Garage heating alternatives?

[J-hop]

I’ve made the decision to get a gas line and proper heating unit installed this summer in my detached insulated garage after not being able to progress my project car very far this winter.

In the mean time though has anyone come up with a unique, safe and at least somewhat cost effective way to heat their garage in the winter without a gas line or huge electricity bill?

When I was young I would run a kerosene heater and get it up to temp before working. However in my adult years I realize how hard that was on my lungs with the soot it put out and also the higher risk of CO poisoning (not to mention your car and garage smell like burnt kerosene constantly).

I was trying to come up with some sort of venting system that could work with a portable unit but I’m pretty dumb. Any ideas?

Garage is insulated and before anyone says ‘just do the gas line already’, getting a gas line in requires me to rip up patio stones and part of my deck so I’m not doing that in the winter!!

[oster]

I had the same plan this summer, I don't use the garage much but hate getting into a cold car...

My detached is fully insulated and figured I would get a small portable heater to survive this winter. Found one on sale at Cdn tire for like $40 and honestly does the job well enough that Im not going to bother installing gas line and heater. in the past few -20 nights its kept the garage +5-10 degrees.

[benyl]

Solar Panel. Elon would be proud.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

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In the mean time though has anyone come up with a unique, safe and at least somewhat cost effective way to heat their garage in the winter without a gas line or huge electricity bill?

You can convert most any NG forced-air heater to propane, so you'd be periodically filling a tank instead of running a NG line to your shop. My Reznor UDAP-30 was actually propane-converted when I bought it and I had to convert it back to NG.

[G-ZUS]

Group buy on garage heaters?

[88CRX]

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I had the same plan this summer, I don't use the garage much but hate getting into a cold car...

My detached is fully insulated and figured I would get a small portable heater to survive this winter. Found one on sale at Cdn tire for like $40 and honestly does the job well enough that Im not going to bother installing gas line and heater. in the past few -20 nights its kept the garage +5-10 degrees.

Is it electric? Which model and what are the operating costs?

[HiTempguy1]

2400 watts of electric heating will keep a 24x24 garage at 10+*C if it is insulated, even when it is -30 out.

If you buy wifi outlets, you can turn the heaters on while at work if you want to be working later in the evening.

2400w ran 8 hours/day for 30 days is $30.

Problem solved. It will cost you thousands to get a line ran and a heater in. Is natural gas heating nice? Yes. Is it necessary? No, not if you are smart with your electricity usage even with the stupid carbon tax.

[ExtraSlow]

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2400 watts of electric heating will keep a 24x24 garage at 10+*C if it is insulated, even when it is -30 out.

If you buy wifi outlets, you can turn the heaters on while at work if you want to be working later in the evening.

2400w ran 8 hours/day for 30 days is $30.

Problem solved. It will cost you thousands to get a line ran and a heater in. Is natural gas heating nice? Yes. Is it necessary? No, not if you are smart with your electricity usage even with the stupid carbon tax.

Totally agree. Electric heat is simple, efficient, and cheap to set up. You won't recoup the capital cost of natural gas for years.

Unless you are one of those people who want to keep the garage to 20C all winter.

I'd say for days you aren't working on the vehicle, you only need to run that heat for four or five hours in the morning before you leave for work, and only enough to get the interior up to 0C or so.

[ianmcc]

Family member gave me an electric fireplace and mantle for free.
Can't comment on operating costs but only need to keep the garage around 5°C to keep the car clear.
Plus it's a mantle so another surface to pile crap on.

[G-ZUS]

How much are you guys' utuility bills coming with electric heaters? There's a dude advertising garage heaters, with line and permit for $2400 on Kijiji

[oster]

This one: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ma...-0436145p.html

And I run it at max so 1500w overnight (on a timer) around 8 hours. Garage is insulated and drywalled.

[AndyL]

Got a south facing window?

DIY solar air to air or air to water - using solar panels to power up a 12v washer pump or small fans - kept my garage in btown fairly comfortable. Just set them into the slider Windows and tuck taped.

[rage2]

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Unless you are one of those people who want to keep the garage to 20C all winter.

Doesn't everyone who has a garage heater do this? What's the point otherwise?

I haven't worn a jacket all winter. T-shirt, hop in car. Heated garage at home and heated garage at work. 20C year round FTW.

[suntan]

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Doesn't everyone who has a garage heater do this? What's the point otherwise?

I haven't worn a jacket all winter. T-shirt, hop in car. Heated garage at home and heated garage at work. 20C year round FTW.

This, this is the life of the true baller.

[ExtraSlow]

I can't argue with rage. That's the right way. I take back anything I said to the contrary.

[killramos]

I doubt my heated parkade at work is that much above 10 or 15 degrees.

Garage heated to 10 would be plenty enough luxury for me. Though mine is detached.

[J-hop]

Whoa tons of great responses. I’ll have to spend more time reading them tonight.

Another issue I should have mentioned is I don’t have 220 to run a high wattage electric heater. Sucks, the person before us built a beautiful insulated garage but wasn’t a car guy or DIYer so didn’t equip it beyond the bare minimum. I figure if I go to the trouble to run 220 out there I might as well go the little extra to do gas.

~10C at -20 outdoors would be good as I have pretty decent thermal coveralls. 20C would be the dream!

I was thinking about a NG heater converted to propane but wasn’t sure how big of a tank I’d need and how I would refill it.

I wonder if I should think about closing off the rafters then as well? I like having them open for the open feel and quick/easy access to storage. But makes for a much larger volume to heat.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

I'd close off and insulate the hell out of the rafters.

[jwslam]

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This one: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ma...-0436145p.html

And I run it at max so 1500w overnight (on a timer) around 8 hours. Garage is insulated and drywalled.

Thanks for making me contemplate whether I need this...
http://www.factorydirect.ca/debrande...-barrel-heater

[Seth1968]

1500 W of fan blown heat may be enough.

What's the dimensions of the garage including the height?