Garage Heat

-
72ScampTramp

72ScampTramp

Scamp Tramp
Joined
Jan 13, 2009
Messages
4,406
Reaction score
172
Location
Fort Dodge Iowa
So Im getting my plan together for winter heat. What would be best a torpedo heater or get an old house furnace and run that off propane? I think the furnace option would be most efficent and I can buy a working used one for about $50 around here. Which would heat the best?
 
72ScampTramp said:
So Im getting my plan together for winter heat. What would be best a torpedo heater or get an old house furnace and run that off propane? I think the furnace option would be most efficent and I can buy a working used one for about $50 around here. Which would heat the best?
Click to expand...
torpedo heaters, propane or kerosene need fresh air or you'll die, I have a Modeen style hangs from the ceiling, vents outside, IMO get anything that VENTS OUTSIDE, otherwise you'll be wasting heat, although It doesn't get as cold in Iowa as it does up here in N.E. WI.
 
Be careful when using something that burns in a garage. Wood stoves and torpedo heaters can be dangerous. I furnace with a sealed combustion chamber that vents outside is best. Gas fumes are highly flammable.
 
Torpedo heaters stink! Period.

Is your garage insulated and weather tight? Electric baseboards can heat a 2 car garage pretty easy. Hot water baseboards hooked to a domestic water heater work great too.
 
I bought a used pellet stove that work great for heating my 24 x 24 shop. But then most of the time in the winter out here it only in the 30's or 40"s.
 
I had an old furnace in the garage,replaced it with a "heater box" style,hangs from the ceiling.Both heated the garage but be sure the garage,especially the ceiling is well insulated. Otherwise you've got a dandy snow melter.Bob
 
Well Im leaning toward the house furnace and running the vent out side. Its a detached garage so Im not running gas out there even though it would infact be cheaper. I think they would both work. I wont run a wood burner sorry but seen way to many bad scenes from them.
 
The problem with any nonvented combustion based heating source (Kerosene convection heaters Kero, LPG, or Nat gas : Bullet heater Kero, LPG, or Nat gas) All of the products of combustion are vented on the inside of the building. CO2, CO, And last but not least H2O. Space heaters will very quickly give you one heck of a condensation and humidity problem.

Go with something like this

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200307959_200307959

Good price right now also.
 
P.S. Use a nonvented heater with an uninsulated door and the door will be constantly soaked with condensation.
 
I first had an old mobile home furnace I hoisted up into the attic of the garage because it had the heat plenum facing down ( perfect for that setup) and ran it on propane. Worked good set up with a themostat, but it sure used a lot of propane. About 20 lbs in 6 hours.


Last winter I got a portable heater that works just as well to heat the 3 car garage, uses way less propane, but is kind of noisy when running. I can live with that. I can work in the garage for about 24 hours on one 20 lb propane.
I usually open the side door a crack after a couple of hours to make sure it is vented, but I think there is enough air infiltration that this may not be required.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200178624_200178624
 
I'm wondering if now maybe I should plumb NG in. But I guess I was wrong in thinking the torpedo heater would be less efficent.
 
I set mine at 60, but I'm lucky to have a forced air oil furnace in a polebarn. Not bragging, just fortunate. Whatever you get, make sure its vented, be safe.
 
I have a non-insulated metal building for a garage. I heat it in the winter (as low as zero degrees F) when I am out there with a non-vented propane heater that hangs on the wall, the heater is off when I am not out there. I have been doing this for 7 years now.

I have never had an issue with condensation as a result of using the heater. My biggest issue is the tools stay cold to the touch, ie the garage will warm up to a comfortable working temp but it takes much longer for my tools to warm up. I solved that by wearing mechanics gloves.

Propane heaters are >99% efficient so there is very little in the way of emissions from them. The poisonous stuff is CO and they give off levels so far below safe levels they are approved for home heating. In a very well sealed space CO2 could become an issue but any reputable heater will have an O2 depletion sensor that will shut the unit down will before the CO2 levels get un-safe levels but any garage with an overhead door will not be sealed well enough for it to become an issue.

You always have to be careful of open flames or red hot heating elements where there is the potential for explosive fumes. Building codes in my area require all heaters to be at least two feet off the floor (gasoline fumes are heavier than air) in garages.

If you purchase a UL listed non-vented propane heater from a reputable company you won't have any issues.

PS: I only try to get it warm enough to work comfortably in my coveralls (40-50 degrees).
 
72ScampTramp said:
I'm wondering if now maybe I should plumb NG in. But I guess I was wrong in thinking the torpedo heater would be less efficent.
Click to expand...

I bit the bullit, and ran NG to my detached garage in Kansas, and I also have it in my attached garage now.
I put those hanging furnaces in both places, that are vented out through the roof.
It is wonderful to be able to work on your toy in short sleeves, when it is 10 degrees outside. :D
 
Up here in the great white north it gets dam cold i have been using a air tight wood stove for 25 years with no problem the shop never gets cold i just stoke it at night and its good till morning. The back part of my shop is a spray booth so i paint all winter long!!
 
I think I just found a good deal. There is a guy south of me a bit and he runs a Heating and Cooling business. He is taking out working Ruud units from an apartment complex and installing newer energy efficent units. Said he had like 70 units wants $40 for 1 said he would hook one up and show that it works and offer a 30 day warranty.
 
never had to worry much about the cold. cooling a gerage that is a whole nother thing. if its 120 outside you can bet its about 140-150 in the gerage.its bad when you can open the gerage door and feel like it cooled off and its 120 outside. good luck on the heaters though i feel your pain its just the oppsite here for us.
 
72ScampTramp said:
Well Im leaning toward the house furnace and running the vent out side. Its a detached garage so Im not running gas out there even though it would infact be cheaper. I think they would both work. I wont run a wood burner sorry but seen way to many bad scenes from them.
Click to expand...

One thing to consider... If you did run gas out there... You could keep the garage semi warm (like 50-60 degrees) all winter at a low cost. (assuming your insulated) This will be better for your cars then the freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw of going out there and heating up the garage for a few hours at a time.
 
dgc333 said:
I have never had an issue with condensation as a result of using the heater.
Click to expand...

Wow your lucky I was using a low emissions Kerosene heater in my fully insulated garage but unfinished garage early last winter, with in 3 days all of the insulation in the ceiling was so soaked it started dripping. I installed my unit heater, problem solved. The unvented Kerosene heater was probably putting a gallon or so of water in the air each day.
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Ab2RK2xg8"]YouTube - Hot Water Trick[/ame]
You think it's cold where you are.
 
There are furnace units that are designed to fit in the wall between studs.
We got one from a local guy, and it slid right inbetween the studs.
I will have the gas run shortly, and a thermostat added. The furnace was a trade, and the plumbing and thermostat will cost me 250.

We burned more then that last year in propane bottles.
 
Backtobasics said:
There are furnace units that are designed to fit in the wall between studs.
We got one from a local guy, and it slid right inbetween the studs.
I will have the gas run shortly, and a thermostat added. The furnace was a trade, and the plumbing and thermostat will cost me 250.

We burned more then that last year in propane bottles.
Click to expand...


Yeah i figured that I could save money on fuel with the NG. I bet I can heat the garage for about $4-$5 per day
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top