Best Garage Heater??

[DrTaco]

Hey all,

Help! I need help choosing a new heater for my 2.5 car detached garage. Electric or propane, I'm open to both. In fact, maybe even leaning towards propane for less draw on my system when I'm playing with all my toys. I am open to either mounting it on the wall or just sitting it on the floor during the winter. Anyone have any opinions? Good or bad stories?

Not looking to break the bank, but also want one that will last AND not burn down the neighborhood!

Thanks in advance,
Mark

[TowDawg]

I just got home from the shop where have a wall/ceiling mounted gas unit, but I can't remember the brand. I'll try to to remember to look if I'm back up there tomorrow night.
Are you looking to keep it regulated like your house (the shop has a thermostat and we keep it at a constant temp), or just something to worm it up when you're out there working? My garage at the house is about 1,000 sq ft and if I had realized how much time I would spend out there when I built the house, I would have it set up just like the inside of the house. I didn't feel like laying out the cash for after the fact (plus I've got the shop now), so I looked at a couple of different options.
Since I was only looking to have it warmer when I was out there working, I just needed something I could turn on and off and heat the general area I was in.
I tried a bunch of different electric heaters, and they were completely worthless. So that left me looking at jet-style ( http://www.homedepot.com/s/heater+propane?NCNI-5 ) and the restaurant ( http://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors-Outdoor-Heating/N-5yc1vZc6ne ) style.
I found a killer sale on the restaurant style, so I got it. It definitely puts out plenty of heat and I can't even leave it turned up all the way if I'm very close to it, or I end up sweating to death. The drawback is that it only heats really close to it, so I have to move it around as I move around.
However, if I spend much time in the house garage this winter, I'm going buy the jet style. We have a couple of them for cold days at the track, and they really put out some heat and spread it over a much larger area.

[sparkrn]

Modine makes some real nice gas heaters. The 45 unit would be best for your size garage. Mines been trouble free for about 10 years so far. Modine Hotdog is what its called and can be found at hvac or plumbing supply houses. These are full function in that they exhaust the spent fumes out of the garage.

[SNKBYT]

Mobile home furnaces work great! They are forced hot air. Easy to install. Easy to service! The are made by Miller. Can get them for oil or propane. Have had two of them. one gas, one oil. The furnaces can be converted either way if you decide to change fuels, just change the burner assembly.

[DrTaco]

Gents, thanks for the headstart. I have a feeling this is gonna turn into $omthing I wa$ trying to avoid. Tow- At first I was thinking I just wanted something to turn on and off when I'm out there, but I do NOT like the idea of cold/hot spots all around the garage. Luckily I dont have a large work area, just about half the garage. So I am still looking for something that will be on only when I'm out there to heat that general area. Your links did not go to specific items for me, just went to an overall listing of heaters. So you would vote a "jet style"?

I didn't even know about venting and all this crap. Maybe I should just move to FL where it's not -4 like last night.

[wedge500]

I installed an electric wall/ceiling heater in my old garage because I did not want to run gas lines or set up for venting. It was very easy to install, all I needed was 220v service, which I had. My garage was insulated and I would just set the thermostat to 45 degrees and then turn it when I was out working in the garage.

I had something very similar to this heater but do not remember the btu rating. My old garage was 26x24.
http://www.mscdirect.com/product/01382407

My new garage has in floor heat, which is really great for working on the cars.

[Sam Goldfarb]

I did a 135,000 btu forced air 95% propane furnace in my 50x80 with 5 tons of air. Installed it all myself and had $2200 in it. Costs an average of about $120 per month for propane to heat at 65. Electric is about $150-$200 per month. More is summer with AC on. It's 14' tall inside and I super insulated the building. I have had one issue, this year, in 15 years. When I went to fire it up this season and it would not ignite. Seems a bird built a nest in the exhaust vent. I finally found it myself about an hour before a scheduled service call and was able to cancel the service tech!

I have several other buildings that I have used kerosene heaters( Fumes and headaches) and propane heaters with and without forced air. One of the best and cheapest is the propane heater attached to a larger bottle(100 lbs.). they cost about $150 and give off a ton of heat(100-200,000 btu). They can also be adjusted to give off a small amount. They are a little spotty unless your space is well insulated all the heat will eventually balance out. Plus you can cook hotdogs or chili on the top! Some have a standing pilot, others electric ignitor, haven't seen any of these cheaper ones with a thermostat.
Whatever you use, you may want to invest in a couple smoke and/or CO (Carbon Monoxide) detectors!

If my furnace in the barn ever fails, my next one will be geo-thermal. I have that in my house (second one, 1st lasted about 21 years) and it is awesome and inexpensive with no fossil fuels involved! Can be a little pricey though $12-15K for an open loop system.

[TowDawg]

I guess I clicked on the "quick view" and wasn't actually on the item.
Jet style: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Dyna-Glo-Pro-125-000-BTU-Forced-Air-LP-Gas-Portable-Heater-LPFA125H/203633490#
Restaurant style: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardensun-40-000-BTU-Stainless-Steel-Propane-Gas-Patio-Heater-HSS-A-SS/202026621?N=c6ne#

The price range can definitely range $ to $$$$$ depending on what your needs are. These are the $ options.

[St.Char]

What ever you choose, the heat will immediately go to the ceiling, so you need to consider a fan to keep the warm air moving. Personally, I like the way my $100.00 kerosene heater heats my 2 car garage. Good Luck!

[viperr]

I have a Modine HD45, 45,000 BTU which has been in use since 2005. It is mounted on the north wall near the ceiling and has an insulated stainless steel exhaust pipe which goes horizontally out the wall. It has a thermostat and it keeps the garage dry and warm. I think they run $500+ and you can either install it yourself of have a HVAC (furnace) outfit do the job. I don't think the installation was horribly expensive, but it is very safe and works great. I addition to my wife's car and my Viper our 1964 Galaxie 500 convertible stays in the garage. The nice dry heat really has kept all the cars in great shape and I can work all year in the garage without freezing. I just found my receipt for installation and it was $225 to hang it from the ceiling, install the exhaust, hook up the gas and install the thermostat.

[Mutts02GTS]

Don't know if you have access to heating oil but if you do Monitor heaters make a great product and works great, heats up quick

[pony23]

I use a restaurant style heater with two ceiling fans to help move the heat around. It help keep the temp a little warmer near the floor.

[Policy Limits]

I ran gas lines through a trench to a detached Cabana. Has its own little chimney and thermostat and I keep it set at 59 degrees all winter long. Definitely needed a licensed plumber for the install but it's a 400 square foot area that adds less than 20 bucks to the utility bill. More work upfront but less maintenance in the long run.

[The_Greg]

I actually work at Modine. So, of course I'll agree with others here and say this is one of the best garage heaters you can get!

http://www.modinehvac.com/web/Hot-Dawg.htm

Made in the USA. Another fun fact: We used to have business on the Gen I Viper. Unsure if Gen II also...

[pastohio]

Decisions are usually by what is available in the neighborhood, gas I feel is always cheaper than propane plus the delivery and storage tank night mare, how about putting in a woodburning(or pellet) stove, they add charm and are fairly reasonable to operate...they have thermostats etc...on some of the new ones...if you have wood nearby that is even better ( that was also what I meant by what was in the neighborhood) whatever you decide, the garage has to be insulated just like a house, caulking all cracks and good garage doors that seal tightly...my $.02

[DrTaco]

Thanks again, all. Going to start looking around today for some options. Greg- I wrote you back, thanks again and that Hot Dawg is something I would love to have someday. Just not sure if it will be today, haha.

[VYPR BYT]

What ever you choose, the heat will immediately go to the ceiling, so you need to consider a fan to keep the warm air moving. Personally, I like the way my $100.00 kerosene heater heats my 2 car garage. Good Luck!

^^ exactly ^^
Don't underestimate the value of a ceiling fan pushing downwards.

[Bugman Jeff]

I've got a little 60,000BTU rocket heater in my 2 car garage, it's basically like pissing in the wind. Unless you're working directly in front of it, it's pretty useless. It can run all day and not appreciably heat the garage(my garage is uninsulated).

You can often pick up used furnaces dirt cheap on Craigslist. A house sized furnace doesn't take up more space than a refrigerator, and will heat the whole garage cheaply and quickly. If I owned instead of rented, that's the route I'd go.

[Sam Goldfarb]

The ceiling fans are a good bet. I have had two running non-stop for about 15 years, except when the power has been out! They push the hot air down and help mix it. In the summer they add a breeze that helps cool. I have friends that have used the radiant style ceiling heaters, wood burners, kerosene, waste oil furnaces and hanging gas heaters and all remark how much more comfortable my building is than theirs. I did super insulate the building and added insulated garage doors, no windows. While propane is more expensive it hasn't ever been an issue for me. The company that I use put a 1000 gallon tank in and I typically use 600-700 gallons per year. I re-negotiate my rate every year with them by threatening to move to one of the low ball offers I get every year to switch. The really strange thing is that I have a natural gas plant about a mile away from me that brings gas from Texas to Ohio, we have no natural gas in our area! They offered to run it down our road with a tap fee of $1500 per connection plus the cost of a licensed plumber and converting/installing a furnace. One of my houses is geothermal, the other, a log cabin next door, is propane and is on a budget payment that has ranged from $99-$121 per month and my one heated barn is propane . I did the math and the cost difference between propane and natural gas coupled with the conversion costs just don't add up. It appears that all my neighbors thought the same as they never did install gas lines in our area.

[Matt M, Pa]

I hung a Dayton G73 in my attached garage. This garage is in a split level house, so two walls and most of the ceiling are connected to the house. The garage itself is about 20x20.

The heater was purchased at Grainger and runs on 220. It has adjustable blades that help direct the heat down. It also has a thermostat so it can regulate the temperature.

I leave it set in the mid 50s..and turn it up if working in the garage. (which isn't often...cars are parked there) When I was using that garage for light work...it would heat up the garage very quickly.

For me, electric was the only way to go. I would not want a torpedo heater or kerosene running indoors.

[Red Snake]

I have a Modine HD45, 45,000 BTU which has been in use since 2005. It is mounted on the north wall near the ceiling and has an insulated stainless steel exhaust pipe which goes horizontally out the wall. It has a thermostat and it keeps the garage dry and warm. I think they run $500+ and you can either install it yourself of have a HVAC (furnace) outfit do the job. I don't think the installation was horribly expensive, but it is very safe and works great. I addition to my wife's car and my Viper our 1964 Galaxie 500 convertible stays in the garage. The nice dry heat really has kept all the cars in great shape and I can work all year in the garage without freezing. I just found my receipt for installation and it was $225 to hang it from the ceiling, install the exhaust, hook up the gas and install the thermostat.


I actually work at Modine. So, of course I'll agree with others here and say this is one of the best garage heaters you can get!

http://www.modinehvac.com/web/Hot-Dawg.htm

Made in the USA. Another fun fact: We used to have business on the Gen I Viper. Unsure if Gen II also...

Awesome timing for this thread.

Sent you a pm Greg.

[Voice of Reason]

I've been looking at the electric heating/air conditioning units like you see in hotels/motels. You have to cut through the wall for half the unit to sit outside but if you have the space and it's not an eye sore from the exterior it would give you heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. I already have 3 ceiling fans to move air around.

[valnas20585]

"I have Dyna-Glo RMC-FA60DGD garage heater. The dimension of heater is as below.
Width: 10.25""
Length: 20.25""
Height: 18""
It has adaptable heat angle and powerful blower."

[Purple Haze]

I have an electric heater called a Marley portable model 562A 240 volts. I have a 768 SF garage with a peaked ceiling. Keeps the garage at 60 plus all winter even with temp 10 plus below zero!!! Great unit very small and it only cost new $150!!! Unit is about 15 inches square. Thanks the way to go IMO...

[Viper Girl]

"I have Dyna-Glo garage heater. The dimension of heater is as below.

It has adaptable heat angle and powerful blower."
I think we have a link back content spammer... lets see

1. bumps 4 year old thread about heaters, in July...
2. registers with a New Dehli India IP...


yup, I could be wrong... but we'll see.

[AZTVR]

I think we have a link back content spammer... lets see

1. bumps 4 year old thread about heaters, in July...
2. registers with a New Dehli India IP...


yup, I could be wrong... but we'll see.

lol ! Google that username. It appears that they just like talking about garage heaters on a wide variety of forums ! Just a normal type person ! Who doesn't like a good garage heater discussion?

[Viper Girl]

Who doesn't like a good garage heater discussion?
In July no less... :z:

[Camfab]

I've got a great garage heater, It's called Simi Valley :) a nice and balmy 103 degrees, thank god for swimming pools......

[Troublemaker]

I hung a Dayton G73 in my attached garage. This garage is in a split level house, so two walls and most of the ceiling are connected to the house. The garage itself is about 20x20.

The heater was purchased at Grainger and runs on 220. It has adjustable blades that help direct the heat down. It also has a thermostat so it can regulate the temperature.

I leave it set in the mid 50s..and turn it up if working in the garage. (which isn't often...cars are parked there) When I was using that garage for light work...it would heat up the garage very quickly.

For me, electric was the only way to go. I would not want a torpedo heater or kerosene running indoors.

I run the same in a 3 car and have had it hot enough to sweat in the winter, when I forget that I turned it up 3 hours earlier. The Daytons are very nice, but you can get almost the identical unit at Ace/True Value for about half the price.

[Viper Girl]

I've got a great garage heater, It's called Simi Valley :) a nice and balmy 103 degrees, thank god for swimming pools......
HA! We were 108 yesterday... Clients in SB were screaming because it was an ungodly 90 degrees... LOL

At least we are not on fire like Santa Barbara... was up there yesterday maybe an hour after the Whittier fire started. Man the smoke was bad over by the 154.

[Camfab]

Crazy, I thought Ojai was cooler than Simi, stay cool!!!