Garage heat

[Brent.ff]

Just want a moderately cheap way to keep the garage at or just above freezing over winter, don’t need it warm. What’s the easiest way to do this without retrofitting for gas? Oil filled?

[killramos]

cheap up front, or cheap while in use?

I have a feeling this is a pick one situation.

a 120V electric air heater would probably do the trip, costs nothing up front but not the cheapest thing ever.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/m...1_rr&rrec=true

See how something like the above works and go from there? anything more will require a gas line or 240V

[BerserkerCatSplat]

240V forced air if you have the service for it. Cheap to buy, but not cheap to run.

[ExtraSlow]

For occasional heat, those electric construction heaters throw an awful lot of heat and are durable.
No form of electric heat is going to be more or less energy efficient though. Electric heat is expensive.

If you have 240v there's some great options of this type:

[tha_bandit]

princess auto has some heaters, put it on a smart plug?

[bjstare]

A 1500w heater will not heat a garage. I tried it in my last house one time during fairly cold weather in our insulated attached garage, and it was basically useless.

Using electric heat is unlikely to be the cost effective option, imo.

[ExtraSlow]

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A 1500w heater will not heat a garage. I tried it in my last house one time during fairly cold weather in our insulated attached garage, and it was basically useless.

Using electric heat is unlikely to be the cost effective option, imo.

Agree. You'll need 3x 1500w or more.

[killramos]

On the coldest day of the year? No it won’t.

Will it take the edge off the other 120 days? Yup

[firebane]

No construction heater can do much if your shop isn't insulated. I spent a lot of time and money to try to see what would work in my shop and even those 240v 9000w heaters didn't work.

Eventually I bought one of these https://www.princessauto.com/en/7000...t/PA0008944993 when they went on sale and for the few times I am in my shop I can turn it on and be pretty warm pretty quick if I have to do any work.

The downside to most shop heaters is moisture and once it starts getting above zero the moisture starts to form everywhere. I can turn my ceiling fan on and it doesn't really help and just moves the air around and creates more moisture.

[ThePenIsMightier]

4,800W on 240V can easily do this. Holding 2°C isn't a tall order. The units cost like $140.

[Brent.ff]

Kinda wonder about a diesel heater. Easy to exhaust outside so zero moisture plus very dry heat… heating a garage ain’t cheap!

[pheoxs]

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A 1500w heater will not heat a garage. I tried it in my last house one time during fairly cold weather in our insulated attached garage, and it was basically useless.

Using electric heat is unlikely to be the cost effective option, imo.

Depends on the size of the garage. That’s all I ran last year and it kept my garage 2-3C all winter even during the deep freezes. But mines only a oversized single so that’s a factor. Mine didn’t add as much to my electric bill as I expected tbh, we get so many warm days where it’s only negative single digits the heater didn’t work that hard most of the time. We did throw R40 in the ceiling since cellulose is so cheap anyways so that does help a lot.

[ianmcc]

My garage is poly'd insulated and drywalled and I use an free electric fireplace.
It keeps the garage about 5° or so overnight.

[Darell_n]

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Kinda wonder about a diesel heater. Easy to exhaust outside so zero moisture plus very dry heat… heating a garage ain’t cheap!

I think those little Chinese ones (several) would be fine for intermittent use but I’d question their reliability with regular hours being put on them. Plus filling several gallons per day, when cold out, is going to get old real quick.

[firebane]

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I think those little Chinese ones (several) would be fine for intermittent use but I’d question their reliability with regular hours being put on them. Plus filling several gallons per day, when cold out, is going to get old real quick.

Problem is unless you go vented you don't really have much choice. Propane heaters are not recommended and with my diesel heater I can fill a 5 gallon jerry can of diesel and and it will fill the tank usually 2x. Depending on how often I am in the shop I usually go through 2 or 3 jerry cans and I have one of these https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/f...uel+siphon#srp to fill it so its super easy.

It really isn't that bad and I am only in my shop on as needed basis in the winter.

[Pacman]

What's the best way to go if you have a gas line in the garage (there is a gas fireplace on the outside and the line runs inside so I'm sure it could be utilized) ? Small furnace of some sort? Also have a 240V outlet but I suspect the cost for that would be more in the long run.

[bjstare]

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What's the best way to go if you have a gas line in the garage (there is a gas fireplace on the outside and the line runs inside so I'm sure it could be utilized) ? Small furnace of some sort? Also have a 240V outlet but I suspect the cost for that would be more in the long run.

Calcana radiant, if you have the ceiling space.

[Tik-Tok]

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What's the best way to go if you have a gas line in the garage (there is a gas fireplace on the outside and the line runs inside so I'm sure it could be utilized) ? Small furnace of some sort? Also have a 240V outlet but I suspect the cost for that would be more in the long run.

Gas line running to the fireplace may not be large enough to also run a furnace.

[SJW]

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4,800W on 240V can easily do this. Holding 2°C isn't a tall order. The units cost like $140.

THis is how I heat my triple garage to 10°C

[Pacman]

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Gas line running to the fireplace may not be large enough to also run a furnace.

gotcha. Since I have a 240V outlet in the garage, I may just explore an electric heater. Seems easier to deal with even though it's more expensive in the long run

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4,800W on 240V can easily do this. Holding 2°C isn't a tall order. The units cost like $140.

What are some suggestions for some good 240V electric units to heat a 20x25 garage?