Want to heat my garage

Are you actually using this building as a garage? Parking cars, storing gasoline and such?

go to ace, or any hardware store and buy for around $200 ventless gas, hang on the wall type heater. On setting 1 it keeps my garage 60 provideing you have insulation and it runs me $35 a month.

you can get em either way

Don't mean to hyjack the thread but....

Time to expose my ignorance, why can you not have a wood stove in a garage / shop? I have a detached 48 x 28 workshop and have always wanted to put a wood stove out there. Why would a wood stove be any different then any other heating device? Currently mine is heated with a boiler and infloor heat but why can I not put a stove out there? Please enlighten me.

ribs1 said:

OK,
I have a detached garage that is somewhat insulated. From what I have read, a wood stove is a no go.
I am wondering what would be the most efficient way to heat this space. It's about a 2 car garage btw.
Thanks

Click to expand...

You are correct. Until heating oil, LP, NG and electricity are free wood is the best way to heat anything.

’bert said:

Don't mean to hyjack the thread but....

Time to expose my ignorance, why can you not have a wood stove in a garage / shop? There is no reason I have a detached 48 x 28 workshop and have always wanted to put a wood stove out there. Why would a wood stove be any different then any other heating device? It's not Currently mine is heated with a boiler and infloor heat but why can I not put a stove out there? No reason Please enlighten me.

Click to expand...

Consider yourself enlightened

Bigg_Redd said:

’bert said:

Don't mean to hyjack the thread but....

Time to expose my ignorance, why can you not have a wood stove in a garage / shop? There is no reason I have a detached 48 x 28 workshop and have always wanted to put a wood stove out there. Why would a wood stove be any different then any other heating device? It's not Currently mine is heated with a boiler and infloor heat but why can I not put a stove out there? No reason Please enlighten me.

Click to expand...

Consider yourself enlightened

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Well, I respectfully disagree with Bigg_Redd's response as applicable to codes in our our area. Neither our local codes nor homeowners insurance company's will allow a wood stove (an open fire) as a heat source in any building that contains a gasoline powered item or any other flammable fume item.

Shari

Northern sells a small hang from the ceiling 220V heater that 2 of my neighbors use to heat the same space you have, same reason actually hang out and smoke cigars.

Shari said:

Bigg_Redd said:

’bert said:

Don't mean to hyjack the thread but....

Time to expose my ignorance, why can you not have a wood stove in a garage / shop? There is no reason I have a detached 48 x 28 workshop and have always wanted to put a wood stove out there. Why would a wood stove be any different then any other heating device? It's not Currently mine is heated with a boiler and infloor heat but why can I not put a stove out there? No reason Please enlighten me.

Click to expand...

Consider yourself enlightened

Click to expand...

Well, I respectfully disagree with Bigg_Redd's response as applicable to codes in our our area. Neither our local codes nor homeowners insurance company's will allow a wood stove (an open fire) as a heat source in any building that contains a gasoline powered item or any other flammable fume item.

Shari

Click to expand...

+1

Growing up we had a wood stove in our garage and it took so long to get up to a decent temperature that you were usually done what you wanted to do by then. My father now has an oil fired hot air furnace to heat the garage, in 15 minutes its warm enough. It's a used furnace from a mobile home.

How would a ventless gas heater, or any other heater that doesn't have a sealed combustion chamber, be safer than a wood stove in a garage? Either one can be installed right or wrong, and either could ignite fumes at a dense enough concentration.
You wouldn't be able to breath at those concentrations, and it wouldn't be safe to have an electric motor in there.

I spent $700 last year on propane to keep the shop at 50*, and this year $0 burning wood and it's 60-70* when I'm working in there. And here's the kicker- the shop is attached by a breezeway to the house, and I store motorcycles, solvents, paints, occasionally a car, and many other combustibles in there. I also weld and forge in there, and have started several fires doing that, but have never started a fire with the wood stove.

I agree with Sparkster, many people here have heated garages, most using some form of natural gas (like my boiler). What I do not know is the reason stoves specifically are not allowed. I understand that gas can leak and fumes will ignite with an open source of flame be it a boiler, hot water tank or furnace. Those are obvious risks to anyone heating a garage. Why are stoves any worse then the previously mentioned sources of ignition? FFJake can you comment on this?

I heat my shop with wood & just store my gasoline outside during the winter. My wood is free off my own property so my shop will always have a wood stove. I really don't think this is a big deal but it gets debated here quite a bit.

RD

’bert said:

I agree with Sparkster, many people here have heated garages, most using some form of natural gas (like my boiler). What I do not know is the reason stoves specifically are not allowed. I understand that gas can leak and fumes will ignite with an open source of flame be it a boiler, hot water tank or furnace. Those are obvious risks to anyone heating a garage. Why are stoves any worse then the previously mentioned sources of ignition? FFJake can you comment on this?

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Now, that's a good question..

An "open flame" (wood stove, standing pilot) , a 10 KV transformer (oil burner), "electronic igniter" or HSI (hot surface ignition) for gas, ALL pose a risk, but ONLY a stove/fire place are banned. They all draw air from their "immediate" area for combustion (we won't go as far as an OWB with a garage loop) Even an electric heater would be a source of ignition (see how hot your toaster gets!)


We (I) do go as far as putting the gas gas/mix in a fire rated cabinet/locker outdoors - about 60 or so feet from the shop. The amount of vapors expelled from the equipment is negligible - only the ones that are "in-season" (2x saws, 1x snow blower = winter) have any amount of fuel in them - most often topped off for the "next catastrophe"... more fuel in the tanks than vapors.

ribs1 said:

OK,
I have a detached garage that is somewhat insulated. From what I have read, a wood stove is a no go.
I am wondering what would be the most efficient way to heat this space. It's about a 2 car garage btw.
Thanks

Click to expand...

get a portable k-1 heater. fill it. light it. get it going real good. then kick the thing over. let it burn down the garage. When the insurance guy talks to you about a new garage and having a woodstove in the new garage, tell him you wouldn't have been able to kick (I mean, accidently step into) over a 400 lb stove screwed to a stack of pipe and metalbestos..... PLease know I am just kidding, and it against code in alot of places, now, to install a woodstove in a garage. but ironically nothing is said about portable k-1 heaters

its funny that most people have no issue using a torpedo heater in their shop thats blowing out a super heated 2 foot open forced flame but scoff at the idea of using a fully contained UL listed wood stove with a 2inch thick cast insulated door ..for the fear of a gas can on the other side of the building spontaneously bursting into roaring uncontrollable flames

I was told from my insurance agent that ...the main reason is. that the fuel fumes are just above the floor when you open the door on a wood stove a spark could fly out hitting the gasses just about the floor and boom a bomb goes off.... my 2 cents..

scott6824 said:

I was told from my insurance agent that ...the main reason is. that the fuel fumes are just above the floor when you open the door on a wood stove a spark could fly out hitting the gasses just about the floor and boom a bomb goes off.... my 2 cents..

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Not to blast you, BUT...

Isn't a oil or gas heater inlet just about (O.K. 6" or so) above the floor?! And they, atleast oil I know of, have a fan-forced air intake for combustion? So, oil heat would suck up the "vapors" more so than a errant spark from a wood stove?!


NO ATTACK is being made on you or yours, but just a simple question.

I'll say again my post was info from my Insurance guy.... he may be giving me a line of crap for all I know.. he was worried about a spark from the stove ignighting fuel vapors or chit on the floor... as far as a oil or gas heater I have no clue where the heck an air intake is located....