Inexpensive garage radiant heaters

[hotrod 409]

Greetings: there have been some posts recently talking about working in garage with no heat in winter:eek:
My son and I insulated our garage and installed inexpensive radiant heaters (with hologen lites) from a compnay in Canada by the name of Lee Valley Tools. They have 2 heat settings (750 watts & 1500 watts) and run on 110 voltage. very inexpensive $ 69.95 Canadian each. Come with brackets to mount on wall or roof. We have worked all winter here in Brampton Ontario in our shirtsleeves. Just turn on heaters on high 1/2 hour before entering garage then turn down to low. Nice and warm
They have a web site (www.leevalley.com) A USA fax number...xtra. Best regards to all:cheers hotrod409

 

[SS425HP]

heaters

How big is your garage? I've been using a torpedo kerosene heater, an I'm not sure it hasn't been doing a number on me. How many of those units would it take for a 2 car garage? Might be my answer. Never have liked a fuel heater in a closed place. My garage isn't insulated, nor is it air tight. But I can't help but think there are fumes in there that aren't good for me. Especially with compromised lungs.

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Fred,I don't know how you can stand them noisy,smelly kerosene heaters . you should get rid it and save your lungs.

 

[tmracing62]

Fred -

Man that must be noisy. Better off burning furniture. Or checking

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category_6970_122

- Michael

 

[jester]

heater

I have a 40'X25' uninsulated Quonset Hut
I use a smelly heater to bring up the temp and a Moble home heater to maintain . It smells for a little while but by the time I get ready to work out there, the smell is gone.

 

[LongIsland63SS409]

Got tired of being cold in the garage.

My garage is connected to my house with a door into the house.

My garage is now insulated with 5/8 sheetrock and a 2" thick insulated steel door.

I ran hotwater baseboard into the garage.

Nice and warm now, like being in the rest of the house.

With the kero heater it is a good idea to crack open a door or window during use.

Mike

 

[hotrod 409]

My garage is 1 1/2 full size cars or 24' wide by 30' long. All walls,ceiling and door are insulated. Used a kerosene heater last year and even with an exhaust fan fumes sometimes bothered us. not this year with radiant heat

 

[SS425HP]

Heates

Got tired of being cold in the garage.

My garage is connected to my house with a door into the house.

My garage is now insulated with 5/8 sheetrock and a 2" thick insulated steel door.

I ran hotwater baseboard into the garage.

Nice and warm now, like being in the rest of the house.

With the kero heater it is a good idea to crack open a door or window during use.

Mike

You know, I have hot water heat in the house, baseboard heaters. I could run a line out to the garage from that, with a shut off on it. Takes a while to heat a room up with that kind of heat, though.
When I built the house, heating oil was $.11 a gallon. I did insulate the house really well, but didn't put any in the garage. Just the common wall to the house. None in the ceiling, either. Might take a look at that this summer. Too late to do it now. The darned floor is what is so hard to get warm. Takes a day at least. It needs replaced. Cracks 1/2" wide. Too much weight on one side. Floor has sunk about 2" at least. Lot's of work to be done, and so little time!!!!!!!!!!

 

[LongIsland63SS409]

Fred,

The baseboard I ran in the garage is on its own zone. I never turn it completely off just turn it down. I did not install a shut off valve. I did not want the chance of any water in the baseboard freezing.

With your slab being in bad shape you might want to consider radiant floor heat.

Not to bad to lie on also, you'll be nice and warm.

You will find that the insulation in the ceiling goes a long way.

Mike

 

[SS425HP]

heat

Forgot about the freezing I could just put another zone in with a controller. I think that would be cheaper than the floor heat. Floor heat would be nice, though. Now I won't be able to sleep tonight thinking about all the different ways to heat my garage!!!!!!!

 

[dq409]

Funny thing is i was just looking at the new Spring catalog from Northern this morning.
They have several great garage heaters that are easy to install.
This one doesn`t seem too bad at the price.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200316428_200316428
Fred, Even at todays prices oil heat is still cheaper then gas or electric.
I would look into a nice oil fired heater similar to the one from Northern in the link. Ceiling mounted.

Oil puts out more BTU`s then the others and heats very fast !!!
If you insulate your garage the heater will not run very long thus the heating bill would be minimal. dq

 

[SS425HP]

heaters

I had a Person call me today, suggesting looking into a mobile home furnace. Used type. Sounds like a good idea. Fuel oil fired. They are small and don't take a lot of room, which I don't have. If they are cheap enough, I can get some insulation blown into the attic over the garage. That would be the next thing to do. The one you posted, Jim, is electric from what I can tell. I'll get this done yet!

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Fred,I ran a used mobil home furnace for 5 years it worked great.

 

[jester]

I guess thread # 5 ( moble home heater ) went unread.

 

[SS425HP]

mobile home furnaces

I read it, just didn't register, I guess. Are those things readily available? I was wondering about a used one, and how bad they would be if they were used and taken out. Do they do them on oil, or is propane the only fuel they use? Haven't dug into this much, yet. Might make some calls today.
Thanks for pointing that out, Jester. I'll have to read better.

 

[jim_ss409]

I did a good job of insulating my garage at home and it's amazing how little heat it takes to keep the place warm. All I've got for heat is a 220 volt space heater and it will warm the place up in no time. This little heater put's out an amazing amount of heat for it's size. Even on a cold day it only kicks is for a couple of minutes at a time. I think I got it a Home Depot.

 

[SS425HP]

heaters

Now I'm really puzzled. Which is the heater????????????? Both look like they could keep you warm!!!!!!!!!!!!! The one would make you think twice about bitching if you were cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dq409]

Yeh Fred , That one is electric. But you can get ones like it that burn oil and that was the point I was making,,, or trying to make,,dq

 

[jester]

they make them to run on either Kero or Propane . #2 oil will gel in the cold weather. It depends on what resources you have in your area. If you have both, which one is more cost effective, As for availablity,. I found mine in a pile of junk. I plugged it in , bled the fuel line and it fired right up. I used it part time (2 hrs a day for a year before the pump went.) I paid $88.00 for a new pump and i'm back in business. Just my thoughts.

 

[dunhamfield]

I do all my work in a well insulated 50X60 aircraft hanger. I use a torpedo heater burning JET A........It doesnt smell as bad as diesel and cant find kerosene down here. I may have to fire it up tommorrow as the weather here is forcasted to be in the lower 40,s
Bout as cold as it gets around here