Looking for a temporary garage heater

[Redlyne_mr2]

Any recommendations on temporary garage heaters? Basically something that I can leave on all winter that's somewhat efficient and gives out decent warmth. I'll get a proper setup installed next year but looking to do something quick and temporary for now.

[Darell_n]

Quick and temporary will mean massive energy consumption. Just do it properly now and never worry about it again. How large is your garage, is it insulated, attached or detached and at what temperature do you want?

[benyl]

It would be cheaper to rent a heated garage.

[thinmyster]

Getting my Cal40 installed on Wednesday :)

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
Any recommendations on temporary garage heaters? Basically something that I can leave on all winter that's somewhat efficient and gives out decent warmth. I'll get a proper setup installed next year but looking to do something quick and temporary for now.

Electricity is super efficient. 3000w's will heat a 24x24 garage. Thats $100/month in electricity if they run 8 hours a day, 30 days a month :dunno: And thats heated to 20*C

If you just care about keeping it above 0*C, run a 1500w heater all the time.

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by Darell_n
Quick and temporary will mean massive energy consumption. Just do it properly now and never worry about it again. How large is your garage, is it insulated, attached or detached and at what temperature do you want?

This.

Also make sure to include height and if there is a ceiling fan.

[spike98]

I am running at 1500w ceramic heater for the garage this winter until a proper one can get put in next year. Im using a Wemo switch and ITTT to control it so its not running 24/7. As long as the garage stays about 0C, i am happy.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1


Electricity is super efficient. 3000w's will heat a 24x24 garage. Thats $100/month in electricity if they run 8 hours a day, 30 days a month :dunno: And thats heated to 20*C

If you just care about keeping it above 0*C, run a 1500w heater all the time.

Electricity is cheap, but not efficient if you open your garage door. If you never use the door it'll be good for a temporary fix.

[Seth1968]

If you go electric, use an oil based heater. I wouldn't use the fan type / coil unattended.

Depending on ceiling height, you may have a huge in temperature difference between the ceiling and working height. If that's the case a fan of some sort will significantly reduce heating cost. Even a $15 dollar fan mounted near the ceiling and pointing down will do the trick, and they cost almost nothing to run.

[roopi]

Originally posted by thinmyster
Getting my Cal40 installed on Wednesday :)

Who are you having install this?

[thinmyster]

Joshthegasfitter

[Crazyjoker77]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Electricity is cheap, but not efficient if you open your garage door. If you never use the door it'll be good for a temporary fix.

You've got that backwards electricity is super effecient (in terms of power usage 98%+ is converted to heat) where as a gas unit only 80% is converted to thermal power but natural gas ends up being way cheaper cause gas's base price is so much lower.


Although a 1500w Electric heater is dead simple to install as it can just plug into a normal wall outlet.(on a dedicated circuit)

[ianmcc]

I use an electric fireplace and mantle given to me by my MIL. Can be had for $50 on Kijiji. Mine has an adjustable thermostat and keeps the garage at 5°C all winter. It also helps keep the bonus room above the garage warmer. Plus the mantle is a great place to stack stuff on!

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by ianmcc
I use an electric fireplace and mantle given to me by my MIL. Can be had for $50 on Kijiji. Mine has an adjustable thermostat and keeps the garage at 5°C all winter. It also helps keep the bonus room above the garage warmer. Plus the mantle is a great place to stack stuff on!

not a bad idea, hows the electricity bill

[ianmcc]

Don't even notice it (our Dec. utilities bill runs north of $700!). With the thermostat it maintains the temp without running 24/7. You only need to be just above 0°C to make a big difference. And if I work in the garage I can maintain 10°.

[Seth1968]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2


not a bad idea, hows the electricity bill



Originally posted by ianmcc
Don't even notice it (our Dec. utilities bill runs north of $700!). With the thermostat it maintains the temp without running 24/7. You only need to be just above 0°C to make a big difference. And if I work in the garage I can maintain 10°.

There are many variables involved when determining increased price. So much so, that the increase could be negligible (as in ianmcc's case), to around the $150 range).

With that being said, a typical garage can be "heated" with an electric heater in the winter with little to no increase on your consumption bill. As mentioned by another, the actual cost of end user heat is generally 3 to 5 times more when using electricity. Again, that other factor thingy.

There are only two questions now:

1) What temperature do you want the garage at? Are you referring to, "I just want snow and ice to melt", or, "I need to work on this car without hypothermia".

2) Air circulation. I'm surprised no one else has agreed with me with on this. Well whatever, the world's resources and the lame environments attitude, is nothing more than getting the real heat that's at your ceiling down to the floor.

[ExtraSlow]

Seth is onto something here. Big difference between a typically highly vented detached garage, vs a rasonably airtight attached garage. If attached, the heat will trap at the top pretty hard. If detached and uninsulated, it'll escape very readily.

[TomcoPDR]

Sorry to hijack. Anyone thought of using a ductless mini split system for a garage?

So those who uses electric heating, can it heat a detached garage warm enough to work in? (Not just melt snow)?

[SKR]

How warm do you need it to be? Growing up on the farm I never had heat or insulation to work in. Or in lots of cases walls or a roof. I remember changing something on our '85 Ford (water pump, injection pump, I don't remember exactly what) and it was so cold I forgot what life was like before that. We only got a diesel heater last year for dad for Christmas.

[ExtraSlow]

Yeah, For several years, I got to park in a carport, which is a roof with no walls. It kept 90% of the frost off my window, and I only had to brush snow if It was windy. I'm out on the street these days, I would take that carport situation in a heartbeat.

Heat is for pussies. :poosie:

[ianmcc]

As a footnote we have an insulated, poly'd and drywalled garage so it is easier to heat.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
Sorry to hijack. Anyone thought of using a ductless mini split system for a garage?

So those who uses electric heating, can it heat a detached garage warm enough to work in? (Not just melt snow)?

A heat pump will basically stop providing heat below -15c when you need the most heat, and typically garages will stay naturally cool all summer long. Also a natural gas heater will cost less than half what a heat pump will.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by ianmcc
As a footnote we have an insulated, poly'd and drywalled garage so it is easier to heat.

Detached? An attached garage needs about 1/2 to 1/3 the heat of a detached the same size, especially with a bonus room.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by Darell_n


A heat pump will basically stop providing heat below -15c when you need the most heat, and typically garages will stay naturally cool all summer long. Also a natural gas heater will cost less than half what a heat pump will.

Thanks. Makes sense perfect answer. Maybe that's why these ductless mini splits aren't that popular up hee

[ianmcc]

Originally posted by Darell_n


Detached? An attached garage needs about 1/2 to 1/3 the heat of a detached the same size, especially with a bonus room.

Front attached.

[Darell_n]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR


Thanks. Makes sense perfect answer. Maybe that's why these ductless mini splits aren't that popular up hee

I put a 4 zone system in a Friend's home in Regina to keep him from starting his boiler so early each year. Works good as a 3 season heat source. He wanted it mostly for the a/c in the summer so the heating was just a bonus. (Has no forced air).

[codetrap]

Meh, I went a different route altogether. Recycled heat FTW. I put my central vac in the garage and vent it in there after a decent filtration system. Sure it's a bit noisier, but on the plus side all that heat generated by the VAC engine, plus the warm air pulled from the house keeps my garage at a comfy +5 pretty much all winter long. No extra cost. For those few times that I want to warm it up, I have a wall mounted electric heater and a small fan that I run to circulate the air.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Its an attached, insulated garage. Would like it to be warm enough to wrench in the garage with a fleece coat on. Cant have my hand shaking. 5 - 10 degrees I suppose.

thanks for the advise so far

[ExtraSlow]

attached and insulated, I think a 1500W oil heater would do the trick. will take a few hours to get up to temp.

[Rocket1k78]

Originally posted by codetrap
Meh, I went a different route altogether. Recycled heat FTW. I put my central vac in the garage and vent it in there after a decent filtration system. Sure it's a bit noisier, but on the plus side all that heat generated by the VAC engine, plus the warm air pulled from the house keeps my garage at a comfy +5 pretty much all winter long. No extra cost. For those few times that I want to warm it up, I have a wall mounted electric heater and a small fan that I run to circulate the air.


how often do you vacuum?

[project240]

I was sort of looking for the same thing. We are building a larger shop next year, but wanted something for this winter. Our attached garage opens to our kitchen, so I actually used the dedicated 220 line from our stove (we have a gas stove in place) and wired in a 5000 watt heater... So far so good.

[codetrap]

Originally posted by Rocket1k78

how often do you vacuum? Every two to three days. I have a large furry dog and I'm not a fan of dog hair.

[project240]

I can't see how vaccuuming every couple days is going to "heat" the garage other than maybe warm it up a couple degrees for a very brief period.