Heater dilemma and need opinions

[outlander800]

So I have a 24x40x10 garage with 2 man doors and an insulated 16ft garage door. The garage is attached to the house so around 15ft of one wall is attached and the rest of the garage is insulated and drywalled.

The previous owner of the house installed a Reznor natural gas heater that is 125,000 btu. In reading on this forum I now see that heater is way oversized and will surely short cycle and not be the right application for my garage.

Im going to begin remodeling the garage as far as lighting, repairing drywall, painting, and floor coating. So my question is should I deal with this heater now and get the right one for my set up or just run it till it becomes a problem? Cost isn't really a problem and Id rather get the right sized heater in there and plumbed up then fix walls and paint instead of having to do it later. What would you guys do, fix it now or later?

 

[yeldogt]

Just leave the door open -- perfect size!

I would leave .. see how you use the space. It's big , yes. How is the slab? You also have a long throw.

I don't see how keeping it in place causes a problem vs replacing it now with doing any remodeling ?

After you get everything set you can see how long it has to run -- this will help with sizing the new.

 

[outlander800]

The slab is dry and in good shape. The heater is not causing a problem keeping it in place, I was contemplating swapping it out now while Im doing the work vs later knowing its not the right application for my set up. Was just curious of peoples opinions and what they would do.

 

[Climatecreator]

If I was to choose for myself there would be radiant tube heaters on either side of the garage to warm the slab.


First choice would be in floor radiant but looks like you're past that window of opportunity unless you're tearing up the floor.

CC

 

[Jackfre]

Put in a Rinnai EX38.

 

[CAAnderson]

Are you sure you can't just run on it low? Might be worth a test (late at night or first thing in the morning when coldest) to see how it runs now, and if it really does short cycle. If it ain't broke...

Otherwise, you could always pick up a smaller portable heater for when you don't need that powerhouse. If there's a fair bit of airflow you could just grab a propane garage heater for cheap and run that without hassle when you need it. Save turning on the big guy for the coldest days.

That said, if you give it a few trial runs and it's either short-cycling or turning the place into a furnace, then yeah - start looking for a proper alternative to install while it's convenient.

P.S. - Love the car!

 

[yeldogt]

Put in a Rinnai EX38.

Wish people would give these more "eye time" -- they really are the ticket for many applications.

Mine is not modulating as it was bought years ago -- but, they are easy to install ..direct vent w/ makeup air. Quiet compared to other systems and most important .. they put the hot air down on the floor where it belongs.

Modulating makes it even better.

They cost more ... that's the problem. But -- if you plan on staying .. they really do work well. especially if placed properly in a well insulated shop

 

[BillK]

Where are you located ? My attached garage is 22 x 22 but only an 8ft or so ceiling. The front wall of the garage is the only part attached to the house. There is no insulation in the ceiling but the walls are insulated and the door is also and is sealed very good. I have a 5000 W electric heater hanging on the wall in one corner and I does a good job keeping it warm under whatever conditions we have here in Maryland.

This is what I have:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00377O5P4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[yeldogt]

Where are you located ? My attached garage is 22 x 22 but only an 8ft or so ceiling. The front wall of the garage is the only part attached to the house. There is no insulation in the ceiling but the walls are insulated and the door is also and is sealed very good. I have a 5000 W electric heater hanging on the wall in one corner and I does a good job keeping it warm under whatever conditions we have here in Maryland.

This is what I have:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00377O5P4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Have the same heater .. I agree ... excellent. Used it first NYC garage years ago and it did a great job keeping my studio warm when my propane was down for replacement. I like that it has two settings ... I did need to replace the motor after about 15 years!

 

[papp101]

I'd leave it and use it for now, as the small extra you may pay for short cycling would be far less than putting the 1-2k to change it.

If you were to downsize it, I like the ex 38, or even just a 40k hot dog heater.


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[MoonRise]

Your location?

You say that the garage doors are 'insulated'. But just what R value are they?

Two man doors, insulated or not?

You say the walls are insulated, but what R value is in the walls?

Is the ceiling insulated, and if so what R value in there?

Floor slab insulated or not?

Air leakage value?

125k sounds a bit big at first, but in the dead of winter (NY state somewhere) with a cold slab and the entire garage contents and structure at 0F (because you are only running the heater on an as-needed basis) and some fresh air ventilation going on of 150-250 cfm (small fan really) that garage could need that full 125k Btu/hr (actually that 125k number is the energy input, the nominal output is 99.6 k to warm up and -stay- warm.

https://www.loadcalc.net/load.php#

Run it as-is for now and see how the unit does in the dead of winter.

 

[papp101]

I agree.

You could set a thermostat in the garage to the same temp as the house and leave the house door open all the time.

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[Jim greengo]

How about some details on the nova?