Good garage heater

[CC Hurl]

Just wondering if i can get some inpute on a good heater i can buy for my 28 x 24 Garage. Not looking for anything real expensive, but would like it to hook up to my propane bottle and be less noisy than my old torpedo heater. Garage is 80% insulated. Something in the $200.00 - $250.00 range. Thanks for any advise.

Choper

[Big Dave2]

You could probably find a hanging heater used on Craig's for about that amount.

[CC Hurl]

Now you have me thinking. Could i do that and hook it up to a 20 lb. tank when i want to use it? I thought of the hanging ones before but i would have to spend around 1500.00 to have the line ran from one corner of my house to the other. Now if i could get one of them and run it of a tank that just might work.

I wonder if the conections are the same or if i would have to figure that one out? Thanks for the help.

Choper

[Big Dave2]

I would probably just get a ventless if you are not going to use it very much and hank it on the wall and get a 100 lb propane cylinder and run a line outside.

If you want to use a 20 lb tank, there is a newer product out there called a cabin heater that encases a 20 lb tank. I think Fleet farm had them in their sales ad recently.

[jigeye]

There is a cheap HotDawg heater on hsolist right now. I would go that route and run a gas line to it. You will just keep upgrading each season like I did. Go for the forced air heat and be done. These heaters have a fan to blow the exhaust so you can run the vent right out the side wall or roof and you can mount it right up to the ceiling or on a shelf. You will only need the small BTU model which is not that expensive.

Jigeye

[dirtking]

I thought of the hanging ones before but i would have to spend around 1500.00 to have the line ran from one corner of my house to the other.

This is not too hard to run yourself. We ran one at the brothers house and saved BIG bucks. All it will cost you is your time and the copper.

[Ryan Berger]

Originally Posted By: CC Hurl

I thought of the hanging ones before but i would have to spend around 1500.00 to have the line ran from one corner of my house to the other.

This is not too hard to run yourself. We ran one at the brothers house and saved BIG bucks. All it will cost you is your time and the copper.

or save a bundle and go to menards and get their version of gastite and not buy copper...

[blue_healer_guy]

From experience, if you have nat gas don't try and save money by going lp. Example, just getting a tank to save from cost of running lines and a plumber to hook up to your house. I did this and now I pay a 60$ a year tank rent. 5 years ago and I would have paid for the natural gas hookup by now. A year after I put mine in and all of the sudden I pay a tank rent.

[Nutty Fisherman]

How big of a tank did you get? If it is costing you that much rent on the tank, I would either switch it to NG or get a 100

LB tank and get it refilled.

[blue_healer_guy]

Nutty, pretty much screwed now, it is a 300 pounder and not gonna be living here long enough to pay to switch the heater back to nat. gas and run the line to the house. Would have saved money like I said if I did it right from the start. The rent fee is a charge (all in the area have it, I checked) for a small user per year.

[Momma]

What about an RV furnace?

I know guys that have done this.

They typically run on 12 volts, so you would need a small inverter to run it. The inverter would be quite cheap.

Here's a link to a 30,000 BTU unit.

Should be large enough to heat the garage if it is insulated and has an insulated garage door.

RV Furnace

I have a very large (30' x 36') garage and have an old 80,000 BTU home furnace in there. I hooked it up to natural gas and it cooks the place in the winter. Even when the temps are below zero!!! Way overkill actually.

[Down2Earth]

If your utility room is close to the garage tap off the line that goes to your furnace. This can be done in a couple hours.

[fastkaw]

Most codes don't allow that. To much chance off CO interring the living space

throw the duct work.

Then again, you could get hit by a car going to the mail box to.

DISCLAIMER: i am in no way an expert, at anyting. anything i say is my own opinion and/or observation, and should never be regarded as fact, unless otherwise stated.

[KJSnider]

Don't allow what? Tapping off of the gas line?,,, or running a line of hot air to the garage??

[Hibbing]

Don't want to steal your post - but........

I put in a $200.00 wall mount ventless heater (propane) and last weekend and fired it up. Heated the garage just fine, but had a major issue with condensation on my tools, and walls. Is this normal and would I be better off with a different heat system.

[BoxMN]

I will also use fastkaws disclaimer but that ventless heater will cause lots of moisture issues. I almost bought a house that had a garage that had the ceiling warped due to a ventless heater. (BTW, great garage, and the heater or moisture probs were not why we didn't buy it, we would have anyway - but the problems were very evident and easily could tell what caused it.)

My neighbor is an Excel gas guy and he has stories about ventless heaters and the issues they can cause. Not saying they are not good, but they can create issues. I would look into one of the hanging units or a regular old home furnace - anything that is vented. I have our old home furnace in mine, and it works great.

[MNice]

Hibbing, excess condensation is very normal for ventless heaters. IMHO those things are worthless in cold climates, they are ONLY designed for supplemental heating, and they are illegal to use under the MN State mechanical code. They do have their place in the southern part of the country where just a little heat is required, but not in cold climate areas.

[fastkaw]

KJSnider:

Most municipalities will NOT allow a (duct) from the house to the garage or

vice/versa.

BoxMN, Neighbor is spot on.

Read the instructions on a ventless heater. They say you need to have so many sq.in. of fresh out door air when the heater is operating/on.

(Sorry I don't remember the numbers.)

Put it's like leaving a window about haff open.

OK, you tell me how well thats going to work in the winter time...

Also having a open flame in a garage is a explosion just waiting to happen.

As I said in previous post. All garage heaters/furnaces should have

sealed combustions. We would have a lot less garage fires.

Heres how it works.

Most people get of work on Friday night go to the bank cash there check.

Then they go to the gas station and fill up there car/tuck. From there they go

home and put there car on the garage. Her is were the trouble starts.

It's winter, it's cold/very cold and the gasoline is about the same temp. as the

outdoor temp.. Back to the unsuspecting home owner. Cars in the garage right?

And it's a worm garage. When the gas starts to worm up it expense, and starts

to run out on the floor. BOOM. By now you should know why I think all garage

furnaces should have sealed combustions.

ps. I know most cars now days have sealed tanks. It's just a example

DISCLAIMER: i am in no way an expert, at anyting. anything i say is my own opinion and/or observation, and should never be regarded as fact, unless otherwise stated.

[MNice]

Code does state any source of ignition must be 18" above floor.

[KJSnider]

Thanks all. Great info.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm sure they're like me. Multiple LP cylinders in the garage, gas containers, working with a little spray paint or other combustible every once in a while in the garage,,,, the flame in the garage kinda scares me.

I think I'm leaning towards a hanging electric.

[fastkaw]

There is a real easy fix well almost easy fix, for people that have a furnace with a standing pilot in there garage. Build a room/closet, around the furnace.

Most furnaces have a tag on the inside that will tall you the distance to combustibles. All 6 sides. If you need the room it the front put a steel do on it.

Non-combustible.

This is the most important part. You have to introduce combustions air to that

room. In most cases, two 4" holes to the out side will do. High and low through the out side wall. There is a equation for the exact size. (Im to lazy to look it up.) Depending on the BTU's of you furnace.

DO NOT BUILD A ROOM AROUND A FURNACE WITH OUT ADDING COMBUSTION AIR.

Fire doesn't care were it gets it's air from, and will gladly go to were ever the air is coming from if it is not getting anuff.

This could keep you insurance raider off your back and also keep you from

needing a new garage. If you know what I mean.

DISCLAIMER: i am in no way an expert, at anyting. anything i say is my own opinion and/or observation, and should never be regarded as fact, unless otherwise stated.