Who Has A Heated Garage/How to...?

[Jeff Torrey]

How are you guys in the North heating your garages? I am considering it. Looking for a Cheap, and safe way to get it done. Info and recommendations please ...just to keep tolerable, 50 degrees or so.

 

[RedEnuf93]

Jeff,
I have a single and a double garage. The Viper is in single one, which is easy to heat and I do not need to open the garage door that often.
I use electric oilheater with thermostat, which I bought from Lowes for 39 bucks. At high setting the garage is great to work even with t-shirt. I go there to smoke cigars and listen stereo (loud), since wife banned cigars in the house. Night time I keep it at lowest setting, it keeps it about 50.

Lauri

 

[Dazed King]

I got up today and was about to ask the same question. I'm buying a viper soon, plus am freezing while smoking. Thanks,

Dusty

 

[RobHook]

Actually I just bought a heater for my garage yesterday. Since it's about a 2.5 car garage that's open all the way to the roof, it's kinda hard to heat. I'd used a somewhat large (23,000 BTU) Kerosene heater before but after hours of it running the effect was barely noticable. So, I went to Lowe's yesterday and bought a 170,000 BTU forced-air construction site heater. MY GOD! Takes about 2.5 minutes to bring the entire garage up to 72 degrees. Plus it's on wheels and can run on #2 fuel oil (which is what my house uses). Overkill, I know but kinda goes right along with the Viper philosophy, right?

$398 at Lowe's.

--Rob

 

[RCKTMN]

Hi,

Not sure how far you may want to go. I have a six-door garage which makes space heaters a bad option. I am planning a radiant floor set-up. It involves replacing the concrete floor and setting up a grid of tubing in the concrete through which water will flow. This heated water then heats the garage uniformally. It recquires a hot water heater and simple controls. It is very efficient and warms the garage from the bottom up. Making chairs, furniture, and your Viper warm before the air near the roof.

Good Luck!

 

[46hemi]

I am also going through the same situation. The thing that you have to be careful of is the humidity that some heaters create. Some of the ventless options will raise the humidity to less than desireable levels. I have been leaning towards the Modine Hot-Dawg heater. It can mount from the ceiling (about the size of a window AC)and they offer several different BTU sizes. Then place a propane tank behind the garage to feed it.

 

[kgrif]

Anyone have natural gas heater hooked up to the houses natural gas?

 

[FrankBarba]

having a 4 car plus garage. i use a natural gas hookup. wall mount heater. I like to keep the temp about 68. Great to work in. Other option for non natural gas would be to use propane. Get a 250gal or better tank. place wall unit. Heats great.

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Lauri- I have a 2 stall with a 12 foot ceiling. Are you talking about the radiator type thats filled with oil, you plug it in and it throws heat that way? I bought one last year at home depot...

Rob- Does that construction heater stink like the Kerosine heaters?

RCKTMN- Radiant heat is a dream, probably to exspensive

Thanks

 

[Steve Miehe]

Am using a forced air "kerosene" heater rated at 110,000 btu. Also, an optional thermostat that plugs into the wall then heater plugs into it. Warms an oversized three car garage in no time (although my walls and ceiling are insulated). Thermostat saves fuel too - set it at 70 and it cycles to keep the garage at a stable temp.

 

[RedEnuf93]

Yes Jeff, It's the radiator type with wallplug. No idea about the BTU's...I am not sure if it will do the job for 2 car garage, but for a single its plenty enough. And NO moisture.

 

[Edward 96GTS]

Buy a good quality DEHUMIDIFIER, it will solve the humidity problem AND heat the garage as it's running.

 

[Prfgdwrnch]

Been using a 125K BTU propane forced air unit that hangs from the rafters. The unit cost $1300 complete including installation back in 1987. I have a thermostat with a toggle switch in series. The exhaust is piped out through the wall. My shop is 24' x 40', two story. The temp comes up very quickly. I only operate the heat while I am out there. The heat can, of course, be run continuously to maitain the temperature. With the heater in the rafters, no usable space is wasted.

It is still snowing! More than 30 hours at this time!

 

[Buzzzz]

Hey Jeff,

I fire up a Master 30,000 btu propane heater when I need to work on the car during the winter. Works great and is about a hundred bucks. From a dead cold garage, I turn this on and in 20 mins its about 85 degrees. Then I turn it off and work for a long time without having to touch the heat again.

http://www.1-home-improvement.com/heaters-and-fans/Master-BLP30-30000-B00004WHG1.html

Or if you need more heat check out all the other models here:

http://www.fmconline.net/master/propane/forced-air.html

You get a lot of bang for the buck. A 50,000 btu heater is only about 160 bucks. They make them all the way up to 375,000 btu!!! Sick! I find that 30,000 btu is more than enough for my 2 car garage.

- Buzzzz

 

[GTS Bruce]

13 Deg F outside.68 Deg F 40% humidity inside garage.x-tra heating expense ZERRO.Attached garage.Insulated well and sheetrock.Floor covered with vinyl tile.White walls,white floor etc.Fluorescent lighting.Garage doors insulated type.Heat source.Residual heat from houses hot water tank and boiler(hot water heat) located in a corner of the garage(pipes are insulated).If I had forced air I'd just run an x-tra duct or 2 to the garage.There are plug in electric wallboard heaters that work very well.Might consider hooking up a small natural gas or propane heater with a flue like you find in older houses would work.GOOD insulation is the key. Bruce

 

[Jay Herbert]

having a 4 car plus garage. I use a natural gas hookup wall mount heater. I like to keep the temp about 68. Great to work in. Other option for non natural gas would be to use propane. Get a 250gal or better tank. place wall unit. Heats great.

Frank, doesn't this give you moisture problems? I have one of these in the house (in case we loose power), and when we have to run it, moisture condenses on the windows. Most garages are not as tight as houses, so this may not be as big an issue. One of my friends heated his shop this way, he always had "rust" problems with parts he stored in shop. It was a pretty tight shop.

 

[Don Hiltz]

I have absolutely no idea about snow, road salt, or how to heat a garage.......

MOVE SOUTH!!!!!!!!

Don

 

[RedGTS]

Mine is heated (and cooled ) just like the house--a natural gas heat pump with ducts in the ceiling. It stays the same temp as the house, and the only time I have any moisture is the first couple hours after driving in from the rain or snow in cold weather. The garage windows will fog up then for an hour or two but that's it. My garage walls and doors are also insulated. This is obviously not an economical way to go, but if you happen to be finishing space over the garage as I was last spring, it was easy and didn't add a lot to the cost. There is nothing like getting in a car that's already at 74 degrees and driving out into a 20 degree morning. The car heater is up to speed way before the outside temp has a chance to bring down the inside temperature any.

 

[Jack B]

Look at a non-venting natural gas fired infrared. They are at the top of the food chain relative to efficiency. They are small, clean and need no air intake or outside vent. There is also no need for a dehumidifier. I am heating a 1000 sq ft garage/10 ft ceilings with a 30,000 BTU unit.

The control is via a remote thermostat that is powered by an integral thermocouple. Because of the efficiency there is no release of moisture during the combustion process. Since the air is not the heat medium there is far less cycling and heat loss due to the opening of the garage door.

Look in Northern Tool catalog at the MR Heater make. You probably need about 50% of the BTU rating of a forced air unit. They are approximately 300-400.

 

[SNKEBIT]

having a 4 car plus garage. I use a natural gas hookup wall mount heater. I like to keep the temp about 68. Great to work in. Other option for non natural gas would be to use propane. Get a 250gal or better tank. place wall unit. Heats great.

Frank, doesn't this give you moisture problems? I have one of these in the house (in case we loose power), and when we have to run it, moisture condenses on the windows. Most garages are not as tight as houses, so this may not be as big an issue. One of my friends heated his shop this way, he always had "rust" problems with parts he stored in shop. It was a pretty tight shop.

That was the problem I had with not keeping the garage at least 55 degrees, the heating and cooling cycles would cause moisture and make everything rust!!!! I have the in-floor tubes with a boiler/water-heater system,,,,,the best! Floor is always 65+ degrees, heats stuff from the floor up, very cool! No more rusty tools or parts!!!! plus, open the door to go in or out and it doesn't lose all the heat. Not that expensive, once the concrete is heated up, nice heat-soak, really radiant. I like it. JMHO.

 

[Performin Norman]

My buddy has the plumbed heating in the floors. OMG, that is the cats ass because you can work on the floor in the dead of winter and it is nice and toasty.

 

[SNKEBIT]

Norman,,,,,,,

 

[BADVENOM]

As a plumber I can tell you radiant is by far the best and will one day replace all other types...Except for maybe geo-thermal amd solar..

 

[FrankBarba]

No moisture in the garage. The windows are perfictly clear, no condensation. I have never had a problem with rust or condensation running down the walls.

 

[Dyno Dave]

I have a 1000 sq ft detached garage with 12 foot ceiling and use a natural gas overhead infrared radiant tube heater. It heats the objects, not the air and is very efficient. I bought it used from Home Quarters for $600 when they went out of business.

 

[Performin Norman]

I forgot to add my own garage. I have a 6+ bay heated garage. I use a 220V ceiling mounted heater. It works okay but I would definitely do the floor heating if I ever build again.

 

[Mighty GTS]

I have an attached 3-car. I heat using a NG blue flame
heater from Home Depot. It heats the garage in under 15 mins, and then I usually turn it all the way down.
Costs about 250.00. I only use it when I am working in
there, it is not a maintenance heater due to the excess moisture unvented NG heaters produce, so I do not have
any rusting issues. Cheap, effective, easy to DIY.

 

[kgrif]

I have a 3 car garage, 12 foor ceiling insulated, with insulated doors and double pane windows. It also has indoor outdoor carpeted floors. I was thinking about a 32000 BTU kerosense heater. The kind you could use indoors too as it is 99.9% effecient. Anyone ever try one of those and if so how did it work?

 

[RobHook]

Don't forget, you can take the portable unit I mentioned with you if you have occassion to work somewhere else in the cold.

It does have a slight kerosene smell but nothing too terrible. After a few minutes you can't smell it anyway.

--Rob

 

[jimandela]

kgrif,
On my new build the builder is providing a natural gas line to the garage (4 car)
for the same type heater your using. thanks for the info.
Jim