Temp Heat in Garage

[ricklove]

Can't afford to put natural gas in my 26 x 30 garage yet, so looking for alternatives. Any recommendations for fairly economical and efficient propane heaters for limited use? Thanks!!

[Seth Swoboda]

This probably won't help you but I heat my house and my shop (a separate building) with an outdoor wood boiler. The initial install and purchase cost was around $8k. The boiler has a 400,000 btu capacity. It's oversized for my 1800 square foot house and 1500 sq foot shop space I heat but I have the ability for expansion without replacing equipment. I also live in a rural area where smoke is not an issue and I have an abundant supply of wood. I keep my shop at 60 degrees all winter.

[Scotty's 52 F3]

What about one of those jet heaters?

[wga]

Rick - I use a propane tank with a heater https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dyna-Glo...60DG/203534107

I have it mounted to a small hand truck, and move it around to where I am working.
Surprised at how well it heats and economically as well. I use the propane tank that
is about twice as large as the one shown in the photo.

[D. Jones]

I bought a "Mr. Heater Big Max" from Northern Tool for my garage last year and like it. As I recall it was less than $500.00 for the heater the vent pipe was $160.00 or so locally. Mine is on Natural Gas but I THINK they can be converted.

What ever heater you decide on I'd recommend that you buy a vented unit as the by products of combustion of propane are H2O and CO2 which will put a lot of water vapor into your garage plus there is always the chance of CO/carbon monoxide with an unvented unit.

[chap52]

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Go on You Tube, several options for heating a garage. As Scotty said the propane jet heater seem to be the #1 choice.
In Indiana I had a 240 volt overhead mounted electric heater and with the insulated walls and ceiling in my 2 1/2 car garage. Kept it real "toasty"

[oldford2]

I have a pellet stove in my 16 by 28 shop. Fully insulated. On days I won't be in the shop I start it in the morning and shut it off about 6 hours later. When I am working out there I leave it on until I am done. Plenty warm for working. Depends on the outside temperature. Right now it is 18 degrees (f) and very windy. The stove will struggle to keep it in the low 50''s. Running it 8 hours takes less than 1/2 bag ($5/bag)
I am very happy with it.
John

[richard crow]

be careful with any flame heater to be safe it must be mounted high & vented.

[RalphM]

I run a forced air furnace all winter long, it works very well and is not too bad on cost.
I keep it at 55 degrees unless I’m painting or something. You can get a vertical one that takes up little space and These units can be bought used for a reasonable price.

[FrankWest]

Originally Posted by ricklove

Can't afford to put natural gas in my 26 x 30 garage yet, so looking for alternatives. Any recommendations for fairly economical and efficient propane heaters for limited use? Thanks!!

It's cold today 25 degrees in PA. I step out to work on something for 5 or 10 minuets at a time then come back in the house.

Maybe a cheapo Kerosene heater would work

[ricklove]

Originally Posted by wga

Rick - I use a propane tank with a heater https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dyna-Glo...60DG/203534107

I have it mounted to a small hand truck, and move it around to where I am working.
Surprised at how well it heats and economically as well. I use the propane tank that
is about twice as large as the one shown in the photo.

This is kinda what I was thinking. Just finished my garage in June; have electric but no gas yet. I'm planning on putting natural gas next year, but looking for a cheap alternative in the meantime. Many thanks to all for the input.

[Old Redneck]

I got s ventless stove at Tractor Supply and use a propane bottle until I laid a gas line to the garage.

[JSeery]

I have an oversized propane heater that hangs from the ceiling. I keep the thermostat set at 45 deg. Turn it up when I working, take less that 15 min to be up to temp I want.

[Old Redneck]

After I got Natural gas I switch the ventless stove to natural gas does a super job.

[nelsb01]

I used one of those jet kerosene heaters for years (until upgrading to a natural gas Hot Dawg). I was worried about CO2, but plugged in one of those CO2 detectors and it never went off...................
Of course what they said about anything flammable being close by is true.

[tubman]

I have a ventless 35,000 BTU wall mounted propane heater in my shop, which is 30 X 40 with 14 ft ceilings and is insulated. I installed it because I wanted something cheap and easy to keep the chill off in the fall and spring. I am in north central Minnesota, but I usually winter in Florida, so I don't need anything very robust for the winter. This winter, courtesy of Hurricane Irma, I am stuck in Minnesota, so I have been using my heater almost daily. I am amazed at how well it works. I usually go to town in the morning to get the mail and stop by my shop (which is 3 miles from my home) on the way back and start the heater. I then return home, do whatever needs to be done, and go back up to my shop. By that time, the temperature is around 60 degrees, which is plenty comfortable if you're working. After it gets to 63 or so, it shuts itself off (it is thermostatically controlled) and cycles from then on. I have two 20 lb propane bottles connected together by a hose gizmo I got off Amazon. I go to the shop 5-or 6 days a week for 4 to 5 hours at a time. With this pattern of use, the 40 lbs of propane lasts about two weeks. The last two 20 pounders cost me $36.05 to fill. I also have a large ceiling fan that is on all the time, blowing downwards. All in all, I am extremely happy with this setup. I have had no problems with excess moisture or smells. I do have a quality carbon monoxide and gas detector installed. I highly recommend this kind of heater, especially to someone looking for something temporary. When you decide to go to something permanent, you will probably be able to sell a unit like this for almost what you paid for it.

There is one other factor that comes into play. My shop is in a storage complex and as such, is not free-standing. The unit on my right is not heated during the winter, but the one on my left is owned by a friend who keeps it at 45 degrees. I'm sure this makes heating my unit easier, how much I don't know, because the common walls are also insulated.

Here is a link to the type of heater I have. I couldn't find my exact unit (which is 35,000 BTU and black), but this is close. BTW, these units can be switched from propane to natural gas with a turn of a valve with no extra parts needed.

https://www.menards.com/main/heating...277994&ipos=19

[38bill]

Just watch it as most fire codes are pretty strict in regards to garages, gasoline and heat/flames. When I built my shop my insurance company wouldn't let me install any wood burning furnace or stove. You surly don't want to have your insurance company deny a claim for a totaled shop and car because of code violations.

In my shop I was able to install a high efficiency LP furnace just off the floor as it has a sealed combustion chamber and draws outside air for combustion. At the time, here in MN a regular furnace (or any source of flames) would have to be a minimum of 4' above the floor in a garage.

[48fordnut]

Go to your sister site Garage Journal.Com. There is a wealth of info there

[Willit Stop]

I've often thought of making a solar panel for heating my garage (Lots of youtube videos are out there). How much heat they produce is impressive.But usually they only work when you don't need them.I'd like to build one anyway. Free heat.

[carguybill]

I considered many options and ended up with an overhead heater, propane powered. Very happy with it. good insulation in walls and overhead help a lot to keep the operational costs down.

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