Portable Shop Heaters

[ricepudding]

I live in northern canada, and I have a unheated single car garage that gets quite cold during the winter months. I have been using a 120v portable fan heater by placing it close to me when working, but would like something a bit more powerful. I dont want to use a propane heater though, as I don't want to open the door for exhaust gases.

help me decide:

Halogen heater
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ceiling-mounted-workshop-heater-0435995p.html#.VD0g5vldVIE

Ceramic heater
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-ceramic-barrel-heater-0436145p.html#.VD0g1_ldVIE

Coil Heater
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/portable-shop-heater-0436079p.html#.VD0g7PldVIE

 

[LOOSEWHEEL]

Consider the Big Buddy portable propane heater. Tons use them indoors including myself. It has a built in oxygen sensor that will shut it down. Keep the tank outside and supplement with a CO2 detector.

 

[Pretired]

Hi ricepudding, is your garage insulated?
Because I currently have a mostly insulated garage, as in the attic is insulated and vapour barriered, walls soon to be same.
I have a heater similar to this one, specs are exactly the same < http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-4800-watt-heater-0522638p.html#.VD0yJBadjew > .
Anyways, a coworker uses the same unit in his insulated garage and says it works great, so I can't wait to try it this winter, and I live in Winnipeg so I know what it means to be cold too, so if you have the 220 volt circuit to power it, it may be just the ticket.
Good luck.

 

[brycez28]

I use a propane heater in my garage when I'm working in there for a while with no issues. Mine is a convection style heater, similar to this http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/h...2nvHcZfIna50tE1a0kojkhoCGv_w_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

My garage is small (14'x24') and I like this because I don't have to worry as much about space around it as you do with a torpedo style heater. I put a fan behind it to help circulate the air.

This year I also added a Electric Oil-Filled Radiant Portable Heater to my garage to help maintain the temperature above freezing (hopefully!) and then use the propane for when I'm in there for several hours.

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

When I was stationed in VA, hunting season in the mountains during December were pretty cold after sitting in a tree stand all morning. Our old mobile home cabine build before 1975 was thinly insulated. But having one of these very fire safe and efficient oil heaters running 24/7 made all the difference. Even when set to the lowest setting kept things from freezing all season when empty. Have one of these running the night before working or 24/7 will provide a space that is much more tolerable so that when you switch to your small hot spot heater it will not have to work as hard. Check out the reviews also.

It was nice coming into a comfortable and quiet space without the worries of a hot heater fire and incessent fan noise.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000A33B1C?cache=f9cbffb837e2e962c8a185a0534db2ea&pi=SY200_QL40&qid=1413302959&sr=8-2#ref=mp_s_a_1_2

 

[racerex]

Consider the Big Buddy portable propane heater. Tons use them indoors including myself. It has a built in oxygen sensor that will shut it down. Keep the tank outside and supplement with a CO2 detector.

+1. In my case, I have a Mr. Heater 35k BTU portable forced air propane heater. I have a 6' long hose so I can keep the tank outside, I crack the exterior side entry door open so I have a slight fresh air source (I keep the tank outside the same door) and I have qulaity CO2 detector in the garage.

My setup would keep my old uninsulated 24x24 block wall garage warm enough to work in during the dead of winter. I will say, that the place would cool down within 15-20 minutes of the heater being off.

 

[Algoma56]

Manitoulin??
If you can use a 220V construction heater. Got one at TSC for around $70 on sale. Works pretty good, if area is insulated.

 

[mikec35]

Radiant heaters are great for localized heat where you are working. If you get a gas one then you can run without electricity, if that is a potential issue. Unless the gas heaters specify for outdoor use only you will not have to worry about fresh air.

 

[Leeboy20]

This is what I used in my 28x30 insulated shop until I installed my mr heater natural gas heater . http://www.homedepot.ca/product/4800w-240v-construction-heater-almond/954396

Worked pretty good , now I gave it to my step dad who has a single garage. He had the canadian tire radiant one you posted and it wasn't very good. If you have 240v in your shop I'd definitely take advantage of it .

 

[bczygan]

I've got a couple portable propane heaters, but I have natural gas.

Does anyone make a NG portable, or at least, is there a way to hook one up so it can be moved or disconnected and reconnected?

Looking to heat a 1 car attached garage with no insulation.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I've got a couple portable propane heaters, but I have natural gas.

Does anyone make a NG portable, or at least, is there a way to hook one up so it can be moved or disconnected and reconnected?

First, you have to get a proper orifice for the heater. The manufacturer may or may NOT sell them.

Second, they do sell flex hose with some kind of coupler for natural gas. I don't know if it is interchangeable with LP fittings or not. NG is very low pressure after the meter.


EDIT : Fittings, hoses and quick couplers are interchangeable between LP and NG. Proper "rubber" hose and brass couplers are fine. Shop eBay.

 

[Banjorear]

Consider the Big Buddy portable propane heater. Tons use them indoors including myself. It has a built in oxygen sensor that will shut it down. Keep the tank outside and supplement with a CO2 detector.

I have one. They do an marginal job in a cold garage. Once it gets 32 or below, they have a hard time keeping up. I'm thinking of making a sheet metal throw with a fan to put behind it to help "throw" the heat a bit more.

 

[Banjorear]

This is what I used in my 28x30 insulated shop until I installed my mr heater natural gas heater . http://www.homedepot.ca/product/4800w-240v-construction-heater-almond/954396

Worked pretty good , now I gave it to my step dad who has a single garage. He had the canadian tire radiant one you posted and it wasn't very good. If you have 240v in your shop I'd definitely take advantage of it .

Curious how much juice this things uses? In NJ, electric is sky high.

 

[Professur]

One other thing to consider ... noise. Many of the 'construction' style heaters put out almost as much noise as they do heat.

 

[BobRae]

Manitoulin??
If you can use a 220V construction heater. Got one at TSC for around $70 on sale. Works pretty good, if area is insulated.

But don't leave it unattended. There have been many cases reported of garage fires from those units. A $1.4M house with attached garage in my area burned to the ground last winter - cause - construction heater (4,800 watt).

 

[BobRae]

I just completed insulating and boarding my 24 x 24 garage. I have R15 in the walls and currently R10 in the ceiling, but that will be upgraded to R50 in a couple of weeks. A complete vapor barrier was installed. We had a couple of cold nights last week (-5C) and the inside was toasty warm with a 5,000 watt construction heater (temporary).

I'm installing a Stelpro 5kw heater with thermostat control and wiring it directly to 220V. I don't plan to keep my garage at 20C when it is -35C outside, so I think the 5 kw heater will be fine.

You can estimate your heating needs using this calculator:

http://www.calculator.net/btu-calculator.html

 

[SD396]

In my 12' x 32' insulated garage I have an oil filled radiant heater that I leave on fulltime. It will keep the temps between 10 & 15 deg celcius on a medium to low setting depending on outside temps. Coldest we get might be -20c. If I want it warmer I have a 220v, 4800watt construction heater mounted to the ceiling to raise temps higher. I don't trust the construction heater being on unattended however the oil filled seems pretty safe.

 

[CNGsaves]

Consider the Big Buddy portable propane heater. Tons use them indoors including myself. It has a built in oxygen sensor that will shut it down. Keep the tank outside and supplement with a CO2 detector.

I have one. They do an marginal job in a cold garage. Once it gets 32 or below, they have a hard time keeping up. I'm thinking of making a sheet metal throw with a fan to put behind it to help "throw" the heat a bit more.

+1 for the Big Buddy heater that's 18K Btu & run on hose to 20 lb LPG (propane) BBQ tank. My experience is that BigBuddy is terrific if there's some insulation in the space to hold the heat. It's handy to be able to move it around as needed.

Banjo . . . you can get option for BB that is AC adapter that runs the built-in fan. Check Northern Tool website for the AC electric adapter. Conversely, you can use batteries in the BB to blow the hot air, but who wants to mess with batteries.

OP, you might actually want 2 heaters in long run. Electric heater kept on all the time for keeping space above freezing (like SD396 says above with oil-filled radiant heater on electric). Then with the Big Buddy on propane you could have quick heat where needed and still be safe to leave all doors and windows shut.

I've used BigBuddy out hunting with old camping trailer. Within few minutes it brought temp from 0 inside camper to 50 F and still SAFE as it has CO2 detector and tipover shutoff protection.

 

[Banjorear]

+1 for the Big Buddy heater that's 18K Btu & run on hose to 20 lb LPG (propane) BBQ tank. My experience is that BigBuddy is terrific if there's some insulation in the space to hold the heat. It's handy to be able to move it around as needed.

Banjo . . . you can get option for BB that is AC adapter that runs the built-in fan. Check Northern Tool website for the AC electric adapter. Conversely, you can use batteries in the BB to blow the hot air, but who wants to mess with batteries.

OP, you might actually want 2 heaters in long run. Electric heater kept on all the time for keeping space above freezing (like SD396 says above with oil-filled radiant heater on electric). Then with the Big Buddy on propane you could have quick heat where needed and still be safe to leave all doors and windows shut.

I've used BigBuddy out hunting with old camping trailer. Within few minutes it brought temp from 0 inside camper to 50 F and still SAFE as it has CO2 detector and tipover shutoff protection.

Yeah, I need to get that A/C adaptor. I love the portability, I just think my space is a just a little bit too big to expect it to do it all.

The BB was great for sitting outside on a chilly Oct. night at the Hershey car show with my buddies. Expecting it to bring a garage up to a comfy temp when it is at or below zero may be too much for it to do.