Attached garage heating - again

[puppypappa]

New to the forum but I have been reading for a few days trying to find out the best solution.

I am trying to heat my attached double car garage (Apprx 25'X30'). Ceiling and walls are insulated ....doors are not. I am in Southern Ontario which sometimes gets winter weather into -30's.

I have not spent a lot of time in the garage, but I am hoping to change this soon, so it's difficult for me to estimate how much heat we will require. I also want to power a portable generator off the same source since we have constant electrical outages.

I don't have a heater picked out yet, but I'm thinking just a corner ceiling mount box type unit.

My options (like many people) are LPG or NG. I have to run about 180' of NG line to my garage since the regulator is on the complete opposite side of the house. Total install including trenching etc will be approximately $3000.00.....and that doesn't include buying and installing the heater. I almost fell over

Propane rentals for 420lb tanks are $100.00/year plus cost of propane...... thinking of dropping two so I have a backup for power outages etc.


I'm having difficulty justifying the price to run the Natural Gas line. I know prices are cheaper, however this isn't a full time shop so I'm not sure that the price savings on the cost of NG vs LPG will even things out in the next 5 years or so.


Any advice that you guys have would be greatly appreciated



Pup

 

[Jackfre]

I would rent a mini-excavator and dig the line myself. You can then either install the poly pipe yourself or hire it out. You can bring the cost of the NG back and that is the way to do it.

 

[gmcgeo]

Look at different propane suppliers, they may wave the yearly rental. or ask them to wave the first year as a new customer.

i am sure they will. I love my propane heat. i would not have it any other way.

However, when you say back up heat when the power is out..... the only propane heaters that will work is ventfree and some direct vent that will be bulky and in the way..

If you went with a garage heater that hangs on the wall, you will need power. however they do make B vent wall hanging units but i do not like going through my roof to vent it

 

[puppypappa]

I would rent a mini-excavator and dig the line myself. You can then either install the poly pipe yourself or hire it out. You can bring the cost of the NG back and that is the way to do it.

Thanks @Jackfre, but I likely forgot to mention that the price is with me doing the trenching and getting the locates. I have to hire a private locate company too as the free ones won't locate privately placed electrical & well lines.

@gmcgeo Thanks for the input. I'm not looking at backup heat.....at least for the garage. I have a trifuel portable generator that powers my house through a Generlink when the power goes out, so I just wanted to be able to have a reliable fuel source for the genny in combination with the fuel source for my garage heater.

 

[u2slow]

NG for sure. Find a cheaper way to dig the trench.

Old baseboards are often free if you just want some quick heat over the winter while you work on the gas line.

 

[TractorJeff]

Ask the propane suppliers what the cutoff point in usage to negate a tank rental fee? Mine is like that. I would have to run 270 feet for the same reason as you. Word of Caution: Last years Propane cost for Winter Pre-buy was around $460, this year was close to $700.

 

[Showkey]

Attached garage ? Nat gas meter on the otherside of the home.

No basement where the pipe would run inside ?

Nat gas in the home…..no possible continuation of the pipe to the attached garage from the pipe that supplies other appliances ? There’s no reason you would need a complete new run for operate a garage heater. Water heater, stove, furance, fire place, gas grill outlet all come to mind for a continuous feed pipe. Even on slab construction the NG pipe might be in the slap or run I. Attic down to each appliance.

As for heater size of the typical 20x30 attached might be 30k to 50k btu 50k only because of the uninsulated doors. My attached garage insulated with no heat never drops below 32*.
Stand alone shop 1000sqft insulated heats with 50k BTU all season in a very cold climate.

 

[D45]

Able to tee off a NG line inside, like crawl or basement?

I tied into the line for my gas dryer and ran it inside my crawl to the garage

 

[The Cobbler]

depending on what size pipe you need, you should be able to buy the HDPE pipe & risers for under a thousand dollars and have a bunch of leftover pipe . I was lucky & found a deal on pipe on Kijiji, it was way too long for what I needed, I bought 2 extra risers and sold the remaining pipe & 2 risers on Kijiji for what it cost me for everything . so I got the material for free for my shop .
I bought the risers here https://hdpesupply.com/yellow-mdpe-polyethylene-pipe/

 

[Innovate1]

No way I would mess with propane if you already have NG. I have had both. Like others said I would think you could run a line through an attic or basement. Are you planning to just run it when you want to use the space? I had a house with a NG heater in the garage that the previous owner installed. Didn't even have a ceiling. It would heat the place up in less than 20 minutes. Although the tools and such were still cold. Can you add insulation to the doors?

 

[puppypappa]

Okay, a little update for those that replied. I reconsidered my plan A (dig a looong trench) after reading this thread and discovered where the NG in my utility room was. Awesome, .....have the gas guy out to T-in, only to find out that the cheap home builder only put 3/4" pipe into the house from the regulator. After a quick calculation the gas guy said that I wouldn't have enough flow, and would starve something currently on NG.

So on to plan C. After a full day and a half, my wife and I were able to snake through a 3/4" flex line from the regulator, through the brick, through the finished basement ceiling, into the utility room, out into the garage, up the garage wall into the attic, across to the far side where the heater will be installed, and back down the wall.

I am well on my way, and have the heater hanging, exhaust (horizontal) in place and hooked up. Now waiting for gas guy to come back to hook it up.


Thanks for all the advice

Pup

 

[Noltz]

I'm in Southern Ontario also with a similar space & problems. I decided to go the hard way and run it through the house. Tore out the laundry room completely and drilled a hole for 1" new iron pipe. Took 2 days to get the line through (with a drop for gas drier) but being able to flick on that 50k Reznor and have a warm shop in -20°.
My exhaust is also horizontal. Installer told me to keep an eye on the pipe because unless I'm keeping the room above freezing at all times it's possible that water will condense in the pipe and rust it. He also insisted I put a CO detector in the garage.