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Thread: Garage heater

  1. #21
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    georgerkahn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bensonwe View Post
    Hi, i recently completed my garage except for heat. Its 20' x 28'. Im looking for some opinions on what to install. I like the idea of a ceiling mount propane but looking at all options. Thanks for the input.

    My wood/workshop is 1/2 of a two car garage. For years I used a Kerosene pot heater -- they're about 20" square and 4' tall, and mine was "fed" vis a copper line from a 55-gallon drum just outside the rear wall. That said, it works/worked awesome 'cept for 1/ It takes about 1/2 hr running before its heat radiates sufficiently to work; 2/ It is kind of a pia to keep buying Kero and topping off the 55 gallon drum; 3/ Like my neighbor who has a wood stove in his shop, at the time I'm done working -- all my tools, etc., are just at the right temp...

    Hence -- I picked up a 230V electric heater from Northern Tool. Within 30 seconds after turning it on, the fan blows heated air, and I swear it heats the shop in 1/2 the time of the kerosene unit. Secondly, I've noted no real significant increase in electricity use bill -- certainly less cost than kero or propane would have run. And third -- I "sleep so much better" not dealing in any way with open flames -- in a garage with sawdust, lacquer vapors, and God knows whatever flammables present. I turn off and unplug the heater; wipe off table and band saw tables, drill press, etc. -- and by then it it cool.
    Last -- in my locale, where regular below-zero Fahrenheit temps are the winter norm... it works.
    geo

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by remy3424 View Post
    I would think in that size, a ceiling mount 220 electric would work nice. It is all I use in a 30x42 (over double the size), well insulated garage. Set low it keeps it above freezing in any weather. Not sure how much time you intend to be out there in the winter. When I want to work in the winter, I just turn it up an hour before and it will be 50ish. Not t-shirt temps but fine for working/reloading in a sweatshirt. No cutting a hole in the roof or propanes tanks to deal with. I couldn't real notice much difference in my electric bill when I put mine in...it is using juice, but not a ton. Now that pheasant season is over, it will be getting turned-up, I will be reloading for our June prairie dog shoot. Oh, and they are cheap at the farm supply stores.
    That is what I did for my 30x32 insulated garage. I turn it on about 45 minutes before hand and basically keep it at almost its lowest setting. Works great and no worries about an open flame which I heard is an issue with homeowners insurance. I would check with them first before making a decision.

  3. #23
    Boolit Master Handloader109's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by georgerkahn View Post

    My wood/workshop is 1/2 of a two car garage. For years I used a Kerosene pot heater -- they're about 20" square and 4' tall, and mine was "fed" vis a copper line from a 55-gallon drum just outside the rear wall. That said, it works/worked awesome 'cept for 1/ It takes about 1/2 hr running before its heat radiates sufficiently to work; 2/ It is kind of a pia to keep buying Kero and topping off the 55 gallon drum; 3/ Like my neighbor who has a wood stove in his shop, at the time I'm done working -- all my tools, etc., are just at the right temp...

    Hence -- I picked up a 230V electric heater from Northern Tool. Within 30 seconds after turning it on, the fan blows heated air, and I swear it heats the shop in 1/2 the time of the kerosene unit. Secondly, I've noted no real significant increase in electricity use bill -- certainly less cost than kero or propane would have run. And third -- I "sleep so much better" not dealing in any way with open flames -- in a garage with sawdust, lacquer vapors, and God knows whatever flammables present. I turn off and unplug the heater; wipe off table and band saw tables, drill press, etc. -- and by then it it cool.
    Last -- in my locale, where regular below-zero Fahrenheit temps are the winter norm... it works.
    geo
    Then you either don't use it much or you aren't looking at your electric bill. Electric heat is expensive. But it has it's advantages, no flue, no fire risk if wired correctly. But it ain't cheap. I added a mini split to my basement and it does a good job, but it isn't free either.....

  4. #24
    Boolit Master Handloader109's Avatar
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    Oh, and coal burning stoves for home use are still being made and are perfectly legal in the US. If you can find coal, it might be a good option.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by William Yanda View Post
    That's odd. There is an Amishman nearby who sells coal stoves and in the other direction a business my son used to work at that sells both stoves and coal. fyi I am located an hour south of Rochester, NY.
    Yeah are settlement still has a bunch of coal burners, but Amish generally dont care what the gov says unless fined or jailed!

  6. #26
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    A few more things to consider. Are you going to heat 24/7 or just when you go out there? How much time do you want to wait for temperature to rise to x degrees? How much time do you want to spend tending the heating device? Getting wood, coal, waste oil, kerosene, cleaning and maintaining heating unit. What else are you going to use the garage for,reloading, cars, woodwork? Is acquisition cost a major issue, have to make do with what you can afford?

    The roof mounted IR heaters are fast and quite but crawl under a car (out of direct line with IR) and darn it's cold.
    Floor radiant heat is awesome. About the only one that guarantees warm tootsies. Temperature rise is very slow. Not so good for turning off for a week or two then back on. But it sure is comfortable and quite.
    Residential furnace (propane or oil), can possibly find a used one. Some can be mounted on ceiling. Could possibly build a furnace room outside garage. Takes up floor space if inside. Fabricate duct work(one time cost). Keep rodents out of it.
    Torpedo heater kerosene/propane. Fast heat noisy, have to watch fumes (carbon monoxide), big open flame. Puts moisture into the garage from burning fuel.
    Mini split adds air conditioning I have no experience with operating cost.

    Anything sitting on the floor uses up floor space and may require clearance from flammable objects. If a vehicle is in garage (or can be) may require flame to be 18 inches (check code) above floor, or wall around it.

    I have seen an outside wood boiler used for house heat that had a branch run to the workshop. Hydronic base boards. Wonder if you could do that with hydronic heating system?

  7. #27
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    in Wisconsin?
    I'd use a wood stove.

    But it really depends on if the garage is attached? are you gonna keep it heated 24/7? how much time do you spend in the garage?
    Good Luck.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  8. #28
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    Interesting read, I am thinking of adding a ceiling heater to mine instead of just firing up the propane portable heater when I am out there. While the portable heater works and will bring temps up to 50-60f in an hour it adds way touch humidity to the air making tools rust easier.

    Electric is out, way to expensive to run.
    Natural gas is only 10 feet from the garage wall so will be easy to run into the garage so it is a no brainer to go with a natural gas heater of some sort. Finding a used furnace in MN in January is almost impossible. If it can be made to run it gets snapped up to replace a bad house furnace. Menards carries the Mr. Heater Big Maxx garage heaters for $499, not the most efficient things at 82% but can vent out the wall with double wall pipe. A similar sized furnace will run $1200 or so plus duct costs... although I have seen people slap a square box on top and add a vent to the front and call it good.

    I will probably go the route of the natural gas garage heater, set the thermostat at 50f and only bump it up if I am going to be out there for an afternoon. My garage has 8" of insulation in the walls, R50 attic... R20 overhead door. Only 3 smaller windows so not a lot of heat loss there. It heats easy!

  9. #29
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Woodstove would be my choice, but I have 120 acres of woods. Many use Miller oil fired trailer furnaces . The infrared heater sounds interesting for a work area .

  10. #30
    Boolit Master Oyeboten's Avatar
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    I like a good Wood Stove...I used to heat my 1400 sq ft Workshop ( one big Room ), 12 ft Ceilings, with my 1920s Isenglass Windows, Utility Grade Cast Iron Wood Stove, with a 1930s Walker Automatic Atmospheric Flue Dampener, and when 26 degrees out ( Las Vegas ) I could work in a Tee Shirt.

    Up near the Ceilings, it'd be 145 degrees, so, if changing out a Florescent Light Bulb, it could get a little woozy...Lol...

    I'd cut up Hardwood Pallets, or just bring a Trailer to the Hardwood Pallet re-claim place, and they'd fill my Trailer up for free with broken Boards and cross members they had pulled.

    Worked out elegant and fun and nice, every which way.

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Handloader109 View Post
    Then you either don't use it much or you aren't looking at your electric bill. Electric heat is expensive. But it has it's advantages, no flue, no fire risk if wired correctly. But it ain't cheap. I added a mini split to my basement and it does a good job, but it isn't free either.....
    NO argument, Handloader109! In my locale electricity runs just about 14 U S cents per kilowatt hour. Doing the math -- as an added expense (the regular delivery, meter reading, and other "charges" I reckon go with house, so I am only figuring the 1,500watt 230V electric heater) -- comes out roughly at 22.5 cents per hour. A four hour work session for me in the shop, including the hour to warm everything up, comes to a whopping $1.10 US or so... While friends of mine spend $3.69 for a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop (college bookstore) -- I make my own coffee -- at about 8 cents per cup... IF the OP (or anyone, for that matter) was going to heat their shop 24/7 -- then the electric space heater as I have surely might be the very worst choice one can make re heat source! But, factor in, generally from early May through late September/mid-October where added heat is generally not required, and the maybe twice a week I'm out there in moderate winter days -- I do not think I made too bad a choice.
    geo

  12. #32
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    My son is a musician and being a drummer his band practices in his garage!
    He got one of those propane units that mount to a grill tank at Home Depot!
    Heats up the garage quick on high and low keeps it comfortable in the Northeast cold winter!
    Pretty safe also ...if you even bump it, it will shut down
    " Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington

  13. #33
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    Double oil drum wood stove with a waste oil drip. I've been using this for 25 years now, and while I'm sure my insurance agent would have a fit if they got a close look at it, it will be 10 below tomorrow morning and my 30 x 40 shop will be toasty. You have to be present to run the waste oil as the warmer the stove gets the faster the oil drips, so you have to keep an eye on it.

  14. #34
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    We are taking about a smaller garage, a 2-car. What I don't see is how much time the OP intends to spend in this garage, does he just want the cars to melt off in the winter, anything else??? Most everything posted is way over-kill...unless it is uninsulated. Like Jon posted. Well OP, you have been back, what are your intensions with the structure???
    Take a kid to the range, you'll both be glad you did.

  15. #35
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    What you use will depend on what utilities you have available .
    In my area natural gas heat is the least expensive . Propane comes next then electrical .
    If you only have a 100 amp panel out there ... that might not be large enough .
    Are the walls insulated ... that's important . What is ceiling hgth and is ceiling insulated .
    All this factors into a properly sized unit ... So what are the details ?
    I designed and drew blueprints for 47 years ...did building , plumbing , electrical and HVAC plans ...in Louisiana but might be able to help . Several ways to heat a building now .

    My reloading building has no heat ... with a couple hand presses I move my reloading into the house which has a gas fired central heating and cooling unit ... we only have about 3-4 months of cold weather at most , so it's not a problem .
    Gary
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  16. #36
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    I second a Hot Dawg heater. Vented is best, each 100,000 btu's will put about 1 gallon of water in the atmosphere. If it isn't vented you are dumping it in the air space to rust tools.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  17. #37
    Boolit Master 15meter's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BD View Post
    Double oil drum wood stove with a waste oil drip. I've been using this for 25 years now, and while I'm sure my insurance agent would have a fit if they got a close look at it, it will be 10 below tomorrow morning and my 30 x 40 shop will be toasty. You have to be present to run the waste oil as the warmer the stove gets the faster the oil drips, so you have to keep an eye on it.
    And you may find you have NO insurance on your building and contents. When I built by 24x32 workshop 35 years ago, my agent said to heat it with anything but a wood burner. If I used a wood burner it would have had to have a masonry chimney for the building to be covered. No full chimney, no coverage. I put in a used apartment sized natural gas furnace 35 years ago I bought for $60. I've replaced the blower motor twice since then.

    60 degrees when I'm not in the building, 70 when I'm in the shop.

    30 years ago it was 45 when I wasn't in the building, 62 when I was working.

    I like warm tools now, way easier on the hands.

  18. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nobade View Post
    From what I read, coal for residential heat was outlawed at the federal level just a few years ago. Since I'll be living on the edge of coal country it looked like a good option until I discovered that.
    I must be against the law. I just bought a ton last week. I've been buying it for 35 years. Much easier to deal with than wood.

  19. #39
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    I've not heard of coal being illegal?????
    I just bought a ton plus for the shop and calving shed. I didn't hear anything about it being against the law.

    Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk

  20. #40
    Boolit Grand Master Nobade's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cwtebay View Post
    I've not heard of coal being illegal?????
    I just bought a ton plus for the shop and calving shed. I didn't hear anything about it being against the law.

    Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
    This is interesting. I know I recently saw on some government web site about how it had been outlawed. But now I can not find any reference to that. I have no idea what is going on there, but disregard what I said, and I am glad because maybe I can get coal for heating my shop as well. Strange.

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