nat gas garage heater - Hot Dawg vs Mr Heater Maxx

[Bigbartguy]

hi again folks

I'm finally ready to buy a nat gas Garage Heater but am looking at 2 in particular - Hot Dawg vs Mr Heater Maxx. Both are 75btu units. The Mr Heater is about $100 cheaper than the Hot Dawg.

Do any of the HVAC experts have an opinion about the Maxx? I've never heard of it before and all of my buddy's of the Hot Dawg.

thanks!

I just want one that will work forever, cost nothing, and clean my garage for me. My wife already doesnt qualify so I'm hoping a heater will do the trick.

[loosegoose]

I have had a hot dawg HD45 in my 24x28 garage for about 8 years and I haven't had a lick of trouble with it. I keep it at 45 all winter long and of course crank it up when I'm out there. I estimate the cost from $20 to $30 per month. It's small, reliable, efficient and fairly quiet. I don't have any experience with the mr heater so I can't speak to that.

[blue_healer_guy]

Dito with loosegoose.

[PerchJerker]

I am looking at these units right now too, I'm curious to hear what people say about them. My neighbor has a Hot Dawg and likes it a lot.

How big of a building are you putting the 75,000 btu heater in? If the heater is too big for the area you will cycle the heater on and off too frequently (not good for the life of the ignition module), and you won't get good heat distribution because the fan isn't running very much.

I'm going with a 45,000 btu in a garage that's 30 x 28, I have a buddy with a 45,000 btu in a garage that's a little bigger than that and he says it works great. Originally I was planning on a 60,000 or 75,000 btu unit but I've been talked into the 45,000.

[FRESHWATER PETIE]

Get the hot dawg!

[Bigbartguy]

I've got a 3 car garage - not sure about the actual size. I think someone recommended 60k, but also 75k. I have a heater guy coming out tommorrow to 'officially' give me a bid. I'll let you know he says

[Umma Gumma]

I have a Lennox 30K BTU (looks just like the two you mentioned) in an insulated garage with 9 foot ceilings, and it does very well in there. A lot depends on the level insulation you have in your garage, but I can get it to 70 degrees in about a half hour when the temp is zero outside, and keep it there rather easily. Sometimes I think the sizes recommended by the manufacturers are a little big, but then all 2 and 3 car garages are not the same size.

[Whoaru99]

Dunno whether or not it's technically "legal", but I went down to a local plumbing/heating place and bought a used furnace for like $100 converted (to LP). It seems to run fine and has been CO checked for heat exchanger cracks, etc.

Of course, you need to rig up an exhaust pipe and something for a plenum but those were pretty easy.

[Bigbartguy]

I just got a quote for a new heater, gas line and vent install. They recommended a 75btu heater (reznor). WOW, $1600! I'm doing this myself. I'll just pay to have someone pipe the gas into the garage and I'll vent it myself.

[PerchJerker]

You said you have a 3 car garage? I would like to know the sq. footage and the ceiling height, and if you're insulated or not. I think you are being oversold.

I've got a buddy with a 45k btu in a 30x30 insulated 3 car garage, easily keeps the heat at 45 degrees, takes it up to 70 degrees in 20 minutes when he wants to do that.

[dewydog]

You are being way over sold. Unless you are making your garage a living room you only need the 45btu. I installed the unit and venting myself with no experience at all. Of course the wife made me get it inspected. Everything was perfect and the venting cost me less than 100 dollars at Menards. I bought the unit and with in 3 hours i had it running. Just my two cents.

[river-rat4]

Bigbartguy-

Have you considered "Infrared" gas heater?

Heats objects (floor, walls...) instead of the air, which goes out the garage door when opened.

I bought one last year, installed myself. I am very happy I went Infrared. (I have a pipe threader and all of the tools/knowledge for hard piping= cheaper).

I have a 50k btu propane unit that is used to heat a 24x26x9 1/2 foot high garage. It is recommended for a three car garage. (My garage- insulated garage door, WALLS- r13(2x4) CEILING- 2x10 (r38)).

Insulation is the key. This is power vent unit. (can vent out of side wall, or roof)

I can help you out if looking at this angle.

Brandt

[email protected]

[RobertELee]

I would definetly go Infrared. It is a lot more comfortable than a regular heater.

[castmaster]

out of curiousity, how fast does the infra red heat up the space if you leave the thermostat set at 50 and want to bump it up to 70?

any issues with thermostat being thrown "off" by a wall thats warmer (closer to the heat source) than the rest? does a guy need to put a little more thought into location of the thermostat?

[Down Deep]

I have a 36 X 30 garage and I installed a 75K Hot Dawg. The garage is insulated and rocked. Even when the temps are below zero this unit will get the garage up to sweatshirt comfort in 10 minutes. I don't keep the garage heated.

[MNice]

Radiant heaters are slow to warm up the area, not a good solution for heating "once in a while".

[onemagnum]

deweydog, what kind of heater did you install? I have a similar garage.

Thanks

[eyes']

We have 3 heated garages... 2 of them have Hot Dawgs and the shop has 2 Infrared heaters... I would not go with the infrared. they make just as much noise as an overhead heater does and they don't dry out fishhouses very fast...

Just my 2 cents...

[trackerbrent]

I was going to go with a similar unit in my garage, but too expensive. I bought a brand new Amana 80k btu house furnace. Really nice, with a stainless steel heat exchanger. I hung the furnace horizontal from the ceiling, suspended with unistrut and all thread. I do not have a plenum on it yet, just bent a piece of panning over the heat exchanger to direct the air for now. I am working on getting a plenum made so I can run duct out and cut registers in. I paid $350 for furnace, $25 for material to hang it, $40 for thermostat and stat wire, $60 for flue material, free gas line (buddy had some extra), about $10 in black iron to gas it and I am done. So about $500 and I have a heater that is more efficient, more btu's,better quality and will heat my garage in about 10-15 minutes under below 0 conditions. Just thought I would through this out as an option to the traditional garage heaters.

[river-rat4]

castmaster,

I leave the garage around 50-55 degrees all winter, heats up fast enough for me. It would depend on the size of garage and insulation.

I agree with the above mentioned. I would not recommend it for the occasional heating, but also keep in mind that heating once in a while causes ALL of the objects in the garage to condensate which equal rusty tools/toolboxes, steel shelving, car jacks or anything metal.

I have the infrared unit hanging across the front of the garage, closer to one side. It is only about 9 foot long. I have it direct vented out of the side wall at about 8 to 9 foot off of the ground. I have the thermostat located on the side wall about 10-12 foot away without any issues arising. The wall with the thermostat does not get direct heat.

I am very happy with it.

[email protected]

[dewydog]

onemagnum,

I have the 45btu hotdawg. I love it and so does my dog!! Installed the dogy door so he can sleep in the heated garage.