Best way to heat garage - Page 2

zzmac · #21 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 10:27 AM

Hi all,

I've been considering getting a ceiling mounted radiant heater (I've heard they're the best) for my garage. I've got a 3 car garage with 11' ceiling and no insulation in attic above. I live in Toronto and it can get cold here. Not sure if the infrared heater mentioned earlier is the same, but does anyone have experience with a similar radiant installation?

If so, here are some questions:
1. I was told 30,000 BTU's would be sufficient, does this sound right?
2. Any particular brand you'd recommend?
3. Would moisture be an issue with my stored Cobra if I only heated up my garage when working on the car? (or would I need to always leave it on at a certain temp?)
4. If I installed the heater in the middle garage and down the road installed a 4 post lift on the garage floor to the right to store my car, would it melt the paint off the cobra (that's up in the air)? :-)

Cold Canuck

ERA Chas · #22 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 11:24 AM

I've got some questions too so I'll wait in line behind ZZ.

Being in the north east my garage temps visit the mid 30's at the worst times. Garage is 20 x 22, 11' ceiling, 8 years old and good doors and insulation. Currently use a movable propane heater of 30K BTU's only when working on car.

To the propane and NG users; You guys paint or use volatile cleaners/ chems? I frequently spray primers and paints when I get the temp to 60-65 then shut the flame off. Will there be a ka-boom hazzard if I use one of the above types? Or are pilot lights safe to use while painting?

I think I'd like a ceiling mount NG unit as that's my house supply.

doleauto · #23 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 01:02 PM

I have an auto repair facility at my home. My garage is 24 by 65 with a 14 ft ceiling. I use a Miller mobile home furnace, 85,000 BTU, oil fired, forced hot air to warm up the garage first thing in the morning. The thermostat is turned down all the way at night. At 7AM, I turn the thermostat up to 60, then light the wood stove in the back of the garage. After an hour, the Miller shuts off and that is the last time you hear from that all day. The wood stove takes over from there. I have 2 ceiling fans that drive the heat down, and I use around 150 gal of oil per year, along with 4 to 5 cord of wood. Not bad when you think that I have the garage heated 6 or 7 days a week. I keep the temp inside around 73 or so all day long, most of my customers are female, and women just love a wood stove.
When I first started off, I used an 18,000btu kerosene wick heater, with a small 30,000 btu "torpedo" heater, also kerosene. I used the torpedo heater first thing in the morning, and the wick heater kept the garage at high 60's to low 70's all day long on just over a gallon of kero. The problem is, that kind of heater is good for low budget, but illegal in a lot of states. It is permissable in NH, however the day of the local gas station selling kero is long gone. Most times you have to drive 20 miles or so to fill up a can. Just food for thought, that is my 2 cents worth.

Tom

doleauto · #24 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 01:04 PM

And by the way, I am told that with my oil tank stored outside, I have to use kero or mobile home blend for my furnace. I use straight #2 and put a quart of Power Service in the tank. It gets pretty cold up here, and nothing has frozen yet. Kero is anywhere from 50 cents to a buck a gallon more to buy.

csx wnab · #25 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 01:09 PM

i just make sure the garage is sealed up nice and tight, get a fan for circulation. then i start whatever car i'm not working on. warms up quick , but i can't figure out why i get so sleepy

lamaluv · #26 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzmac

Hi all,

I've been considering getting a ceiling mounted radiant heater (I've heard they're the best) for my garage. I've got a 3 car garage with 11' ceiling and no insulation in attic above. I live in Toronto and it can get cold here. Not sure if the infrared heater mentioned earlier is the same, but does anyone have experience with a similar radiant installation?

If so, here are some questions:
1. I was told 30,000 BTU's would be sufficient, does this sound right?
2. Any particular brand you'd recommend?
3. Would moisture be an issue with my stored Cobra if I only heated up my garage when working on the car? (or would I need to always leave it on at a certain temp?)
4. If I installed the heater in the middle garage and down the road installed a 4 post lift on the garage floor to the right to store my car, would it melt the paint off the cobra (that's up in the air)? :-)

Cold Canuck

The real key in whatever you decide is the take care of "no insulation in attic above" . Without good insulation (at least R36) in the attic you will be wasting lots of money on any method you use to heat the garage.

Dick

ng8264723 · #27 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 03:41 PM

I like the radiant propane heaters. I have one and love it. My shop is 30 X 40 and it has 15 foot peak ceiling height. I keep it at 42 all winter. If I want to work in the shop I turn it to 55 and it warms in 15 minutes. It's quiet and dust free. Make sure you vent it outside otherwise you get condensation in the garage. I also paint and prime quite a bit. I shut it off before I do. Mine does not have a pilot
chris

Ant · #28 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 04:11 PM

I have a 20L plastic container full of filtered waste oil mixed with partswashed kerosene, mounted up high, this travels down a copper pipe and then to a little potbelly stove, this is situated in the cnr of my shed with heat proof panels on the walls, and is a great way of free heating.

The design isnt approved by "treehuggers" or the environment council, and my recommendation on waste oil burners is dont leave unattended.

peters44 · #29 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 07:03 PM

Spoke to a couple locale HVAC co and they recommended the Modine hotdowg unit. I will get more info tomorrow.

http://www3.modine.com/v2portal/page...ontent_013.htm

onetrackrider · #30 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 07:33 PM

That's the unit I run in my garage, (Modine Hotdog) I have it set-up to run on propane. It is hooked up to a 40lb can that I get refilled at the local Ace Hardware store, They give me RV rates because of the 40lb can. (special deal from the manager) I've been very happy with it for the past 6 years.

ng8264723 · #31 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 08:51 PM

The Modine's are OK. They are noisy and blow dust. A radiant heater stores the heat in the surrounding structure. Everything is nice and warm. They feel like your in the sun and when you open the door the you aren't as affected b/c you have stored the heat. They are the most efficient and nicest around. You can talk and listen to the radio and you don't even know there on

zzmac · #32 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamaluv

The real key in whatever you decide is the take care of "no insulation in attic above" . Without good insulation (at least R36) in the attic you will be wasting lots of money on any method you use to heat the garage.

Dick

Yes, I plan on insulating the attic.

zzmac · #33 (**permalink**) 11-17-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzmac

Hi all,

I've been considering getting a ceiling mounted radiant heater (I've heard they're the best) for my garage. I've got a 3 car garage with 11' ceiling and no insulation in attic above. I live in Toronto and it can get cold here. Not sure if the infrared heater mentioned earlier is the same, but does anyone have experience with a similar radiant installation?

If so, here are some questions:
1. I was told 30,000 BTU's would be sufficient, does this sound right?
2. Any particular brand you'd recommend?
3. Would moisture be an issue with my stored Cobra if I only heated up my garage when working on the car? (or would I need to always leave it on at a certain temp?)
4. If I installed the heater in the middle garage and down the road installed a 4 post lift on the garage floor to the right to store my car, would it melt the paint off the cobra (that's up in the air)? :-)

Cold Canuck

The radiant heater I'm asking about would be run on natural gas, by the way. If anyone has experience with these, please chime in. Thanks.

ERA Chas · #34 (**permalink**) 11-18-2009, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zzmac

The radiant heater I'm asking about would be run on natural gas, by the way. If anyone has experience with these, please chime in. Thanks.

Second request: yes please chime in and also provide experience about paints/ chems/sawdust usage in the heated area.
Thanks.

patrickt · #35 (**permalink**) 11-18-2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Second request: yes please chime in and also provide experience about paints/ chems/sawdust usage in the heated area.
Thanks.

You mean other than the grain elevator that goes through his garage?

1985 CCX · #36 (**permalink**) 11-18-2009, 05:28 PM

Sorry couldn't help myself........

ng8264723 · #37 (**permalink**) 11-18-2009, 06:05 PM

Well my heatwr was set up for NG but I converted it to propane. It probably would be cheaper with NG. As I've said I paint and prime and haven't had issues. I preheat and then shut it off while I paint the pilot is off when the unit is off
Chris

ERA Chas · #38 (**permalink**) 11-18-2009, 06:14 PM

Thank you Chris.

Cougar · #39 (**permalink**) 11-24-2009, 10:02 AM

At 24x40x12', my insulated barn is just a bit larger than what you have and open to the rafters. I heated it all last winter with a combo of a propane jet blower and a large Fisher woodstove. The stove is the primary heat, the blower is just for the initial quick heat up. I usually angle the blower slightly down to heat up the concrete directly where I'll be working.
There are two unseen advantages to the woodstove; 1. You can get rid of all your woodworking scraps and cardboard, and 2. It is great to weld near, if I leave the door open most of the fumes are drawn up the flue. In midwinter I really can't get the temp much above 55 or so with just the woodstove, but that is enough for me to work comfortably.
I plan to build a new home on this same large NH lot next summer with a drive under garage and unfinished basement. The floor will have radiant heat in both sections fed from the house superstore boiler in the basement. I plan to have a woodstove as well there, with a convection loop feeding from it into the superstore.
Peter

trularin · #40 (**permalink**) 11-24-2009, 01:30 PM

I think this is a matter of what is allowed.

Around us, wood stoves are used a lot to get a barn warm.

I have a 80k BTU propane system in my 52 foot barn, not insulated, and it heats it up to 65 in about 30 minutes if it is like 35 outside.

I use it mostly for fixing things in the winter.

You can either get a 500 pound ( note I used pounds ) bottle or use 100 pound bottles and swap one out while the other is filled. Larger units work just as well, but the tank price get nasty.

If you get a used Natural gas unit and you want to convert it, you will need a regulator swap kit and a new set of nozzles. Propane doesn't burn the same as Natural gas, so the jets are smaller.

Units are very easy to install if you are mechanically inclined. Make sure to soap the fittings before you ignite anything.