Heating my garage for winter projects

[bigcat]

I have a smaller garage than most. Just a single car. I have one of these in there now:

After looking at the site posted above, I think I'll be getting one of these:

I can take the thing camping and ice fishing too! 18,000 BTU for $129 from Cabellas. I'm on it.

hows that propane tank heater work for you. i am stuck with a one car as well, and am looking for something cheap to use when i need it. i dont do much work ing the garage, so i dont need an expensive one. once i move into a better house, ill install a permanent heater into the garage.

 

[PJB]

Pellet stoves give off alot of heat and arent terribly expensive.

Or you could get a kerosene heater like this:

but the downside to that is it will make you stink like kerosene and dry your eyes out.

 

[Daggar]

hows that propane tank heater work for you. i am stuck with a one car as well, and am looking for something cheap to use when i need it. i dont do much work ing the garage, so i dont need an expensive one. once i move into a better house, ill install a permanent heater into the garage.

With a 25 - 30* ambient temp, it works just fine. I'll go out into the garage and start it and let it run for 10 or 15 minutes before I want to start working out there. I have a small fan that I have setup to circulate the air around it.

I probably run it for 45 min to an hour on high before it gets warm enough in there that I have to turn it down.

I've also sealed my rafters with cardboard to reduce the area of the garage and keep all the heat from rolling strait up into the apex of the roof.

 

[trents99]

Anybody tried one of these

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stor...atalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=28091

It's a fan for summer and you add the heater for the winter. It's around $120ish for both but no fumes to deal with. Says it puts out 5300 btus for heat, think that's enough for about 400sq ft?

 

[iwashmycar]

we hooked up a 220V one that hangs from the ceiling...Works pretty good...ill see if i have pics


ya...up in the corner there

View attachment 428352

 

[89 Saleen#455]

I went through the same decession making process last year with my two car attached garage (split entry home). I looked at electric heaters, kerosene heaters, and forced hot water heaters.

I didn't want the expense of an electric heater nor did I want the liability of a kerosene heater since I have 2 kids (I was concerned someone would get burned or I'd accidently leave the heater running one night.)

I opted for a 40K BTU forced hot water heater running off my home forced hot water system with a dedicated zone valve and a thermostat. The heater is 100% safe and highly effective. In fact, I just leave the thermostat set at 40 degrees and the garage (insulated walls and ceiling) maintains that temp without much energy needed from the heater. The heater may come on 3-4 times over the coarse of a 20 degree evening to maintain 40 degrees. During the day it maintains 40-45 degrees without the heater.

When I need the garage to be 55-60 degrees, I just bump the thermostat and it takes all of 5 to 10 mins for the garage to come-up to full temp.

What's nice is you can us the fan motor on the heater during the summer without turning on the heater. Just slide the switch on the thermostat to fan, and you get some pretty good air movement in the summer. Here's the unit if anyones interested. Cost for the heater was $200 I did all the plumbing and electrical myself for another $200 in parts/wire/copper pipe.

http://store.h-mac.com/mostwahoprun.html

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

Anybody tried one of these

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stor...atalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=28091

It's a fan for summer and you add the heater for the winter. It's around $120ish for both but no fumes to deal with. Says it puts out 5300 btus for heat, think that's enough for about 400sq ft?

it really depends on how cold it gets there. here 5300 btu would be a joke unless it was a small garage that was perfectly insulated but it gets down to -40F here. if for the most part your temps stay around freezing a small heater like that will take the chill out the air and eventually it will be comfortable. 115 volt heaters are ok if you have insulation but without insulation i would be looking at 240 volt heaters with higher BTU ratings. once again it depends how cold it is. the only draw back to electric heat is the cost of electricty

 

[grey5.0beast]

Just a quick question, My car runs like crap when cold, still can't figure it out dammit, but once warm it works perfect. Can I run a heater like overnight in my garage on low heat so it starts easily in the mornings?

 

[PJB]

How about an oil heater that goes in the dipstick tube or a block heater that goes in one of the freeze out plug holes instead?

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

Just a quick question, My car runs like crap when cold, still can't figure it out dammit, but once warm it works perfect. Can I run a heater like overnight in my garage on low heat so it starts easily in the mornings?

all cars here are sold with block heaters, they are cheap and easy to install. when its about -30C ouside if i didn't plug in my tempo it wouldn't start, but when its plugged in it will start right away, you also get heat in the car much faster as well

 

[grey5.0beast]

where can I get one?

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

any local auoparts store...... its actually kinda weird thinking of a car without one lol

 

[PJB]

JC Whitney sells them too.

Only one out of 9 vehicles Ive owned had a block heater and I never used it.