heating a small two car garage/shop
I’m moving into a house and want to heat the small two car garage. I was thinking that a portable electric heater and electric radiant heaters in the cieling should be adequate.
Should i ask a heating contractor to help with sizing?
I will insulate the cieling and the walls. I’m not sure what is going to happen with the door. I’m pretty sure it is insulated.
I know it’s not ideal. The slab will be cold. I can deal with that. I just need a small shop and this is it.
Replies
Talk the wife into a gas fireplace for the room directly above. Then run a duct down below with an independent fan control. Use only when necessary.
Thats what I did. Wife thinks I'm a sweety for addin' the FP.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
That fireplace is the best idea I've ever heard!
I'm planning a garage w/ master bedroom addition over it and that is perfect!!
Plus I just heard this week the number one option people look for when is a fireplace when buying. Really makes a difference!
Thanks for the advice!Stu
Every now and then I gotta offer something of value around here.
Hows it go? "Even a broken clock is right twice a day"?
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
Does she build/maintain the fire? If she does you are an absolute genius! We have one fireplace insert and a large wood heater in the basement. Once in a blue moon my wife wants to build a fire. Usually in the beginning of the heating season. Other than that it is the thermostat.
Being a gas fireplace, its a bit easier to convince her to start it. Doubt she woulda gone for a wood burner. LOL
J. D. ReynoldsHome Improvements
There's a country western, cheat'n, cry in your bear song about that. The guy tells his wife to come over ( he's sitting on his butt) and tell him why she's leaving him.
Oh, and on the way over throw another log on the fire dear.
Or the one about bony fingers. What do you get when you work your finger to the bone. Bony fingers of course!
whats cheaper to heat with in your area ,gas or elec.? here a elec heater could easily cost you 8-10 a day!i know cause i have the cutest little elec overhead heater.,but when you turn it on you have to call the elec comp. to come and grease the meter every 2 weeks or the bearings wear out.
i bought one of these low profile o/h heaters for gas. paid 400.00 for it and works pretty good. larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
It is spring you will not need heat,but I understand I think I would go with gas instead of electric.
I've heard that the ceiling gas radiant heaters need a little more room than the electric ones. I might not have the ceiling height. The ceiling height might dictate electric. They will only be on when I'm in the shop.
I'm going to patch into the whole house forced air unit so there is at least a little air coming into the shop any time the house is on.
I did it with this house we are selling. It would be just to moderate the temp swings.
I can show pics if you like.
I also have a small free standing wood burner that I've yet to install. It's been in three houses and never been installed.
I'm tired of moving it around!
Wheelie,
I have one of these: http://www.heater-home.com/product/PH-5HW.aspx in my 22 X 22 attached 2 car garage and it works fine. It can be 30 degrees outside and I come home and turn it on and by the time I change and get a quick bite to eat it is 70 in the garage. The garage is drywalled with insulation in the walls but none in the cieling. The door is an insulated metal door that is pretty "tight", very little air infiltration.
I have yet to notice any differnce in the electric bill if I "play" in the garage a couple of hours, a few days a week. Here is a site that helps calculate the heating needs:
http://www.heatershop.com/btu_calculator.htm
Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md
Hi,
You can estimate the heat loss with this heat loss calculator:
http://www.builditsolar.com/References/Calculators/HeatLoss/HeatLoss.htm
It will also give you an estimate of how much it will cost to heat and how much greenhouse gas the heating will generate for various fuels.
I would be sure to add the garage door weather stripping around the big door if it does not already have it.
Unless you live in an area where gas is quite expensive and electricity is quite cheap it will be cheaper to heat with gas. It will also generate much much less greenhouse gas than electricity from a coal fired power plant.
How about solar heat?
$350 shop solar heater:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/solar_barn_project.htm
$380 solar garage heater:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarGarageCollector/garcol.htm
I use both of these in Montana (a pretty tough heating climate) -- they work really well. The 2nd one also provides outstanding daylight in the shop. In my climate (cold), and using propane for fuel (expensive) they both have payback periods of about 1 year.
Gary
This has been discussed before. Having a vent from a garage to a living space is a BAD idea. Think carbon monoxide and talking to St. Peter before you plan on it.
Most jurisdictions it is also against code. Firewalls and all that good stuff.
I put in a 10,000 BTU ventless gas furnace in mine. Yeah, I wish I could've afforded the one that uses external air and vents to the outside, but this does OK. I worked out the desired heating output from
http://hearth.com/calc/btucalc.html .
Possibly the best garage heater is
http://www.gas-space-heater.com/modine-hot-dawg.html
If you set up a gas heater with external venting for both exhaust and intake, you don't have to worry about flammable substances in the garage or CO in the house. On the other hand, I haven't had those problems with my setup either.
George Patterson