Topic: heating a garage

[dusterdude]

need suggestions on heating for a 320 sq foot garage,the garage is well insulated so i shouldnt need anything too massive.electric is preferred but i could use propane if necessary.

[medic09]

Installing or portable/temorary?

[Steve F]

If you go with the permanent install, make sure the furnace/heater is designed for garage use.  In other words, the flame in a gas fired unit is well above the floor level by design to reduce the possibility of gas fumes being ignited.  Or a ceiling unit.

[Cvillechopper]

It depends on who will routinely be in the garage.  If it's just you, maybe a few friends from time to time, just use the chili and long lighter routine.  Bonus is it keeps the bugs out

[eldar]

Could also do kerosene. Generally not as dangerous as propane. A ceiling electric unit would be best.

[azuredesign]

Duster, you're talking about a 16x 20 foot space in VA. Probably don't need to do more than get 20-25 degrees above outside temp. Up here in the great northeast, where electricty is expensive and oil and gas are more expensive, we use a wood stove to supplement our natural gas furnace. A few of my friends use it in their studios( fancy name for a garage). Inexpensive to implement in a free standing building, just find a used stove and some used metal-bestos pipe and make friends with some tree guys. Heats quickly and feels darned good.
Alternately, go to H.D. and buy a either a couple of oil filled electric radiators and mount them on the walls, or a radiant heater or two and move them around with you.

[jrtruckn]

Depending on what you want to pay you could get one of those heaters that burns oil. A friend has a shop that he does repairs on semi's. He uses all the used motor oil he drains from the trucks. He also can burn fuel oil, Kero, parts cleaner solution. Just about anything that is petro based. I change my own oil in my vehicles and take it to him so I don't have to pay to dispose of it. Needless to say he never pays for oil since he gets gallons of it each time he changes oil in one of those big rigs!

[dusterdude]

i would definetly like to get something to hang on the wall,i could use 2 smaller units i guess to accomplish what i need to do,keep the suggestions coming though,thanks for all the responses.

[jrtruckn]

Just another thought. If you are willing to go with propane and can wait till after the winter season you can do what I did to and extra heat to my basement. I waited until the heaters went onsale at Lowes. I got a wall mounted ventless propane heater that will heat 1200 sqft for about $125(not sure about the price because it was 4 years ago). If you keep an eye out like I did I got 50% off on it (plus my wife's cousin worked there and he got his discount for me). We installed a couple ceiling fans to move the air around and it works great. We leave the door open going down stairs and can fill the heat make its way upstairs. Now that I think about it that would be perfect for my little shop.

[jevfro]

I'm currently using a wood furnace w/ a blower and a little ducting.  It's an older model from the 70's I guess (Monarch add-a-furnace, or something like that).  It does a nice job, however, if you really want it warm, like 70 or above for example (depending on outside temps, and it's been in the teens here in central WA lately)it'll take a little while and a fair amount of wood. Not a big deal for me as I like it a lil cooler (55-60 if your really working you should warm up a bit from the exercise !! ) and I get lots of free wood from construction jobs.   The down side is you need a chimney or other flue to vent out of your shop.

The electric heaters are the most expensive to run (changing electricity into heat is pretty inefficient) they don't need any venting though and you'll never have to cut wood.  I've been tempted to go w/ a propane vent-less wall unit for other unheated areas of the shop.  I've got a couple of rooms that have no heat but they already have gas lines run to them.  If you look around there are some out there for ~$100.  The only thing I don't get is that they are illegal in CA.  Why only CA?    (that's where the most lawyers/sue-happy ppl are? )  I believe all the units I saw have a low O2 sensor that will shut the gas off if there is a build-up of carbon monoxide.

Anyhow, keep warm!

[mick750F]

   In my last shop, when the big-ass through the wall mounted propane heater died, I picked up a wall mounted ventless propane heater for about $125. That was around 4 years ago. On it's lowest setting it kept the shop which was about 350sq/ft in the low 50's...perfect. It used a lot less gas than the museum piece that it replaced. When I was making dust...sawdust that is...I'd shut it off and maintain the place with an oil filled electric radiator. I thought it was a great and cheap way to heat a shop space.

   I'm in a slightly bigger space now but don't have a place to keep a propane tank so I'm maintaining 50º with a couple of the oil filled electric heaters. From the research I've done they're supposed to be the most efficient of the cheap electric heaters.

   P.S. Insulation is is your friend here. It will reduce your heating needs drastically.

Mike

[DarkRider]

Around here theres a couple places that offer a nice lil electric heater that also has a flood light installed in it...typically around $100 or so..chances are thats what i may be using when i build my set up..well that or a propane furnace havent decided yet.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Duster,

Once you finally get it heated don't forget to disable your garage door so your wife doesn't open the door. My wife caught on about the 3rd time   

[seaweb11]

wood stove

[BobbyR]

I use a kero heater. The trick is to start it outside and let it get going good. When you want it shut t down take it back outside.

[fuzzybutt]

i have 2 of those big oil filled electric heaters in my garage, one at either end of the lift area pointing towards the work.