Building new garage, heat source?

[Kst327]

Hello been I have been searching the Journal, sure its been answered before.

I am building a new garage 48’x36’ and I’m looking for heat thoughts. Ceiling will be metal with blown insulation, 2x6 walls with insulation, garage doors insulated. I live in upstate NY, i would like to maintain 50 degrees and turn up while working in garage on weekends.

I am leaning towards a 35k mini split. Any advice? Thoughts?

 

[rok_hunter]

Depending on wall height you're possibly going to be near the top end of a 35k unit's capability, at least based on the average online BTU calculator. I've got a 30x40x12 and all but one calculator I ran said that was too big for the 36k unit I bought, but I pressed with it because of reports from others who had used that size and a calculator I found that said I'd be good up to 1500sf with that unit. So far it's done well though. (I have 2" of closed cell foam and am in the Florida panhandle, for reference.)

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Showkey]

1700 sqft in up state NY ...........mini split would not make the top 5 list. If you were in Atlanta or Virginia maybe......especially if AC is part of the end plan.

36k if half the size of the conventional garage heater. If it was Nat gas or propane unit 70-80k might be close. 50-60k if it was very well insulated as 2x6 walls R19, R50 in the ceiling is very good...... seat of the pants guesstimate 60k Garage heater would likely work.

Nat gas available??????
Electric rates ????
AC required or on the want list ??????

 

[Soccer918843]

Where abouts in upstate ny. Am also in upstate ny. I’m using mineral wool r23 in walls r30 in ceiling and my shop is 28x52 I’m also trying to figure out what heat source to go with hut leaning towards a hanging propane unit I’m just not sure what size btu to go with yet. I don’t want to go to big cause the unit will be louder to run in guessing but also don’t want it undersized

 

[Kst327]

Soccer, i am 30 miles west of Binghamton

 

[jlv03]

Mini split to maintain, gas of some sort to bring up quickly.

 

[Jackfre]

A mini split may make it but you have to have a larger unit, 3 ton or so, and i am not sure what the low temp capabilities are of the larger units. You MUST make sure you understand the specs of the actual unit you are looking at. In your climate, I grew up in Ithaca, a three ton unit is plenty for cooling/dehu and the majority of the year for heat, but you might be a bit shy on heating output at the lowest temps you will see. You could supplement the mini-split with a gas heater.
I think it comes down to an existential question. If you go straight gas heat you will be comfortable all fall, winter, spring. If you go mini split you will be comfortable from mid- March-Dec 15.

 

[ducksface]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004KH4LAE/?tag=atomicindus08-20


They go where you want them and they heat a garage RIGHT NOW.
But
They do put off a lot of water vapor.

 

[Kst327]

Thanks Jackfre, well put. You moved out of Ithaca? Couldn’t take the 10 square miles surrounded by reality? Beautiful area

 

[Showkey]

Why would you want to install two heating systems in garage shop ??????
Especially if one of the sources is Nat Gas as it’s dirt cheap in most areas. So the second system has no chance for making a return on investment??????

 

[jlv03]

The advantages of two heating systems, at least in my opinion, would be:

a) back up if one is out of service
b) move even heat
c) in the case of a heat pump or minisplit - the unit could be used in summer to cool/dehumidify.
d) if using two different types of heat sources (say one on natural gas and one on electric), you can choose between the two based on price (time of use billing may make electricity comparable to nat gas during certain periods of the day or night).

 

[HoosierBuddy]

To the OP: Showkey asked you 3 questions that are necessary to answer your question. Without knowing your needs and what your energy options even are, how are we supposed to help you?