Looking for Garage/Shop Heater Suggestions

I'm thinking about what I could do to warm it up in my garage a little and I'd like some suggestions. I have natural gas available just outside the garage so that would be no problem, but I'd prefer to not have to vent it. I don't have 220 in the garage, but that could possibly also be easily arranged. I don't think I would want propane, because from the propane heaters I looked at, it looks like a tank would last less than one day.

My garage is about 600 sq.ft.

I know I've seen discussions on here before about this and I did a search, but with all the posts about car heaters it's impossible to find them. This isn't Google when it comes to searching!

Are your garage doors insulated?

I am midway through adding insulation to my garage doors to keep things warmer. My garage is attached to the house on two sides so some heat leaks into it from the house.

I am in Michigan so my garage probably gets colder than yours.

There is a heat duct my basement (you may not have a basement) that is close to the garage and I thought about extending a branch from it into the garage.

Lately I have been using one or two 1500 watt electric heaters. If I can get it above 50 degrees it is not too bad.

In the past I have used kerosene and propane heaters. They generate moisture that can condense on cold car parts.

Troy..... I use Propane, but would opt for natural gas in a heart beat if I had a line within 100 ft. of the toy box.... Check with your local nat gas co. or W.W. Grainger and see if either offers a vertical furnace that can be surface mounted,,, They used to be available for instalation within the wall as well as surface mount. ... They were quite common in the '60s thru the '80s.... I lost track......( and venting one is nothing.)

Troy, how cold does it get there during the winter?

i insulated my doors with rigid foam, made the seal air tight and blew in insulation in above the attic. it makes a HUGE difference. in the summer it is cool and winter - makes heating it so much easier/faster.

all i use is an oil filled heater and halogen lights. it warms up in a few hrs cause the heat isn't escaping.

Does this look cozy or what?
Too bad it didn't warm me up! (unless I sat by it)

Way too much non insulated metal. The good news is the stove was free on Craig's list.
On the other hand, I once had a wood stove in a regular garage ( with ceiling) that worked GREAT.

I highly doubt one of these will help: https://www.heatsurgesale.com/?MID=789561

Troy, a vertical NG fan forced unit is ideal.

Please don't forget that any open flame device in an enclosed area requires ventilation. Unless you are planning the estate sale for your wife after you're gone

I use a Blue Flame heater on a 15gal propane tank. Depending on how cold it is, the tank will last me about 5 full days of working.

I think I got it at Northern Tools.

I use a simple kerosene heater. It provides plenty of heat and the cost is reasonable.

Like Alan mentioned, I installed a used, 85,000 btu forced air furnace. Venting was nothing - a piece of insulated pipe right out through the wall with an approved cap and I was done. My shop was fully insulated, so if I walked out there with the garage at 20 degrees and flipped on the heater, it was at 70 F in about 5 minutes. I usually left it at 50 all the time, just to keep the tools semi-warm (there's nothing worse than picking up a 35 degree tool). Just because the air temp inside has quickly risen to 70 doesn't mean that your metal tools have kept up.

gn

Troy - I have no clue as to code regulations for such, but would it be possible to run a vent from your current central air/heat system into the garage as if it were a room addition? Coupled with enhanced insulation of your garage door, man door and windows would help. Just wondering out loud...

I have a double car garage, and I put in a 220 plug (the service panel is in the garage) and I bought a 220 electric forced air space heater. Got it at Lowes, or HD, I think. Is just about a foot and a half square, more or less, and a few inches deep. Three walls are insulated (two against the house, one external) and the garage door, which does not seal all that well, frankly. 3/4 of the ceiling is under the house, so not much loss there. The unit will warm the air well enough. Is a great thing if not used very often, which suits me. Can be moved around to be applied where you happen to be. Also, can run the fan w/out heat in summer for a little breeze. cheap, easy. If you want the "real deal" see what East Coast Bruce has set up. A finer garage and accommodation for man and machine would be hard to find. he had wired up one of those heater/A-C heat pump wall units that motels use, and it is the bomb, I'm telling you. Clearly, the right way to go, if you wish to go in style. If Bruce ses this, he should post a picture or three of his lovely living room that he also calls a garage.

If I was doing a new garage I might put hot water radiant heat in the floor slab. I have thought about putting a topping on the existing floor. Some of the newer water heaters have a connection on the side for something like this.

Troy,

My "man cave" is also about 600 sq ft. We don't have access to natural gas and not ready to go propane, we're all electric so I was able to get a great deal on a GE Zoneline through the wall heat pump. The unit is close to 15K BTU's and gives great heat and cooling. http://products.geappliances.com/ApplProducts/Dispatcher?REQUEST=SpecPage&Sku=AZ61H15DAB (AZ61H15DAB) Maybe not the unit for everyone but it works great for my use. The garage is attached to the other garage on one wall, has an insulated door, 2x6 construction and insulated ceiling and that all makes a difference. Unfortunately don't have a photo of the unit installed but it's under the workbench just to the right in the first photo below.

I built a 24' x 36', 2 story garage; fully insulated. I installed a 40 gallon, gas fired hot water heater, circ pump, and hot water baseboard heaters. The heater is in a closet in the garage, with a gasketed door and an outside air inlet. There is a vented 3 gallon stand tank on the second floor that ensures the heater remains topped off. The system is filled with propylene glycol/water. A thermostat wired to a relay coil turns the circ pump on & off. I typically keep it set about 55 degrees; comfortable for working. Because the garage is built onto the west side of my house, further insulating that house wall, and because the garage is very well insulated, the gas bill increase was minimal.

For working in the garage in the middle of summer, I installed a used 12,500 BTU air conditioner thru the rear garage wall. Given about 1/2 hour, it makes the first floor much more comfortable.

In my 24x24' foot shop (insulated and sheetrocked) I use one Fahrenheat heater attached to the ceiling on the left/center of my garage. Its hard wired in and I control it with the rotary knob.

Its very effective, warming my mid-winter (below zero) shop up in about 10 minutes so I am very comfortable in a sweatshirt and sweat pants.

I can also paint without any fear of an exposed flame. I do put a small furnace filter on the back of it to help keep the dust buildup down to a minimum, although you can easily take off a few parts to give the elements a quick brushing to remove dust build-up.

Its also very quiet.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fahrenheat-FUH724-Ceiling-Mount-240-Volt-7500W-Heater-/120803449925?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c20725c45

Would any of you guys like to share your estimated utility costs for these heaters. I've been considering heating my garage but often wonder what it might cost me for this luxury. I've got a two story garage with a 24 x 26 footprint, insulated walls, ceiling and doors and just figured out how to close off my stairway to the upstairs. My neighbor built a 3/4-bay garage a few years back with a radiant heated floor...that's a great way to go if you can swing it.

220 volt fan forced wall heater, I turn it on low the night before or on high an hour before I go into the shop. Leaving it on all the time the electric meter would spin like a top and fleece the wallet. I like the fan forced heater it dries small painted parts quickly.

Man. I gotta up my game. . . .

You can find a ton of information, ideas, suggestions, etc on this forum: www.garagejournal.com/

Richard D. It is my experience that nat. gas is cheapest, followed by propane, then electricty..... That is in this area... Gainesville, Ga. Natural gas is normaly the most reliable also.... Actual expense would depend on usage and the rate ramps used by the utilities...

Bruce, was it a coincidence that the opening picture of your recommended site was of a complete burned down garage, or are you trying to tell us something?

Bruce.
I searched heaters on your garage journal site and it came up with zero found.

Yeah, but it looks like the heater on Bruce' site's first page worked a little too well........

Troy -

Click on "The Forum" at the top of the home page, then part way down the page click on "Heating and A/C" and you'll find the threads.

Thanks Bruce. I knew there must have been more to that site than what I initially saw.