Hello, I am new here and looking for your advice. I am finishing my 32 x 38 garage it is a solid block garage with no windows. The walls are studded 2 x 4 and will have spray foam with fiberglass insulation in them. The ceiling will be metal with blow in insulation there. I am in western Pa so the winters are hit or miss. Where I live there is no gas so it would be propane or electric. I am leaning towards electric since it is one less fuel I would have to buy and also found some that seem pretty nice. Looking for anyone who heats with electric and how do you like it or any other thoughts. Thanks
Electric heat
- Thread starter 79Puller
- Start date
p_mori7
Well-known member
I have 16x30 with a 4x14 bump-out on the south side. 10x8 main door, 32" man door, 1 3x5 window in the bump-out. Walls are insulated R13, Cieling R26. I heat it with a 5000W electric heater with integrated fan. It has no problem holding 50* at a medium setting. Can easily go to 65*. Cost is about $50-$60 month (Jan-Feb). I really like it. It is not fast though.
If you are going to hold a constant temperature, electric will work.
If you are only going to heat when working in the garage, Propane will genete more heat faster.
If you are going to hold a constant temperature, electric will work.
If you are only going to heat when working in the garage, Propane will genete more heat faster.
Garage Dog
Well-known member
Welcome Puller,
As mori said, propane will get you warmed up faster if you just turn it on every now and then.
Here I pay just over 10 cents per KWH for electricity and seems expensive to heat with electric. The flip side is that propane isn't regulated and my pre-buying is OK, but the cost tripled this winter if you ran out of pre-buy and had to spot buy...
I would try calculating the different heating costs in your area.
As mori said, propane will get you warmed up faster if you just turn it on every now and then.
Here I pay just over 10 cents per KWH for electricity and seems expensive to heat with electric. The flip side is that propane isn't regulated and my pre-buying is OK, but the cost tripled this winter if you ran out of pre-buy and had to spot buy...
I would try calculating the different heating costs in your area.
Milton Shaw
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- Joined
- Feb 11, 2011
- Messages
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Look at heat pumps as they have factors of 3 times over resistance heat. Meaning they put out three times the btu's of just a standard heating element. They do loose some of the savings if your outside temp is much below about 30 degrees for most of the winter. Check savings and costs for propane and heat pump and straight electric heat and then decide how long and how much you are going to heat the shop.
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
Electric is the easiest, No fun running out of propane when you want to work on some thing
Crazy68Dart
Well-known member
Electric heat is pretty nice. It is not the least expensive, but it is a pretty easy install assuming you have the panel/service to support it.
My old garage was 18x24 (yeah...small), but I heated it with a HeatStream 220V heater. Had two settings, I think 3400 watts and 5200 watts maybe? The walls were R13 faced batt insulation. The ceiling was just 1/2 plywood in the trusses to keep the heat "down". No insulation. Had a nicely insulated CHI garage door too, which made a big difference from the old wood door that was originally there.
No problem heating the space. Clean and quiet. Yeah, it would run the electric bill up in the winter, but I thought it was worth it. Could keep it as warm as I wanted out there. I could have ran natural gas from the house, but the simplicity of the install sold me on it. Like other have said, depend on your overall goals/use of the space in the winter.
My old garage was 18x24 (yeah...small), but I heated it with a HeatStream 220V heater. Had two settings, I think 3400 watts and 5200 watts maybe? The walls were R13 faced batt insulation. The ceiling was just 1/2 plywood in the trusses to keep the heat "down". No insulation. Had a nicely insulated CHI garage door too, which made a big difference from the old wood door that was originally there.
No problem heating the space. Clean and quiet. Yeah, it would run the electric bill up in the winter, but I thought it was worth it. Could keep it as warm as I wanted out there. I could have ran natural gas from the house, but the simplicity of the install sold me on it. Like other have said, depend on your overall goals/use of the space in the winter.
p_mori7
Well-known member
With the electric heater, it is easy to just turn it up on the friday evening when you get home from work, and by saturday morning it will be toasty warm in the garage. The slab will be cold though. I just set mine to maintain 45-50 degrees, thus the slab is never "frozen".
tdkkart
Well-known member
I've got electric floor radiant in my shop. Yes, electric can be expensive, but if you average the 4-5 months of heating over a year's time it's not so bad monthly.
Normally propane is slightly less $$$ than electric, or it can be double the price over night like this year and you never know how long that will last.
Electric systems are typically cheaper to install up front. I can run my $400 heat source a LONG time for what a gas boiler costs.
Electric requires no venting which saves $$$ and is yet another hole in the building.
Electric is quiet and reliable, pretty much always there and very low maintenance.
Electric has no open flame, which is a big plus in a shop where you have flammables almost all the time.
Normally propane is slightly less $$$ than electric, or it can be double the price over night like this year and you never know how long that will last.
Electric systems are typically cheaper to install up front. I can run my $400 heat source a LONG time for what a gas boiler costs.
Electric requires no venting which saves $$$ and is yet another hole in the building.
Electric is quiet and reliable, pretty much always there and very low maintenance.
Electric has no open flame, which is a big plus in a shop where you have flammables almost all the time.
volleyball
Well-known member
How far along are you? Can you put down foam before you lay the pad? Put in pex?
finn
Well-known member
Our rates ($.21/KwH) make it prohibitive, considering the ice on the lake is still 30" thick as of yesterday.
You really have to do a calculation based on prices of the alternatives in your area.
You really have to do a calculation based on prices of the alternatives in your area.
Sheriff245
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2013
- Messages
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http://us.stelpro.com/web_items/web_att_details.asp?attid=V¶µ¤†/tqmw
This is IMO the best electric way to heat a garage. The fan recirculates the warm air near the ceiling so the rooms gets warm pretty quickly. I have a 5000W model in my 22x26 garage and it works very well with a wall-mounted thermostat. Electric heat is also drier than propane heat, so no need for a de-humidifier.
This is IMO the best electric way to heat a garage. The fan recirculates the warm air near the ceiling so the rooms gets warm pretty quickly. I have a 5000W model in my 22x26 garage and it works very well with a wall-mounted thermostat. Electric heat is also drier than propane heat, so no need for a de-humidifier.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Good tip !
Too late now, but the OP would have been better off if he had installed 2" of rigid foam under the slab.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
VERY TRUE !
Unless you know your alternative energy costs in comparable units you will never know which is more cost effective.
If you are even remotely considering A/C, you should check into a mini-split heat pump. Modern one will heat don past 20F and are very efficient, more so than electric resistance heat. Installation is higher, but you will make that back.
@Finn - Ice fishing in May ?