Heating A Garage

[spdfreak]

Sit down, take a deep breath and read.

Hey, I wanted to know thoughts about heating garages. Some of you work out of your house garage, and some have a dedicated work garage.

I wanted to know what your method of heating is, and what you suggest for my garage.

My garage is an uninsulated garage. The walls are sheet-rock. One side of the garage is attached to the house (hence, open to the elements on 3 sides). The exterior is vinyl siding, with the usual foam boards insulation and tyvek under the siding. The garage door is an old wood one to be replaced real soon by either a roll up, or traditional home garage door from Home Depot or Lowes. There are two windows, that seem to be new and seal well. There is also a new insulated door with double pane windows that's new and seals out the weather.

My climate: I live in a suburb of NY. For those that know, it's a four season climate. We get hot summers, cool falls, cold winters and warm springs. Currently it's ~28* Fahrenheit. Temperature dips at night, and rises when the sun comes out.

I would like to heat the garage to around 50* Fahrenheit to keep liquids from freezing, aresole spray cans from getting damaged and an overall comfortable temperature to work in on a cold winter day.

I have heard of people heating there house for a mere $200 a year using a pellet furnace. These can be bought in Home Depot or Lowes. (I'm a Home Depot and Lowes guy .) I was concerned about safety though. I do have gas jugs for the snow blower and lawn mower and wouldn't want to compromise safety for comfort.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Matt93SE]

using gas/pellet heat is just fine- just make sure you keep the gas at the other end of the garage and the containers are sealed. preferably keep them outside or somewhere else.

when I had to work in the garage in winter at my folks house, we had a small gas heater that we'd T into the line going to the water heater and furnace. It would heat it up enough to work in there and keep things from freezing, but that was about it.

Are you able to insulate the exterior walls of the garage?
if it's all rocked over, you might consider having a foam insulation company come out and do it for you. they drill a ~1" hole at one end of the rock and stick a hose into it and fill the walls with foam. works very well.

[spdfreak]

Originally Posted by Matt93SE

using gas/pellet heat is just fine- just make sure you keep the gas at the other end of the garage and the containers are sealed. preferably keep them outside or somewhere else.

when I had to work in the garage in winter at my folks house, we had a small gas heater that we'd T into the line going to the water heater and furnace. It would heat it up enough to work in there and keep things from freezing, but that was about it.

Are you able to insulate the exterior walls of the garage?
if it's all rocked over, you might consider having a foam insulation company come out and do it for you. they drill a ~1" hole at one end of the rock and stick a hose into it and fill the walls with foam. works very well.

Two things I won't do. Keep gas containers out side (maybe I'm crazy, but arsonists do exist), and open my walls to insulate the generic way.

I have heard of the foam method but I think it may be too expensive. We may do renovations in the near future, and foaming would be money thrown out.

Insulating won't help with out heating, and since we have it insulated between the vinyl exterior and the wood structure, I feel that would be enough with minimal heating to raise the temperature.

I was worried about how fumes and this heating unit. Gas is always kept in one of those red gas jugs, but fumes do travel.

Any more ideas would be appreciated

[ROCKART]

close all your windows/openings and let the car run for a while. dont worry if you get dizzy, thats just the heat warming your brain

[upstatemax]

I can tell you not to get kerosene heaters... My friend got two for his garage and they kept it warm for cheap.... But the fumes get you.

His were even "high efficiency" ones that burn almost all of the fuel, but after an hour or so working around them, we would feel dizzy and sick.

[eng92]

Originally Posted by upstatemax

I can tell you not to get kerosene heaters... My friend got two for his garage and they kept it warm for cheap.... But the fumes get you.

His were even "high efficiency" ones that burn almost all of the fuel, but after an hour or so working around them, we would feel dizzy and sick.

Did you follow the part in the manual that tells the minimum fresh air venting area that must be maintained when using indoors?

I run a 25,000 btu propane heater in my garage when i am working and I have no problems.

[Zach95SE]

Originally Posted by upstatemax

I can tell you not to get kerosene heaters... My friend got two for his garage and they kept it warm for cheap.... But the fumes get you.

His were even "high efficiency" ones that burn almost all of the fuel, but after an hour or so working around them, we would feel dizzy and sick.

I know exactly how that feels. We used to use kerosene then moved to propane. This year we hooked up a regular oil furnace which is by far the fastest and warmest of the 3 I have experience with.

[eng92]

Originally Posted by Zach95SE

I know exactly how that feels. We used to use kerosene then moved to propane. This year we hooked up a regular oil furnace which is by far the fastest and warmest of the 3 I have experience with.

Your post is a little misleading. Kerosene and #2 fuel oil have very close to the same heating value. Propane is about 40% less.

Your new oil furnace is heating the garage up faster because it is burning more fuel not because the fuel has a higher heating value. Also it would be externally vented so you would not be losing heat from having to leave a door or window partially open.

Kerosene heaters are fine as long as you have an ample supply of fresh air for dilution of the combustion products.

[KRRZ350]

Kerosene FTL, the sunflower heaters that go on the top of propan tanks are killer, much less output. Back when I was in a car-port I had two small round ones mounted on seperate tanks, it was AWESOME, lasted approximatly 48 hr's of continuous use & heat was good. My buddy had a giant rectangular one, that thing would last for 4hr's on a full tank, and on top of that you had to keep turning it off & on because it was too intense.

#2 (deisel in mine, don't want to fill the tank on a garage I'm renting) FTW! Propane = second place.

[Zach95SE]

Originally Posted by eng92

Your post is a little misleading. Kerosene and #2 fuel oil have very close to the same heating value. Propane is about 40% less.

Your new oil furnace is heating the garage up faster because it is burning more fuel not because the fuel has a higher heating value. Also it would be externally vented so you would not be losing heat from having to leave a door or window partially open.

Kerosene heaters are fine as long as you have an ample supply of fresh air for dilution of the combustion products.

So where is my post misleading? I didn't say it was cheaper. I just said it was faster and warmer. Obviously faster because it is larger then the other two forms of heat we used and warmer because there is no window cracked open, but to me it is completely worth the extra money on the oil. It is only used when the garage is used. I could see not wanting to use an oil furnace if you were continually heating your garage, but if you are just turning it on when you are in there it is fine. We have used the furnace about five or six times and are still on our first 5 gallons of oil.

[upstatemax]

Originally Posted by eng92

Did you follow the part in the manual that tells the minimum fresh air venting area that must be maintained when using indoors?

I run a 25,000 btu propane heater in my garage when i am working and I have no problems.

Yes, We would keep the garage door open about four inches that let in fresh air, but it would still bother us.

If we opened the door anymore than that it was pointless to have the heaters since to much cold air would come in. If you have to ventilate the room that much to keep from getting sick... Kerosene is pointless IMO.

[machinehead131]

We have a heater mounted up on the ceiling, we tapped into our natural gas line for the heater. I gotta take some pics the thing is beast. Heats right up forgot the BTU but ill get that.

[eng92]

Originally Posted by upstatemax

Yes, We would keep the garage door open about four inches that let in fresh air, but it would still bother us.

If we opened the door anymore than that it was pointless to have the heaters since to much cold air would come in. If you have to ventilate the room that much to keep from getting sick... Kerosene is pointless IMO.

Where were your heaters placed relative to the fresh air supply? One of the first rules of HVAC: place heat sources at the points of greatest heat loss. It also provides the fastest rate of dilution for the harmful by-products of combustion

I also keep a CO detector, with a ppm readout, next to where I am working just for peace of mind.

[eng92]

Originally Posted by Zach95SE

So where is my post misleading? I didn't say it was cheaper. I just said it was faster and warmer. Obviously faster because it is larger then the other two forms of heat we used and warmer because there is no window cracked open, but to me it is completely worth the extra money on the oil.

You made no mention of the relative BTU output of the three different heating appliances in your post The uninformed might take it to mean that all else being equal, heating oil>propane>kerosene in terms of relative output which is simply not the case.

Originally Posted by Zach95SE

It is only used when the garage is used. I could see not wanting to use an oil furnace if you were continually heating your garage, but if you are just turning it on when you are in there it is fine.

The majority of homes in northern rural areas use oil furnaces as their primary heat source. There is no natural gas available and electricity is too expensive.

[BenStoked]

im gonna reitterate eng92, if you use fuel, us a CO2 monitor.

spdfreak: what do u use to heat your house?

btw, my garage is heated from the clothes dryer vent
not toasty, but hey, i havent gotten sick workin on my car yet!

[upstatemax]

Originally Posted by eng92

Where were your heaters placed relative to the fresh air supply? One of the first rules of HVAC: place heat sources at the points of greatest heat loss. It also provides the fastest rate of dilution for the harmful by-products of combustion

I also keep a CO2 detector, with a ppm readout, next to where I am working just for peace of mind.

They were at the rear of the car (near the door).

Once again, for the amount of ventilation you need for them, I find them pointless.

When you have to let in a TON of COLD air (30* and down) to avoid getting sick, I might as well as keep the door closed, not use the heaters and have my dog stand next to me breathing on me for warmth.

[eng92]

Originally Posted by upstatemax

They were at the rear of the car (near the door).

Once again, for the amount of ventilation you need for them, I find them pointless.

When you have to let in a TON of COLD air (30* and down) to avoid getting sick, I might as well as keep the door closed, not use the heaters and have my dog stand next to me breathing on me for warmth.

Were you burning the correct grade of kerosene (ie. 1-K clear)? Burning the cheaper, dyed kerosenes will result in noxious combustion products due to their higher sulphur content.

If you do a little research on the topic, you will find that kerosene heaters are the most popular, cost effective means for portable indoor heating

[spdfreak]

Originally Posted by benstoked

spdfreak: what do u use to heat your house?

Natural gas.


I am not looking to heat the garage the sunday, or evening that I'm working in it, but rather the entire winter.
EDIT:I do have a small propane heater that runs off the one lb. bottles, as well as one of the large heater that go on top of the 20 lb.'ers

I am looking for something that won't cost too much.
It's not like I live in the garage.

On a side note, I was also thinking about having one of my buddies whos good with etetric boards help me make an exhaust fan that turns on, and stays on while it detects carbon monoxide. Not that I would ever run a car in there, but even after the car is off and I had just pulled in from a drive, there is still exhaust fumes emitting from the car.

[eng92]

Originally Posted by spdfreak

Natural gas.


I am not looking to heat the garage the sunday, or evening that I'm working in it, but rather the entire winter.

I am looking for something that won't cost too much.
It's not like I live in the garage.

In the late fall, I bring all my glues, paints, aerosols and caulkings in from the garage and store them in the basement. The fuels, oils, greases and solvents are not damaged by freezing and stay in the garage all year round.

You will not find a cost effective method of keeping an entire garage above freezing all year round. The cheapest operating cost method would be to install a small natural gas furnace in your garage. However, your initial capital cost would be prohibitive.

Have you considered building a small heated cabinet for storage of your perishables? Of course you will need to vent it externally to prevent buildup of combustable vapors.

[spdfreak]

I will do some reserch on the pellet heaters.

[SEmy2K2go]

Here's mine. Luckily for me it was installed when I moved into the house 6 years ago. Worked in the garage for 8 hours on Friday and wore a t-shirt the entire time.

[spdfreak]

Originally Posted by SEmy2K2go

Here's mine. Luckily for me it was installed when I moved into the house 6 years ago. Worked in the garage for 8 hours on Friday and wore a t-shirt the entire time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...c/DSCN4592.jpg

Do you run it all the time, or only when you work?

I need something I can run all the time to keep the temps above 45*. When I work in there I would up the temp to ~65*.


Pellet stoves seem to be the cheapest route for the long run. I'm going to do more research. I did the usuall google searches and youtube. Youtube seemed to have some usefull info.
I'm not sure if the pellet stoves are high mantinance, but if so, it may fall out of the choice list.

Natral gas seems to be an option, but I don't know enough about the heaters. I do know that Home Depot and other large stores run some type of heater above the entrance's and exit's. Those may be natral gas, but I'm unsure.

I also have to find out if I will need ventalation with a natral gas heating source.

Thanks for the replies.