Garage Heater

[erik70rt]

Thinking of installing a new heater in my garage for working over the winter. Anyone have any experience or opinions of this type of heater?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079DWPNDN/?coliid=IQGABVXGBWQZO&colid=2K6PEWXHJVUVN&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&fbclid=IwAR0vHd_myz5BLA8tWMjgR09ovqQ9C1un3q2dRlF7eKFVjm5vBsn_1feNUW4

[Chryco Psycho]

The most efficient other than in slab seem to be the tubular infrared type

[7E-Bodies]

Look at your utility bill to see what you're paying per kilowatt hour (KWh), then multiply it x 7.5. That's what you'll pay to run that each hour. I've used them. Not practical. Gas or propane is more efficient. If you're heating a two stall garage with good insulation, a gas/propane ventless can be had at most home centers for about that. Mine runs me out of my two stall. For my insulated 40x60, I heat with wood as I have an ongoing supply available. If you choose anything that burns fuel, USE A CO DETECTOR. Central Illinois.

[dodj]

Electricity cost will kill you.
Reznor propane heater is what I use with a 400# tank behind the garage out of sight.
https://www.reznorhvac.com/product/udap/

[JS29]

If your doing any kind of body work and or painting that electric unit would be a disaster! even gas or oil furnaces don't like that environment. A guy told me he was reading up on a floor heat system that used a water heater, But if you already have a floor in your building that is a mutt point.         

[jimynick]

I bought a used tube heater for $150 and spent another $150 getting it re-fabbed and they are the way to go. Mine will put you out of my 24X36' garage if you give it enough time and the gas bills haven't gone off the wall because of it, either. New they run $1500 up here in the Great White North, but that means they're $89.95 in the US. 

[gzig5]

I've got a 5000W unit in the corner of my small two car.  It barely takes the edge off.  If it is 20 outside i can get the garage up to about 35 in an hour, then one of the kids will open a garage door.     I have no idea how much it costs to run but I'm sure the meter is spinning. 

I want to go with a vented natural gas unit but that may not be in the cards. 
I understand you need to be careful with some of the unvented ones because they can introduce extra moisture in the garage which can be detrimental to your tools and other metallic objects.

[usraptor]

The most efficient other than in slab seem to be the tubular infrared type

I agree with Chryco.  Have two in my garage.  I leave them set at 40 degrees until I come out to work.  I then bump them up to 65 and within 20 minutes I'm down to a T-Shirt. 

[JH27N0B]

I got a similar heater for my 28x24 garage when I built it. A Dayton.  And had hoped I could keep the temp above 40 in the garage through the winter. I'd insulated pretty well when I built the garage.  It seemed to do fairly well the first winter, and honestly it didn't run up my electric bill badly.
The second year it stopped working and I found the thermostat failed.  I read that a baseboard thermostat could be used with these,  so bought one and had a friend who had been an electrician in the Marines, and had got an electronics degree at a trade school help me wire it up.
The next winter, I noticed for the first month or so of winter the heater was always running, and my next electric bill was really bad.  Then one day I went out to the garage and it was cold.  I checked the heater and couldn't get it running, nor was the breaker tripped. I opened the bottom of the unit and found the wires all burnt up.
Later, a Mopar car buddy who was a union electrician checked it out and fixed it.  He found that my friend used too small Gage wire to wire the thermostat, told me I was lucky my garage didn't burn down, and never have this friend ever do electrical work at my house again!
He also said don't try to heat the garage full time with that heater.  However, I turn it on and it does a good job warming up my garage when I want to work out there.  I have no desire or motivation to work in the garage in the middle of January when it's single digits or below 0, but in fall, early winter, late winter, early spring I'm out there with that heater running, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt and I'm comfortable.  I have a couple thermometers mounted on the walls and they show 60 after an hour or so of turning it on.
My dream garage would have radiant heat in the floors.  If I ever find myself at a new place planning a garage build that will be my goal, but I bet that's not cheap!
Other than my experience with failed thermostat and near disaster by trusting a friend to know what he was doing with wiring, I am not disappointed with my electric heater.

[captcolour]

I have a 400,000 BTU Reznor propane heater for the 40x60.  Bought it on Craigslist and installed it myself.  Works great.  Goes 30 to 60F in 20 minutes.  Have a Nest thermostat on it that I can control from my phone.  Turn it on 20 minutes before going out there.

[EDL94]

Pellet stoves work great to heat a shop. Find a good used one on craigs list.

[drew43a]

i went with an infer red heater they heat objects in the space and holds it better slowly releasing it.  where as other heaters just heat the air.

[7E-Bodies]

As @JH27N0B clearly states, the thermostat (as well as the relay) in these units is (are) built to fail. After 25 years as an industrial and power plant electrician, I can't count how many of these I've repaired. All with relay and/or thermostat failures. Over priced and inefficient junk. My wall mounted ventless is over 25 years old and still goes strong. Like I say, use a CO detector though. Cheap $30 insurance.

[7E-Bodies]

Sounds great! 40x60 also, yet I have a love for wood heat as well as for a love for the rustic aspect of it. But as I knock at the door of 60, my deeply enjoyed fall wood cutting/splitting gets a tad more painful. Wood is too expensive to buy. My building is very well insulated with r30 in the ceiling and r19 in the 2x6 walls. Flipping on a switch is becoming more appealing all the time.

[erik70rt]

Thanks for all the replies.   Here are some specifics for my need.  My garage is a standard two bay that is part of the house and it is fully insulated including the doors.  I don't have gas or oil, and I don't have the room for a pellet stove in the garage, so it has to be electric.  I will only be using it when I intend to work in the garage, otherwise it will be off.  I won't be painting the car in the garage, but will be painting small things like parts and toy trains.  I don't want anything that will increase humidity or have exhaust as there's a bedroom above the garage. 

Most infrared units I have found say do not mount them on the ceiling.  I think I would prefer infrared as my garage is already wired with outlets in the ceiling and I would prefer to run 110 as to 240.  Can anyone recommend a ceiling mounted infrared type heater?