Hey guys!!! I was wondering what some of you do, and what is cheaper? To heat your garage 24/7 or only when you are out there? And if you do heat it all the time, do you turn it down to like 35* or keep it up to temp? I would imagine it would be cheaper to only heat it when you are out there, but how much? Besides things not freezing, is there any other benifit to heating all the time? Thanks!
Heated all the time vs. only on the weekends?
- Thread starter Gus68
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FoMoCoPower
Well-known member
Keep it at 50 when i`m not out there. That way nothing freezes.
ambenz
Well-known member
Ditto on the 50 degrees. I think since I store my Mustang for the winter, having the temp constant keep condensation out of the tank, interior, and engine voids.
Condensation has to be the #1 factor why I keep a warmer garage during the winter months.
It is also nice to get into the winter beater in the morning and have the interior come up to temperature after 3 minutes driving down the road.
jethro29
Well-known member
i keep mine set at fifty also.mine is a propane heater that a got foe free out of a double wide that was about to be demolished.i just set the theristat at 50 and leave it there until i go in then i crank it up to about seventy.it does a great job. also my a/c unit came from the same doublewide, it's a three ton unit and will run you out.
crewchief888
Well-known member
if you keep the temp up a little when you're not out there, it will take less time and energy to raise the temp.
also depends on what the outside air temp is to start with.
and if the space is insulated.
also depends on what the outside air temp is to start with.
and if the space is insulated.
GrahamNWT
Member
When it's -40 out it takes all day to heat up the shop so I keep it at about 40 degrees when I'm not in there working. Takes about a hour to bring it up to temp
I understand the freezing thing. But can it actually use less energy to keep it at 50* and bring it up to say 70*, compared to not running it t all and then running it to 70* on the weekends when your out there? Seems like if you added up the times it ran durring the week, it would be more than the hour or so it takes to warm it up from nothing.
Dragster Racer
Well-known member
If you look at it scientifically, it would always be cheaper to heat it only when you are using it. From a comfort standpoint, keeping it decent all the time keeps the floor and tools warm, and makes it way nicer when you go out and bump it up.
Graham08
Well-known member
I keep my attached garage at a steady 60 degrees, but I work out there pretty much every evening. The other thing to keep in mind is if you have big swings in temperature, you're going to have problems with condensation and rust. I have a bunch of metalworking equipment, so I try to keep the temp as constant as possible to avoid rust issues.
LEVE
Well-known member
I have an insulated three car detached garage heated with a pellet stove. I don't keep things inside that are harmed by freezing. The stove is always off, unless there's a need for heat, like when I'm working in there. Usually it doesn't freeze inside unless, like this week it was -18°F outside. I can get the inside up to a comfortable working temp at these low outside temps in about 1/2 hour of turning on the stove.
crewchief888
Well-known member
if my garage was insulated it isnt
if i had the abilty to heat it all the time i dont
i'd probably keep it in the 50* or so range,
i hategrabbing tools out of my service truck when it's below 20* or so. just saps the warmth out my hands, and makes working on anything even more miserable.
i'm used to working in cold weather, 50* would be nice, nearly t shirt weather......
if i had the abilty to heat it all the time i dont
i'd probably keep it in the 50* or so range,
i hategrabbing tools out of my service truck when it's below 20* or so. just saps the warmth out my hands, and makes working on anything even more miserable.
i'm used to working in cold weather, 50* would be nice, nearly t shirt weather......
Chetter
Well-known member
I have a 24x32 detached garage that is well insulated and I heat mine 24/7 at 48* when I am not out working on something then I run it up 65* but like others have said, it keeps the car and tools dry which is what I wanted. It costs me about 60-90.00 a month depending on the if the temp is in the single digits at nite to only the teens during the day. Get into the 30's during the day and 20's at nite, then it runs less.
Identaltech
Well-known member
I keep mine at 60 24-7
Never turn it up or down.
I heat with natural gas.
I started to heat the garage when I upgraded the house furnace to a higher efficiency furnace and move the old furnace out to the garage.
the gas bill went down so I tell the wife the heat is free in the garage.
Never turn it up or down.
I heat with natural gas.
I started to heat the garage when I upgraded the house furnace to a higher efficiency furnace and move the old furnace out to the garage.
the gas bill went down so I tell the wife the heat is free in the garage.
HemiRambler
Well-known member
When I insulated the house real well is when we built the garage & started to heat it - we never saw an increase in the heat bill - so basically the savings with the house insulation pays for the heating of the garage. Like most I keep it pretty low 50 or so 24/7. I will crank it up a a little when I am working in there - depending on how active I am - bench work higher - wrenching not so much.
dondarnell
Member
- Joined
- Nov 27, 2009
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- 11
I leave mine at 40F, only because that is as low as the t-stat will go. I was also concerned to let my plasma tv freeze. I turn it up to 65F to work.
John in OH
Well-known member
Graham08 hit on a very key issue ... condensation resulting from ambient temperature swings. I also have some machine tools and there have been times when the old shed is unheated that the condensation on the machines looks like condensation on a glass of ice tea on a summer day ... it makes me cringe to see it happen. Typically, if the ambient temperature rises dramatically or the humidity rises, the cold steel/warm air causes rapid condensation on the metal surfaces. Not a big deal on painted metal surfaces, but that "bare" steel on the machine tools gets a hue of rust real fast. Same thing can happen to your hand tools .... I have some very nice polished chrome Armstrong wrenches that now have tiny specs of rust in the polished chrome ... I'm sure it is from the condensation.
ErickForest
Well-known member
I have a 30X22 attached garage. I keep it about 50 all the time. I will turn it up when I go out there and it heats up quickly.
tatra
Well-known member
tried it both ways over 2 winters and didn't really notice a difference in cost but definetly better comfort wise.........mine i kept at 5 c and turned it up to 20c and less than an hour , tshirt comfy............turned off and on when needed , 3 hours for comfy..............
Spareparts
Well-known member
My shop is insulated, but not as much as I would like, but it is good enough to keep it around 45 and my main source of heat is a shop built wood stove sitting out side and plumbed into the shop. When I go out to work I build a good fire and bring it up to temp for comfort. I have to agree with keeping it up above freezing just to protect the few machine tools from condensation. I really don't sticking to my tools when it is to cold LOL.
AlbertaGuy
Well-known member
I bought a new house this summer and its the first time ive owned a garage so i have been debating this with myself for some time. I talked to everyone that would listen to me and the general consensus seems to be keep it low, say 45f and crank it up when yer out there. I installed a digital programmable stat and it keeps a steady 45f until 20 minutes before the wife goes out to get into her car and head to work. It ramps up a few degrees so it is real comfy for her then drops back to 45 till the next morn. When i go out to work in the evening it is warm in under 30 minutes so i find the recovery time great. I turned it off for a week while i was gone and then cranked it up to do some work one morning and it felt like the floor was sucking the heat out of my feet for about 2 hours.
This is my first winter with a heated shop.
I keep it set between 50 - 55*F, 24/7. I find that's a perfect temp for working in with a sweatshirt on. From what I can tell it costs less than $100/month to heat it. I can live with that.
I keep it set between 50 - 55*F, 24/7. I find that's a perfect temp for working in with a sweatshirt on. From what I can tell it costs less than $100/month to heat it. I can live with that.
rwhite692
Well-known member
A friend of mine said it best when this same topic came up on another forum:
The problem with ALL heat --- or cooling for that matter --- is the energy used to get EVERYTHING in the space up to temp. So think of that slab as a giant ice cube... if it's cold - it takes a lot to heat it up... ditto that giant tool box... the cars etc. They're all just big heat sinks.
Better and cheaper in the long run to get that stuff up to temp and leave it there, rather than on and off. Regardless of how you do that....
Set the heater at 60* and just let it go -- you'll find it runs far less often and the space will be ready to go when you are.
The problem with ALL heat --- or cooling for that matter --- is the energy used to get EVERYTHING in the space up to temp. So think of that slab as a giant ice cube... if it's cold - it takes a lot to heat it up... ditto that giant tool box... the cars etc. They're all just big heat sinks.
Better and cheaper in the long run to get that stuff up to temp and leave it there, rather than on and off. Regardless of how you do that....
Set the heater at 60* and just let it go -- you'll find it runs far less often and the space will be ready to go when you are.
Chetter
Well-known member
You said it best, it really does take time to heat the building and its contents. I have found no real savings between setting it and leaving alone versus turning it off and only turning it on when I go out to work on something. As I have said before, I really like not having the sweating and condensation all over my hot rod and my tools. I will continue heating 24/7 unless I can no longer afford it, but it really isn't that expensive for what I am doing.
Slowboat
Well-known member
Do you keep a pot of water boiling all day long to make one pot of coffee or pasta? For comfort reasons it can be nice to keep a shop from getting too cold when you aren't using it. I can say, that it is more efficient not to do that though.
There are lots of studies that show letting your house, shop, etc cool down (or heat up in the summer) when you aren't using them is much more efficient. It's why programmable thermostats save energy over one that you "set and forget".
There are lots of studies that show letting your house, shop, etc cool down (or heat up in the summer) when you aren't using them is much more efficient. It's why programmable thermostats save energy over one that you "set and forget".
rwhite692
Well-known member
You are reinforcing exactly what I'm saying. Setting back a thermostat by a few degrees in each ~10 hour overnight period, in a well insulated dwelling (which is full of stuff which retains heat) is indeed a way to save a few bucks.
I think that this discussion has a lot to do with the characteristics of the space which is being heated.
If the space is essentially empty, AND is not well insulated, there is nothing other than air in that space, to retain heat energy that has been applied.
If, on the other hand, the space is filled with cars, equipment, etc, AND is well Insulated, then there is essentially a very significant heat storage buffer effect in play.
No, but you do you keep the room were the pot is at 10 degrees in the winter or 68 degrees?
The question here is not one of air temperature, but rather the temperature of the thermal mass of the contents of the garage, as well as the concrete floor.
If you are only interested in bringing up the air temperature to shirtsleeves comfort, most garage heaters can do that in a matter of minutes. However, maintaining the temperature of the thermal mass in the garage is entirely a different thing.
As I stated in an earlier post, I have noticed no appreciable difference in my natural gas bill, but I also acknowledge that I live in an area with among the cheapest natural gas rates in the nation, my garage is very well insulated and I have a very nice insulated garage door.
e-tek
Well-known member
x2 here. I don't want my paints, fillers and cars to freeze. My RESZNOR heater only takes 2-3 minutes to bring the shop (1000 sq ft) up to working temp, about 56F.
e-tek
Well-known member
I think you completely have your reasoning backwards.....I don't think it's more efficient to let it go to outside temp (minus 20 anyone?) and then let it run for 3 hours solid to get it to 60F. Efficiency is due to small temp swings.
Programmables save money because it lowers it a FEW degrees at night, then brings it back up A FEW degrees - where it stays all day. It keeps people from keeping it too warm at night - and from swinging it from 60 to 70 to 80, back to 60, to 80, etc.
D KRAGER
Well-known member
I only turn it on when I'm out here, well depends. It has never dropped below 40 this year, most of the time it's 45ish out here with the heat totally off. I'm insulated very well (r-40 ceiling, r-25 walls).
If I know I'm gonna be working out here during the week, I'll keep it set around 55. It keeps the concrete warm and it's more comfortable.
If I know I'm gonna be working out here during the week, I'll keep it set around 55. It keeps the concrete warm and it's more comfortable.
rickairmedic
Well-known member
Programable thermostats in a house can be bad . I tell customers all the time not to change their temperature more than 5-7* F on their stats . The thermal mass of the walls and everything else in the house takes more neergy to bring back up 10*+ than if they had just left it alone in the first place . I agree for the garage keep it above freezing when you are not out there and you are better off than letting it drop all the way and then trying to bring it back up . Perfect example one of my customers owns a couple of bars . He used to turn the AC off when the bars closed and back on when they opened . They never actually cooled back down before evening . I told him to leave them on at night and he would be surprised at the differance in a couple of days . He did and now he has no problems with them still being hot in the evening . I know AC and Heat differant but not really just reversing roles .
Rick
Rick
gsport
Well-known member
my pilot light keeps it above freezing.. it was 34° outside today when i went in. inside temperature was 48°, flipped on the heater and an hour later it was up to 68°.. t-shirt time
RAYJAY
Well-known member
think of the floor if the inside is 30 deg the floor is also takes a long time for the concrete to warm up ,
I did the 40 deg until i worked out there for number of years, installed a Harman coal stoker this year and keep the temp at 68 deg all the time, the floor is sooooooooo much better to work on and no sweating of any tools and the floor is not damp either
jeff
Cwood8656
Active member
My shop is very well insulated. I keep the t-stat at 60 most of the time and turn it up when I'm going to be out there. Our laundry operation is there too, so I can't let it get too cold.
Chris.
Chris.