Reasonable garage heater?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
Navigator
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: Salina Kansas
I have a buddy that is in the heating and air buisness that found me one of those wall units that you find in Hotel/Motel room. Now I have heating and air conditioning that works fine in my 25x36 garage/shop.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,697
Likes: 833
From: WI
I also have the Farenheat unit. I do believe it's the same as a Dayton. I've had mine hardwired in for about 5 years. My garage is below my house and partly built into a hill. It's insulated too. I can keep it 70 degrees in the coldest Wisconsin winter days. You can see the effects on the electric bill, but I only use as needed. I also use a house fan on low to circulate air and reduce stratification (Hot air at ceiling).
I would say to the guy with the uninsulated garage and open rafters, Kerosene is going to be the cheaper option. Just be sure you have some fresh-air venting. I'd get one of those CO sensors with digital readout so you know the CO PPM. They're like $30-$40. Cheap insurance compared to suffocation. You'd really do yourself a favor if you put plywood on the ceiling, or even some foam board.
You can find used gas home furnaces on Craigslist and that's an option.
Here is another option:
http://www.infraredheaters.com/solairaheaters.htm
Mark G
I would say to the guy with the uninsulated garage and open rafters, Kerosene is going to be the cheaper option. Just be sure you have some fresh-air venting. I'd get one of those CO sensors with digital readout so you know the CO PPM. They're like $30-$40. Cheap insurance compared to suffocation. You'd really do yourself a favor if you put plywood on the ceiling, or even some foam board.
You can find used gas home furnaces on Craigslist and that's an option.
Here is another option:
http://www.infraredheaters.com/solairaheaters.htm
Mark G
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
Hey Guys, does anybody have a ball park on the electrical cost to run those heaters? I live in New England ,I run a 15,000 btu salamander kerosene heater and I use about 6 Gals a week to to heat in the winter. 5days ,6 hour days. That's with the temp around 30-40 and the garage is 23x22 ( 500 sq ft ) un-insulated with open ceiling to the 14 foot peak . Would I be cheaper to run an electric heater. I pay around $4.00 a gallon for fuel.
I just putzs around in there playing with the Vette and I can keep the temp to around 65 Deg. The only thing I really hate are the fumes!!!!!!
Something that smeels that bad can't be good for ya???
I have a 220 line already for my Air Compressure, so it would only be the cost of the heater for installation.
Thanks ,
Dario
I just putzs around in there playing with the Vette and I can keep the temp to around 65 Deg. The only thing I really hate are the fumes!!!!!!
Something that smeels that bad can't be good for ya???
I have a 220 line already for my Air Compressure, so it would only be the cost of the heater for installation.
Thanks ,
Dario
To answer your question, just multiply the heater wattage by the rate for electricity from your electric bill in killowatt-hours by the % it is on/hr. If your electric rate is $.15/khr., it looks like the math works out to be about $.75 for every hour it is actually running. It will cycle on and off throughout the hour.
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Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Batavia IL
I've got a 20 x 24 typical 2 car w/ 8' ceilings in northern IL. When I put up the drywall I bought a couple 15 dollar space heaters from Menards to warm it up enough to dry the mud. They worked so well I never bothered putting in an overhead unit. If your garage is insulated well, a few space heaters is all you need.
I did mount a shelf hanger to hang each one on so they are @ 4 ft off the ground & 1 ft away from the wall so if something does decide to short out I'm confident it will burn without catching the garage on fire.
By all means keep your garage at a constant temp. I did the kerosine heater route for a few years in our last house and CONDENSATION is your worst enemy. Every piece of bare metal in the garage rusted, motorcycles, cars and worst everything in the tool box. Now I'm able to keep the garage at 65 degrees all winter w/ no issues.
After you get heat, get the TV & beer fridge to make it even more comfortable.
I did mount a shelf hanger to hang each one on so they are @ 4 ft off the ground & 1 ft away from the wall so if something does decide to short out I'm confident it will burn without catching the garage on fire.
By all means keep your garage at a constant temp. I did the kerosine heater route for a few years in our last house and CONDENSATION is your worst enemy. Every piece of bare metal in the garage rusted, motorcycles, cars and worst everything in the tool box. Now I'm able to keep the garage at 65 degrees all winter w/ no issues.
After you get heat, get the TV & beer fridge to make it even more comfortable.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 178
Likes: 2
From: Litchfield NH
Just picked up a Dayton G73 off craigslist for 100.00. Hardly used I will let you know how well it works. My garage is 24 X 24 built into a hill and insulated. Hopefully works weel if not it was a great deal.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 945
Likes: 1
Wow that is a good deal. Keep in mind you get the 17,000 BTU at 240V & 21 amps. If you lower the voltage to 208 or 220 you won't get the full 17,000. See the on line owners manual for output vs voltage.
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,629
Likes: 4
From: Somers CT
I have a Toyostove Model Laser 56 Kerosene heater and love it!! It's a direct vent to the outside, brings in fresh air for combustion and exhausts to the outside. There's never EVER a hint of smell. It has electronic temp controls with presets so you can let is coast at 50deg at night but ramp up to whatever daytime temp you want so it's nice and warm when you go out to the garage in the morning.
Stay away from Propane, they generate water vapor and no matter what anyone tells you they make carbon monoxide. Stay away from kerosene heaters that don't exhaust to the outside, they do the same thing.
I went this route vs a gas heater because I didn't want to pay rent on a tank 9 months a year just to use it for 3 months in the winter. I like this heat vs electric because it's more even vs, the blower coming on from an electric unit blasting hot air up high when it's cold as heck under the car.
Works good for me.............good luck.
Stay away from Propane, they generate water vapor and no matter what anyone tells you they make carbon monoxide. Stay away from kerosene heaters that don't exhaust to the outside, they do the same thing.
I went this route vs a gas heater because I didn't want to pay rent on a tank 9 months a year just to use it for 3 months in the winter. I like this heat vs electric because it's more even vs, the blower coming on from an electric unit blasting hot air up high when it's cold as heck under the car.
Works good for me.............good luck.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Would a ceiling fan turned on low help keep the heat down at human level. I have 10'6" ceilings and I just think theheat would stay up in the air. The floor is a concrete slab and my garage is insulated and 2 walls are against the house and half the ceiling is the bedroom upstairs. Pretty well insulated. Jus tthought a fan on low would push the heat down.
