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Heating Garage in Michigan
- Thread starter Mczygan
- Start date
James-W
Well-known member
I live in Wisconsin and I am using natural gas. In my case, after much research it seemed to be the most economical way to do it. Since Michigan has roughly the same climate as Wisconsin, I suspect if you research it you will come to the same conclusion.
ShiftedSolutions
Active member
I am finaly got a new garage and put the pex tubing in the floors and that is supposed to be very economical (I have not got the building finsihed yet) but living in Michigan also I would say natural gas. I have propane at my house and can see the natural gas line stop at my neighbors house... $6500 to have it ran 300 ft to my house so I am switching to a wood boiler. If your mainly looking to do this through fuel and have access to natural gas I would look into the radiant tubes...
Does it have a ceiling?? Any insulation?? Windows and doors - - what all heat loss?? Full subpanel for electricity?? Have propane or natural gas service?? Any pictures??
Lots of variables when you don't provide much info other than size and that it's located in Michigan.
Lots of variables when you don't provide much info other than size and that it's located in Michigan.
I am finaly got a new garage and put the pex tubing in the floors and that is supposed to be very economical (I have not got the building finsihed yet) but living in Michigan also I would say natural gas. I have propane at my house and can see the natural gas line stop at my neighbors house... $6500 to have it ran 300 ft to my house so I am switching to a wood boiler. If your mainly looking to do this through fuel and have access to natural gas I would look into the radiant tubes...
This quote can't be correct. Unless you have 4 lane highway that you'll have to pay fees to bore under . . . .that $6,500 for 300 ft is WAY off!!
You could hire top notch Telco fiber optic boring crew with Ditch Witch or Vermeer and bore that line the full 300 ft (all 4 ft below ground) within a 2 ft target window right outside your garage for that price!!
A sprinkler install company hungry for work during winter surely could give you better price. Worst case scenario your meter would be over on mainline where it ends, and full 300 ft would be your responsibility.
I'd try to force gas company to get NG line closer (like somewhere in your front yard in easement), even if you have to "Shake The Tree" at PUC for Michigan (ie Public Utility Commission). That should be done on their nickel to serve their "customer area" that PUC demands. Only gottcha against you might be county line / city jurisdiction / etc. Has to be more to the story.
ShiftedSolutions
Active member
Actually no there isn't. My house is next door to my parents house. At the end of their yard is the natural gas line end. They are the last house with it. 300ft south is my house. Same side of the road so no boaring. No driveways to cross. I will say they told me I could cut 1500 off the price if I had the work done in the summer vs. the winter, so I can say $5000 to have it done. It's through consumers energy. And that is the main line so I cannot touch that line nor will they use any trenches not dug by them.
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It all depends on what you have available. I went with a 75,000 BTU garage furnace fueled from a 120gl LP tank. This setup is good to 10° if the temp drops bellow that you would wont to step up to a 500gl tank. In any case buy your LP tank, under 500gl LP is terrible expensive.
My personnel choice would be NG, LP, then Electric.
My personnel choice would be NG, LP, then Electric.
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jlckmj
Well-known member
Hello I have a 24'x28' story and a half garage in michigan. What is the best and cheapest way to heat it-at least the bottom during the winter?
It depends, is the garage done?
is the garage insulated?
what fuel source(s) do you have?
How often are you going to use it, and at what temp?
In my opinion, in floor heat is the best but no where near the cheapest to install.
Gas forced air is probably the easiest to install, it may also be the most cheapest on the initial installation, but not the most comfortable. (cold floors)
Wood gets the call for cheapest, if you have a free supply, but it's a lot of work!
WE NEED MORE INFO TO GIVE A BETTER ANSWER.
Jim
James-W
Well-known member
I think this is getting way off the subject of what the opening poster wants to know. He says he wants to know what is the best and the cheapest way of heating a garage in Michigan. In other words, he wants to know if he should go with natural gas, a wood stove, LP gas, solar heat, a heat pump, etc. He wasn't asking what size heating unit he should get or how much it would cost to heat the garage. I realize everyone is just trying to be helpful and that's great, but as near as I can tell from reading his opening post, that it isn't really what the guy wants to know.