Heating your garage, what's your setup.

[Renegade1LI]

No woodstoves?
I’ve heard all the many reasons not to use a wood stove, but I figured there’d be at least 1 rebel in the group.

I have a new wood stove but haven't had time to install it. Have a 32 x 50 garage that's 1/3 insulated going to add elect space heater in there for now. Just need to keep some essentials from freezing for now.

 

[Magnum440d100]

Not my shop per se. But one I’ll be working out of. We just installed this the other day ago. It doesn’t get it 100°, but definitely gets it to t-shirt weather.

 

[snorvet]

I have a little 220v heater for my 20'x24' shop. I can't remember the brand name.

 

[niknack]

I heat mine with this:

6.2L space heater keeps it tolerable in my mild N. Carolina climate.

BEST ANSWER PERIODT

 

[JRC3]

No woodstoves?
I’ve heard all the many reasons not to use a wood stove, but I figured there’d be at least 1 rebel in the group.

Like a wood kiln? My girlfriend, Fawn Liebowitz uses one....I just talked to her, she's gonna make a pot for me.

 

[Great white]

I attached my garage to the house (when we built the retirement home) and when we poured the slab we sized the in floor heat water furnace to handle the extra sq footage and plumbed the garage slab portion the same as the house.

Nothing quite so satisfying laying on a nice, warm concrete floor to work on your classic/project car when it's -15c outside.....I even shun using a creeper because the floor feels so good on my back.

Summer is a heat pump for cooling.

Of course, it's insulated the same as the house so it's also pretty efficient.

Side bonus is tools don't rust anymore because the space is essentially climate "stable". No more oiling table saw tops, only oil needed for the metal lathe?mill is what it needs to operate, etc.

I still remember when I was young and poor laying on a soggy piece of cardboard out in the driveway on top of snow and ice in the same -10/-15c because I had no other choice.

Retirement ain't so bad sometimes....

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I tried a wood stove in my old shop. I found that I’d get so involved in my project that the fire was close to out before I noticed I needed to add wood. My new shop uses a cold weather heat pump which handles our New England cold very nicely, and I never have to order fuel! No natural gas available in our rural location.

 

[Snapped-off]

Just bought one of these today.

 

[tjansson]

Here ya go, woodstove. Garage gets the weird offcuts from logs and wood scraps. House gets the uniform 16" firewood.

 

[racecougar]

My old man heats his shop with a wood furnace, and I have a small stove in my garden shed, but the mini-split in my shop is the bees knees.

 

[NUTTSGT]

No woodstoves?
I’ve heard all the many reasons not to use a wood stove, but I figured there’d be at least 1 rebel in the group.

I have a woodburner in my garage and it does a nice job and works well for me as a low cost winter heat.

I tried a wood stove in my old shop. I found that I’d get so involved in my project that the fire was close to out before I noticed I needed to add wood. My new shop uses a cold weather heat pump which handles our New England cold very nicely, and I never have to order fuel! No natural gas available in our rural location.

I put a small glass jar candle on my woodburner as it has a sheet metal box around it for the blower. It can be used as an add-on.

The candle is like a 4-6 oz size. As it warms up, the wax melts. When the wax starts to harden back up, I know it's time to add wood. It's like a visual thermostat.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I have a woodburner in my garage and it does a nice job and works well for me as a low cost winter heat.



I put a small glass jar candle on my woodburner as it has a sheet metal box around it for the blower. It can be used as an add-on.

The candle is like a 4-6 oz size. As it warms up, the wax melts. When the wax starts to harden back up, I know it's time to add wood. It's like a visual thermostat.

Wouldn’t work for me. I’d have to think to look in the direction of the stove. Mine has a glass front, so the fire is visible. I tended to forget to look.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Wouldn’t work for me. I’d have to think to look in the direction of the stove. Mine has a glass front, so the fire is visible. I tended to forget to look.

I completely understand, it just became second nature for me. . . . Just like when I had a scanner in the garage. I could tune out every departments radio traffic except ours.

 

[PoorUB]

No woodstoves?
I’ve heard all the many reasons not to use a wood stove, but I figured there’d be at least 1 rebel in the group.

Insurance is probably the biggest reason not to. If you fly without insurance and have wood handy, not much reason not too, as long as you used some common sense.

Heat sources in a garage are supposed to be 18" off the floor. I had a buddy that had a wood burner on a stand, 2-3 feet up.

 

[the shifty jesus]

20x24 detached space, insulated walls, but open trusses to the roof.

I use an 80k kerosene forced air jet engine to get it up to 60 degrees, and then switch over to the old fashioned kerosene heater to maintain if I’m going to be out there for a while.

I do have both CO and CO2 monitors in the shop.

 

[JRC3]

Saw this at Menards this evening. Go get one if you have a small space. Runs for about 16h on high with a 20# tank.

Years ago I used one with a clip fan behind it mounted on the tank handle to keep my garage workable. Worked great for what it is. I still use the setup when I work in unheated areas.

 

[No Tyme]

Just hung a 7500 watt electric heater with a fan
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6Z1WRL8/?tag=atomicindus08-20)
I hope to keep the garage from freezing in northwest Ohio's winters

24 X 32 w/8' ceiling

 

[GX460DIYguy]

A hoodie or a jacket depending on the level of warmth needed. We’re more worried about cooling down where I’m at.

 

[JRC3]

Just hung a 7500 watt electric heater with a fan
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6Z1WRL8/?tag=atomicindus08-20)
I hope to keep the garage from freezing in northwest Ohio's winters

24 X 32 w/8' ceiling

I use two of these 5ks for my 24x24. https://www.menards.com/main/heatin...m?tid=-579922379402189068&bargainStoreId=3296

Got those on sale back in 2017 for $70ea.

 

[Slednut]

24000 BTU MrCool DIY, 26x56’ attached. Have used it for cooling and heating for over 2 years, love it.

 

[lalojamesliz]

I have a McCool 12k. Uses a heat pump to heat up my 2 car garage and it works great. The cooling works great too.

 

[dcg9381]

We’re more worried about cooling down where I’m at.

Where were you 2/2021? Last predictions I heard was a 10-20% chance of exhausting our grid power again this year...

But the rest of the year, I'm totally with you on cooling down.

 

[Beemer]

I was always curious about a local power equipment store that had a wood stove blazing right in there with the equipment.
I never had the nerve to try that.

 

[GX460DIYguy]

Where were you 2/2021? Last predictions I heard was a 10-20% chance of exhausting our grid power again this year...

But the rest of the year, I'm totally with you on cooling down.

I actually like it cold so those big freezes weren’t a big deal for me other than fellow Texans not knowing how to drive in those conditions. We spent most of the time out hunting.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Infrared red tube heater, I would install another one in a heartbeat if mine were to be a total loss.

 

[Plump]

Since 2012, I have been using a 30K BTU Pro Com ventless and a box fan tied to a snap switch inside the plenum...

It keeps the garage at 55F throughout the winter and will heat the space to 68F in a hour when OAT is below freezing. Garage is 660 SF with 12 foot ceilings. With the fan, snap relay and furnace, I spent less than $250 in 2012.

Did this for years and it worked just like for ambenz. Just didn't want to use up that much wall space anymore so I switched to a Big Maxx 50000 BTU that I'm still working on getting rolling (think a bad gas valve is causing me headaches). I really didn't have too much issue with condensation or CO. Garage "breathes" just fine!

 

[Boilerhouse]

No woodstoves?
I’ve heard all the many reasons not to use a wood stove, but I figured there’d be at least 1 rebel in the group.

Count me as another wood stove user with a twist - outdoor wood boiler with a storage tank as a heat battery. Water is pumped to a heat exchanger is the shop, and a thermostat controlled fan spreads the heat around. The system is totally a home built DIY project. I start the fire early afternoon, and shut it down late afternoon when water temp hits about 190 deg F.

From 2010 until last year it heated both the house and the shop, but now it is shop only. Wood consumption has dropped significantly too.

 

[jkuro]

I just installed my last two Rinnai DV wall furnaces. One went into my daughters garage/play room and last week I install the EX22 in my gara/shop. Actually it is a shop. No way a car will ever fit in there. The gas line took a few hours as I no longer have my dies and had to make a few trips to the Store. Setting the vent and heater and trimming it out took about two hours. Sweet heat!
If you can afford it the mini-split is the way to go in a well insulated space.

Is a drip leg not required anymore?

 

[65ranchero]

In 2 car garage/ work shop radiant in floor heat, feed off the house boiler.
Set thermostat to 58F Fully insulated, one bay has 8.5ft ceiling and the lift bay has 14+ ceiling

 

[jonesg]

diesel heater just arrived, $99 amazon, I ran it on kerosine and its going to work fine.
Ran it in the house with no exhaust, no smoke, slight smell.
Gave it 15 minutes then shut it down, its going in the garage in the morning, 14F here now.
Sounds like a turbine spooling up.

 

[Reata210]

I heat with a 240V 7500 watt 25k btu ceiling mount I installed about 17 years ago. I also installed a t stat. I only use it when in the shop. Can be at freezing outside and 60-65 inside. I normally have to shut it off because it gets to warm. I like it around 60. 32x28 Partially insulated with an unfinished upstairs detached from house. Works fine here in NC.

 

[Jackfre]

Is a drip leg not required anymore?

I have heard discussion of the drop leg being dropped, but I do not know if NFPA 54 says it. I don’t get the updates any longer. The drip leg on the Rinnai is behind the heater And I can’t see a reason to not use them.

 

[housewolf]

Where were you 2/2021? Last predictions I heard was a 10-20% chance of exhausting our grid power again this year...

But the rest of the year, I'm totally with you on cooling down.

I use a mini split heat pump, works great in the summer and very good in the winter. No ERCOT for my area in E TX. We are SERC and so far have had great service year round. <knocks on wood>

 

[ecwilson4]

20x24 detached space, insulated walls, but open trusses to the roof.

I use an 80k kerosene forced air jet engine to get it up to 60 degrees, and then switch over to the old fashioned kerosene heater to maintain if I’m going to be out there for a while.

I do have both CO and CO2 monitors in the shop.

Just closed on my first home and have a detached, unfinished, 20x20 garage. where are you located? i've been dreading the thought of closing in the roof for insulation (i'm in the Northeast). Sounds like you are staying reasonably comfortable? Why did you only do the walls? I like the idea of leaving the ceiling exposed, especially because it makes my life easier and less money!

 

[the shifty jesus]

Denver, Colorado.
I didn’t close the ceiling, because after wiring, insulating and drywalling, my 70 year old father and I weren’t about to hang gypsum upside down at that point in life. I did have a plan to get a crew in at some point to hang the ceiling/tape/mud, but it fell by the wayside, what with the house being 140 years old, and needing more attention.

If the outside temps are in the 20s, it takes the forced air heater about 15 minutes to get it into the 50s.
I do have the garage door insulated with polyisocyanurate as well, and it does help.

Some day I’ll have the ceiling done, and either install a mini split, or just use the convection kerosene heater alone. It would definitely be quieter, but the current setup has worked fine for a number of years.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Just closed on my first home and have a detached, unfinished, 20x20 garage. where are you located? i've been dreading the thought of closing in the roof for insulation (i'm in the Northeast). Sounds like you are staying reasonably comfortable? Why did you only do the walls? I like the idea of leaving the ceiling exposed, especially because it makes my life easier and less money!

Less money now, but it will cost you more in the long term.

Insulation is an investment, every time you heat or cool your shop, it's a ROI.

 

[nicholsmf]

Just a home DIY shop because that sounds expensive compared to what we have for rates.

Spend some money on insulation and you might be surprised how far your rates drop. Especially if your heating and cooling with the mini-split.

I may add more insulation later but with the electric bill as low as it is, I'm not sure it's worth spending more on insulation.

 

[35k0]

Just bought one of these today.

I have in-floor radiant in my 30x44 that I leave at 45 and if I need it warmer, I use that exact same heater and in 30 minutes its 65.

 

[ecwilson4]

Less money now, but it will cost you more in the long term.

Insulation is an investment, every time you heat or cool your shop, it's a ROI.

Yeah that is a good point, I'm sure I will learn many lessons- i've lived in NYC for the last 15 years and am finally going to the suburbs- this forum will be my bible and i couldn't be more excited!

 

[evildky]

I have an old electric air handler form a house. I hung it from the ceiling, added about 12 foot of box duct, cut a few 6" starters into it intending to add runs but never did. does a pretty good job of keeping my 1k sqft garage at 50 during the coldest arts of our KY winters. If I plan on working on something I crank it up to 60 or so well in advance. Keeping things warm is far easier than getting them warm.