Heating recomm?

[Coldgarage]

Thanks in advance! To set the stage, I'm going to heat my 4 car garage: 1125 square foot, 10 foot ceilings. Want to keep it around 50 degrees during winter to keep the help keep the bedrooms/bathrooms above it more warm primarily. Have heard from 1st HVAC co. that I need 2 radiant heaters, also heard one will suffice from 2nd HVAC co. Walls are insulated, garage doors are not I believe they're nothing special. Your opinions 1 vs 2? I know both are looking at using gas, venting . Also have had bid come in for install around 2600 (700 material costs 1900 labor costs) from the 2 radiant heater folks and 1500-2000 from the 1 heater guy. Thoughts on those estimates? Thanks everybody appreciate your time, expertise

 

[MikeLawrence]

Thanks in advance! To set the stage, I'm going to heat my 4 car garage: 1125 square foot, 10 foot ceilings. Want to keep it around 50 degrees during winter to keep the help keep the bedrooms/bathrooms above it more warm primarily. Have heard from 1st HVAC co. that I need 2 radiant heaters, also heard one will suffice from 2nd HVAC co. Walls are insulated, garage doors are not I believe they're nothing special. Your opinions 1 vs 2? I know both are looking at using gas, venting . Also have had bid come in for install around 2600 (700 material costs 1900 labor costs) from the 2 radiant heater folks and 1500-2000 from the 1 heater guy. Thoughts on those estimates? Thanks everybody appreciate your time, expertise

The number of outlets (heaters) is irrelevant to the discussion afaik. What you care about is the total BTU output and the ability to circulate air. A good hvac company should have done a real heat loss calculation but just as a ballpark I suspect that one company is wanting to throw a 35k in there and the other is wanting to throw in two 18ks.

You'll technically get better heat distribution with the two system setup but based on the usage you're talking about sounds to me like that's irrelevent to the discussion.

And for that matter a box fan is like $11 right?

Just an opinion,
Michael Lawrence, Lissco

 

[jklingel]

If you are not stuck w/ gas, a Toyo Laser 56 will heat it. You can install them yourself, if handy at all. Uninsulated doors will kill you. Seal around them as best you can.

 

[Coldgarage]

Thanks for the replies so far. I am not a very adept fix it guy. What do you mean box fan? I tried a relatively inexpensive space heater last year and that didn't touch it. I am only going by the recommendations and my interpretation from the 2 bids that I received. I will look up Toyo Laser 56 online, I'm not set on gas, just wanted to have a thermostat and keep her to 50 degrees really. Any recomm on the garage door problem, how do I seal them? Thanks for the expertise!!
Mike

 

[Randy in Maine]

You can find garage door insulation at most Home Depot or Lowes. Usually it is about 1 1/4" thick and give you about R-5. It will fit a 8/9 ft door and is easy to install. Cheap money.

 

[jklingel]

Hodepo and Lodepo also will likely have the sealing gaskets for the doors.

 

[MikeLawrence]

Thanks for the replies so far. I am not a very adept fix it guy. What do you mean box fan? I tried a relatively inexpensive space heater last year and that didn't touch it.

No the btu requirements are the btu requirements. Based on my above guess I think you'd need like 7 space heaters to adequately heat the space...

I was just saying that the difference between having two units and one (assuming equal total btu) is their ability to move the heat around right? A box fan is just a type of cheap fan that could blow some air around and make the heat distribution more even (if that was even required).

http://www.google.com/images?q=box+fan

Michael Lawrence, Lissco

 

[Coldgarage]

Thank you everybody for all the replies and information!

 

[Coldgarage]

Hoping you would humor me with a couple more questions, would be much appreciated as always! Well, the garage door co. informed me that the insulation rating is 9.5 for the doors. It is steel on the inside/outside with an interior insulation layer. Still feels pretty cold to the touch however. Is that sufficient for heating the garage throughout the cold/winter months? I also called another co. for a bid and was told they would do a gas installation but not radiant heat. Told me to call an electrical co. for a radiant heat installation. I thought a radiant heat unit did require gas and venting as well. Am I getting my facts mixed up? As always thanks for the expertise!

 

[jklingel]

Glad the doors are insulated. That R9.5 is probably the insulation, no the whole door. The whole door will be lower because of edges and joints. That is probably "standard normal", so you just deal with it. Four holes that big in a fairly small building is going to be a challenge, so work first on sealing the doors as tight as you can, and if you can conveniently insulate more, do so. Radiant heat can get its energy from anything; fuel oil, electricity, propane, etc. It just takes a different appliance for different units. Elect will likely be the most expensive (per btu) to operate, but cheap to install. I always suggest to my DIY brothers to use an online heat loss calculator to get a ballpark idea of what the skinny is. Or, calc your own; it ain't rocket science. Here is a link to one: One cat I sent here said it was "too complicated" but I think he did not read it at all. All you need to stick in is basic info; surface sizes and R values, etc, in the blue boxes. You don't need to fill in every box; just one for ceiling, one for all doors combined into one, etc. Check it out, and you'll have a fair idea of what size heater you need. Then go with whatever fuel meets your specs; cost, nuisance, etc. AIR SEAL. Did I say that?