Help heating garage

[ArsenalDon]

I know there are a lot of DIY guys out there. I just built an 800sqft garage. It is insulated all around with R19 in the walls and R34 above. Insulated garage door and double paned windows. How well insulated...-1F last night and garage got down to 43....that is not bad. So here is the question.

I do not want to use anything that requires venting, but I want to have a heater in there. Kerosene is out as is a wood stove. I want to spend $100 or less. Recommendations please that will not cost too much to run?

 

[seige101]

8' piece of electric baseboard. No venting and under $100

 

[Jack Straw]

I also vote for electric, not sure that an 8' baseboard is enough though. I'd look into a ceiling mount w/blower. Baseboard tends to take up a lot of valuable wall space, I know because my garage has it.

 

[ArsenalDon]

I do not have baseboard space....I am thinking electric too....brand recommendations? BTU recommendations?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

You can buy small fan assisted electric heaters. Lowes and HD have them next to the electric baseboards.

Matt

 

[ArsenalDon]

Yes folks.....I know HD, Lowes, Amazon, everyone has electric heaters.....I was hoping for recommendations....anyone that is using something that they love please let me know

 

[FanMan]

For occasional use electric might be OK, but it's going to get expensive if you use it a lot. Why unvented? A direct vent propane heater is easy to install on an outside wall might be a good choice. If you can live with the water vapor it produces, a "vent free" (i.e. room vented) would be less expensive.

 

[Pallet Pete]

What about an oil radiant heater they work very well ! Something along these lines.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Optimus-Portable-Oil-Filled-Radiator-Heater/15162311

Pete

 

[flyingcow]

What about an oil radiant heater they work very well ! Something along these lines.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Optimus-Portable-Oil-Filled-Radiator-Heater/15162311

Pete

I've used a couple of these over the yrs. They don't work well,IMO.

 

[flyingcow]

$100 or less, you limit it. I'd go(as mentioned above) with a ceiling mounted electric unit. May be into the few hundred bucks to get a good one.

Your garage isn't huge, but it is good sized.Do you want to heat it all the time? Will you need to keep it above freezing all the time? Is it attached to the house?

Your electric rates probably aren't as high as ours in the Northeast. We're touchy about electric heat up here.

 

[hydes2004]

Eaton pure heater? Its electric and pretty efficient. I saw one at Bj's wholesale club last week on sale. I know its over your budget but it will be much better than a baseboard and consume less electricity. The saving would be beneficial in the long run.

 

[Pallet Pete]

Eaton pure heater? Its electric and pretty efficient. I saw one at Bj's wholesale club last week on sale. I know its over your budget but it will be much better than a baseboard and consume less electricity. The saving would be beneficial in the long run.

I had an eaten pure and went broke running the darn thing it was a major electricity hog.

Pete

 

[milleo]

Get a milk room utility heater they have proven themselfs over the years and all electric heaters cost the same to run.

 

[flyingcow]

In general terms, electric heat is created equal. Eaton makes money claiming they're better. IMO, they're profits are better, maybe.

I go with the milk room unit. I don't have a link. But they do work nice.

 

[Butcher]

Got a gas grill with a 20 lbs. cylinder? Go to your local sporting goods store or a wally world and get a double burner propane radiant heater.

 

[milleo]

Got a gas grill with a 20 lbs. cylinder? Go to your local sporting goods store or a wally world and get a double burner propane radiant heater.

They work good but should have a window open or something for ventilation.

 

[ArsenalDon]

$100 or less, you limit it. I'd go(as mentioned above) with a ceiling mounted electric unit. May be into the few hundred bucks to get a good one.

Your garage isn't huge, but it is good sized.Do you want to heat it all the time? Will you need to keep it above freezing all the time? Is it attached to the house?

Your electric rates probably aren't as high as ours in the Northeast. We're touchy about electric heat up here.

It is attached. Has not gotten to freezing yet and we had -1F last night. Stays above 40 probably because it is attached. Do not need it heated all the time, on demand is good enough.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Get a milk room utility heater they have proven themselfs over the years and all electric heaters cost the same to run.

This could be the deal....anyone using one?

 

[Danno77]

This could be the deal....anyone using one?

Just terminology for a metal utility looking version with the same guts as any plastic ones you see in the electric space heater isle at your local store. You'll need a couple and they'll run at about 1500 watts each. Depending on what your wiring is like, you could be tripping if run on the same circuit. Personally, I think this is probably the way to go if you are against a direct vent wall mount gas heater, which wold be a cleaner more permanent solution.

 

[ArsenalDon]

Just terminology for a metal utility looking version with the same guts as any plastic ones you see in the electric space heater isle at your local store. You'll need a couple and they'll run at about 1500 watts each. Depending on what your wiring is like, you could be tripping if run on the same circuit. Personally, I think this is probably the way to go if you are against a direct vent wall mount gas heater, which wold be a cleaner more permanent solution.

Only gas we have is propane...before our wood stove our propane bills were $600 a month...trying to keep this down to a min...but maybe propane is cheaper than electric...only need it a few hours a day at most. propane is $3.75 per gallon here

 

[ironpony]

however you decide to heat it remember there are alot of things in the garage that can go BOOM and might react with an open flame heat source, I have a heat pump forced air in the garage to eliminate the possible ignition sources. I do alot of work out there and one time when I was using a natural gas wall mounted heater the product I was using reacted with the flame and brought me to my knees. luckily I was coherent enough to get into the house. after a little whil went back out and felt the effects, realizing what was going on I turned off the heater and learned a lesson. Sometimes now I use a torpedo heater to raise the temp quicly and then shut it down before doing anything.

 

[begreen]

Get a milk room utility heater they have proven themselfs over the years and all electric heaters cost the same to run.

Get a couple of them. They are like $16 on sale. Plug each one into a separate circuit so that you don't trip the breaker. And stay away from the Eden Pure crap. That's a marketing scam.

This is the unit I got on sale for my shop. I use it in the greenhouse too when the temps are low.
http://www.truevalue.com/product/Heating-Cooling/Heaters/Electric-Heaters/Milkhouse-Utility-Convection-Heater/pc/7/c/105/sc/1151/2036.uts

 

[ArsenalDon]

is it safe to use a patio propane heater in the garage?

 

[nate379]

How is your house heated? Boiler?
Could tie into that and run a hanging heater.

Electric is going to cost whatever your rate is. 1500 watt plug in 120v heater uses 1.5kwh.

Do you just want a heater in there to keep it above freezing?

Do you want to heat only when you are working in there, maybe a few hours a week? If so, what would be comfortable?

240v or only 120v in the garage?

How tall is the ceiling?

 

[seige101]

Eaton pure heater? Its electric and pretty efficient. I saw one at Bj's wholesale club last week on sale. I know its over your budget but it will be much better than a baseboard and consume less electricity. The saving would be beneficial in the long run.

False False False. An electric space heater is an electric space heater. a $15 space heater will work just as well as a $400 eden pure heater.