Garage heater opinions wanted

[D189379]

With the completion of my new house expected to be around early fall this year, I've been trying to research what type of garage heater to install. I'm torn between 2.

The first type is an infrared gas fired heater like this one. http://www.calcana.com/garage_why.html
It seems to be very efficient which is appealing, but I'm wondering what the comfort level would be like as I'll be spending alot of time in the garage mucking about.

The second option is a more common gas fired air circulating furnace, similar to the one that will be heating the rest of the home. I know these work pretty well and the room comfort level is there, but they aren't nearly as efficient as the infrared ones.

By "gas" I mean natural gas. These will need to heat about a 550 sq ft garage and see outside temps as low as -40F (on rare occasions)

Any thoughts? Experiences? (Especially infrared experience)

 

[1sttruck]

For garage use I'd prefer a heater with a non-exposed flame source. That would mean electric (expensive), or some sort of 'direct vent' heater whether it's natural gas (possible supply disruptions), propane (self managed supply, expensive), or kerosene (self managed supply, expensive). I don't know if pellet (current supply problems) or wood (expensive or time consuming) direct vent heaters are available.

My first choice for a non-exposed flame would be a propane direct vent, as I've seen neighbors end up without natural gas during cold snap peak loads. My first choice for an exposed flame would be a wood stove as it's the most reliable supply unless you're lazy, provided you don't have wood burning restrictions where you live.

In a woodworking magazine a few years the author looked at different heaters for a shop in New England, and he picked a kerosene direct vent heater, in part because kerosene is evidently a common heating source there. My emergency heating source is a 30k BTU propane 'blue flame' gas heater, an old fashioned one designed to burn indoors (but not legal in some areas), as it's very portable and was less than $300.

 

[D189379]

I don't know if I want to look into anything that would require me to pick up or replenish my fuel supply. I guess I am pretty lazy that way. Any types of fuel like that is also very uncommon around here. Even farms and acreages have natural gas lines running to them.

The only options that leaves me with is electric or natural gas. I'm also going to have a programable timer, so I can turn it down during the day when I'm at work.

 

[Master ACiD]

turn it down? why not turn it off?

 

[D189379]

Quote:

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turn it down? why not turn it off?

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And freeze my precious oil stash? Are you mad??

 

[Sparkman]

I hope to eventually have my garage insulated well enough that I can install a direct-vent propane heater in order to keep it from freezing, so I can understand where you are coming from. Right now I have a wood stove and a kerosene space heater. I can get it up to about 70°F with no insulation, but it takes a while (and a lot of fuel).

I think if I were you I would prefer something other than infrared, as I wouldn't want objects to get too warm.

 

[D189379]

There's an infrared heater at the place I wash my car. I'm going to pay more attention to it next time I'm there.