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Thread: Garage heater

  1. #1

    Default Garage heater

    Just built a new garage but won't have a natural gas line ran till next year. What's everyone using for heaters? Have temporary 110v going to garage now. Propane? Kerosene? Electric heater? Plan to tear my 84 down to the shell this winter so heat is needed!
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    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    If you can get a propane heater that could be converted to natural gas, then you wouldn't need to buy another heater later.
    You definitely don't want to have an open-flame heater in a garage--insurance won't cover you if they think gas fumes can could ignite, and if you burn it down some other way they may still use it as an excuse.

    Another advantage of a lot of the wall-hung monitor dual-fuel types is they run without electricity, saving your temporary 110 for air compressors, battery chargers, and the electric space heater you'll be moving to wherever you are in there.

    While you could use a couple portable kerosene heaters and ignore the insurance (I did that for years), you have to fill them, you have to clean them, they leave soot everywhere, and then you have to decide what to do with them later. After the 10th time I had to go to the gas station on a 0* day to fill up a jug to fill up a heater that had burnt out overnight, and start heating the garage so I could work on the car, so I wouldn't be able to do any real work for 5-6 hours, and then my cold numb fingers splashed kerosene so the garage reeked all day...I'll take propane any day. 100 gallon tank with a gauge and delivery.

    When I was working on my house pre-insulation and pre-big-tank, I bought several 40-pound (twice the size of a barbecue tank) propane tanks and rigged them to wall heaters that were hung on whatever walls I was working on. When the house was insulated and the walls were whole again, I installed one heater in my workshop, sold the other to a friend for his hunting camp with one of the tanks, and the other tank means I can a) get the bulk price for propane when I fill it, and b) go twice as long as my friends when barbecuing. If I convert to natural gas (they've been promising my street will get the gas lines every summer since 2010) I can just change the heaters (and my stove, and my dryer) over to natural gas and I won't have to buy any new gear. In fact, I'll be able to ditch the tank and sell my hookup gear to anyone around me with a camp in the woods.

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    FEP Power Member vintageracer's Avatar
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    165K BTU rolling kerosene blow heater will make quick work of heating your shop for temporary heating.

    They are portable, good ones burn clean with little to no kerosene smell, 110 volts, not that expensive to purchase, many other places to use your new blow heater besides the shop and you will not need to run it very much at all to heat a garage/shop freeing up your 110 volt outlets if your are still power limited.
    Last edited by vintageracer; 10-12-2018 at 08:57 AM.
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    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    If your plan is to add a natural gas line at a later date, then I would spend the $$ up front and buy a ceiling mounted heating unit. Go ahead and install where you plan on your gas line coming in. Then you can use a temporary line to connect to a propane tank for the time being. Obviously you have to swap the orifice tube/line for propane, but that's an easy fix. This gets the unit off the floor and out of the way. Then when you install your natural gas line you are done and don't have to make any changes. I have a unit of this type in my 4 car tandem garage in CO and it works great. No fumes or smells to deal with. Mounted dropped down from the ceiling slightly so I don't trip over it or have any issues with it being in the way. I generally I leave it set at 40 degrees when I am not going to be working in the garage for a couple of days or more and then at 50 degrees when I plan on working in there the next day. Takes about 15-20 minutes to heat the garage back up to about 62-65 degrees when I start working in there which is a temperature I like. Just warm enough that my hands don't get cold and I don't sweat.
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    FEP Senior Member BMW Rider's Avatar
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    Mines in floor radiant, but I'm guessing its too late for you to go that route. Second best would be overhead infrared radiant heat.

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    Go for the propane as a temporary set up and convert later to natural gas. Propane might not be cheap and hopefully you can rent the tank. It will save you money in the long run when switching to natural gas.
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  7. #7

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    What do you mean when you say you are having 110 run "temporarily"? Does that translate to English as an extension cord? Not sure how you "temporarily" run power to a garage. My real point is I have an electric one that I love a ton and could recommend but it would not run on an extension cord.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Greywolf View Post
    You definitely don't want to have an open-flame heater in a garage--insurance won't cover you if they think gas fumes can could ignite, and if you burn it down some other way they may still use it as an excuse.
    If you are anywhere near Charlotte, NC stop on by and we tour about 2,000,000 homes with a gas-fired hot water heater in the garage. Every one is covered by insurance I can assure you. Every commercial garage and car dealership I have ever been in is heated by gas-fired heaters that are normally ceiling mounted. A flame has to be more than 18 inches off the floor (gasoline fumes settle on the floor) which is why today they are all installed on top of a pedestal mount that is TA-DA more than 18 inches off the floor. Tank-top propane tank mounted heaters are OUTSTANDING at heating and most come with an adjustible level so you can raise and lower the temperature. They are not super cheap at $100-120 but not stupid expensive either. I used them for years with great success. And in some places propane is a lot easier to find than kerosene. Not many gas stations have kerosene any more.
    Last edited by homer302; 10-12-2018 at 06:47 PM.

  9. #9

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    I used a couple 110v electric ir heaters run on a 15a circuit. They easily kept my garage heated, but were really expensive to run. This year I bought one of these Name:  20181007_151731.jpg
Views: 228
Size:  73.6 KB at menards. Its gas or lp so you can switch it. I think it was about $120. Oh, and nice to see another iowa boy here

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    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by homer302 View Post
    If you are anywhere near Charlotte, NC stop on by and we tour about 2,000,000 homes with a gas-fired hot water heater in the garage. Every one is covered by insurance I can assure you. Every commercial garage and car dealership I have ever been in is heated by gas-fired heaters that are normally ceiling mounted. A flame has to be more than 18 inches off the floor (gasoline fumes settle on the floor) which is why today they are all installed on top of a pedestal mount that is TA-DA more than 18 inches off the floor. Tank-top propane tank mounted heaters are OUTSTANDING at heating and most come with an adjustible level so you can raise and lower the temperature. They are not super cheap at $100-120 but not stupid expensive either. I used them for years with great success. And in some places propane is a lot easier to find than kerosene. Not many gas stations have kerosene any more.
    Maybe in Charlotte...in NY I had a lot of arguments with 2 different insurance companies over a natural gas fired heater like 2nd Chance Cobra showed in his post, even mounted with the bottom 2 feet off the floor.
    I just kept using the kerosene portables, and putting them in the storage room when the insurance people visited, rather than spend big money on a place I was renting.

    Oddly, they didn't have a problem with my neighbor's pellet stove in the garage, as it had an outside air intake...guess there's no gas fumes when you're cleaning out the coals? The door (cleanout) gasket never leaks? It was directly on the concrete and he was using his garage as a commercial auto shop. Never made sense to me.

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    FEP Super Member mmb617's Avatar
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    I've been using this heater for the past 11 years:





    I'm not saying it's the best option nor do I want to get into an argument about open flame heaters in the garage, all I'm saying is it's worked well for me. It puts out a lot of heat and never gives me any problems. I did find that running it on diesel fuel is far better than kerosene as there is almost no smell and diesel in more readily available where I live.
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    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mmb617 View Post
    I've been using this heater for the past 11 years:





    I'm not saying it's the best option nor do I want to get into an argument about open flame heaters in the garage, all I'm saying is it's worked well for me. It puts out a lot of heat and never gives me any problems. I did find that running it on diesel fuel is far better than kerosene as there is almost no smell and diesel in more readily available where I live.
    Those are the ones I used while I was trying to get the insurance to accept the natural gas wall-hung ones. Of course, I never TOLD the insurance folks that I was running them in there. They worked great; if I was working on anything I thought might be combustible I'd open the garage door 10", put the heaters in the other bay, and use a fan to blow the warm air in (my garage at the time had 2 bays that were completely separate rooms with a sliding door between them).

    I used them later when I was renovating my current house; 150k btu in the basement running off my generator made up for a 150 year old house with no insulation or proper heating system. It made for an expensive way to stay warm (and having to refill every 6-8 hours so the pipes wouldn't freeze kept me on a short leash).

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    Carhardt is my heating source.
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  14. #14

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    I have a big torpedo style propane heater. Its only good for 4-5 hours, but on low it kept my old garage warm. It was huge, probably easily fit 6 cars and work on them. In a pinch, I could get cars three wide and 4 deep.
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  15. #15

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    I also have a floor "torpedo heater". They are nice. But, they produce a very hot "narrow" air stream. So, they can't be too close to anything.

    I have the older model of the Mr. Heater Corporation MH70KFR 70K BTU Kerosene Radiant ($282.25). Mine does not have the temperature setting option on the back. That makes it a hassle to turn it off with the temperature controlled AC switch (like the ones that can be used on torpedo heaters). With the Radiant heaters, they have to be turned "off" by the on/off switch. That will then shut off the kerosene/heat, while keeping the fan blowing to cool off the front radiant surface.

    Still I like my radiant heater for a lot of "directed" heat (vs 360 degree heat), much more than the torpedo heaters. Also, they do a better job at providing overall heat to the general space. However, they are a still directed heat type of heater. So, don't expect them to be like the upright "can-type" Omni-Radiant kerosene heaters.


    https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Cor.../dp/B0746MWGH1




    Last edited by stangPlus2Birds; 10-13-2018 at 04:55 PM.

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    Up until a five years ago I hadn't really needed a heater. Then back into cars

    I had no natural gas to my detached garage so ran a kerosene heater I borrowed from my dad the first winter. It worked good but I always had a door cracked for the CO2. It wasn't the cheapest and kerosene in slightly larger quantity wasn't the easiest to get (5 gallon versus 1 gallon containers).

    With it getting pretty cold here, the only issue I had was the condensation when surfaces would get slightly warmed and then freezing when the heater was off.

    Name:  IMG_4143.JPG
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    I ran natural gas to my garage the next summer and a roof mounted, direct roof vented, code compliant heater. Works great in my 24' x 26' garage. I do not have a high ceiling and had no wall space so it's perfect.

    Name:  Garage heater (1).jpg
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  17. #17

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    I had the hot dawg at my old house and it was awesome. I only vented it finally because we sold the house. I think it was about 400. I kept my garage (25×32. 11 foot ceilings) at 40 degrees. If i went out t I'll work I'd bump it up to 50 give it 10 minutes and go to work... boy I miss that garage

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    I've been using a Dyna-Glo heater the last two winters, but may get my overhead infrared heater done this winter to avoid the floor space issue.

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    FEP Super Member sowaxeman's Avatar
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    For $1,400 I installed a Ductless Mini-Split this summer...best of both worlds. I now have AC and Heat that runs on a 220v 20amp breaker The AC has been fantastic this summer. Haven't used the heat yet but looking forward to keep my garage in the mid 60's while I work without having 90amps of electricity cranking from my old 220vac electric furnace that I removed

    They are heat-pump based, so keep that in mind. In extreme cold temps it will still provide warmth but don't expect 80-90* air coming out of the vent. But I suspect most of us could work comfortably in a garage that is 60 degrees rather than a toasty 72 like the house.

    They are available at Menards, or on ebay with free shipping Easy install (if you are skilled at electrical work) and no HVAC technician needed.

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    Last edited by sowaxeman; 10-15-2018 at 12:30 PM.
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  20. #20

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    I’ve got the Mr Heater hanging unit in my garage and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done to the garage.
    It came with jets for propane or natural gas, I had a gas line nearby so it was an easy hookup but you could definitely run it on propane to start and convert to natural gas later.



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    FEP Senior Member gt4494's Avatar
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    sorry but I couldn't resist. Thats why we live in the south.. Whats a heater???
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    FEP Super Member gr79's Avatar
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    Heated garages. Great place to hang on holidays away from house event chaos.
    Portable 120v infrared. 750/1500w. Low cost for unit, portable.
    Small wood stove. Like a fireplace. Heats great if space allows. Use metal heat shield panels if near walls.
    Natural gas, force air unit, stack. The ultimate.
    Wall mounted no vent natgas. Ok, takes up valuable lower wall space.
    Propane, large tall tanks connected to infrared heater.
    Opening doors lets all the heat (or smoke) out quick. Drafts do suck up heat.
    Floor is always cold. Foam work pads take car of that.
    Non electric heaters usually need fresh air for combustion and some venting or stack.
    All floor units need space around them, hard to allot in most garages.
    Cost of operation can be justified by diy work saving money for the fuel.
    Small fan can help circulate warm air around.

    Work examples: warehouse, shop, factory floor. Office areas not included.
    Overhead gas and electric infrared common. Never warmed up area like a house. Ok if nearby, dressed warm.
    Assembly factories have better heat since workers have to use hands. Cold hands don't work well.
    Same thing like at big box home centers. Heaters over the doors.

    Garage:
    The little electrics work pretty good for short work sessions. Heat like a little fireplace. Heats objects not air. Clean heat.
    Overhead natural gas forced heats open area garage quicker than a house, saves floor space, air quality good, safe.
    Small wood stove easily heats 2 car garage. Slow start. Later garage almost too hot. Free wood a plus. Smokes up air a bit.
    Propane- floor unit takes up space, air quality ok. Have to fill tanks. Expensive. Air gets stale.

    Wonder if a patio tower propane heater would work or burn down the garage?
    Would not take up too much space. They work pretty good outside in the winter. Some bars have them outside in smoking areas.

    Area heater good for keeping garage temp comfortable without jackets. Electric good for spot heat on mildly cool days.
    Both seen in pic below. Electric unit is above Summit banner, NatGas forced air to the right of banner up in corner.
    Garage is 30 x 30, insulated walls, door, rafters. Gas line run in trench to house. Not expensive to run. Dial at 50-60's fine.
    Attachment 124417

    On the dock at work, brought in same portable electric heater. Hung it on a folding lantern camping tripod. Setup pictured below.
    During downtime, parked hilo next to it. Did the job. Warehouse had heat for day shift, played games with midnight shift.
    Attachment 124418

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    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    baseboard heaters work AWESOME in a garage. They warm the space in almost no time. They don't have a fan blowing air. They don't produce any spent gases.

    The only significant down side is wood workers will have the stink of smoking sawdust when they first turn them on in the winter.

    We got ours used on a storage unit auction, but they aren't that expensive for how fast they heat the place up.

    example:
    https://www.lowes.com/pd/Cadet-96-in...Heater/4741650


    Wired three up to 220V and sold off the kerosene stove. We installed them just above the work benches. Was awesome.

  24. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by erratic50 View Post
    The only significant down side is wood workers will have the stink of smoking sawdust when they first turn them on in the winter.
    I believe that "stink of smoking sawdust" is what most people commonly refer to as a FIRE, LOL.

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    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by homer302 View Post
    I believe that "stink of smoking sawdust" is what most people commonly refer to as a FIRE, LOL.
    lol - well, they were ran often enough they didnt have enough fuel to burn.

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