Would a fan blowing behind heater help or hurt?

[signcrafter]

I have a two car garage that is drywalled. Outside it's in the single digits and below all week and inside the garage in the morning it's around 30 degrees. I have a little Kerosene heater that does an alright job heating the garage all things considered, https://www.homedepot.com/p/DuraHeat-23-800-BTU-Indoor-Kerosene-Portable-Heater-DH2304/100045793.

Just wondering if putting a box fan behind it to help move the heat around better would work good or if the fan blowing would cool the heat off? If that even makes sense. Right now it takes a few hours to bring things up to 40-50 degrees which is comfortable to work in. I usually have the heater in one corner of the garage. Not too bad but if putting a fan behind it blowing the heat around the garage would help warm things up faster that would be great.

This is about as bad as it gets for the cold and was surprised to find the heater do much at all. But when it's 20-30 degrees outside the garage heats up pretty fast and is very comfy to work in.

 

[vavet]

A fan will help spread the heat around the room. Without it, you'll have a cylinder of heat around the kerosene heater.

 

[Mr.N]

Fans are great as they keep the heat more even...
If you don't have a lot of holes in you structure.
They do feel cooler on bare skin.

 

[zak77]

I wouldnt put the fan right behind it but somewhere it can circulate the air around the garage thus making it more comfortable. A ceiling fan would be great to push the hot air down.

 

[Bronson]

Ceiling fan.

 

[dave*99]

A ceiling fan works best. I set mine on the lowest speed. It is set to draw air upwards. Clockwise rotation when I look up at it. It circulates the heat by drawing cool air up in the center and pushing warm air down at the perimeter.

 

[signcrafter]

We are in a rental currently and don't want to deal with putting up a ceiling fan. Plus it would kill the headroom in the garage. So without doing anything permenant I'm thinking a box fan blowing from behind the heater would be best. Just wasn't sure if it would do more harm then good by creating a "breeze" in the garage. If I can find one of my old box fans I will give it a tray and see what happens. Maybe put it up high so it blows the hot air coming out of the heater around the garage.

 

[EOC_Jason]

I would put the fan next to the heater, not behind it because you run the risk of blowing out the flame maybe or altering the air flow characteristics that might cause issues... The fan will just help circulate the air around and distribute the temp more evenly...

 

[Jerriffic]

I have the same situation for my 2 car garage. I use the same heater, only fire it up when I plan on working in there. I have an old tilt fan I set up in the opposite corner of the garage aimed at the ceiling.

Jerry B.

 

[david3921]

The hot air from that heater will rise straight up. Set the box fan on low and hang it over the heater from the top, back on S hooks, making sure that the fan is a foot or two in front of the heater. This will circulate the rising heat back down to you.

 

[MikeF2316]

As others have said, you need to move the hot air from around the heater. If you try to blow more air through the heater you may interfere with the way the air and fuel mix, so I wouldn't do that.

I have radiant heaters in my garage, because they heat things (you) and not the air, they make the room seem warmer more quickly.

 

[jessesandy]

Halogen work lights will help warm things up.... the work bench, tools/machines/car, or whatever.

 

[littlefan]

I put two old oscillating fans up high in the corners of the shop to move air around they tilt down. warm air is pulled from up high and down with out being drafty or cooled.

 

[bushmechanic]

I'm just going to eyeball this thread with popcorn...

 

[89GLH]

A buddy of mine had his oil furnace go out in his house, so he replaced it. Kept the old one, and replaced the orifice(s) with a larger one? Now it runs on diesel, and just has scrap duct in the shape of a T along the back wall of his shop. No sides on it. He pulls his service truck in and fills the tank up when it runs low. Ugly, but man it works wonders when you gotta get out of the house. HVAC guys bear with me, it's probably more complicated than I explained it but its out there working. shrug.

 

[MrSurly]

A buddy of mine had his oil furnace go out in his house, so he replaced it. Kept the old one, and replaced the orifice(s) with a larger one? Now it runs on diesel, and just has scrap duct in the shape of a T along the back wall of his shop. No sides on it. He pulls his service truck in and fills the tank up when it runs low. Ugly, but man it works wonders when you gotta get out of the house. HVAC guys bear with me, it's probably more complicated than I explained it but its out there working. shrug.

But is it *VENTED*?

 

[Bigwheels]

Dont put the fan near the heater put it somewhere else in the garage so it circulates if its right on the heater it will cool the air and you lose some of the effectivness of the heater

 

[tdott]

Put the fan above the heaters so as the heat raises coming out of the heater it pushed around, don't point it directly at the heater.

 

[89GLH]

But is it *VENTED*?

It's in a farm shop, that leaks like a sieve anyway. It's mostly held together with bubble gum and popsicle sticks. I was told 'do you want heat or not?'

 

[Bretny]

Moving hot air will allow it to cool. Move the cold air to the heater.

I have one of those burning in my garage right now and we have had single degree temps for about 3 days. It was 45* in there this morning. Those heaters are good for one thing and thats to keep an alreaty warm space warm. I only really use mine at night or when the propane unit heater kicks in alot, 38*. I have a wood stove for when im out there working all day.

With it being so cold you may want to get a second heater or put some extra layers on.

 

[PWC Repair]

I also use one of those for now. It will run 6-8 hours on one gallon of kero. I use a 9"high velocity fan sitting on the floor and aimed up and at the wall. It stirs the air by picking up the colder air off the floor and directing it towards the warmer air. Do not aim it at the heater.