Garage heater?

[ajh]

Anyone have a suggestion on the best way to heat up a garage from about -15C to say 10C? I've insulated the door and the walls are shared with other houses (single car garage) so overall heat loss shouldn't be too bad.

I was either thinking of just tying the house furnace into the garage too since the ducts run on that wall but fumes etc... a natural gas line runs through the garage too and would be pretty easy to tap into.

Would be nice to be able to work in there all winter, and not have the compressor, etc freeze up.

 

[kennith]

I know someone who has an automatic gas burner with the ceramic things in his garage, plumbed off a hardline. It's mounted on the wall, and looks like it was built in there. It works great. Still, you have an open flame in the garage, then. It's tiny, but it's still there.

You can get blowers from Jegs that are electric, as well. Also, many people I know like those jet heaters.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[Pugsly]

those kerosene powered jet heaters can heat things up in a hurry, but they can also make your eyes water!

I would be wary of tapping into your home heating system, it would be really difficult to balance the system to provide any type of consistent temperature... not to mention the whole issue of putting holes into your firewall (having a fire-rated barrier between the living space and garage is a code requirement and just good sense).

Since you have the gas line there I would try and find some type of forced air gas heater that you can mount and dedicate for that space. Home Depot sells a "Garage Wall Heater Natural Gas Model GN30TA" for around $250...

 

[nrene]

I've got one of the propane / electric fan jet heaters (Mr. Heater, Buddy Pro). Pumps out a ton of heat (30,000 - 55,000 BTU).

Word of caution, most of the heaters aren't supposed to be used in an enclosed area due to carbon monoxide buildup.

For your reference: With the door propped up with a 4x4, the heater will get my double garage up to over 20C (0C outside) if left running on low, and will keep me comfortable welding / grinding with the door 1/2 up on high.

 

[az_max]

Is your house furnace forced air or water/steam? If it's steam, plumb a radiator on a zone out to the garage. If you just want portable heat, I suggest an oil filled radiator. Gas or kerosene are nice, but you have to deal with the fumes and fuel.

 

[MarkP]

Running duct work and venting from your home heating system to the garage will violate local codes. A home heating vent in the garage provides a path for CO back into the house. Therefore not a good idea.

Start with this Heater size calculator or BTU calculator to size your heater. Then pick a system based on BTUs required, available electric, available gas, etc.

 

[varova87]

i work in my garage all the time and just use a space heater. takes the temp from about 50 degrees up to a comfortable 60 in about 20 minutes. i just leave it running while im out there, and at 1500kwh its not too bad on electricity.

 

[ptschram]

I have a diesel fired salamander right now, but a real ceiling-mounted furnace was delivered yesterday-woo hoo!

Hopefully, 150K BTU of propane-fired heat will be enough.

 

[I HATE PONIES]

Try this. http://www4.modine.com/v2portal/modine.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=modineMarketsDefault&a_webc_url=modine_com/markets/building_HVAC/market_level_3_content_013.htm

 

[ajh]

Wow, lots of good suggestions, thanks! I'll have to sort out something soon, it's becoming a real mess out there

 

[Drillbit]

not to hi jack but does anyone here have experience with junk oil heaters?

 

[antichrist]

Wood stove.

 

[apg]

not to hi jack but does anyone here have experience with junk oil heaters?

I bought the plans for a waste oil heater from the old Mother Earth News back in '75 or so. (I figured with a Land Rover, I'd have a never-ending source of fuel.) One of those 'round-tuits' that have stacked up like cordwood, unfortunately....

It uses two old iron skillets as the burner assembly and an old electric water heater for the casing. Your only real expense would be $5 or so to cover the cost of copying the blueprints. Lemme know if you want a copy - six pages of full-sized drawings/templates.

A truck repair garage I appraised several years ago had a full-sized, forced-air, waste oil burner that cost $10,000 or so. It heated the entire shop (5 bays, 18' high with 12' high doors) and paid for itself by the second year. Plus, there were no waste oil hauling fees anymore.

Cheers

 

[agbuckle98]

not to hi jack but does anyone here have experience with junk oil heaters?

I thought about one for my work space, Northern Tools has them at reasonable prices, but I decided I would not generate enough oil to be able to use it much. I was wrong, with all the Rovers I have now, and friends with rovers and stuff that come over to work on their stuff, I think I could fuel one now.

 

[az_max]

not to hi jack but does anyone here have experience with junk oil heaters?

I used the old smoke pots out in the field for the drillers. I hear there's far more efficient ones for farm use. not sure I want it near the house. But it does brink up WVO powered heaters (not quite 'burn anything', but filtered oil suitible for a diesel fired heater).