I am looking to buy a heater for my garage. I have an average size one car garage with no insulation. It usually is as cold in there as it is outside! I would need an electric heater as there is no gas hook up. The heater I am looking at is 240 volt 65 amp 51,000 btu. It says it will heat 2000 square feet. Do you think this would be overkill? Any recomendations?
Advise on a garage heater
- Thread starter craig1980
- Start date
vartz04
Well-known member
Yes. A 5000 watt heater would do it
ambenz
Well-known member
Ya never can overkill electric heat...the more BTU's, the better!!!
As long as you have the capacity and disposable income to power the unit!!!
As long as you have the capacity and disposable income to power the unit!!!
HotRodJoe
Member
I know this is an OLD post, but I wanted to say that heater is overkill, but only if it's not variable (all or nothing power, then yes a bit overkill, but better than underdogged and cold all the time!) 
vartz04
Well-known member
I have a 22*24 with only R13 in the walls and ceiling and I can get near 75 with a 4000 watt heater. Is the garage attached or no? Can you get insulation in the ceiling.
Its actually 15,000 watts
vartz04
Well-known member
I am saying a 5000 would work so a 15000 would too
It is an attached garage with a loft above. The cieling is closed, but not insulated either
Buford T. Justice
Well-known member
vartz04
Well-known member
How many walls against the house. What's the loft. In the house?
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200450270_200450270
This is what I am looking at.......but keep the sugestions coming. You guys know more than me!
This is what I am looking at.......but keep the sugestions coming. You guys know more than me!
kd4gij
Well-known member
this works well and cheap to operate
http://www.harborfreight.com/30000-btu-tank-top-propane-heater-67856-4912.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/30000-btu-tank-top-propane-heater-67856-4912.html
vartz04
Well-known member
Does the loft have a floor. Could you blow in insulation. Either way any 5000 watt heater is gonna work. You've only got like 200 sf and they can heat 5-600
vartz04
Well-known member
I think I'd take the $200 chance before dropping 800+ for that other heater
Agreed.
Works perfectly in mine garage and in my 30 x 30 shop:
I followed robinhoods advise. Great heater.
My workshop is 440 sq ft and I heat it quite nicely with a 4,000-watt electric heater. The shop is insulated but it also gets a hell of a lot colder here than you experience. Even at -35 the heater keeps up well.
crazytrain
Well-known member
I have one of these http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=21 I can have it warm enough to work in a teeshirt and shorts in single digit weather. I only have 3/4 inch foam board insulation on the walls. the roof is uninsulated. the shed is 15 feet tall and all open. I think I paid like $35 or $40 for it. I think a double burner would do a great job and a triple burner would run you out in a hurry. Just crack a window when using it.
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=23 double burner
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=119 triple burner
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=23 double burner
http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=119 triple burner
Buford T. Justice
Well-known member
Thanks Dan
I was thinking the other day about this and actually hoped you were still happy with it.I was out in the garage sat. and turned it up to 60deg.It ran for about 30 min to get up to temp. I could get it up to 70 deg if I wanted. Couldn't be happier. It's set all the time at 45deg and never seems to run. It will cycle on and off a lot if you try to maintain 60+.
Dunno how much electricity costs in NY, craig1980, but even though it's cheap where I live I still choke at the thought of paying for electric heat. That's why I went with a heat pump in my shop (the kind that looks like a standard little window-mount air conditioner).
True, a heat pump still has to resort to pure resistive electric heat mode below 32-40°F outside temperature, but in milder weather (spring, autumn) the heat pump costs 1/3 the power to run. And it comes with a free built-in air conditioner for summer use.
Just throwing that thought out there. Check out the Amana AH series.
Also, consider a ceiling mount radiant heater. Heats your skin instantly rather than taking minutes/hours to warm all the air in the whole garage. Of course this works best if you stay in one spot in the garage (under the heater) most of the time...
True, a heat pump still has to resort to pure resistive electric heat mode below 32-40°F outside temperature, but in milder weather (spring, autumn) the heat pump costs 1/3 the power to run. And it comes with a free built-in air conditioner for summer use.
Just throwing that thought out there. Check out the Amana AH series.
Also, consider a ceiling mount radiant heater. Heats your skin instantly rather than taking minutes/hours to warm all the air in the whole garage. Of course this works best if you stay in one spot in the garage (under the heater) most of the time...
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Before putting any heat in, you need insulation. You'll just be beating yourself up if you try heating the space with no insulation.
With that being said, I heat my 28' x 36' garage with a 45,000 btu ceiling mount heater, and run it off of a 120 lb. propane tank. If it is a possibility, you could go that route.
My wife has a 20' x 20' building that she uses for a greenhouse, crafts, or whatever. Her building is insulated and drywalled and she uses two of the oil filled radiators that you can get at the boxstores. When it's in the 20's, she uses one on medium heat and it will keep it at a very comfortable 70f degrees. If it gets below zero, she will put the other on medium and run two and it will still maintain 70 degrees.
With that being said, I heat my 28' x 36' garage with a 45,000 btu ceiling mount heater, and run it off of a 120 lb. propane tank. If it is a possibility, you could go that route.
My wife has a 20' x 20' building that she uses for a greenhouse, crafts, or whatever. Her building is insulated and drywalled and she uses two of the oil filled radiators that you can get at the boxstores. When it's in the 20's, she uses one on medium heat and it will keep it at a very comfortable 70f degrees. If it gets below zero, she will put the other on medium and run two and it will still maintain 70 degrees.
vartz04
Well-known member
Must have been some good insulation. If it was 30 outside running one at high and parking a hot car in the garage I could get it to 60. Most of the time on high i could get in near 50. Works great for keeping things above freezing though. My garage is 22x24 w/ 9 foot ceilings
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
R30 in the ceiling and R19 in the walls. I think one thing that helps is the ceiling fan in the middle to help move the heat around.
vartz04
Well-known member
That R30 is what is making the difference between the two I think. I have R13 in the 3' slope in my tray ceiling (same as the walls needed the air space on the 2x6 rafters) and R13x2 in the flat part of the ceiling. (about 16x19' out of the 22x24)
dave67fd
Well-known member
Kevin's got the best advise here. Can't stress insulating enough. It should be anyone's first priority when wanting a warm place to be in.
I see your point and agree. My garage only has one wall sheetrocked wall. (the one attached to the house) and the ceiling is not insulated either. I relize now it would be foolish to try to heat a space like that. First things first I guess.....
I did the following to my old garage:
1) DIY spray insulation kit. It was less about insulation thickness and more about filling in all the large air gaps.
2) Install a Modine Hotdawg (sealed) running off natural gas. I believe they sell propane units as well.
This worked extremely well and the entire project was under $2k (walls were already insulated and drywalled).
1) DIY spray insulation kit. It was less about insulation thickness and more about filling in all the large air gaps.
2) Install a Modine Hotdawg (sealed) running off natural gas. I believe they sell propane units as well.
This worked extremely well and the entire project was under $2k (walls were already insulated and drywalled).
vartz04
Well-known member
the other walls would be cheap to insulate. Rolls of kraft faced r-13 are only about 8 bucks a piece. That will do 4 stud bays per roll. Should cost less than $100 to do the walls (20x10 garage subtracting out the wall against the house (10') and the garage door). You can put 2" Foil faced foam up on your ceiling. Stuff isn't cheap but it will save you a lot of work removing the floor and give you R-13 on your ceiling. same 20x10 garage would cost about $150-200. So for $300 bucks you can have insulation and then another $200-300 a 4000-5000 watt electric heater and still be $200-300 less than what that first heater you posted costs.
This is the board I was talking about - use foil tape to cover the seams and button head nails to hang it, or screws with fender washers on them. http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...l-faced-insulation-panel/p-1356991-c-5779.htm
and this is what you need for the walls.
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...-faced-fiber-glass-rolls/p-1706793-c-5780.htm
This is the board I was talking about - use foil tape to cover the seams and button head nails to hang it, or screws with fender washers on them. http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...l-faced-insulation-panel/p-1356991-c-5779.htm
and this is what you need for the walls.
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...-faced-fiber-glass-rolls/p-1706793-c-5780.htm
I'll agree with Kevin, insulate. Insulation is an investment, it'll continually pay for itself.
dubber
Well-known member
I would avoid these as they say for outdoor use only.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Another vote for insulation... ceilings in Northern Minnesota or New York @ R40!!!!!!!!!! It will pay for itself... walls should be @ R19 in possible.... Insulated doors and thermopane windows... Good weatherstripping... I heat my WELL insulated 28X56X17 high attached shop with the SAME 7500watt heater that I used in my 28X26X8.5 shop...
For some reason I have been in no hurry to install a larger heater... I have an extra 4000watt portable heater that is seldom used in the shop... I put heat tubes in my floor, but have never installed a boiler.... It was -31F here last week,,, My shop Stays heated 24-7... I will at times set it down to 46F if no plans on working in there, but usually keep the temp around 60F when working... Our electric rates are .055/KWH for off peak heating... Steady, CLEAN heat..
A 2500watt heater should be MORE than enough to heat a well insulated one car garage if not turned off... If your thoughts are to turn off the heater during the week, and then go out on a Saturday morning and turn the heater on, A 5000watt Farenheit heater would be One Big Holy **** BatMan Heater to have.... for a one car well insulated garage...
For some reason I have been in no hurry to install a larger heater... I have an extra 4000watt portable heater that is seldom used in the shop... I put heat tubes in my floor, but have never installed a boiler.... It was -31F here last week,,, My shop Stays heated 24-7... I will at times set it down to 46F if no plans on working in there, but usually keep the temp around 60F when working... Our electric rates are .055/KWH for off peak heating... Steady, CLEAN heat..
A 2500watt heater should be MORE than enough to heat a well insulated one car garage if not turned off... If your thoughts are to turn off the heater during the week, and then go out on a Saturday morning and turn the heater on, A 5000watt Farenheit heater would be One Big Holy **** BatMan Heater to have.... for a one car well insulated garage...
noggs
Active member
This is the exact thing I do, maintains 45, I pull the car in, turn it up to 60, and come back out after a quick lunch to work on the car in any winter weather. It is in a 30x35 garage with a Hot Dawg gas heater, im not sure on the R value of the insulation as it has been awhile...but it is well insulated.
http://www.modinehvac.com/v2portal/...residential_hot_dawg/level_2_content2_035.htm