Which Heater is best ?

[1BADBITE]

Garage Heater that is ! I have received quotes for both gas fired 1)Radiant Overhead and 2)Blower Overhead heater. both prices are identical.
Which is better for storing 2 cars over the winter ???

 

[BADVENOM]

As a N.Y.C Plumber I would tell you from experience that infra red
heaters are generally used for spot heating where as blower type units are better for areas where you need to heater entire area contents. Plus blower units have a faster recovery! Go with the blower unit. However if your using infre red make sure its low intensity because of ceiling heights. Generally infra red heater require high ceilings and clearance from bottom of unit to floor of apx 12' and higher!

adam

 

[Jack B]

1Badbite:

I have had a Mr Heater (Enerco) for ten years. My model is a 35,000 btu unit and it is heating a 1000 sq ft garage with ten ft ceilings. There is no problem with "spot" heating. In addition, recovery is not that bad since you lose less BTU's in both static and dynamic conditions. The unit has self contained controls, all you need is the gas line.

There are numerous reasons to use infrared over forced air in the garage application. Call their tech support, they can walk you thru a fact based comparative analysis against forced air. I have no affiliation with them, it is just a fantastic product and a good company. I have recently seen their product advertised in Northern Tool. This is just one humble opinion.

 

[Roland L-Ocala FL]

I got a unit called a "Hot Dawg" (made by Modine) which has a blower with it, and it hangs from the ceiling like a unit heater. (1" clearance to combustibles from the top of the unit.) It is very efficient, and is also a "dry" heat, no moisture associated with it. Whatever you do, do not get a "vent free" unit, as they are very prone to adding much moisture to the inside of the garage. Make sure it is vented, or the radiant heater as mentioned above, as it does not seem to generate moisture either.

 

[JimDavis MT 97GTS 650R]

I too use the "Hot Dawg" unit. I call it the "bun warmer". It heats roughly 2000 sq. ft. for me & Works great. The unit is quiet, & does not take up much space.

 

[RedGTS]

Assuming you were dealing with a newly built garage rather than an existing one, is there any reason you couldn't just use traditional vents in the ceiling and a gas heat pump like you use to heat the rest of the house? Obviously you wouldn't want to rip out your ceiling in an existing garage to put the ductwork in (and you might not have enough room depending on what was above it), but if you were putting in heat from the beginning, is there any reason to heat it differently from the rest of the house?

 

[1BADBITE]

Wow, ask a question and you get expert advice (even from a plumber) - only on the Viper Forum. Well,I'm heading to Mexico for some solar heat and ponder the responses. Hope the only Viper I might stumble upon will be a car !
Thanks - Chat when I get back.