I was looking into getting a propane heater for my garage which is 24' x 32' x 9' attached. I'm not sure if I should go with a blower vented type or radiant heater (I'm leaning toward the vented with blower.) I live in SW Ohio where 20 degree temps are common during the winter. Any colder and I won't be in the garage. I only plan on using it while actually working in the garage. Anyone with experience with heaters have any suggestions that might help me make a good choice? I would greatly appreciate any input. Thanks.
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Garage Heater Question
- Thread starter trukman1
- Start date
My only input is with heaters like radiant or the jet engine type space heater that are direct fired (no exhaust pipe to the outside) is you will get a lot of moisture in the garage from the heater's combustion. I ended up with rust on tools etc. until I went with a normal gas heater vented to the outside. The other issue I noticed with direct fired is they smell a little.
modine hot dawg unit . can be nat gas or propane feed .
i have one in my shop and love it https://ck5.com/forums/threads/shop-heater-it-s-alive.323287/ . i got it cause i use to work at a place that had one and loved it there also . not LOUD like salamander / torpedo heaters . and darn efficient . the units over 100k btu are decent size . the under 100k btu are small and you think were is the heat going to come from but WOW there super .
here was the best place i found for mine price point with shipping . and call them up to get you a all in 1 order with heater and correct exhaust piping for your needs . i was going to order what i figured i needed and they saved me money with what i DID need . https://shurailhvac.com/categories/Unit-heaters-/
i have one in my shop and love it https://ck5.com/forums/threads/shop-heater-it-s-alive.323287/ . i got it cause i use to work at a place that had one and loved it there also . not LOUD like salamander / torpedo heaters . and darn efficient . the units over 100k btu are decent size . the under 100k btu are small and you think were is the heat going to come from but WOW there super .
here was the best place i found for mine price point with shipping . and call them up to get you a all in 1 order with heater and correct exhaust piping for your needs . i was going to order what i figured i needed and they saved me money with what i DID need . https://shurailhvac.com/categories/Unit-heaters-/
Avoid the quick way of heating with BBQ tanks, because that's about your most expensive fuel choice. If you have natural gas, use that instead. If propane, either splice into the home propane supply or get a 2nd outdoor tank that the LPG truck can fill for you.
With an attached garage, you should also consider some added ductwork from your forced air furnace. That gives you the option of keeping the garage above freezing all the time so your car thaws (assuming insulated garage) and also gives an easy way to heat/supplement the garage. However, make sure you have a good way to shut it off for times you're painting or doing other smelly stuff out there.
The overhead radiant heaters are really nice to have, as it feels like standing in the sun and even warms the floor (have it shine on the floor and not the cars). Plus you still "feel it" when the big door gets opened. Most blower heaters have your head sweating while your feet are frozen. Otherwise I would recommend an outside combustion air furnace for the sake of moisture, as stated above. When your cars carry in snow in the winter that's too much moisture already, then the (non-vented) heater adds another gallon for every 100,000BTUH. Now a wood stove will actually dry the place, but you didn't list that as an option. Solid fuel has it's drawbacks, as you can't just turn it off when you start working with flammable substances.
Oh yeah, insulation helps a LOT, but the 1st thing before any heater is to have all the doors sealed up with weatherstripping so the room at least holds air.
With an attached garage, you should also consider some added ductwork from your forced air furnace. That gives you the option of keeping the garage above freezing all the time so your car thaws (assuming insulated garage) and also gives an easy way to heat/supplement the garage. However, make sure you have a good way to shut it off for times you're painting or doing other smelly stuff out there.
The overhead radiant heaters are really nice to have, as it feels like standing in the sun and even warms the floor (have it shine on the floor and not the cars). Plus you still "feel it" when the big door gets opened. Most blower heaters have your head sweating while your feet are frozen. Otherwise I would recommend an outside combustion air furnace for the sake of moisture, as stated above. When your cars carry in snow in the winter that's too much moisture already, then the (non-vented) heater adds another gallon for every 100,000BTUH. Now a wood stove will actually dry the place, but you didn't list that as an option. Solid fuel has it's drawbacks, as you can't just turn it off when you start working with flammable substances.
Oh yeah, insulation helps a LOT, but the 1st thing before any heater is to have all the doors sealed up with weatherstripping so the room at least holds air.
Radiant tube heaters are good at warming objects. At 9' tall you will probably be too close to your cars with a tube heater after the required clearance to the ceiling. You need several feet of clearance underneath, those suckers get HOT. If you have a lot of empty space a forced air unit heater will work better. The hot dawg mentioned is a fine unit. Reznor makes good ones too. The unit heater is faster and easier to install and you only need to clear out part of your garage to hang it. If you do woodworking or have a lot of fumes the unit heaters can be ordered with a port to bring in outside combustion air, keeping shop air out of the combustion chamber.
I have a catalytic heater in my camp trailer that works great. It does not have a blower since it's supposed to work with no power and with a garage you might be better off with a blower. Electric heaters also work pretty good for a garage if you are just using it occasionally to warm it up to work in. My garage in Idaho had one mounted to the ceiling on its own outlet and did pretty good even way into the negatives til I burned it up one day.
If you go with a blower vented type make sure you don’t go to big, I went with the next bigger btu heater than what was recommended for the size of my garage and wish I hadn’t. I even worked in the home heating propane industry for 17 yrs and still didn’t listen to myself. If you go bigger than the recommended btu they aren’t efficient.
I should clarify I'm looking for a ceiling mounted unit that ties in with the propane line in my garage. I have a boiler already in the garage. Was hoping to vent it through the exhaust already running from the boiler but I need to check with an HVAC tech to see if I can do that.
Everything is there so I'm hoping it will be an easy install.
I just wanted advice on the best unit to purchase.
I post without enough information.
Everything is there so I'm hoping it will be an easy install.
I just wanted advice on the best unit to purchase.
I post without enough information.
my shop is 1800 ish sq ft and i did a 125k btu unit . yes its bigger but i also have a paint bay so the extra air flow it requires is why i did the bigger unit .
plug i have a 10x10 garage door and 8x8 door . both insulated . but do get open / closed .
my main source of heat tho is the wood stove . but thats not good to run when painting . draw the air down the pipe and not up = bad .
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unit heater like i posted will be fine . just tell them propane when you order so its setup for it or comes with the conversion kit .
each unit HAS to be on its own vent . or back flow can happen = bad !
here play with this little easy program to figure out your btu needs .i already set it with your room size . just change the insulation and temp for your needs . https://www.calculator.net/btu-calc...=50&temperatureunit=f&calctype=heat&x=77&y=23
I will have a 1263 square foot garage on the house we are going to build. It will have a flue in the back corner coming up from the basement of the house for a future pellet or wood stove in the basement. I'm going to see if I can tee in a connection to either do a pellet stove in the garage also or I am going to have the builder stub a gas line to that same corner of the shop too. Pellet stoves are pretty popular out here since they auto feeding and have a thermostat.
@Truckman4life you cant tie in stacks last i knew . each unit its own .
for garage i would save the floor space and do unit heater in ceiling and do gas / propane . keep the floor open .
but thats my opinion .
for garage i would save the floor space and do unit heater in ceiling and do gas / propane . keep the floor open .
but thats my opinion .
Thanks for the info I will talk to my builder. I guess I could always go electric or have him run a second flue next to the first one. One of those corner ceiling mount gas units would be ideal.
they are real small for the btu output .
click the link i posted above were to buy and check out the sizes of them at 75k btu down . you will be surprised .
click the link i posted above were to buy and check out the sizes of them at 75k btu down . you will be surprised .
Just remember that any unit that doesn't have vented exhaust is filling your space with CO2, not good unless you like headaches or maybe your garage has lots of air leaks even then I wouldn't want to be working around a non vented heater. As for size and brand stick with a name brand like Modine, Reznor or Sterling. Don't buy a Mr. Heater or whatever brand at your local home depot. I've put a few in and wasn't very impressed, ya they're a little bit cheaper but I don't think the quality is there. If your 24 x 32 shop is insulated well and has good doors on it a 45,000 btu is plenty to make it comfortable for you to work in there. if you have leaky doors and poor insulation or none jump up to 75,000 btu.
I believe that all of the new unit heaters have a power vent flue so you will have to run a separate exhaust from your boiler.
I believe that all of the new unit heaters have a power vent flue so you will have to run a separate exhaust from your boiler.
My shop is about 1600 sq feet with a 20 foot ceiling and is insulated. The previous owner put in a propane forced air heater that he got from some hog barn. It's effective and heats the shop very quickly. I'm not sure of the BTU rating though. It's tied into a thermostat so it doesn't overheat.
What's the boiler in the garage for? If it's house heat you may be able to just add a hot water fancoil unit to it as long as it has enough capacity already?
Then you wouldn't have to vent anything. The fancoil unit itself is about the same price as a gas fired unit heater. The only other thing needed would be a line voltage stat. The hot water piping should be minimal if the boiler is right there. Just another option possibly?
forgot about them . good idea .
and i forgot to say my modine unit is just for 50* temp holder . so my tool and vehicles stay dry .
I agree on any non vented heater. Bad idea. They are still legal here if its not a bedroom, I personally refuse to install or sell them. Carbon monoxide is nothing to screw with, it makes you die.
