Garage Heater

[Cudajason]

Hey guys,

with the cold weather upon us here in the great white north, I am again struggling with a motivation to go out into the cold damp conditions in my single car garage.  Not the I have any real big projects on the go or planned for this winter.

One thing I think would help is a heater.  My garage is mostly insulated...except the roof, so I know nothing will be ideal, but I would still like to try a portable style heater.

So, any suggestion, I see all kinds, electrical, propane kerosene.  Does anyone use any of these with any success.  Are they safe for an attached garage?

I have tried some small plug in style ones in the past, but they never seam to work very well.

[JH27N0B]

I installed a permanent 220V electric heater in my 674 sq ft detached insulated garage.  When I built the garage, I'd hoped I could keep the garage heated in the 40s 24/7 through winter.  That didn't work out, thermostat failed etc.
However, I am impressed that I can go out in the garage, turn on the heater, and the garage warms up to a decent temperature for working out there pretty quickly. I never go out there when it's bitter cold, but when it's 30s or 40s outside I can have the garage warmed up to the low 60s in a half hour or so.
These heaters aren't especially expensive, and hang from the ceiling, but need 220 and are hard wired so you need to get an electrician to set up the wiring unless you really know your stuff electrically.
For a insulated 1 car garage, you might be able to heat it up to be like a sauna with a heater like mine!

[Spikedog08]

I am lucky to have a natural gas heater in my 2 car garage!  I can heat it up from 40* to 75* in about 15 minutes.  But I am currently gutting my pontoon boat in a barn that my brother owns and have a propane heater like this one

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mr-Heater-MH60CFAV-Portable-Outdoor-60-000-BTU-Forced-Air-Propane-Shop-Heater/591256304?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&wl13=4243&adid=22222222277591256304_117755028669_12420145346&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9017217&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=591256304&wl13=4243&veh=sem_LIA&gclsrc=aw.ds&&adid=22222222237591256304_117755028669_12420145346&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=501107745824&wl4=pla-306310554666&wl5=9017217&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=local&wl12=591256304&veh=sem&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsburBhCIARIsAExmsu6amaRjrXqbBJTyKUAbepdN-46mmAki4hYIO7RQ4cTQcqf13J0mLakaAsMMEALw_wcB

[dodj]

I have one of these. Works well
https://weiss-johnson.com/garage-heaters/reznor-r-v3-series/
You just need to determine the BTU size you require. I think mine is 60,000btu? Maybe 50,000? I dunno it's been a while but there are calculators to help you determine appropriate sizing.
The units come with orifices for natural gas and propane.

[mtull]

A few things to keep in mind with a small attached garage:
- forced air or torpedo style heaters can be loud
- kerosene heaters can produce an odor especially during startup and shutdown.
- kerosene in some areas can be expensive and hard to find. 

I use a 23K BTU kerosene heater similar to this to heat my two car garage.  I have Drywall on the ceiling but no insulation.  It takes about 40 minutes to go from the 30's to 60's.

[blown motor]

If you hadn't of solved the heating issue with your car you could have just started it up and opened the hood.    Being sure to duct the exhaust outside of course.

[Xghobo]

In an attached garage I would use a 220v forced air heater no fumes and they work great. I had one attached to the ceiling in a 2 car garage and in the winter would turn it on 30 min before I started working on the car and it was great, if I put it on high and left it on for more than an hr it would be too warm.

[jimynick]

Hi Jason. Not heater related, but I was wondering if you were through testing with the rad and shroud I lent you? I've been in your garage and don't think I'd go kerosene nor propane. Electric seems to be a way. 

[captcolour]

I bought a used Reznor off Craigslist.  Modified it for propane.  They are simple and parts are readily available.  Mine is 400,000 BTU for a 40x60x14 pole barn with some insulation.  Wasn't looking for one so large but that was the best one used at the time.  I have wifi in the barn so installed a Nest thermostat to remotely turn it on 1/2 hour before I go out there.  Toasty!

[Jsand73440]

I'm going with a mini split so that i can have A/C in the summer as well.

[Dakota]

I'm going with a mini split so that i can have A/C in the summer as well.

I have the same plan for my garage space in TX.  I had been used to essentially hibernating during the winter months in Buffalo so having no heat in the garage there didn't bother me much. This past summer near Ft Worth, I could work in the garage during the morning but by 12noon I was a sweaty mess. 

[chargerdon]

I use an infrared wall heater in my garage.   Have two of them and they can take the chill off, are completely quiet and safe as in no fumes.   Unfortunately, my garage is uninsulated so it doesnt keep it warm, but keeps the chill off.   Their inexpensive...around $50-75 for a 1500 watt heater. 

[MoparCarGuy]

Insulating the garage ceiling, wall, and garage door are the most important. Blow-in fiberglass for the ceiling takes very little time to do after installing soffit baffles to keep proper attic airflow.
Once that ceiling is insulated to the proper R-value, you may find that you can get by with a much smaller heater.

[torredcuda]

  Insulate the ceiling/roof. My first garage I had an old mobile home furnace I bought for $100 with a drum out back for kersone. I turned it on when I was out there working and it was fine although not legal to code. Subsequent garages have all had permanent heat, one oil furnace and the last two propane. Code in my area is any flame source must be at least 3' off the floor to be above gasoline vapors, the oil furnace was up on a frame I built, the propane units were ceiling mount. Avoid anything that gives off fumes inside, any kerosene or propane units should vent outside unless you headaches.

[RUNCHARGER]

I just use a 220 Volt contractor heater and put it where I am working. Bigger heaters are nice if you want to heat up the whole garage though. Space is always an issue so the little guy works better for me.