What to heat the garage with????

[hunt2elk]

Cheapest and simplest would be to hang a Reznor or Modine garage heater. They are 80% efficient so you can let the building freeze if you want to. Also have a propeller fan with no filters to worry about plugging up. I leave mine set at 52 all the time, and then turn it up to 60 when working out there. You would not be happy with a heat pump in a garage application imo. To slow of recovery time and you would need an emergency backup in your climate.

 

[HT413]

Please explain, to me that makes no sense at all. Around here we lack heat from outside in the winter lol.

Thermodynamically, it’s really hot out in the winter. So a heat pump pumps it inside and concentrates it... and bingo! Toasty warm.

Think of it this way, 0* on the Kelvin scale is real zero - meaning absolutely zero heat energy. when it’s 0*F outside, it’s like 255*K out... plenty of heat to steal.

Old school heat pumps stop working around freezing point. Modern heat pumps are just fine down past freezing and even past zero.

But a unit heater / reznor is the best solution. Like 1 moving part, 1 circuit board and a heat exchanger. Like Elk said, no filter so it’s so low maintenance you’ll forget its there

 

[bm02tj]

Use a radiant tube heater above your main work space at 1/2 the BTU's your are told you need for the whole garage
It will keep your tools nice and not let garage freeze
when working light wood heater to bring temp up

 

[bm02tj]

The down side of a heat pump is the defrost cycle that takes heat from space to melt the ice
they start to become less efficient below 50F or 10C
so you keeping shop a low temp not something I would use

 

[HT413]

Use a radiant tube heater above your main work space at 1/2 the BTU's your are told you need for the whole garage
It will keep your tools nice and not let garage freeze
when working light wood heater to bring temp up

Those things are neat. Doesn’t warm the air really, the radiant energy warms surfaces. They used to explain it to us that in a warehouse it warms the people not the warehouse. How much maintenance are they / service life?

 

[Mike67]

Reznors are great Thats what I have in my plants that need combustion air for the boilers, more pricey than the one I posted but very simple.
They are up in the air so if you do have a lot of fumes you have a safety margin as most explosive fumes are heavier than air and will sit on the lowest level. But there is no open flame anyways it is contained in a forced air heat exchanger...
Someone mentioned not having furnaces or water heaters in garages, you can do that but I think code is that they have to be at least 20" off of the floor for the fumes.

 

[mopar 3 B]

Those things are neat. Doesn’t warm the air really, the radiant energy warms surfaces. They used to explain it to us that in a warehouse it warms the people not the warehouse. How much maintenance are they / service life?

Something like a microwave oven. Doesn't heat the oven just whats in it.

 

[ws23jrt]

Something like a microwave oven. Doesn't heat the oven just whats in it.

Kinda--Microwaves shake up water molecules and that makes heat. - Radiant is felt on the surface. -Neither one warms the air it shines through.
If you want a warm breeze you need to warm the breeze.

 

[747mopar]

have a friend that has a 300ft long pole barn that stores steam engines and other very large toys and he has a heated floor its very nice but I dont have that kind of money

Me either.

 

[747mopar]

Reznors are great Thats what I have in my plants that need combustion air for the boilers, more pricey than the one I posted but very simple.
They are up in the air so if you do have a lot of fumes you have a safety margin as most explosive fumes are heavier than air and will sit on the lowest level. But there is no open flame anyways it is contained in a forced air heat exchanger...
Someone mentioned not having furnaces or water heaters in garages, you can do that but I think code is that they have to be at least 20" off of the floor for the fumes.

Code.. blah, blah.. been heating garages with woodburners for decades lol. I already found a new insurance company that's perfectly fine with it and remember this is Ohio not California, NY, NJ or Mass .

I was looking at the Reznors, I'm a fan of simplicity .

 

[Cornpatch MO]

I suggest an L.B. White ventless hanging heater no vent pipe needed thru the roof or wall. . They come in several BTU ratings. Mine has a valve that you can change the amount of BTU. I keep my shop at 50 degree to keep the concrete floor from getting cold. It takes very little time to warm the shop to 65 degree.................................MO

 

[snakeyes]

http://www.reznorhvac.com/en/na/home

 

[SoCal440GTX]

Think of heat pumps like this...

Refrigeration moves heat from a colder space to a warmer space.

In the summer it moves heat from a colder space (inside) to a warmer space (outside).

In the winter it moves heat from a colder space (outside) to a warmer space (inside).

In the summer you are trying to occupy the colder space, in the winter the warmer space. The refrigeration cycle doesn't know or care which side you are on.

Refrigeration forces the movement of heat in the opposite direction of that which it wants to flow. Heat wants to move from warmer to cooler naturally. Refrigeration forces the opposite.

As others have stated, if you don't think there's heat at even 0F then you don't know Kelvin!

 

[747mopar]

http://www.reznorhvac.com/en/na/homeView attachment 537608

These have me interested, the video you posted pointed out some interesting facts that make a lot of sense.

 

[747mopar]

Think of heat pumps like this...

Refrigeration moves heat from a colder space to a warmer space.

In the summer it moves heat from a colder space (inside) to a warmer space (outside).

In the winter it moves heat from a colder space (outside) to a warmer space (inside).

In the summer you are trying to occupy the colder space, in the winter the warmer space. The refrigeration cycle doesn't know or care which side you are on.

Refrigeration forces the movement of heat in the opposite direction of that which it wants to flow. Heat wants to move from warmer to cooler naturally. Refrigeration forces the opposite.

As others have stated, if you don't think there's heat at even 0F then you don't know Kelvin!

Evidently I never met this Kelvin Dude, sounds like he's full of chit to me.....

 

[493 Mike]

Neither. I use my well water (pump and dump). Uses about 5 GPM. I have a constant pressure pump controller now but,in the past I used 2- 85 gallon equivalent bladder tanks (to keep pump cycling down).
Mike

 

[Hemirunner]

You should stop by and experience my in floor heat... then again maybe you shouldn’t. Then you’ll just kick yourself for not doing it!

Just kidding. Good luck with whatever method you choose. The overhead tube heaters are nice if you’ve got the ceiling space.

 

[747mopar]

You should stop by and experience my in floor heat... then again maybe you shouldn’t. Then you’ll just kick yourself for not doing it!

Just kidding. Good luck with whatever method you choose. The overhead tube heaters are nice if you’ve got the ceiling space.

My brother in law has it (radiant floor) in his basement so I'm aware of it's comfort just not for me. The whole warming the floor idea is great I just don't like the cost and the fact that you can never access it after spending so much on it. I'm liking the radiant tubes because they do heat from the bottom up and I have the ceiling space.

 

[BeeKool]

Here you go.
Loving the smell of diesel in the morning

 

[747mopar]

One thing I hate about researching is all the conflicting information.... err. Anyways after actually talking to a local company that sells Radiant Tube heaters along with many other options I'm shying away from the Tube heaters, says they aren't anywhere close to being as efficient as the ceiling mounted heaters. He recommends an 85,000 BTU Modine, it works just like a home furnace with fresh air and exhaust piping and are 93% efficient.