Garage Heater

Any 5kW electric heater will keep the chill out as long as the garage door isn’t going up and down forty times a day. If you have 220 in the garage, you might look at something larger than 5kW. When I lived in Indiana, I had a Black and Decker spacer heater that I used in my shop, one of the ceramic heater types. after about 30 minutes or so, it was comfortable, not hot mind you, but nice enough.

-- Chunk

Here’s a link for a Berko heater:

http://www.berkomep.com/develop/Products/UnitHeat/HUH524TA.htm

-- Chunk

I have a large natural gas heater. but lots of people use wood heaters or propane space heaters

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Ive been looking at this one: http://www3.modine.com/v2portal/page/portal/modine/modineMarketsDefault/modine_com/markets/building_HVAC/market_level_3_content_013.htm
It has great reviews, it’s about $300 for the unit and whatever permits I’ll need.
I don’t like the kerosene space heaters or any heater that has an open fire due to fumes from finishes and fire hazards.

-- Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines! Mike D.

I suggest 30,000 btu’s of hydronic base boards but you know.

-- Dan, Sterling Alaska, http://sullcon.homestead.com/ Before you criticise some one, walk a mile in their shoes...then you will be a mile away and you have their shoes!

I have this one and it is excellent.
I t uses outside air for combustion and the exhaust goes directly out the other end to the outside so fumes and or combustion in my shop are virtually nil.
Beacus it’s radiant it warms the surfaces without the adi of fans etc. It great to work under and it warms the body pretty much as well.

https://www.gasoutdoorpatioheaters.com/xcart/product.php?productid=405

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

I’ve got a 25×25 garrison on top of my garage in Maine (cold). I have an industrial electric heater downstairs in the garage for those rare winter welding times but here electricity is expensive to heat with.

My shop has one of these:

It’s a procom heater available at various places.. northern tool
is where I got mine for about $150. It’s non vented but after a year with it it isn’t an issue. I don’t sleep in the shop. And some people will tell you they build up moisture, or smell. Well they don’t. They just don’t. I live with one all day. No issues at all. No rust on the saw. Nothing. It hangs on the wall. No fireboard needed. They gas guy has to hook you up. 30k BTU’s. This thing cranks out the heat and I keep it on low to low medium all the time. I am insulated though. Mine has a fan which works well. I also put a small fan ahead of the flame and blow it across the room for a quick heating from 20-70 degrees. I am exceptionally satisfied with this unit. If it lasts a few years (it’s just a tube with holes in it for a flame with ignitor so it should last.) I will immediately replace it.
Here is a review I did several months back on LJ's

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and our winters can get pretty nasty. We moved from a 1 car garage to a 2+ car garage three years ago and I struggle every year with trying to get the temperature to a comfortable working one. My 240v construction heater worked like a champ in the old garage but my new place is a challenge. It has open rafters and allows natural light in via the window at the front. If I close the ceiling up, I lose the only source of natural lighting, which would suck.

Up until now, I have employed my construction heater and two radiant heaters (Lee Valley) to provide the heat but when we’re talking a -30 winter day, nothing short of a roaring bonfire will take the chill off and that’s a bit counter productive in the garage. The last two winters, I have closed off the ceiling using tarps. I installed two ceiling fans to try to blow the heat back down but because of the vastness of the space, all it does is create a cool breeze.

This year, I’ve purchased a third radiant heater and it’s working pretty good, thus far. Time will tell though. I know I am going to have to either invest in a proper heating system (45000 btu) and/or close in the ceiling but I really hate closing off that window.

-- -- Don in Ottawa

I have a Modine Hot Dawg gas heater. Works great.

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

You Canadians gotta remember that a lot of places in the U.S, electricity is expensive. I went to Quebec a ways back and found out that they’re a little bit peeved at us in Maine because we purchase electricity from them at more than double the price they pay, causing a rise in prices for them. At 6-12 Cents a kwh (depending on location) it’s not a cheap way to heat a house.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

Not to change the subject but, at 10- 12 cents kwh it seems like a costly way to charge up an electirc car too.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob.. compared to the cost of electricity it’s much less. at 10cents that’s equivalent to 150 miles per gallon.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

Would that include the cost of replacement batteries and normal losses in acid cell batteries?

I’m just learning about this technololgy so bear with me

As is usually the case, the electircal providers will move the prices higher as the demand for product increases and the distribution costs start rolling in from under powered transmssion grids.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

Bob2. The new electric cars.. The chevy Volt for example will come out for sale to the public in 2010. It has a newly developed bank of lithium ion battery that doesn’t heat up and can withstand damage without exploding. The batteries weight 700 lbs and will provide 40 miles of travel on a charge. The reason 40 miles was decided on was after research 74% of people rarely travel more than 40 miles a day. The charge time is 6 or 3 hrs depending on 110 or 220 connection. One hour charge time for 80%. The car also has a 3 cylinder gasoline engine with the sole purpose of charging the batteries. So this car is totally electric with gasoline backup for the batteries only. The car gets approx 150 mile’s to the gallon equivalent in electricity and if the motor has to run to charge the batteries then it has a 50mpg rating and will go 400 miles on a fill-up.
The best thing is that the new A123 batteries are expected to last a lifetime of the car life. GM is warranteeing them for 10 yrs. It could save GM if it’s not too late. they will be about $35,000 at first but other models and more purchases over time they expect the cars to be available in various configurations at current car prices.
This car is different from the prius. It’s not a recovery system car. The prius has a 2 mile battery. When you stop/slowdown/go downhill it attempts to recover some of that energy and recharge the battery. Hence… the ~50 mpg limit. Their battery also has a shorter lifespan. GM invested in A123 batteries and the new ones are the result.
We will all be driving electric cars. I predict within 5-10 years you won’t be able to buy a purely gasoline car. BTW. These cars have very fast 0-60 times and rival hi performance gasoline engines.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

Very interesting stuff. I find this really fascinating.
I wonder what they have planned for us up in the colder climates?
Maybe they will crack the hydorgen fuel puzzle in the near future as well.
With advances in solar and wind technology we could see extending fossil fuels well into the next century.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

You might want to look at the Mr. Heater MH18B. I have the older version, equivalent to the MH9BX, called the Portable Buddy heater. It is VERY effective at taking the shop from sub freezing, to mid 70s in less than a half hour at full tilt. Pretty cheap to run when running on a #20 cylinder as well. I am in a 2 car garage shop though… YMMV.

-- Trying to follow the example of the master.

Heater….. oh yeah i know what your talking about. Florida here. Actually i have a small jet (forced air kerosene) heater that i use mostly when finishing projects.

-- I can fix ANYTHING!.... Wheres the duct tape?

I use a kerosene Torpedo Heater on diesel. 165,000 BTU http://www.masterdist.net/allproheaters/forcedair/kerosene/pk165t.html

Works fantastic and I can wheel it around if it is in the way. I have actually melted the end of 1/2 braided marine rope in front of it, on purpose.

-- T. Nelson

Whoa Straightpiped, I have an older kerosene heater like that. I admit it needs cleaning but when it misfires and puffs a bit my eyes burn. Maybe the newer ones have eliminated those issues. Mine is also noisy. It sounds like a rushing jet engine. It does throw a lot of heat though. The metal cap on the end glows bright orange. It’s great for working on a car in dead of winter. Point it in your direction and you’ve got a bubble of hot air around you when outside of that bubble it’s below zero.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful. http://web.me.com/deceiver6/Deceiver/Craftsman_on_the_lake/Craftsman_on_the_lake.html

I was lucky in the house I bought 8 years ago had the same type as Bob#2 mentioned.

https://www.gasoutdoorpatioheaters.com/xcart/product.php?productid=405

It works excellent. I have a 2 1/2 car garage in Michigan and it doesn’t take 15 minutes before the chill is gone and you can work. Uses a regular thermostat, so you just let it go. Clean, no fumes, no fuel to handle heats the entire space and quiet. Actually if you turn it up at all it gets too warm after a while. When zero (fahrenheit for the Canadians) outside, I can work in a light shirt.

Steve.

Craftsman,
The only time mine ever misfires and puffs is when it runs out of fuel. Other than that it has never happened. Mine isn’t but a few years old and is able to keep my garage, 30×20 with 12 ft ceilings uninsulated, as warm as I want. I never keep mine directly pointed at me due to the amount of heat it throws. Works good for me.

My old garage had a natural gas wall mount unit. It worked well but took a while to get the garage warm, granted it was a 6 car garage.

-- T. Nelson

Kerosene heaters are terrible for use in a woodshop because they introduce tons of moisture into the room. I’d stick with something that pipes the exhaust outside of the space you are heating.

I have a forced air unit and an old potbelly stove that I use. Since getting the woodburner I don’t use the forced air unit anymore due to the fact that I get firewood for free. I had my shop at 90 degrees last winter when it was negative 15 outside, all thanks to a wood stove and a couple of fans.

-- Julian, Park Forest, IL

HOT DAWG is what I have and it is wonderful!!!!

-- Only the Shadow knows....................