Garage heating on a budget

[Jeffh40]

Hi all,
We're building a new house and the 3 car garage will end up being the work shop until I free up funds for a pole barn later down the road. With that being said, I need to find a way to economically heat it during the winter months.


I'm thinking about something like this: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/t...9V9mvChKwDjElYrjjWU1MN56So8pv9YMaAuXjEALw_wcB but didn't know if the group had better, less expensive, options.

 

[ripperd]

unit heater like that is the general go to in colder climates. Don't skimp on insulation, it will pay for itself very quickly.

80kbtu is quite oversized for an attached, insulated, 3 car garage. I have an attached 4 car garage with 45kbtu and it keeps up with zero problems.

 

[Randy in Maine]

Why not just size your "house heat" big enough to also heat the garage and down the road the pole barn?

I just pump 120º water from my house boiler to my radiant floor heat in my shop. About as cheap as I could make it.

 

[Jeffh40]

Why not just size your "house heat" big enough to also heat the garage and down the road the pole barn?

I just pump 120º water from my house boiler to my radiant floor heat in my shop. About as cheap as I could make it.

While possible, that probably isn't ideal since I don't want it heated unless I am in there. I would prefer a dedicated thermostat for the garage. Multi zone heating in a house can get pricey pretty quick.

 

[Randy in Maine]

My 1200 square foot shop is its own zone (1 of 3) with its own thermostat and I keep it about 50º all winter.

Nothing freezes including the paint, tablesaw, my tools, and the 2 stored cars. I have pretty good insulation (SIPS) and it is quite cost effective to heat and quite comfy to work in even when it is really cold out side.

 

[D45]

If you have natural gas or propane, a hanging heater like that is a good cheap option

Is the garage insulated?

 

[Jeffh40]

If you have natural gas or propane, a hanging heater like that is a good cheap option

Is the garage insulated?

Not built yet. I assume so and will be keeping an eye on it as it gets built.

 

[Showkey]

Why not just size your "house heat" big enough to also heat the garage and down the road the pole barn?

I just pump 120º water from my house boiler to my radiant floor heat in my shop. About as cheap as I could make it.

Assumes OP is going with a boiler...........
Forced air home heat and sharing the heat with the garage is likely prohibited by code.

 

[D45]

Have them run a gas line stub out to the garage during the build

 

[coalminer16]

Don't skimp on the garage doors and seals. Propane or ng are the quickest and if you need them already for heat on the fuel source it will be the most efficient.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[ripperd]

Also, one more point. If you are indeed only going to heat it when you are there, then over-sizing the heater makes some sense.

Going from 20 degrees or less to 55-60 is going to happen way faster with an 80kbtu than a 45kbtu.

But if you are going to keep at ~50 when you are not there then the lower BTU model will save money in the long run. It will be more efficient, will not blast you with heat as much, and likely be quieter. My garage will go from 50 (what I keep it at 24x7) to 60 in probably about 10-20 minutes. And unless i'm going to be working a long time its pretty comfortable in a sweatshirt at 50 if I am actually doing work. So I usually don't even bump it up unless i'm doing something pretty sedentary or the wife and kids are in there with me.

 

[D45]

80k for an insulated 3 car garage is alot

45k will be perfect

 

[Jeffh40]

80k for an insulated 3 car garage is alot

45k will be perfect

Thanks.

 

[D45]

And actually, I have a friend with a well insulated 3 car garage

We installed a 30k and it also does a great job

Just depends on your budget and how fast you want it to heat up the area......remember, fan size and btu size will dictate the air throw

 

[D45]

I don't have the specs for the 30k Hot Dawg, but here's some info

45K FAN SIZE: 10"
75K FAN SIZE: 14"

45K INPUT: 45,000
45K OUTPUT: 36,000

75K INPUT: 75,000
75K OUTPUT: 60,000

45K HEAT THROW: 27 feet
75K HEAT THROW: 38 feet

45K AMP DRAW: 3.7
75K AMP DRAW: 2.5

 

[pbon]

I use the 50k Big Maxx nat gas in my 750SF insulated garage and it has no trouble in NH winter where it gets as cold as 15 to -20F.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Why not just size your "house heat" big enough to also heat the garage and down the road the pole barn?

I just pump 120º water from my house boiler to my radiant floor heat in my shop. About as cheap as I could make it.

Assumes OP is going with a boiler...........
Forced air home heat and sharing the heat with the garage is likely prohibited by code.

It's not "likely", it IS prohibited.

Tommy

 

[rodhotter]

wood is cheapest if you DIY it, if in the coal region its coal for sure. lots of cheap quick heating wood stoves out there + even if you buy it its a good option. lots of other options all costing more!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Insulate and insulated doors before you even consider a permanent heat source.

 

[ovilla]

I have a 45K Hot Dawg Morin’s heater and it works great in my insulated 3 car garage. Check Craigslist and OfferUp. That’s how I found mine. Also buy it now in the summer when pricing is best as folks simply want to get heaters sold off to clear space.