Best heater type for my garage?

[bcristea]

Hi,

Looking for some ideas based on experience on best heating method for my refinished garage. I recently had a master bedroom added above our garage. All the walls ceiling and garage door are insulated and the garage size is 22x22x8'. This is not intended to be a shop but just want to keep it warm and items from freezing, etc.

I live in MI and could like to keep the garage heated all Winter to about 50 deg.

My initial intentions were to go with a 30k HotDawg or similar but I am now concerned with the vibration and noise transmitted to the master bedroom? Does anybody have experience with this? Also, would this style kick up a lot of dust? Would the unit be noisy if working in this size garage?

I have also considered ventless but am concerned with the humidity and odor aspects.

Electric is an option but I was told I would need ~ 5-6000watt heater which gets expensive to run.

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[firworks]

Are you going to be opening and closing the door all the time? I have an under the house garage like that and it stays fairly warm with a small electric heater as long as the door is kept shut.

 

[theoldwizard1]

My initial intentions were to go with a 30k HotDawg or similar but I am now concerned with the vibration and noise transmitted to the master bedroom?

Is that one vented outside ! Unvented heater can create a lot of carbon monoxide.

Electric is an option but I was told I would need ~ 5-6000watt heater which gets expensive to run.

Electric resistance heat is the MOST EXPENSIVE way to heat any space. Natural gas is typically the cheapest. Propane and oil vary a lot.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Are you going to be opening and closing the door all the time? I have an under the house garage like that and it stays fairly warm with a small electric heater as long as the door is kept shut.

Do you run it continuously ?

 

[firworks]

Do you run it continuously ?

Yeah I leave it on all season, but it's only a 400w heater. It's an eco-panel heater. It's just a big square stone that radiates heat. I'm amazed at how comfortable it makes my garage being as whimpy as it is, but I keep the door shut. When I open the door the temperature drops quickly so I open it, run in and shut it. I have a smaller garage than you though and live somewhere warmer on average. It might be doable with a few of them though and it'd still be pretty low energy usage.

 

[vartz04]

I heated my 24x22x9 with a 4000 watt cadet the hot one heater. Set the thermostat at 40-45 all winter and cranked it up when I was working out there. My electric bill went up roughly $50 a month. You have the advantage of the attached garage cause mind was detached.


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[bcristea]

Are you going to be opening and closing the door all the time? I have an under the house garage like that and it stays fairly warm with a small electric heater as long as the door is kept shut.

The garage door will be opened and closed probably just in the morning and at night. Maybe 2-3 times a day. I just moved there not too long ago then had the addition put on so have not had a chance to use it that much but Winter is upon us and need a solution.

Tried using a 1500w space heater but its too small.

 

[jvitez]

Electric radiant cove heaters would be ideal for your low ceilings. It will have all the benefits of radiant heat and be completely silent and cheaper to install than fuel burning heaters. You should run two heaters across the back wall with the man door, facing forward toward the roll-up door. Here's one brand:

http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/

 

[jvitez]

Here's another brand, made in Canada and available in the US. Their page has several detailed downloads and video links.

http://www.ouellet.com/en-us/products/commercial-products-en.aspx?product=ORC

 

[kwoody51]

The I have a gas 60k Reznor UDAP heater installed in my 24x36x12 garage that has living space above it.

1st 30k should have no problem heating your space. Especially with the living space above it as that is even better than insulation since that is a heated space.

2nd noise - shouldn't be an issue but you will hear it. Mine is directly screwed to the rafters, through drywall. I can hear it when it's running but it's a minimal noise.

However if this was a bedroom and I was trying to sleep I would likely be annoyed by the noise. My living space is just a bonus room. With normal conversation or normal TV volume I don't even hear it. But if it's competely quiet I can hear it.

 

[bcristea]

I heated my 24x22x9 with a 4000 watt cadet the hot one heater. Set the thermostat at 40-45 all winter and cranked it up when I was working out there. My electric bill went up roughly $50 a month. You have the advantage of the attached garage cause mind was detached.


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Thanks, In the Winter how often did it run? Can you approximate how many hours/day? What state do you live in?

 

[bcristea]

The I have a gas 60k Reznor UDAP heater installed in my 24x36x12 garage that has living space above it.

1st 30k should have no problem heating your space. Especially with the living space above it as that is even better than insulation since that is a heated space.

2nd noise - shouldn't be an issue but you will hear it. Mine is directly screwed to the rafters, through drywall. I can hear it when it's running but it's a minimal noise.

However if this was a bedroom and I was trying to sleep I would likely be annoyed by the noise. My living space is just a bonus room. With normal conversation or normal TV volume I don't even hear it. But if it's competely quiet I can hear it.

Thanks, Thats good info on the noise. Its our bedroom so I think it would bother me for sure.

 

[bcristea]

Electric radiant cove heaters would be ideal for your low ceilings. It will have all the benefits of radiant heat and be completely silent and cheaper to install than fuel burning heaters. You should run two heaters across the back wall with the man door, facing forward toward the roll-up door. Here's one brand:

http://www.radiantsystemsinc.com/

Do you have any experience with this heater? I like how low profile it is. I'm wondering if the 2000w unit would be enough?

 

[vartz04]

I'd say it ran 5 -8 hours a day depending on temps. Really hard to tell. I wasn't too concerned about the money cause it was easy to install and kept the humidity down in the garage. I am putting the same heater in my 12x20 shed at my new house and putting a gas heater in the attached garage


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[Voi]

Do you have any experience with this heater? I like how low profile it is. I'm wondering if the 2000w unit would be enough?

My local energy supplier sells that exact product. I picked up a couple many years ago to heat a room that was built into my third garage stall. I ran them 24/7 and they did a good job and I can't say there was anything alarming about our electric bill.

I have since torn that room out and made my shop one big area. The heaters are still there but I rarely use them since I have a gas heater hanging on the other side of our garage that is pointed at the walkway that leads to the third stall. Without that room walled off I just don't need them as much.

I will say that when I had the separate room it was very nice in there. Quiet and the radiant heat felt good if you had been outside shoveling snow.

There were times I'd have some sort of finish curing and I would crank the heater up. At those times I often found it uncomfortable to be working near the heater. Six feet away was fine. Three feet away and I felt like I was getting a sun burn. But once temps were stable and the thermostat was cycling on and off it wasn't as noticeable.

Otherwise, they are very popular for all-electric houses in my area and many people replace their electric baseboard heat with them and prefer these units.

I have seen them in garages but I don't think I've ever seen enough ran to heat the garage to 65* or anything.

My energy supplier also sells radiant heat panels for ceiling mount applications. They don't need to run as hot evidently and are really nice but cost more money for the same wattage.

 

[Voi]

Yeah I leave it on all season, but it's only a 400w heater. It's an eco-panel heater. It's just a big square stone that radiates heat.

This one?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Eco-Heat...el-Heater-with-On-Off-Switch-NA400S/203624578

 

[NUTTSGT]

Do you have a good drain ? If you plan on heating your "parking" garage all winter and live in Mi, you're going to have snow melting and water all over the floor. Make sure you have a good drain and squeegee too.

 

[firworks]

This one?

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Eco-Heat...el-Heater-with-On-Off-Switch-NA400S/203624578

I don't think it was that exact one but that's basically the same. A couple companies all sell a 400w "eco" panel heater. I got mine online somewhere because it got shipped to me. I've been very surprised by the difference it made in my garage but like I said above my garage is pretty small. If it looks like a cold winter I'll probably get one for my bedroom too as it doesn't use a lot of electricity and actually has kind of a comforting warm hearth sort of feeling.

 

[CNGsaves]

Is that black pipe steel pipe stubbed in for natural gas in upper left corner ??

If so, then you're right on track with the 30K Btu Modine Hot Dawg NG heater.

Just go with horizontal exhaust flue out to the left.

Lag bolt couple rails of Uni-strut to ceiling then heater directly to Uni-Strut. That will be equivalent to 1" clearance for top.

Do NOT oversize the heater. With your "warm" ceiling from the finished space above, you don't need that large of a heater. I'm assuming you have both insulated walls and an insulated garage door.

 

[jvitez]

Do you have any experience with this heater? I like how low profile it is. I'm wondering if the 2000w unit would be enough?

No personal experience with it but I've been in houses with Canadian made versions of the same thing and it was nice, comfortable, and quiet heat.

No way do you need 5-6kW of electric heat for your space. I heated my old house's attached 22 x 24 ft insulated garage with a 4800W electric heater and it worked well. I had R12 walls, R 40 ceilings with no living space over top and an insulated garage door. That heater calculated to 9.1 watts/sq ft which would be 4400 watt for you, but I bet you could get away with less as you're not as cold as here, plus you have a heated space above.

Check out the spec sheet of their cove heater:

http://radiantsystemsinc.com/installation-parts/

If your garage is 22 ft outside dimension with 2x4 walls and 1/2" drywall you'd have 256" inside. That would allow one 1800W and one 2000W heater to fit. That's 7.9 watts/sq ft. You could wire them with one line voltage thermostat, run a 20 amp circuit with 20 gauge wire and you've got a warm garage. Even if it's a bit less than ideal, once everything has warmed up you get a quick temp return when you open and close the door as the warm concrete and objects inside the space re-radiant the retained heat while your heater runs.

Have you ever been to a car dealer's service area with NG powered tube heaters in the winter? A car comes in, the door opens and bunch of cold air rushes in, but as soon as the door closed you feel warm. That's the beauty of radiant heat.

 

[bcristea]

Thanks,

I'll have to do a bit more research on these. Sounds expensive to run 24/7

 

[bcristea]

NUTTSGT: Didn't think about that. I have no drain so maybe I need some sort of tray?

 

[bcristea]

Is that black pipe steel pipe stubbed in for natural gas in upper left corner ??

If so, then you're right on track with the 30K Btu Modine Hot Dawg NG heater.

Just go with horizontal exhaust flue out to the left.

Lag bolt couple rails of Uni-strut to ceiling then heater directly to Uni-Strut. That will be equivalent to 1" clearance for top.

Do NOT oversize the heater. With your "warm" ceiling from the finished space above, you don't need that large of a heater. I'm assuming you have both insulated walls and an insulated garage door.

Yes, that is a gas line I had run but now I'm concerned with the vibration from this heater and if it will be noticeable when sleeping?

 

[bcristea]

thanks

 

[bcristea]

Voi, thanks, I'll have to do some more research.