finally found solution to heating my garage

Posted By: cudabitten

finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 01:20 PM

I posted a while ago about needed a heater for my two car garage. I got many replies with all kinds of good advice. I tried three different heaters, two small electric(5000)BTU, and one propane (18000) BTU. The Propane one finally brought the temperature up within a reasonable amount of time, from 45 to 55 in about 35 minutes, however I also installed a CO detector and after about 5 hours the alarm went off. So back to the store it went. I bought an electric heater from Grainger (18000) BTU, only catch was, (and I was avoiding)I had to install a 240v/30 outlet plus a 30 amp breaker. Now the garage stays at about 55 degrees while I'm not working out there and I can turn the thermostat up and get it to stay at 65 degrees while working. It only took 30 minutes to move from 45 to 60 degrees. Just wanted to follow-up to anyone who is still having problems.

Posted By: btomasko

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 01:24 PM

How bad is your electric bill?

Posted By: cudabitten

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 02:08 PM

Yeah, good question. Not sure yet, I just installed this last week. But I will take note. On the other hand, you could just resign the electric bill increase to part of the cost of restoring a car. The only other option is to wait until March/April to get to work out there again.Plus I really want to get this project done, can't stand having it in pieces.

Posted By: GwaiiEagle

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 03:12 PM

I use a woodstove.

Posted By: klunick

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 03:13 PM

I had an outlet installed in my new garage just for that reason. MD has deregulated so our rates are just nuts. Last year I went with a 30k BTU propone heater. It heated up pretty quick and only used less than 2 tanks, costing me $40 for the whole winter. I am rarely out there for more than 5 hours at a time and it doesn't run continously so I have never noticed any problems.

Posted By: 1965_PLYMOUTH

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 05:01 PM

I've got a buddy that heats his house with one 7500 watt Farenheit heater with a built in fan. his house is a one level two bedroom home, 28X34. he has the heater mounted in the basement and has the basement door open all the time. he has another small 1250 watt oil filled heater in his kitchen(center of the house)to help with the 10 degree and colder days. his house stays 64-66 all winter. it adds $100.00-$125.00 a month to his electric bill, but it's still cheaper than LP or fuel oil. I've got a wood stove in my shop 60X100.

Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 05:14 PM

Quote:

his house stays 64-66 all winter.

I'd be shivering like crazy

Posted By: max_maniac

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 05:22 PM

I bought an electric heater from Grainger (18000) BTU, only catch was, (and I was avoiding)I had to install a 240v/30 outlet plus a 30 amp breaker. Now the garage stays at about 55 degrees while I'm not working out there and I can turn the thermostat up and get it to stay at 65 degrees while working. It only took 30 minutes to move from 45 to 60 degrees. Just wanted to follow-up to anyone who is still having problems.

I need to do something like this. My garage is 24x40 and insulted so I'm wondering what size I would need to heat it kind of like yours. 18000 BTU's enough? Thanks.

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 05:45 PM

Quote:

I bought an electric heater from Grainger (18000) BTU, only catch was, (and I was avoiding)I had to install a 240v/30 outlet plus a 30 amp breaker. Now the garage stays at about 55 degrees while I'm not working out there and I can turn the thermostat up and get it to stay at 65 degrees while working. It only took 30 minutes to move from 45 to 60 degrees. Just wanted to follow-up to anyone who is still having problems.

I need to do something like this. My garage is 24x40 and insulted so I'm wondering what size I would need to heat it kind of like yours. 18000 BTU's enough? Thanks.

Gas appliances are generally rated in BTU"s per Hour, but electric heaters are usually rated in Kilowatts. 18,000 BTUH is approx. 5kw.

My garage is also 24'x 40' (with 12.5' ceilings) and it well insulated with two insulated OH doors, one man door and 6 double pane windows.
I am currently using a 5kw construction heater (similar to that described by the OP) and it has no problem keeping my shop at the desired 55 deg F with an outdoor ambient of 5 deg F.

That having been said, 5kw is too small and my permanent heater is 10kw. Check this out;

http://www.ultimategarageheater.com/garage-heater-calculator.php

Cheers,
Dave

Posted By: tonycpe

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 05:55 PM

Hard to beat a Mr. Heater ceiling mount with power vent/

Posted By: abodyman

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 06:16 PM

Look up BTU (British thermal units)
and figure out how many square feet of space You have. Then You can figure out how big of a heater or what btu You need.
BTU= the amount of energy it takes to change 1 square foot of space 1 degree. IIRC ?
anyway, there are btu calculators available, just do a search.

Posted By: Stanton

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 06:19 PM

Got a HOT DAWG and have no regrets.

Not a good thing for a dusty shop though as the fan REALYY moves air !!!

Posted By: bboogieart

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 06:25 PM

I use a Reznor waste oil burner.
I get my fuel for free. Works great open the over head door and it recoupes the temp in 15 min.
Gotta know folks lookin to get rid of drain oil.
It works just like a fuel oil furnace, just more filters and a good pre heater.

Posted By: Challenger 1

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 06:26 PM

Quote:

Got a HOT DAWG and have no regrets.

Not a good thing for a dusty shop though as the fan REALYY moves air !!!

Those Hot Dawg's are nice, very compact and can be mounted what 1" from the ceiling?

But I do some painting in my shop that's why I like radiant gas heat. It's silent and sturs no dust up when I fire it up to help dry my paint. And when I open the garage door to move trucks around the heat stays in the shop.

Posted By: GTXKen

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 07:33 PM

For me 50 is a perfect temp to be working in the garage, I would never make it any warmer and when not working I'd run it at 35 or 40.

For now I'm suck with a propane heater that I just run as needed. I have a 100,000 BTU natural gas furnace that I could hang in there but I plan on moving in the next year or so. I'll save it for the next garage!

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/18/08 07:55 PM

Quote:

Look up BTU (British thermal units)
and figure out how many square feet of space You have. Then You can figure out how big of a heater or what btu You need.
BTU= the amount of energy it takes to change 1 square foot of space 1 degree. IIRC ?

Actually, it's the amount of energy required to raise one lb of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

There are many variables to take into account to do a proper heat loss calculation, but I posted a link to a simple calculator above that will work for this.

Dave

Posted By: Tommy The Chryco

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 12:54 AM

i was running propane but is to dangerous, now I bought a 130,000 btu kerosene heater/blower no vent required...works great, 5 gallan tank is only $20.00 the heater comes with a thermestat.

Posted By: 38371cuda

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 01:16 AM

I use a dayton gas 45000 BTU and it works killer in my 700 ft detached. Of course I'm in Arizona so i only usae it about 2 months a years for a couple hours in the moring. Lit the pilot, and test fired it today for the coming cold front(low 40's). LOL

Posted By: cudabitten

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 04:46 AM

Quote:

I bought an electric heater from Grainger (18000) BTU, only catch was, (and I was avoiding)I had to install a 240v/30 outlet plus a 30 amp breaker. Now the garage stays at about 55 degrees while I'm not working out there and I can turn the thermostat up and get it to stay at 65 degrees while working. It only took 30 minutes to move from 45 to 60 degrees. Just wanted to follow-up to anyone who is still having problems.

I need to do something like this. My garage is 24x40 and insulted so I'm wondering what size I would need to heat it kind of like yours. 18000 BTU's enough? Thanks.

Actually, all three electric heaters I purchased were rated in BTU'S not kwatts. Its good to compare BTUS's when comparing propane with electric. The It dosent matter what it stands for as long as you know that 18000 BTU's is rated to heat a 500 square foot space. I leaned this the hard way by going cheap at first with the 5000 BTU heaters. It wasnt until I purchased the 18000 BTU propane heater that I realized the difference in heating potential. My garage is only a 20 x 20 = 400 square feet but I oversized the heater slightly so it wouldn't run as often. Like I said I went to three different stores, and returned three heaters until I got the right match. this heater is only 16" by 12" by 12". My garage is insulated as well. However your garage is 960 square feet. Its easy to figure out what heater size you need just go to the grainger web site and read the descriptions. They will tell how many BTU's the heaters are and what size garage they will heat. You might want to get two smaller units and heat from opposite directions.

Posted By: bacaruda

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 04:59 AM

Propane heated hot water radiant floor, is nuts.
Tankless, outside vented.

Posted By: DaytonaTurbo

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 05:14 AM

My dad insulated his single car garage and didn't have much money left over to spend on a heater so he bought a 230v 18,000BTU portable contstruction heater. These past few days have been about the coldest it ever gets here and that heater gets the garage up to 50-55F so it's not bad at all, not super hot but very workable in a sweater and an extra pair of pants. He said some guru calculated the cost of that thing to be about 23 cents an hour. And you're only heating it while you're working in there so I don't think he'd ever spend more than 15 bucks a month heating that garage.

Posted By: shaker340

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 01:23 PM

I have a Hot Dawg propane in my shop, it is very nice and heats my 30' x 48' shop quickly. I beleive my unit is either 60K or 80K.

Attached picture 4888518-Truck11.JPG

Posted By: rbstroker

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 01:47 PM

When I lived in Michigan, I used a 150,00 BTU kerosene heater (torpedo type). It warmed the shop up nicely, but there was always that smell and quite a bit of noise. It also required a fresh air supply, so you couldn't close up the shop tightly or there would be carbon monoxide dangers. I am seriously considering one of the 99.9% propane units that are now available.

Posted By: SixPackR/T70

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 04:42 PM

Im building this

Waste Oil Heater Plans

Transform a 55 gallon drum & 100# propane tank into Free Heat from a Zero Smoke Waste Oil Heater you can build in about 2 weeks.

* NO PANS TO CLEAN OUT
* NO FILTERS TO CHANGE

* NO FUEL NOZZLES TO PLUG
* NO EXPENSIVE PARTS OR MAINTENANCE

How is this heater different than other waste oil heaters?

Most waste oil heaters on the market today are engineered to be either a Spray Gun type or a Pot Burner. Pot burners are just what they sound like. It's basically an oil fire contained within a pan or pot. These are very dirty devices and create lots of soot and smoke. Spray gun types are a more efficient design because atomizing the fuel before igniting it results in a much cleaner burn and more heat output. The problem is the high pressure fuel pumps and tiny fuel spray nozzles that plug up due to the particles and contaminants present in waste oils. Our heater atomizes the fuel before igniting it but does not use a high pressure pump or fuel nozzle, there is nothing to plug up and the design eleminates the need for expensive filter changes.

� Heating Capacity:
70,000 Btu�s - 200,000 Btu�s (with adjustable fuel feed)

� Fuel Consumption:
0.6 to 2 gallons per hour

� Fuels:

-Waste Motor Oil
-Waste Vegetable Oil
-Transmission and Hydraulic Oils
-Mineral Spirits
-Machine Cutting Oils
-Synthetic Oils
-Gear Oils.
-BioDiesel or Fuel Oil at any ratio together or separately.

� Dimensions:
30� Diameter x 68" Tall + Fuel Tank of your choice.

� Weight:
~250 Lbs. (Without Fuel Tank).

� Electrical:
110 VAC / 15 Amp Circuit.

� Compressed Air:
Less than 0.5 CFM @ 80psi

� Controls:
Manual Ignition and Shutdown

� Construction:
Commonly available materials

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 05:00 PM

Quote:

Quote:

I bought an electric heater from Grainger (18000) BTU, only catch was, (and I was avoiding)I had to install a 240v/30 outlet plus a 30 amp breaker. Now the garage stays at about 55 degrees while I'm not working out there and I can turn the thermostat up and get it to stay at 65 degrees while working. It only took 30 minutes to move from 45 to 60 degrees. Just wanted to follow-up to anyone who is still having problems.

I need to do something like this. My garage is 24x40 and insulted so I'm wondering what size I would need to heat it kind of like yours. 18000 BTU's enough? Thanks.

Actually, all three electric heaters I purchased were rated in BTU'S not kwatts. Its good to compare BTUS's when comparing propane with electric. The It dosent matter what it stands for as long as you know that 18000 BTU's is rated to heat a 500 square foot space. I leaned this the hard way by going cheap at first with the 5000 BTU heaters. It wasnt until I purchased the 18000 BTU propane heater that I realized the difference in heating potential. My garage is only a 20 x 20 = 400 square feet but I oversized the heater slightly so it wouldn't run as often. Like I said I went to three different stores, and returned three heaters until I got the right match. this heater is only 16" by 12" by 12". My garage is insulated as well. However your garage is 960 square feet. Its easy to figure out what heater size you need just go to the grainger web site and read the descriptions. They will tell how many BTU's the heaters are and what size garage they will heat. You might want to get two smaller units and heat from opposite directions.

1) No need to keep going back and forth trying to figure out what size heater you need. Again;

http://www.ultimategarageheater.com/garage-heater-calculator.php

you will note that your 400sq ft. garage (insulated) needs about 4.4kw (approximately 15,000 BTUH) for a 60 deg F temperature change.

2) All commercial electric heaters are rated in KW, but no matter as long as you realize that 3414 BTUH = 1kw it's simple math to go back and forth.

3) ratings per square foot are pretty rudimentary (even more so than the simple calculator I linked above) and doesn't take into account ceiling height, insulation, # and type of doors and windows, exposure, etc, etc.

Just my

as I do this for a living.

Dave

Posted By: cudabitten

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 05:20 PM

Quote:

My dad insulated his single car garage and didn't have much money left over to spend on a heater so he bought a 230v 18,000BTU portable contstruction heater. These past few days have been about the coldest it ever gets here and that heater gets the garage up to 50-55F so it's not bad at all, not super hot but very workable in a sweater and an extra pair of pants. He said some guru calculated the cost of that thing to be about 23 cents an hour. And you're only heating it while you're working in there so I don't think he'd ever spend more than 15 bucks a month heating that garage.

This is exactly what I am using,230V/30A 18000 BTU portable and it does seem to be working well. I dont have any propane to buy, no poisonous gases,no kerosene to buy or smell. I just set the thermostat, and it works by itself. With the propane heater that I already returned, the propane canisters cost me 6 dollars for 2 one lb cans, which last for 6 hours total. So I dont think the electric will be that much more to operate. The biggest obstacle was installing the breaker, 10ga wire, and 30A receptacle. Thankfully I have some electrical experience and was able to install this stuff myself in about 2.5 hours. Still a pain though, crawling in the garage attic in 35 degrees.

Posted By: cudabitten

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/19/08 05:36 PM

Posted By: terzmo

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/20/08 11:08 PM

to figure size of heater needed..multiply square footage by ceilg height..(cubic feet now) and then multiply that by 5.5 to 6.0 for the BTU size heater needed..example.600 sq foot room with 8 foot ceiling would be 4800 cubic feet by 5.5 is 26,400 so at the low end or minimal size heater a 27000 btu heater would heat it..4800 times 6 is 28,800 so a 28,800 btu heater at the max ( for efficiency) would work very well. too small will not heat a room well enough...too big will use more fuel than needed to do the job so try to stay close

Posted By: boydsdodge

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/21/08 12:14 AM

I have a hawt dawg I think thats how the company spells it. It has worked great over the last 8 years, but if I was to build my shop over I would do in floor radiant heat.
My friend installed this in his shop and the comfort in that shop is amazing, you walk in and the warmth is just part of you and your feet never get cold from the concrete as the heat is coming from the floor.

Posted By: terzmo

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/21/08 03:24 AM

I would use infra red heat..very efficient and heats fast/well

Posted By: DPelletier

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/22/08 09:01 PM

Quote:

to figure size of heater needed..multiply square footage by ceilg height..(cubic feet now) and then multiply that by 5.5 to 6.0 for the BTU size heater needed..example.600 sq foot room with 8 foot ceiling would be 4800 cubic feet by 5.5 is 26,400 so at the low end or minimal size heater a 27000 btu heater would heat it..4800 times 6 is 28,800 so a 28,800 btu heater at the max ( for efficiency) would work very well. too small will not heat a room well enough...too big will use more fuel than needed to do the job so try to stay close

Dave

Posted By: DEMONIC

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/27/08 04:35 AM

My advice is an will always be. Do what you can with what you got. If you set up a few different ways to heat your garage you can switch between whichever is most efficent and safe for whatever you are working on. I have radiant heat, kerosene heater, infared lamps, and a couple of space heaters. If I was building a shop or did not have any heat set up yet I would consult Dave (there is no substitute for knowledge from someone who does something for a living)

My advice is to have at least two different ways to heat your garage.

Posted By: justinp61

Re: finally found solution to heating my garage - 12/27/08 03:42 PM

I was going to buy a Mad Dawg heater but found a good deal on a near new heat and air unit. It cost about $100 more than the Mad Dawg and I have air conditioning too. The duct work was about $400 including the programmable thermostat.My shop is 36' X 54' with 12' walls and no ceiling, it is insulated and I have a fan pushing the warm air down from the attic space. The thermostat is set on 50*, when I go out to work I raise it to 55*.