Heating The Garage (Workshop)

[woowoo2]

What I am looking for is a cost/hr to run a unit on 750 or 1500 watts.

It depends on the cost of electricity, a "Kill A Watt" meter will track that if you know your costs.

My understanding is that the oil filled units are cheaper to run if left on all the time.

 

[woowoo2]

I have a 25" deep by 16" wide shop

Do you have little elves working in there?
That's mighty small.....

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

If you don't mind the odor, get a salamander. If you do, get the propane version. LoneHoosier's setup is pretty good for quickly knocking the chill off.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

If you want to KEEP it warm, I'd suggest a wall mounted propane radiant heater with a 100 lb (or larger) tank outside. If you need more than that, it's time to call the mouse.

I say this because electric is just plain expensive to run.

 

[chezuki]

One of these takes about an hour to make my uninsulated detached garage nice and toasty.

Dura Heat DH2304S 23,800 BTU Indoor Kerosene Heater https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FPCPHK5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_u7TXDbCDXJ83N

 

[bwframe]

What are our concerns with fuel and other flammables in the same room with open flame heating?

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

My garage has a small gas furnace for heat, and I leave the thermostat at 50. Most of the time, if I'm working out there, I run one of my kerosene heaters, especially if I'm running wood-working equipment. As others have said, I prefer the quiet of radiant kerosene heat, and I don't have to worry about wood-working dust clogging up my furnace filters. I have several different kerosene heaters and if you keep them clean and tuned up, they run mostly odor-free. I would recommend staying away from any kerosene heater that uses a cotton wick (ask me why I say this).

A couple of years ago, I got a new steel 55-gallon drum and I try to keep that filled up for just-in-case.

What are our concerns with fuel and other flammables in the same room with open flame heating?

The furnace in my garage uses a standing pilot, so I've always tried to avoid keeping any gas cans in the garage. I keep my gasoline cans either in my shed out back, or in my breezeway that's between my house and garage. Kerosene is OK to store in the garage with the furnace and a running kerosene heater, and I also always have denatured alcohol, mineral spirits and other wood finishing things in the garage too.

 

[Gabriel]

Do you have little elves working in there?
That's mighty small.....

 

[IndyBeerman]

Why not use a pellet stove?

DING DING DING. we have a winner.

This is by far the best economic way to heat vs. Gas/Propane/Electric
You can get a ton of pellets for 250.00 and a high output pellet stove will heat a fairly good space, plus you don't have to worry about the risk
of carbon monoxide poisoning from salamanders because that lack of ventilation resulting in loss of additional heating.

I plan on putting a pellet stove insert in for next year fir additional heating when the frigid temps arrive.

 

[Gabriel]

I use a salamander. I found out pretty quickly that heat rises (you don't say?) and it can be 90 degrees at the ceiling and still be 50 at the floor. I have a box fan facing the ceiling (sitting on a milk crate so there is air under it to push) that I use to push the air around and even out the heat. The ceiling in my garage is really well insulated, the walls not so much.

 

[bwframe]

A huge issue that is sometimes forgotten or lost track of is how long it takes to bring the concrete floor up to room temperature. That and keeping it warm enough to allow efficient warm up again tomorrow.

 

[Gabriel]

A huge issue that is sometimes forgotten or lost track of is how long it takes to bring the concrete floor up to room temperature. That and keeping it warm enough to allow efficient warm up again tomorrow.

Also, the tools sweating when you bring the temps up from freezing. Some days the concrete floor will be soaked along with most everything on my bench once it warms up.

One of these days I will get a more permanent solution like a pellet stove or natural gas heater that makes warming the garage up easier... and makes it less of a low oxygen work environment.

 

[dprimm]

We have a 3 car garage insulated, attached and have insulated doors. Last year I put an electric oil heater in the garage. Put it on low and often kept a box fan turn on and pointed up. The garage did not get too cold ... the year before I would see 30 inside it periodically. hard enough to exercise at 4:30 am without freezing.

Need to to buy a couple kill-a-watt thingys.

Worked for us.

Edit: too cold means not below 50.

 

[churchmouse]

Also, the tools sweating when you bring the temps up from freezing. Some days the concrete floor will be soaked along with most everything on my bench once it warms up.

One of these days I will get a more permanent solution like a pellet stove or natural gas heater that makes warming the garage up easier... and makes it less of a low oxygen work environment.

And this is exactly why I keep my shop at minimum of 50*.

And it is carpeted. Yes, its true. Covers all the angles.

 

[d.kaufman]

And this is exactly why I keep my shop at minimum of 50*.

And it is carpeted. Yes, its true. Covers all the angles.

Shag I'm guessing

 

[churchmouse]

Shag I'm guessing

Hilarious...……

 

[Sigblitz]

This is what I used for camping on free electric. Without regard to operating cost, it's the best electric heater. It will put out just enough, or crazy heat if you crank it up. Has a hi low setting, thermostat, and tip shutoff. I only use it if I'm fixing something major on a bike in the winter. It heats the whole garage. I bought a salamander and gave it to my brother in law. The fumes give me a headache.

Sunbeam ceramic heater

 

[dung]

I use a kerosene salamander and it works great for heating up my workshop or a single bay of the garage. You just have to make sure you don't paint anything after you have been running it because you will end up with fish eyes.

I would love to get a high efficiency minisplit, but I don't know if they would heat and cool my garage as well as I would like

 

[Scuba591]

Do you have little elves working in there?
That's mighty small.....

I might... Now they know where the lumps of coal are going this year....

 

[jkaetz]

What are our concerns with fuel and other flammables in the same room with open flame heating?

Minimal so long as you're smart about placement and don't have a bunch of fumes built up.

This is what I used for camping on free electric. Without regard to operating cost, it's the best electric heater. It will put out just enough, or crazy heat if you crank it up. Has a hi low setting, thermostat, and tip shutoff. I only use it if I'm fixing something major on a bike in the winter. It heats the whole garage. I bought a salamander and gave it to my brother in law. The fumes give me a headache.

Sunbeam ceramic heater

the problem with most of those isn't heat output but airflow. In a 120 sq ft room or so not bad but if you try to heat a larger area the paltry cfm will take forever to do any reasonable heating.