Bville-Bud
Member
Virginia Shenandoah Valley, 650 sf insulated garage, natural gas. What heater, how many BTUs.
What heater?
- Thread starter Bville-Bud
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regguy1
Well-known member
Northern Tool has 50K BTU Big Max Mr. Heater for $395.00
I have the 45K BTU in my 780 SF and it's fine
see it here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140674
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Bville-Bud
Member
Do a heat load --
50k for that space will be large if it's well insulated ...
in a garage it's really about the doors ... may are poorly insulated and leak. Next about use ... what temp are you maintaining? What temp do you want when working?
I can maintain my 1500 sf studio at around 64 with about 15k BTU ... it's tight
45k BTU Sterling unit heater keeps my insulated (R13/R22, doors) 720 sq ft in the low 70s in the mid Atlantic. It will take at hour to get there from 50* though, and leaving the door open when below freezing temp drops fast inside if open for a couple minutes.
Sterling makes a 30k BTU model of the same heater that would be entirely adequate for that 650 sq ft insulated space a bit south and warmer than here. The big question on sizing is are you leaving it at 50* (min recommended temp for most unit heaters) or off when not in use, how fast do you want it to warm up, and how much will you rollup door be open? If maintaining 50*+ and not opening the door often a 40k may be more efficient and give a longer heater life from longer cycles. If not maintaining 50*+ or opening the door a lot, go with any of the 45k-50k unit heaters for quicker recovery. I opted for the Sterling because they come sealed for separated combustion, there is no upcharge for a special unit.
Sterling makes a 30k BTU model of the same heater that would be entirely adequate for that 650 sq ft insulated space a bit south and warmer than here. The big question on sizing is are you leaving it at 50* (min recommended temp for most unit heaters) or off when not in use, how fast do you want it to warm up, and how much will you rollup door be open? If maintaining 50*+ and not opening the door often a 40k may be more efficient and give a longer heater life from longer cycles. If not maintaining 50*+ or opening the door a lot, go with any of the 45k-50k unit heaters for quicker recovery. I opted for the Sterling because they come sealed for separated combustion, there is no upcharge for a special unit.
regguy1
Well-known member
Modine Hot dawg heaters come in 30K BTU, they're more expensive though.