Heated garage makes me sick?

[bucs012]

I used to use Kerosene to heat my garage in the past and if I was in there for long periods of time, I would start feeling sick! I figured it was from the fuel smell or carbon monoxide poisoning....

This year I went to electric heat, using a Modine G73 heater. I was out there for a long period of time today (6 hours) for the first time this year and I started feeling like ****. I felt achy in my whole body and my stomach felt a little upset. I went into the house and took a shower and started feeling much better.

Is this just a coincidence or is there something that could be bothering me???? The garage was only heated to 60 and it was about 25 outside.

 

[DirtyWhiteBoy]

are you cooking meth or something like that


Sorry, what are you working on, any fumes welding,painting ect

 

[Identaltech]

what was you working on?
You did turn off the car while you was working out there?
I would say it must be fumes from something.
you can rule out the heater since its electric.

 

[tcianci]

Was it the first use of the heater? Sometimes there is stuff on the heating elements from the manufacturing process and such that will outgass on the first use. Hope you feel better.

P.S....A buddy of mine had a beautiful heated garage and I didn't..that made me sick too.

 

[bucs012]

I did cut a few 2x4's with my hand saw. Think it could be the smell from the dust/wood. That sure did smell up the place...........

 

[Keep]

I sure hope it wasn't the elec heater. I just bought one the other day!

How long did your heater have to run to bring it up to 60?

I used to use the propane out in the garage, couple to many migraines from the fumes and I finally bought one that won't fume me out of the place.

 

[i8tokyo]

Do you have an issue with mold? Maybe it isn't the heat that’s doing it. Maybe it is the quality of the air in your garage, or the lack of ventilation, when the heat is on. This fall when the door was closed but the heat wasn't not on did you feel like that? Just a thought.

 

[onewaydave]

CO poisoning with combustion or gas heaters, can use a CO detector cheap.
Doubt mold but could be.
Check that you don't have other fumes present. Leaking or insecure bottles of whatever.
Are you getting dehydrated?
Is it a honeydo project that you don't want to do?
Is it only the shop that it occur in?

 

[bucs012]

I sure hope it wasn't the elec heater. I just bought one the other day!

How long did your heater have to run to bring it up to 60?

The area I heat is only 300 square feet and is insulate with r19 in the walls and r38 in the ceiling. 9 foot ceiling. That G73 heats it up FAST. I usually heat the area up, slowly though a little at a time to cut down on chances of moisture. It was about 25 outside yesterday so my shop was sstill 40 degrees when I went in there. I turn the heat on and bump it up, slowly, over an hour, usually. Normally keep it 50-60 as I don't like it really warm and don't mind wearing a light coat.

No gas or other chemicals in the garage other than a few gas cans with the lids on and no usage for a week with those.

I could have been dehydrated since I did not drink much yesterday. Or it was just a freak thing.........We'll see next weekend when I am out there a lot again.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Some people will develop allergies to different kinds of wood sawdust over time, although if you were just cutting a couple 2x4s that doesn't seem likely.

 

[Reflections Detailing]

just go sit in the garage with the heater on and read, take a nap. Do you get sick then?

Cheers,
GREG

 

[GreyOwl]

Any chance you were cutting TREATED wood?
Charles

 

[bucs012]

just go sit in the garage with the heater on and read, take a nap. Do you get sick then?

Cheers,
GREG

Take a nap???? I might wake up........DEAD!

The wood I was cutting was NOT treated. Just a plane ole cheap 2x4 from Home Depot. It sure had a strong smell to it though.

I will have to play around with this. I spend a lot of time out in the garage but sometimes I Don't even turn the heat on. It's getting cold enough that now I will be. I will keep you guys up to date on what I find out. If I'm still alive............

 

[Keep]

Thanks for the info.

I will be installing mine this weekend. About 400 sf, 3 walls insulated, not the door or the 4 feet in front of the door. At least not yet. I will see how it goes.