Garage Heater

[Theringworm]

I just got my Dad a 300,000 btu portable propane heater. His garage is very large and just needs something to knock down the chill for when he is working in it. Not something he’ll need to leave on for long periods of time. I don’t think the mini-splits would work well given the open large space. He has tried electric but weren’t terribly effective. Thought about a big Kerosene heater but the Propane will be more convenient. Probably overkill, oh well.

 

[rayporter]

if you try to get by with a 110v heater do some math. see your bill and figure out what you pay. if you pay12.5 cents per kilowatt and have a 1500 w heater that heater will use 3.000kw every other hour or 3 times .125$ and it will run all the time.
and it probably wont heat the garage.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

Depends on your situation. what is your current kwH rate ? Does your REA or IOU offer an off peak electric rate. What is the average propane cost ? Where i am located its cheaper to run an electric heater in garage that is hooked up to off peak control than purchase propane. The break even point at my current rates are $1.35 gallon of propane, meaning if i can't get propane cheaper than $1.35 it is cheaper to run electric because my long term off peak electric rate is $.046 per kwH.

see attached images: with straight rate electric it's cheaper to run propane at 2.33 a gallon vs paying the $.11kwH
now on second image ill guestimate your long term off peak electric rate and now its cheaper to run electric. The rates i plugged in are just MT average.

View attachment 490679
View attachment 490680

@rayporter view attachments

 

[journeyman713]

curious, you guys with the hot dawg setups, are you seeing any loss of efficiency or problems with the propane setup and single digit temps?

Have 3 friends with this set-up, works flawlessly, they keep it at a low temp when away, turn it up when present.
I use a wood burning furnace, awesome as well, heats my house too, but a bit more money.

One tip - put in a switch that shuts it off when Garage door is open, in case someone forgets to close it!

 

[gav]

I have propane heat in the house. There is a propane line plumbed to the garage, but no heater currently installed.

Second winter in the house and the garage us usually about 45 degrees through the majority of winter. It is now 25 with it being 20 below outside.

I'd like to heat it up a bit in there for working on cars on occasion, etc.

What is a decent heater to knock the edge off? I don't know if I need to spend a couple thousand dollars on the propane heater. Something that is electric that can raise the temp 10 degrees in there might be nice, but it may use a ton of energy and be expensive to run?

Don't want to gas myself out with fumes either.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

An oil filled radiator style heater works well and you can run it at lower watts for efficiency

 

[Headwatermike]

Do it once, do it right!
For under $1000, you can go to home depot and get a Hot Dawg heater. A Very good choice for you.
The propane conversion kit, you need, is very simple to install.
The exhaust fumes are vented outside with a small dryer size duct.
Average handyman skills needed for this.

Modine Hot Dawg 45,000 BTU Natural Gas Garage Ceiling Heater HD45A - The Home Depot

Ideal for residential, commercial and industrial applications. This Modine Hot Dawg 45,000 BTU Natural Gas Garage Ceiling Heater features a compact, low-profile design great for installing in locations

www.homedepot.com

Well, you are sand-bagging this job a bit. This heater will require power to the location, a hanger for the unit, gas line routed to the location with a valve and drop-pipe, and a thermostat. Also requires the vent to be sorted out for code and then installed--not exactly a dryer vent. Figure out which vent install works the best for you: wall or ceiling, and check all clearances. Then you need the correct penetration setup.

While this certainly is not a super-difficult job you have to have knowledge of a bunch of systems (electrical, plumbing, ductwork, wall/roof) as well as the capability (friends?) to get the heater up in place. I know how to do all of this, have the equipment, and it takes me a couple of days. Btw, before you start make sure your line to the garage can carry the necessary gas for the furnace size.

My advice is not to skimp but rather, if this does not all make sense of the cuff, call your local heating and cooling guy for quotes.

 

[hh76]

I went through a couple tests before ending with my NG ceiling furnace.

Basic propane, un vented heater. Heated pretty well, but all the steel would get a layer of condensation when it was started. All my tooling began to have surface rust. Loud as hell.

Electric heater. Easy install being an electrician. Worked really well and kept the garage warm if you didn't let it get too cold. When starting from really cold, it took a long time to warm up. The cost added to our electric bill was very noticeable.

Currently have a vented ceiling furnace similar to the "hot dawg" above. Works awesome. I leave the garage at 40deg, and bump it up when I work out there. Heats to 60 in no time and it's nice and dry. Added cost on the NG bill is barely noticeable. Install was easy. I ran the venting and hung the unit. HVAC guy did a quick inspection and ran my gas line for 250.

 

[Sturgeon]

I have a 30k-80k btu propane heater. Ran it the this weekend while replacing the garage spring. At 30F outside even at the 30k setting it was getting to warm in our 4 car garage. I think the unit new is about $100 and I only use it when I’m working in the garage.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

I priced out a natural gas ceiling unit install and decided to DIY a wood stove. This is a Yukon 4 stove from the Wall Tent Shop. Used cement board and a high temp stove jack over the window in my garage. There's about 3 feet of pipe sticking outside and it's capped with a spark arrestor with rain cap. Haven't burned my house down yet. I can get it from about 35 to 60 in about 30 minutes on a cold morning.

Plus I can pack this up and take it to elk camp in October..

 

[journeyman713]

Well, you are sand-bagging this job a bit. This heater will require power to the location, a hanger for the unit, gas line routed to the location with a valve and drop-pipe, and a thermostat. Also requires the vent to be sorted out for code and then installed--not exactly a dryer vent. Figure out which vent install works the best for you: wall or ceiling, and check all clearances. Then you need the correct penetration setup.

While this certainly is not a super-difficult job you have to have knowledge of a bunch of systems (electrical, plumbing, ductwork, wall/roof) as well as the capability (friends?) to get the heater up in place. I know how to do all of this, have the equipment, and it takes me a couple of days. Btw, before you start make sure your line to the garage can carry the necessary gas for the furnace size.

My advice is not to skimp but rather, if this does not all make sense of the cuff, call your local heating and cooling guy for quotes.

Thought I summed that stuff up with - ‘average handyman skills needed for the job’

 

[Bluumoon]

How about a Chinese Diesel Heater? $200 plus a battery. If you are on FB there are a few groups with build ideas. I have one in a 22' camper and it'll run you out of there if left on high.

 

[ChrisA]

Timely subject. I have a dual head mini split in my garage/office and love it for summer cooling and winter heating...until outside temps drop to single digits and below. The garage is completely spray foamed. I have a large stove from Davis for the wall tent that would cook me out but my insurance will only allow a UL approved wood stove. Just got a quote yesterday for $4625 for a 56,000 Btu pedistal stove installed, seems expensive but would be done right and within a couple hours. Cash and carry was about $850 cheaper.

Headed out to get more kerosene now as it's below freezing in garage and -14 outside with gusts to 45mph. Have a heat lamp above pressure washer pump to keep from freezing. Sure with I'd acted sooner on this.

Chris

 

[teamwhitebelly]

pellet stove. Direct vent. No need to go above roof line, 110v plug in and has a blower built in. No need to cut wood just open 40# bag and dump in hopper. All DIY.

 

[4ester]

I’d just for occasional use, they make a 30k BTU direct vent heater that is pretty cheap. I think when I get to my garage project I’m gonna go with the modine/hot dawg type.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LeftyWilbury]

Comfort Zone CZ260ER Ceiling-Mounted High-Output 10,000-Watt Fan-Forced Industrial Heater with Digital Thermostat and Remote Control

this is what we stuck in our 2+ car garage last year when turning it into my wife's ceramics studio. directly wired in. we were putting in a new service box anyway since there's two large electric kilns in there. screwed a small fan in a different corner to circulate some air. is it more efficient than gas? who knows, there's two electric kilns turning mud into stone so it's a bit of a moot point...

pretty simple tho. and wife hasn't frozen to death yet and my avocado trees still seem to be alive...

 

[Where's Bruce?]

In the long term it's considerably cheaper to insulate the garage and safer should something unexpected occur (like a propane leak) that could cause a problem.

I insulated mine including the attic and drywall, cost me $800. w/ labor to have it done. Took 3 hours.