Garage heater recommendations

[Sunfox]

I’m building a new house in Ontario, Canada, and will be insulating the garage and getting a gas heater so I can use it as a shop in winter. I had originally wanted to use an infrared tube heater, but today the electrician was suggesting a forced air model.

Which is actually better? I’d just like it to be relatively comfortable for when I want to be out there, and maybe dry the wet floors in winter a bit. I’d probably keep it at a minimum temperature and raise it when I want.

The garage is 40x23x14.5 with three 9x9 doors.

Thanks for any guidance!

 

[mrhemi426]

I am in SW Ontario. Your proposed shop is approx. the same size as mine. I have in floor radiant supplied by a gas fired boiler. Same boiler heats the house as well (attached garage). Infloor radiant is awesome, but pricey up front. I later added a mini-split AC only for summertime humidity control and comfort. Radiant tube heaters are hard on vehicle finishes when parked continuously in one spot. OK for commercial, not so good for residential.

 

[zmotorsports]

From my experience if you plan on keeping the temps relatively consistent such as daily use and don't require the heat source to make up temperatures for when the doors were opened and closed then in floor radiant heat works fine. However, if you plan on more intermittent use and don't plan on keeping the interior temps consistent or if you plan to pull vehicles in/out routinely and need the temp to come back up more quickly then a forced air heater would be a better choice.

 

[daws87]

I installed the Big Maxx 50k last fall and put it on a wifi thermostat. Absolutely love it.

My garage is a bit smaller than yours and it has no problem maintaining ~50F throughout our Minnesota winters. I do up it typically to ~60F if I'll be doing some projects out there. You'd want to research it to see if bumping up to the 80k BTU would be better since you have a larger garage but for what it's worth my dad has a fairly large 3 stall garage and he has the 50k Big Maxx. No problems at all maintaining temp.

Pro-tip, if you're installing a heater yourself, is to rent a drywall lift to hoist it up to the ceiling. Best $30 I ever spent on a rental.

 

[4x4Pete]

If you're not going to keep it somewhat warm out there a forced air unit is the best option. If you're going to keep it warm out there and will be doing any sort of painting a radiant tube is the better choice. In floor would be great if your attached house already is heated with infloor radiant. I'm in Southern Ontario too. The attached garage (22'x26'x14') has a furnace and ductwork. I don't maintain a temperature in there it is used only if needed. It works well but does blow dust around. In the detached shop (30'x32'x12'6" I have a radiant tube. I keep the space warm all the time 20°C. The construction is as tight as I could get it and is well insulated. It doesn't run all that much and never gets uncomfortable under the heater. It cost about $300 to heat this year. Keeping it warm keeps the tools and toys warm, I can go and work (enjoy) in the space anytime I want. There is no issue with the radiant tube. No dust blowing around either. Honestly it is more comfortable than the house is. You have some decisions to make.

 

[u2slow]

My experience with both types....

Use the unit heater to heat the entire space; ideal for maintaining a temperature. The radiant strip heater is something you locate over your work area and run to radiate heat at you and your work - even if the space is cold or the door is open.

 

[Sunfox]

Thanks so much for the advice so far! I’m honestly leaning towards a forced air model at the moment. I know I will also have dogs going through the garage to get to a pen, and it would be nice (for me) if the space wasn’t frigid in winter, so I may want to keep it above 50F.

This isn’t a house I’m custom building, it’s a new spec property that I bought from the builder half-completed (framed with roof, but no exterior cladding). I'm able to make significant changes to things, but in-floor radiant heating isn't one of them!

 

[toyotadriver]

I installed the Big Maxx 50k last fall and put it on a wifi thermostat. Absolutely love it.

My garage is a bit smaller than yours and it has no problem maintaining ~50F throughout our Minnesota winters. I do up it typically to ~60F if I'll be doing some projects out there. You'd want to research it to see if bumping up to the 80k BTU would be better since you have a larger garage but for what it's worth my dad has a fairly large 3 stall garage and he has the 50k Big Maxx. No problems at all maintaining temp.

Pro-tip, if you're installing a heater yourself, is to rent a drywall lift to hoist it up to the ceiling. Best $30 I ever spent on a rental.

I was installing my 80k Mr. Heater and was struggling. I stopped for a break and looked over at my Kubota tractor with loader. Suddenly dawned on me...why am I working so hard when I have diesel powered hydraulics to do the work for me? A short time and some diesel later, it was up where it needed to be.

 

[Jackfre]

A Rinnai EX-38 will handle that space nicely.

 

[Dagny]

Reznor isn't chicom

 

[daws87]

Thanks so much for the advice so far! I’m honestly leaning towards a forced air model at the moment. I know I will also have dogs going through the garage to get to a pen, and it would be nice (for me) if the space wasn’t frigid in winter, so I may want to keep it above 50F.

This isn’t a house I’m custom building, it’s a new spec property that I bought from the builder half-completed (framed with roof, but no exterior cladding). I'm able to make significant changes to things, but in-floor radiant heating isn't one of them!

Yea you being in Ontario we probably have similar winters (I'm in central Minnesota). I have mine hooked up to a Black and Decker wifi thermostat (it was like $35 at Menards, works fine and has an app) so I can raise the temp before I even go out there to work on projects. It's nice. I cannot stress enough how important insulation is though - I insulated all of the walls last summer (R15) and we have an insulated garage door but I installed the heater and had it running for almost 2 months before I insulated the attic (~R50 blown in) and it cut my gas bill drastically.

You say that you'll have dogs going through the garage to get to a pen; are you going to install some type of a dog door that they can use to go in and out from the garage?

 

[zmotorsports]

In my old shop I had an older 75k btu Reznor unit for about 22 or 23 years and then a couple years before we moved I replaced the Reznor unit with a 75k btu Modine Hot Dawg heaters and I can tell you I was disappointed and when I built my new 3k square foot shop I insisted on another Reznor but went with their newer 150k btu UDAP design and couldn't be more happy with it. You can't go wrong with a Reznor, although you may pay a premium for it as they do run slightly more than their competitors.

 

[daws87]

Buddy has a Reznor and it's gotta be like 25-30 years old. Age definitely shows but it runs great. I hope my Big Maxx lasts even half that long.

 

[Max93]

Why were you disappointed with the Modine? What made the Reznor better?

 

[Trm303]

I have a radiant tube and love it. Quick recovery and very efficient. You can’t beat the warm tools/floor. Feels like the sun beating down on you when it’s running.

 

[zmotorsports]

Why were you disappointed with the Modine? What made the Reznor better?

I'm not sure who you were directing this question to but I have had both in my last shop (which was 1150 square feet) and both heaters of the same size (75k btu) so it was an apples to apples comparison. I noticed almost immediately when installing the Modine that the fit and finish was not as good as on the Reznor. The covers didn't seem to fit as nicely and there seemed to be more "slop" in the attachment points of the covers. I also noticed upon installation that the fan blade design was slightly different being it was more of a standard pitch blade and the opening in the case where the fan mounted looked like it was cut by a four year old who found his daddy's tin snips. When operating the older Reznor was just so much smoother in air delivery and fan operation whereas the Modine just never really seemed "happy" when operating. It shook the hangers much more than the previous Reznor and seemed to have a lot more crackles and pops during operation. I inquired with the company I purchased it from and they came out to look at it and just told me it was operating as designed and "they all sound like that". My biggest complaint about the Modine however, was the freakin' noise. The thing sounded like a jet taking off whereas the Reznor that I just replaced was much, much more quiet. At first I thought it was just due to the Reznor being older and the new Modine was new technology or the latest and greatest but after doing more research I found that the newer Reznors actually still maintained that same older design in many ways and that I had just made a poor purchasing decision based on money alone.

When I built my new 3,000 square foot shop I insisted on a Reznor even though I had to pay a slight upcharge for the heater as it also came with a premium price tag. That was one decision I wasn't going to repeat and the 150k btu Reznor UDAP in my current shop is so much more quiet and smooth running than the 75k Modine in my last shop.

That has been my personal experience between the two.

 

[Max93]

Thanks. That’s the kind of comparison I was looking for. I’m trying to decide between a Reznor and Modine for my new garage.

 

[zmotorsports]

Thanks. That’s the kind of comparison I was looking for. I’m trying to decide between a Reznor and Modine for my new garage.

Personally, I wouldn't have another Modine if they paid me to take it. But that's just me.

 

[nadogail]

I installed an electric heater in both my garage and workshop. i avoided the need for gas pipes and a chimney.

 

[Noltz]

Had a Reznor in my attached double garage. 50k (I think) was overpowered. 0° outside I could be working in 17° in fifteen minutes with no minimal insulation (one attached wall and half the roof). I did some draft sealing and it was great for winter car maintenance & we'd do the occasional "Movie Night" in the garage with my kids during covid. Lawn chairs, popcorn and a TV on the wall.

 

[PoorUB]

Thanks. That’s the kind of comparison I was looking for. I’m trying to decide between a Reznor and Modine for my new garage.

I have sold and installed both. It is a **** shoot.

I have had Reznors heaters that has a resonance vibration an Modines that were quiet. I have had it the other way around too.

I can say I replaced many more heat exchangers and venter motors in Reznors than Modines.

One thing I will say with either, if you can hang either of them with rubber mounts they will run a bit less noise.

 

[Sunfox]

Thanks for all the help. I honestly see the benefits to both styles - but in the end I think I’ll go for a forced air unit, and if it doesn’t work well, will consider changing it out.

Now to fight the urge to heat the shed I’m having built… which has somehow morphed into a 14x22 full-on single garage. LOL!

 

[jlrut]

Radiant tube heat, when done right is superior. We get utility rebates in our area for installing radiant heat, not for forced air. Go two stage with a company that knows what they’re doing and you’ll love it.

I own an hvac business, just built a pole barn. Forced air was not even on my radar. In floor heat if planning on heating consistently, followed by tube heat. Forget unit heaters, specially modine or whatever is sold by the box stores.