Garage heater

[BigChevy80]

My measurements were a little off. My garage is 20x23 so that means 460 sq feet total. Everything I've researched tells me that 45,000 BTU will be more than enough. I'm currently using a 35,000 BTU diesel torpedo heater and it heats it up no problem.

I guess I'm just looking for opinions on what brands everyone has and how well they like them. I'll be running natural gas. I'll probably be getting one off Ebay, unless I can find a used one around here. The brands I'm looking through are Modine (Hot Dawg), Reznor, Beacon/Morris, Sterling and Dornback.

The Dornback is the only one I've never heard of. The price is pretty good and they say that they are made in the USA. Anyone used one of these?

Thanks,
Tony

 

[hidollartoys]

Big Chev, I think that you are using the wrong info for heating BTU's. As a rule of thumb you can use 35-40 btu's/sqft if "newer and well insulated", 35-45 btu's/sqft if "older and reasonably insulated", and 40-50 btu's/sqft if "old and poorly insulated". These "rules of thumb" are for housing and could be reduced for a garage. These calcs are also for forced air "conventional" heating systems

 

[BigChevy80]

hidollar,
I was using the info guides for all the various garage heaters. I could probably get away with a 30K BTU unit, but the price difference between the 30K units and 45K units is negligible, so I might as well go with the best bang for the buck. My garage also has a 9" ceiling.

 

[Torque1st]

A smaller unit will provide more even heat and more circulation reducing hot and cold spots. This is usually more comfortable. Bigger is not always better.

I have a 30K BTUH Sterling power vent unit to install in my 575 square foot garage. I figure on keeping the garage at 45-50°F, or as low as the thermostat goes, then kicking it up just before I go in to work.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I don't know the btu's, but I just have a natural gas space heater on the wall, no fan on it even. The garage is heated by the house furnace (not on a zone, only when the furnace runs), so even in 0* weather it doesn't go below 45-50 or so. I've turned it on and went back int he house to putter while it warmed up, got delayed, and went back int he garage after 45 minutes, and it was 80* in there.

That little heater will keep that garage at 70* no problem.

 

[hidollartoys]

Dont forget that the rated btu of a unit does not generally take into account the % efficiency. So "Btu rating X % efficiency = actual heating Btu's" I suspect that most of these styles of heaters are in the 80% efficiency range.

 

[Torque1st]

The units generally state input and output BTU ratings. We should use the output ratings nowadays. Many "rule of thumb" formulas were based on input ratings and formulated back when most everything was 80%. The new power vent or sealed combustion units have higher heating efficiencies and do not lose as much conditioned air up the stack between cycles either which adds to their overall efficiency. My Sterling unit has a power vent. The power vent or sealed combustion units are higher $$ also.

 

[BigChevy80]

The units generally state input and output BTU ratings. We should use the output ratings nowadays. Many "rule of thumb" formulas were based on input ratings and formulated back when most everything was 80%. The new power vent or sealed combustion units have higher heating efficiencies and do not lose as much conditioned air up the stack between cycles either which adds to their overall efficiency. My Sterling unit has a power vent. The power vent or sealed combustion units are higher $$ also.

From what I can tell, all the ones I'm looking at are power vent. None are sealed combustion, but I don't really need that in this garage. All the flammable stuff gets stored in a metal cabinet on the other side of the garage.

I still have to insulate my attic yet. Probably going to be blowing that in this weekend. I'll most likely get the heater after I finish insulating the place. No point in wasting heat.

At this point I'm thinking about just getting the 45K Beacon/Morris unit from Menards for $489.00 at the same time I buy the insulation. By the time I add shipping on most of the ebay units the price will come out pretty much the same if not more.

 

[cisko1624]

TRY THIS WEBSITE FOR HEATING SPECS, MIGHT BE HELPFUL.



http://www.heatmygarage.com/index.html

 

[Torque1st]

If I remember right the bottom of the garage heater units has to be 8' off the floor due to fire regs. Check with your local codes department.

No mater where flammables are stored the flammable materials get used in the shop so the vapors become a hazard. Sealed combustion units are used in some places but they still are not explosion proof.

There are still a lot of heaters on the market that are direct vent but not a power vent.

 

[BigChevy80]

If I remember right the bottom of the garage heater units has to be 8' off the floor due to fire regs. Check with your local codes department.

No mater where flammables are stored the flammable materials get used in the shop so the vapors become a hazard. Sealed combustion units are used in some places but they still are not explosion proof.

There are still a lot of heaters on the market that are direct vent but not a power vent.

I've used my diesel torpedo heater for years without problems igniting anything. I'm not too worried about it, especially not when I weld and use the torch out there all the time anyway.

As for the heater height off the ceiling... I have a 9" ceiling and will be hanging the heater directly on the ceiling, so I can't go any higher. I'm not getting any kind of inspection done, so oh well.

I'll be picking the insulation and heater up at Menards tomorrow. The hardest part will be installing the darn vent baffles. The roof is built with trusses, so it's pretty hard getting around up there climbing around over all those cross braces. Wish I'd have thought of putting the baffles in before I put the OSB up on the ceiling. Oh well, there's only 20 that I have to do!!