garage heating options (dang it's cold in WI!)

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terminaldegree

Joined
Nov 9, 2004
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central Georgia
Hi Folks,

It's 7 degrees (f) in Wisconsin as I'm typing this, and my ex-Texan self is wondering what options I have for occasionally heating the garage to do maintenance or detail work on the car. Here's some info with my wants/needs:

-garage is uninsulated, two-car style (one big garage door)
-it's a rental, so no permanent installation is allowed
-using the heater safely with the garage door closed is a bonus
-only occasional usage needed, 3-4 hours at a time, 2-3 days a month
-suggestions as to what size heater to buy are very helpful
-low purchase cost preferred...

Thanks for your advice!
 
Large sized radiant heater.

89637d1195443399-building-waste-oil-burning-stove-radiant-heater-i.jpg
 
It is getting down into the 20's here tonight in North Dallas. I don't think I have ever been in 7 degrees outside of a ski trip I took on a kid.

However, My apt was built 30+ years ago and has what seems to be no insulation, along with huge single pane untinted glass windows this place eats energy. Very thick insulated curtains help, but not much. It is too bad I love the view of the pool.

It is cheaper for me to use a small raidiator like space heater and heat one room than it is to heat the whole 2 bedroom apt. All I know is that at full blast it will heat the entire apt, 1100 sq feet. I got it at Walmart for $60 last year and havent regretted it. (On low it heats the bedroom and bathroom just fine.)

BTW, be careful, if you put it on full blast and start turning on lights it will flip the circuit breaker.
 
Well the torpedo heaters are out. He wants to keep the door closed. It would take forever to warm the place with any other heat source, so I'd go with a radiant heater that you can focus where you need it. Maybe a couple.

As was mentioned, watch your ampacity on the circuit.
 
From experience I would get a reddy heater and crack the door. My 2.5 car detached garage is uninsulated and even 3 or 4 electric heaters do not put out enough heat to make any real difference unless you are sitting on them. A 23k BTU kerosene radiant heater barely made a difference with 2 5k BTU electric heaters.

I bought 1 70k BTU reddy heater and I have to turn it down so I'm not sweating. Coldest day this year was 29F, 30 minutes with a reddy heater and the garage was 60F. If you can take some different heaters over there and see if there is a difference. You could rent a torpedo at your local equipment rental and try it out before you buy.
 
Originally Posted By: terminaldegree
Hi Folks,

It's 7 degrees (f) in Wisconsin as I'm typing this, and my ex-Texan self is wondering what options I have for occasionally heating the garage to do maintenance or detail work on the car. Here's some info with my wants/needs:

-garage is uninsulated, two-car style (one big garage door)
-it's a rental, so no permanent installation is allowed
-using the heater safely with the garage door closed is a bonus
-only occasional usage needed, 3-4 hours at a time, 2-3 days a month
-suggestions as to what size heater to buy are very helpful
-low purchase cost preferred...

Thanks for your advice!

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I laughing with you, not at you. I lived in Texas for 40 years, then moved up here. It's 2 degrees here this morning. There is only one way to do what you want, and it's this:

http://www.reddyheat.com/productType.cgi?type=2

Pull one car out so the heater has lots of space and leave the door opened about 6 to 8 inches for ventilation. It works great. I bought one about 8-years ago. But the best thing to do is just keep your butt inside and drink another cup of coffee.
 
Kerosene. That's what I used for occasional heat in my garage. Also if you ever lose power, it can be used in the house.

The amount of CO is minimal if your heater is good working order, especially in a garage that has plenty of "leaks" for air.

You could also look at installing a Propane heater, you could hook it up to an outside tank, they make 30 gallon and 100 gallon tanks. Propane has a high efficiency. I have propane logs in the house now hooked to a 100 gallon tank. The logs are ventless so I get a 98% return on my heat. One tank will last about all winter.

For the cost you can't beat kerosene.
 
i would go with a propane radiant heater from your local farm supply store, i have one that mounts to a 20 gal tank and i use it to supply heat at homes we work on in the winter it has two sun spot looking deals on it, and i rarely use both long i can work in my shirt after a short time.
 
I use a single one like this

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/s...efault-_-173632

And I'm working in a 3 car garage. Just set it up 10 minutes or so before you want to work, letting it get warm. Unless you plan to be roaming around the entire garage, it should keep your work area warm.

My 10 year old daughter and I changed oil in the minivan last weekend using one of these and it was in the high 20's low 30's that day. She wasn't complaining about being cold while we worked.

Like others have said, garages have enough leaks that you'll not die from CO poisoning.
 
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