Heating a Garage?

[neumanns]

I have a 20x30 insulated garage that has a wood stove in it however I would like to add a propane heater also. I do not know much about heaters and the more I look the more confused I get. I would like to spend under $300 but cheaper would be nice.<br /><br />What I'm seeing in fleetfarm etc is radient and blueflame. I understand radient warms objects and blue flame warms air. Wich is more appropriate for a garage and what are the benifits.Also is one safer than the other.<br /><br />Venting is a possability however if its all the same I would proably prefer ventless.<br /><br />I'm guessing I'll need between 20-30,000btu max output sound about right? Thermstat would be nice but multi setting should work.<br /><br />What is right for me and what do I need to look for.

 

[KennyKenCan]

Re: Heating a Garage?

neumanns,<br /><br />Check your local building codes on heating a garage!!<br /><br />If the garage is attached, heating it may be a hastle, as most zoning boards restrict heating in an attached garage!<br /><br />The requirements required for heating an attached garage are pretty unattainable, because thats the way they want it!<br /><br />You could have a problem with your homeowners insurance too!<br /><br />As far as a detached garage is concerned, I believe your options are wide open!<br /><br />Just a note, for I'd hate for something to happen, and you get screwed by your local municipality and/or insurance company.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Heating a Garage?

Kenny, around here you can heat an attached garage, but you cannot use forced air heat - carbon monoxide can travel through ductwork into house. So, either way, neumanns should be alright.<br /><br />With propane heat, you will get about a gallon of moisture into the air for every pound of fuel you burn, so if you go ventless, you will get a lot more heat, but you will get a lot more moisture in the air. If this is not a problem, go ventless, more bang for your buck. But if your garage is tightly sealed, you may want to rethink ventless and go vented.<br /><br />Now, do you want fast heat, or even heat? For a quick heat up, go blueflame. That is good if you are going there to work and want it warmed quickly. You will turn it off when you leave. If you want steady even heat and you are planning on leaving it on with a thermostat, I would go radiant. That is my opinion, but I have been known to be wrong (back in 1979, but that is another story! ).

 

[neumanns]

Re: Heating a Garage?

It's detached with some ventilation. Dog door and not the newest (read ripped) seals on the garage doors. Kenny thanks for your concerns but all is a go except with what.<br /><br />Aspeck thanks, a straight forward answer I can understand. Unlike that babble that you get from someone who wants to keep both there product lines in the mix.<br /><br />I called a distributor before i posted here and got a bunch of BS but no answers or opinions. Drives me nuts.<br /><br />I want a heatsource I can leave on if I choose but would more likley to warm it up beforehand when I was going to be out there. I also would like to be able to leave it on low to keep the bittercold away when the temps dip into the -20f to -30 range. I just dont like getting in a vehicle that is that cold.<br /><br />Actually may never get used above low setting because I really like the woodstove and can still use that to bring the garage up from a reasonabble temp.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Heating a Garage?

I use one of those salamander heaters in my garage. Just got to be careful not to point it at anything that can burn. 5 gallons of K1 will last me a week using it in the evenings after work. I have it hooked to a baseboard type thermostat and it works great. It is a small one about 60,000 btu. When the garage is about 35 it will warm it up in about 15 minuets to 70 degrees. Just use alot of common sense and be aware that it can be dangerous if you don't pay attention where it is sitting.....SS

 

[John in Ak]

Re: Heating a Garage?

Any open flame and gasoline is a dangerous combination. Keep the firebox elevated as gas vapors tend to stay low. I agree moisture from propane could be a problem but venting is best anyway as the burning is not always perfect, venting will take care of any carbon monoxide that may be present. As stated check with local building dept for advice.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Heating a Garage?

I keep a 1000sq' former garage- insulated, heated with a ceiling mounted, forced air LP furnace. It is vented, because I keep my animals in there.<br />Cars sit outside, Brrrr.<br /><br />I didn't like what fleetFarm had to offer. I got it from a local furnace shop.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Heating a Garage?

hot water fed baseboard heat is safe and cheap<br />to install (if you can run copper pipe yourself)

 

[aspeck]

Re: Heating a Garage?

Since the garage is detatched, you are okay with whatever you decide to use. Before you go ventless because of the ventilation you have in the garage (doggy door, etc) keep in mind what you want to do in the garage. Is it anything that moisture will hinder? If so, go vented.<br /><br />Just purchased a gas fireplace for the new house. The salesman at Lowes couldn't understand why I wanted the vented. The same model in ventless had 28,000 btu's of output energy whereas the vented had 15,000. Big difference, but much safer if the flame gets out of adjustment and much less moisture condensation on the windows.<br /><br />The salamanders are great for quick heat and pretty cheap to run in the scheme of things, but they do give an oily film in the air, so if you are doing painting, or anything like that, be careful. Just a few things I have learned from construction and investigation over the years. Good luck and have fun with the purchase. BTW, the new gas fireplace is thermostatically controlled with a blower, should be a nice back-up heat source to the geothermal unit that will provide heating, cooling, and hot water all year round.

 

[samagee]

Re: Heating a Garage?

OK, so what do you all recomend for doing boat work during the winter? I plan to remove the gel coat and repair some fiberglass damage that the previous owner did. I don't need the moisture. I also work out in that garage, as do my boys. <br /><br />It is an attached garage with no vents/dutcs to the other parts of the house. In fact it has its own crawl space as well.<br /><br />Thanks in advance. I was getting worried with the earlier posts saying that you can't do anything with an attached garage.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Heating a Garage?

samagee, don't go kerosene or open flame oil. Gas or electric for the type of work you are doing. With your crawl space above, you can do forced air if you would like (make sure you have a good filter to keep fiberglas dust low. Or you can go radiant heat. You can pick up a small vented gas stove for cheap at various builder's auctions and on sale. Was just a a builder's auction a month ago in the Cleveland area, could have bought 4 of those little "Wood burner" look-alikes gas models for aoubt $150 each. Not much in the venting and hooking up of them.<br /><br />You can always go wood burner also. So, your options are wide open - just so you don't have any vents that may get into the house - don't want any carbon monoxide leaking into the house.<br /><br />With that said, after the HVAC installer leaves the new house, I am installing the duct work to the garages! They will have shut offs on them, but I do want to use the geothermal heat to help take the chill off the garage. Won't need much since it is mostly and underground garage.<br /><br />Hope that helps ya.

 

[samagee]

Re: Heating a Garage?

Aspeck, glad to hear you mention a wood burning stove. There is a plate covering the exit hole where the previous owner of the house had one. I was wondering about that myself. I think a wood burner would be neat in the garage, and would provide a better place for burning private documents. I don't have a fireplace and people look at me funny when I use my grill. <br /><br />Thanks again!

 

[aspeck]

Re: Heating a Garage?

Don't know if you are real rural, but a great heat source is the "outside wood and coal burners." They are very efficient, thermostat controlled, and use hot water, radiant heat (some are just wood, some are wood/coal and now they also have oil or gas back-ups!). You can also use them to heat your domestic hot water. In the summer, your junk mail alone will provide almost enough fuel to keep you in all the hot water you need. Then in the winter, you will have to fill them about 2 times a day (unless it is real cold and you are demanding much heat). Then are really neat units. Unfortunately I am in a development and cannot use it (they do produce a lot of smoke), that is why geothermal is going to heat and cool my new house.