Attached Garage Heater

Trying to find something other than a space heater to heat my attached garage. My garage is attached to the basement, below the kids' bedrooms, so I don't want to be sending up major fumes.

Any thoughts?

One of those ceiling mount heaters that vents to the outside?

My dad installed one of these a few years ago: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200442160_200442160?cm_mmc=Google-pla--Heaters%2C%20Stoves%20%2B%20Fireplaces--Dual-Fuel:%20Gas%20%2B%20Propane%20Heaters-_-177217&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=177217&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=177217&gclid=CLivzdyllsMCFfNZ7AodV10ASw

(hope that long ass link works)

It's tied in to the house natural gas. I'm unsure about fumes but it seems like it's less than the kerosene heater he used to use.

I work in the natural gas industry but my home doesn't have gas.

ScreaminE wrote: my home doesn't have gas.

Eat more fiber.

I have the same problem, my hvac guy was at my house and I jokingly said something about it, he showed me the square duct on the ceiling of the garage he said all you have to do is cut in a register (where the air comes out) when your cold open it, when your not close it, I live in the south so I cannot justify heating my garage, if its above 40 outside I can work in there after you get moving around and get warm. but I might try putting in that register.

Check on Amazon for 220 volt electric heaters. They have both wall and ceiling mount.

How big is the garage? How well sealed is the garage door? How big is the garage door? There are too many variables to say what will be an adequate option.

I have a 220V 4KW electric "cube" heater for my garage. It'll get my 1.5 car attached garage warmer than the main house. It was pissing in the wind trying to heat the ex-g/f's much larger detached garage.

Before getting that heater, I used a cheap 1500W oil-filled radiator heater. It wouldn't get the garage all that warm, but it could take the edge off if I let it run for a couple of hours before starting work.

I've found that the 110v 1500 watt heaters are pretty useless in a space as big as a garage. Particularly if it isn't well insulated. 220v is the only way to go if you are going electric.

A lot of the propane heaters are rated for indoor use if you're worried about fumes.

Sounds like the issue is not the heat, but the fumes/ exhaust.

The unit can be exhausting a very long way from where the heat is utilized.

If your unit is generating a bunch of carbon monoxide, etc at the point of use (in the room), that is a different problem.

I have one of these running along 20' at the peak of my shop. (about 10' high) and can't say enough good stuff about the quality and quantity of warmth that it delivers. They can also be mounted at the top of an outside wall and angled as in this picture.

Zero fumes. Keep the shop just above freezing (cause I have stuff I don't want to freeze) and it warms up in 15 minutes to shirtsleeve environment. If you don't have stuff that will be damaged by freezing, then just shut it off.

i just have a wood stove in my shop

500W Halogen work lamp. One head pointed at your work and the other one pointed at you.

NOHOME wrote: I have one of these running along 20' at the peak of my shop. (about 10' high) and can't say enough good stuff about the quality and quantity of warmth that it delivers. They can also be mounted at the top of an outside wall and angled as in this picture. Zero fumes. Keep the shop just above freezing (cause I have stuff I don't want to freeze) and it warms up in 15 minutes to shirtsleeve environment. If you don't have stuff that will be damaged by freezing, then just shut it off.

I've got a similar unit in my garage, and it's great. Intake and exhaust are vented to the outside, so no fume/flammability issues.

If you don't have natural gas though, you're going to need propane.

I don't have dimensions, it's a two, wooden door setup that isn't great, but much better than you'd expect. Low ceilings, like 84 inches low. I think propane is looking better and better.

A few months ago we put HVAC in the Shop of Good Intentions. I put in a PTAC unit, just like what you would see in a motel room. Had to frame an opening in the wall and have 220 run to the location but I am very pleased. Very easy to install (no tougher than putting in a window-mount a/c unit). Quiet, no worries about fumes. My shop is 26'x 34' with 10' ceilings. All in I was well below a grand, and with your low ceilings you could most likely get by with a smaller unit than I have.

I like the a/c as well. I had a window a/c unit in the shop las summer and was amazed at how much difference it made and I spent a lot more time in the shop because of it. If it is cool enough on summer evenings to have the bay door open, the bugs and moths fill up the place and the humidity starts to affect tools, etc. So far, so good.

Just keep in mind any non venting combustion heater will increase humidity (water being a combustion byproduct). In a sporadically heated room, this will make everything metal sweaty.

If you go with propane, use a sealed combustion heater that has outside venting. An electric unit heater would be the easiest and least expensive to install, but probably the most expensive to operate on a per unit basis(depending on what you pay for electricity.) On the other hand, if you only use it for a few hours now and then the cost isn't that big a deal.

For instance, if you pay 20 cents per kilowatt hour and install a 5kw unit heater, that's $0.20 x 5 = $1.00/hour for continuous operation.

Also, no matter what kind of heater you use, you first need to do a heat loss calculation first to determine just how many BTU you need.

Finally, insulating the walls and door, plus weatherstripping will pay off.

mightymike wrote: A few months ago we put HVAC in the Shop of Good Intentions. I put in a PTAC unit, just like what you would see in a motel room. Had to frame an opening in the wall and have 220 run to the location but I am very pleased. Very easy to install (no tougher than putting in a window-mount a/c unit). Quiet, no worries about fumes. My shop is 26'x 34' with 10' ceilings. All in I was well below a grand, and with your low ceilings you could most likely get by with a smaller unit than I have. I like the a/c as well. I had a window a/c unit in the shop las summer and was amazed at how much difference it made and I spent a lot more time in the shop because of it. If it is cool enough on summer evenings to have the bay door open, the bugs and moths fill up the place and the humidity starts to affect tools, etc. So far, so good.

That look's like a Capri II you have there?

No to hijack but yes, good eyes. Project is not stalled, just slow and I haven't posted much lately...

Reward: Help me find my old race car

In reply to jimbbski:

My garage is 24x26 attached garage with a 10 foot ceiling. I live in the Chicago area so the cars tend to be down in winter and that is prime time to repair/upgrade then.

The garage is completely insulated and seldom gets below freezing. For the past few years I have been using a portable propane radiant heater. It will keep the garage at 45-50 but never quite felt comfortable.

Last years’ Polar Vortex and my aging body motivated me to do something more.

Above the garage is the master bedroom so doing a Natural Gas furnace was going to cause quite a bit of work for the chimney. My local laws state the top of the chimney must be above the highest peak on the house. So this ruled out a natural gas furnace.

I broke down and decided to buy myself a Christmas present. I ordered an electric ceiling mount ProFusion EH-4604 from Northern Tool & Equipment. It is rated at 17,000 BTU which is much better than the 7,000 BTU propane heater I had been using.

I did have to run a 220V 30A circuit to the garage which wasn’t difficult. (I did get help to make sure it was done right). I used an AC disconnect switch so I can kill the power to the furnace when not in use. The installation was very simple and I am happy to say the garage was over 60 last night when the outside temperature was in the teens. I had the heater on the 5000 watt setting for about 30 minutes and then turned it back to 3000 watts.

I have been using it for about 1 month on the weekends. The garage will be at 32-35 when I turn the heater on and usually <20 outside. It takes about 1.5 hours on the 5000 watt setting then I put it on the 4000 watt setting for another hour. Within 2.5 hours the garage is at or above 60. I set the furnace to the 3000 watt setting and it will run about 15 minutes every hour.

I am very happy with the results, the fan has sufficient volume to move the air around and keep everything toasty!

Canoe

Gas fired infrareds are stellar, but anything that vents outside should be fine.  My dad has one of those infrared heaters in his attached 3-car garage.  

I put a forced air Modine Hot Dawg 45,000 BTU heater in my 3-car garage last winter and it's awesome.  My kids bedroom is also above the garage, and it's attached as well.  Made in the USA.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096MJ522/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Can be plumbed for propane, but my home has natural gas.  

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