Electric Baseboard heaters needs for 22X26 garage

[r1r199]

How much electric baseboards do i need for my new garage
I have (2) 3X5 windows
1 regular 36" door
(1) overhead garage door 12x7 R-16
walls R-20
roof R-31
size of garage is 22x26 with 9 foot walls and vaulted ceilings up to 12 feet
want to heat all winter at 16-17°C
thanks

 

[mkat1951]

When figuring this out accurately it's also helpful to know which direction your doors and windows are facing, North, south, east, or west. I do heating and cooling for a living so I might be able to help. This might also help to. My shop is roughly the same size and construction, except no windows, and I have three baseboards. If they were all on at the same time it would cook you right out. I usually have two on. I live in Canada also, and where I live we range in temp. anywhere from zero to minus 25 in the winter.

 

[Brad1234]

1000 watts / 100 sq ft. I would round up if necessary since it's a garage.

 

[r1r199]

thanks guys,
I have quite alot of trees in my yard so sunlight doesn't really reach the windows

 

[r1r199]

When figuring this out accurately it's also helpful to know which direction your doors and windows are facing, North, south, east, or west. I do heating and cooling for a living so I might be able to help. This might also help to. My shop is roughly the same size and construction, except no windows, and I have three baseboards. If they were all on at the same time it would cook you right out. I usually have two on. I live in Canada also, and where I live we range in temp. anywhere from zero to minus 25 in the winter.

Are these 1500W each?

 

[r1r199]

1000 watts / 100 sq ft. I would round up if necessary since it's a garage.

Is this valid In Canadian weather!!!

 

[mjn]

How much in elec costs would Baseboard be like compared to Gas. Would always think be too much.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Is this valid In Canadian weather!!!

What part of Canada are you in?

Saskatoon,SK and Victoria, BC would have very different needs.

Just north of Winnipeg, in my 24x24 garage w/10 ft. walls, I'll be installing 2 2500 watt baseboard heaters. I'll keep you posted on how well this works for a Manitoba winter.

 

[Mark-in-NH]

You would need a bare minimum of 22.88' of electric baseboard heat.
Electric baseboard heat is 250 watts per foot. you need a bare minimum of 5720 watts of heat
The equation as I learned it years ago from my father (master electriction) when he would calculate the required baseboard for a job, is as follows.
Take the room in question (your garage) 22x26 = 572 x 10 = 5720 divided by 250 = 22.88 This is based on a normal 8' ceiling.
Now factoring in your high ceiling I would probably want to increase the footage of heat by 30% +/- or another 6' - 8' of baseboard
Also if it helps. You can run 16' of electric baseboard heat on a 20 amp breaker, 220 volt circut. 16' of heat = 4000 watts

So, roughly 30' of baseboard heat and 2- 20 amp / 220 volt circuts

 

[katit]

I'm having same dilemma especially that we just got ad on craigslist:

brand new Emerson baseboard heaters for sale. These are to be hard wired not the plug in type! 240 volt 940 watts 3208 btu. $ 35 each

I'm in a process of "electryfying" garage and wondered if it makes sense to install those. I was planning on mini-split but imagine that baseboards will work better.

I have 21x21 garage. Do I need more then 3 of those baseboards? How is electricity use, does it make sense to install them? I know electricity is cheap in STL in a winter, like 4c so it makes sense to use it over gas.

Are they safe? Ideally I would keep one on all the time because we enter house via garage. And garage will be insulated.

 

[jvitez]

Where in Canada are you? Fill out your sig please. I really helps us help you.

In my previous house, 22 x 24 ft attached garage, R12 walls and R40 ceiling, insulated steel garage door, a 4800 W construction heater would heat it up as warm as I wanted it, but it did take a while at -20C or colder. That was for intermittent heating. I only turned in on to thaw the cars or if I was doing a project. That works out to 9 W per sq. ft. 10 W/ft2 is the rule of thumb used successfully for years in colder climates for residential construction. Again, you might want a bit more to have faster recovery after the garage door is opened.

One thought is 10 W/ft2 of baseboard heat, and add a couple of cheap fan forced 1500W electric heaters if you have enough circuit capacity. Keep the thermostat settings low enough that they don't come on when your garage is at the temp you want. This way after you cool off the garage from opening a door, the baseboard heaters will turn on, but convection heat takes a while to recover. The fan forced heat will circulate warm air faster, so more comfort. No extra operating cost either, as the baseboards will just shut off faster once the design temp is reached.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Well, now that we've been through part of a winter, I can honestly say I'm satisfied with the way the 2 10 foot 2500 watt baseboard heaters heat the garage. I have to plan a couple of hrs. ahead if I want it warm enough to work in.
I usually leave the heat off unless I plan to work in there.

 

[Teken]

Would you mind taking a temp reading for me? I wouldnt mind seeing how hot it gets in there with our winters being as they are. Glad you followed up with this thread, as I was eyeing it for sometime.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Would you mind taking a temp reading for me? I wouldnt mind seeing how hot it gets in there with our winters being as they are. .

No prob.
The warmest I've had it so far was 17 C, but I'm sure it would have gotten warmer had I left the thermostats turned up. Mind you, it was only -25C that day, so it wasn't that cold.

 

[Teken]

No prob.
The warmest I've had it so far was 17 C, but I'm sure it would have gotten warmer had I left the thermostats turned up. Mind you, it was only -25C that day, so it wasn't that cold.

LMFAO !!! It's it too funny that when its only -25'C here we equate that it's not that cold?? Do you recall last year when we had three weeks of -56'C with the wind chill?

That was a day to just keep your aszz at home, too bad I didn't, had to be in the field working like dumb SOB . .

Thanks for taking the temps for me, much appreciated. This will give me some reference if and when I ever get this garage down.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Problem with baseboard heaters (and I had them in one house I owned) is that you have to keep the wall space clear. In a garage you want workbenches, etc on the walls. They just don't look to me like they would be real practical for a garage.

Charles

 

[Teken]

I know, that is the problem I am wrestling with. I might bite the bullet when finances are better to go all the way and pay someone to plumb in a NG line and install one of those over head units.

I have lived part of my life with *that's good enough* for some random things. In this latter stage of my life *good enough* ins't cutting it.

So, more than likely I will *do it once, and properly* then to waste my time, energy, and hard earned dollars.

Many thanks for your follow up & insight.

 

[mpraddict]

I belive NEC requires outlets in the garage to be at least 24" above finished floor. I don't know code on baseboard heaters in a garage, but something just doesn't sound right about it.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I belive NEC requires outlets in the garage to be at least 24" above finished floor. I don't know code on baseboard heaters in a garage, but something just doesn't sound right about it.

That I know of, NEC does not have any such requirement for receptacle height. Possibly special restrictions for certain types of Hazardous locations but then only up to 18 inches above the floor in most cases. Common sense however dictates that things with thermostats, like baseboard heaters, that have the possibility of sparking internally and could ignite gasoline fumes, MIGHT not be a good idea if placed within 18 inches of the floor.

You can get stupid with this however, things like my fridge have a defrost timer down in the bottom of it, this timer has electrical contacts that most likely spark when it cycles, so I guess I should elevate my fridge above 18 inches. Then there is the thermostat for my 2 gal under counter water heater, and on it goes. Of course this is why the fire marshal requires that we use twist lock electrical connectors at work on extension cords, flo lights, etc, to prevent sparking from accidental disconnects with cords laying on the floor. (commercial aircraft hangar, Class I, Division 2 up to 18 inches off the floor and surrounding all wings and powerplants).

Charles

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

A few more numbers:
Last night I switched the heat on @ 6:45 Temp was -2C in the garage and -14C outside.
At 7:45, I went in there to start working, and the temp was 7C
At 8:15 the temp was 11C. At that point I was just about done the tire rotate, brake & front end inspection, so I shut the heat off again.
At about 6:30 this morning, the thermometers read -2 again.
The overnight low last night was -16C. It's nice to have this warm weather.

As far as mounting the baseboards a certain minimum distance from the floor, I mounted them ~ 8" from the floor, and they passed electrical inspection.

 

[mpraddict]

That I know of, NEC does not have any such requirement for receptacle height. Possibly special restrictions for certain types of Hazardous locations but then only up to 18 inches above the floor in most cases. Common sense however dictates that things with thermostats, like baseboard heaters, that have the possibility of sparking internally and could ignite gasoline fumes, MIGHT not be a good idea if placed within 18 inches of the floor.

You can get stupid with this however, things like my fridge have a defrost timer down in the bottom of it, this timer has electrical contacts that most likely spark when it cycles, so I guess I should elevate my fridge above 18 inches. Then there is the thermostat for my 2 gal under counter water heater, and on it goes. Of course this is why the fire marshal requires that we use twist lock electrical connectors at work on extension cords, flo lights, etc, to prevent sparking from accidental disconnects with cords laying on the floor. (commercial aircraft hangar, Class I, Division 2 up to 18 inches off the floor and surrounding all wings and powerplants).

Charles

It's been several years (10+) since I've done any electrical design, so my last memory is 1996 NEC. I'm familiar with commercial work, not so much residential, but there was (and I assume still is) a restriction on outlet heights in commercial garages which would be a good rule of thumb for any of us who work in our residential garages. I may be wrong about the height, could have been 18". I believe it was in chapter 5.

 

[tcianci]

I know this is a real shoot from the hip observation but, I'm in MA and my garage is 22 x 25 slightly over 8' high, 2 windows, 1 16x7 O H door one 3-0 man door. I have R13 in the walls (except about 6 feet) R 19 in the ceiling and I have a 25k BTU hydronic unitheater in there. Just for S&G, I tried my 1500 watt oil filled portable radiator...It is managing to keep it 60 to 65 degrees in here! I never thought such a low wattage heater would do this. There is an unheated, unfinished 2nd floor over this space, maybe that helps.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Just for S&G, I tried my 1500 watt oil filled portable radiator...It is managing to keep it 60 to 65 degrees in here! I never thought such a low wattage heater would do this.

It is amazing how little heat it takes to keep an area heated if it is insulated.

 

[Teken]

When the mercury drops below -35'C, that would be very hard to do regardless of the amount of insulation you have in the building. I do agree that insulation plays a big role in loss of heat. But, more importantly is how well the garage door is insulated and sealed to the floor / side walls.

That is the single largest entry way for heat loss . . . That's why I spent the extra dollars on the highest R rated door I could afford, and also added extra rigid foam to the panels as well.

When they temps are only around -20'C things are pretty decent. But, once it hits the -30'C what ever you have for heat will be running like a MOFO for quite awhile.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

I try to schedule my projects for the warmer days.

 

[AndrewBigA]

i hate my base board heaters. when i got the garage i had my landlors install heat for me. i wakewd for it, he supplied it. he installed 2 8ft baseboard heaters & they completely **** & are a waste of time. put your hand in front of your face & take a deep breath in, then breathe out as hard as you can blow into the palm of your hand lol. thats what my baseboards put out. i dont know the wattage of the units but i gave up on them. i mightve tried them out for a total of 5 nights & they did nothing.
for my 17x29 i have one of those 20lb propane tanks with a single head burner. my place gets up to 52 at most according to my thermometer. i leave it on high for about a half hour in the early morning when i get there around 8am. in about 45 mins the place is hovering around 50. if its really cold out ill leave it on the low setting. im getting about 10 days on each tank, 4 per month on average & $24 per tank to refill.
i like that the gas is cheap but im looking for something next year that runs on electric & will cost me about $75-$100 a month.

ditch the baseboards!