakdown of the system.




Do a search on the internet.....elcetric or gas radiant heat is the way to go in a place like a garage.........Gas feed radiant heat is penny on the dollar as compared to a Forced air system

I have a few guys I know who are woodworkers and Forced air does not work well in their shops. A few have converted to gas feed radiant and now do not have to worry about chemical vapors/blowing stuff around, or high heating bills.

You can greatly tell the difference of radiant heat.....it heats you....not the air, resulting in the "feeling" of being hot while the air around you is not.
Thus, not having to turn up a Forced Air system on full blast to feel warm.

Any major garage or shop has radiant if they have done their homework on cost.
 
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imported_PaceCarBoozer

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Wow, holy crap, everyone seems to have an opinion on this, thanks.

Ok, my garage is is a one car attached
Demensions: 23' D x 11' W x 8 1/2' tall
I would love to run a gas line in there, but can't go cuttin the place up, I rent and the landlords said no.
I thought kerosene wasn't supposed to smell like propane does, but I've never used it, only propane, which is out
The garage is paneled so I don't know if it is insulated, I know the back wall isn't (1/2 paneled), so I assume the outside wall isn't either. I would insulate it, but like i said, I'm renting. So I want to take with me what I put into the house when I leave.
Oh, and I did consider quitting smoking, but a lolly pop and beer doesn't sound as appealing as a smoke and a beer, so I shall continue to smoke.
CJ
 
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imported_Theautoguy

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Royal, those are all true but the radiant tube heaters I’m familiar with do not work as well in standard residential applications. The ceilings are just too low and hot spots are created. “Spot” heating sounds great on paper until that spot turns out to be something you didn’t want to become a reflected heat source…like your head or vynal or something of the such. They do work great in commercial garages because they generally have a larger ceiling height giving the unit a better ability to “radiate” the heat throughout the space and the object within.

I’ve helped many shops and garages with different applications and needs using radiant or fan-forced; both electric and gas heating…this is what I do for a living! Anyway, radiant infrared tube heaters run over $750 just to start with compared to $475 for fan-forced unit heaters.

CJ, can you tap a 240 volt line? If so, I can get you a 5kw (adjustable) electric utility heater for around $225. It would be very quiet and should be able to get your garage to a desired temp relatively quickly! Let me know about the 240V hook-up; if you don’t have one yet it would be give you a good reason to buy a nice air compressor too! What I have in mind would not be permanent so you’d be able to take it with when you leave.
 
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imported_PaceCarBoozer

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Originally posted by Theautoguy@Dec 6 2005, 06:08 PM
Royal, those are all true but the radiant tube heaters I’m familiar with do not work as well in standard residential applications. The ceilings are just too low and hot spots are created. “Spot” heating sounds great on paper until that spot turns out to be something you didn’t want to become a reflected heat source…like your head or vynal or something of the such. They do work great in commercial garages because they generally have a larger ceiling height giving the unit a better ability to “radiate” the heat throughout the space and the object within.

I’ve helped many shops and garages with different applications and needs using radiant or fan-forced; both electric and gas heating…this is what I do for a living! Anyway, radiant infrared tube heaters run over $750 just to start with compared to $475 for fan-forced unit heaters.

CJ, can you tap a 240 volt line? If so, I can get you a 5kw (adjustable) electric utility heater for around $225. It would be very quiet and should be able to get your garage to a desired temp relatively quickly! Let me know about the 240V hook-up; if you don’t have one yet it would be give you a good reason to buy a nice air compressor too! What I have in mind would not be permanent so you’d be able to take it with when you leave.

I suppose I could, but I really don't want to.  I am probably not goin to be here next winter, I will hopefully be buying a house and when I do, I will be piping in gas, so what I buy now will just be extra.  This is also the reason I am trying to keep the cost down.  I work in a body shop so the need for a compressor isn't necessary.  I don't need anything that is going to heat the garage in 10 min.  Mostly something that is goin to be comfortable enough to hang out in there, something simple.  It stays about 25 degrees warmer in there than it is outside without a heater, so I don't need anything spectacular.  I'd like to keep it under a hundred bucks.
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