Any ideas on a cheap heat source for a garage heater? about 550 square feet of garage space. Electric or gas? Where to get?

It also has to be rugged enough for me to drop, trip over, hit with my tools when I'm not looking where I'm going, etc.....

Thanks!

Bill P.

I just picked one up at Home Depot for about a $100. Can't remember the brand but it is orange, runs on propane and has and electric fan. 40K BTU I think, Had the garage too hot in less than an hour. They also had a good sized propane heater for $39. It's one of the ceramic ones that just glows, It's also adjustable Hi-Lo knob. Won't heat as fast though.
-Mike D

Google Mr.Heater for those items...not only in your local stores, but all over eBay.

QUOTE (Mike D. @ Jan 11 2006, 01:45 PM)

I just picked one up at Home Depot for about a $100. Can't remember the brand but it is orange, runs on propane and has and electric fan. 40K BTU I think, Had the garage too hot in less than an hour. They also had a good sized propane heater for $39. It's one of the ceramic ones that just glows, It's also adjustable Hi-Lo knob. Won't heat as fast though. -Mike D

BE SURE TO VENTILATE THE GARAGE IF YOU GO THAT ROUTE!! (Carbon monoxide)

Also if working with combustibles keep the heater off the floor. Go the Hot Dawg route and be safe. Or make sure the insurance is paid up

I have one of those electric radiant heaters in mine. If I put it behind me when I'm at the work bench it makes my ass hot.

The garage stays cold.

Don't recommend.

I have a 4800 watt electric with fan that I plug into my 220 V welding outlet....Shop is insulated and 24 X26...works well.

Watch the newspaper for a residential electric furnace someone's selling (15kw would be more than enough). I see them all the time for around $50. You can mount them in any position, suspend them from the ceiling, lay them down in the attic (with a little ductwork), and down the road you can add a central a/c to it for the summer!

New, they go for about $300.

QUOTE (Buzzard1 @ Jan 11 2006, 08:51 PM)

Watch the newspaper for a residential electric furnace someone's selling (15kw would be more than enough). I see them all the time for around $50. You can mount them in any position, suspend them from the ceiling, lay them down in the attic (with a little ductwork), and down the road you can add a central a/c to it for the summer! New, they go for about $300.

can you show me a pic of what you are talking about please....

Rich

You live in California, why would you need a heater? Have you tried wearing clothes?

I use two Dayton natural gas industrial radiant heaters, and heat a 2160 sq foot garage with 12 foot cielings. They hang from cieling hooks, and require no vents. They keep the whole building at 70 degrees at zero outside temperature, and do not burn as much gas as a hot air gas furnace. I have low temp thermostats on them and turn them down to 40 degrees during the week, and on Saturday before breakfast, or Friday night before bed turn them up to 70. I do not think it costs $50 per month in gas. You need 3 feet above them and clear space below.

They came from Granger. Can't remember the cost, but a couple hundred each, plus natural gas line.

whatever you do, i strongly suggest you insulate/sheetrock your garage, will save you $$$$. Also get high quality well-insulated garage doors/side seals, or u will feel a cold draft in that direction. Then again your in cali so shouldn't be a prob.


cheers,
Brent

QUOTE (r_towle @ Jan 11 2006, 08:09 PM)

QUOTE (Buzzard1 @ Jan 11 2006, 08:51 PM) Watch the newspaper for a residential electric furnace someone's selling (15kw would be more than enough).  I see them all the time for around $50.  You can mount them in any position, suspend them from the ceiling, lay them down in the attic (with a little ductwork), and down the road you can add a central a/c to it for the summer! New, they go for about $300. can you show me a pic of what you are talking about please.... Rich

Pretty simple and compact units. Essentially it's a blower housing (air handler), and an electric heat coil (5kw per coil). All of the parts are relatively cheap, and they rarely break.

I've been running the same electric furnace in my house (20kw) for the last 19 years, and in that time had to replace two sequencers, and one of the coils.....that's it.

Pic is with the blower door off, heat elements and components would be located in the covered area below the blower.

I would happily pay $300 for a new unit like that. Compact, reliable, fume free relatively cheap garage heat? Please...

Thanks.

average homeowner will pay for heat this year.

1450 (oil)
1100 (natural Gas)
750 elec.

elec is cheaper than fossil fule
It consolidates the pollution to one plant versus many homes.
It is cheaper to install.

And solar panels can offset the extra costs...

Rich

Every kW is the equivalent of 10 100 watt light bulbs. You'll pay $300 for the heater and $3000 to upgrade your electric service. Check to see how much electric you have available in the garage.
Pat

its funny you say that....

My dad, a retired EE, uses 100Watt light bulbs to heat his home while he is gone on trips in the winter...

He explains the cost benfits etc...

Rich

QUOTE (pek771 @ Jan 11 2006, 08:58 PM)

Every kW is the equivalent of 10 100 watt light bulbs. You'll pay $300 for the heater and $3000 to upgrade your electric service. Check to see how much electric you have available in the garage. Pat

I have a 100 amp sub panel in my garage. I paid the $2k to upgrade the electrical when the basement was finished.

Funny here in California (Southern anyway) many people get cold when it get's down to 40. When I moved from Cal to Colo after a couple of years, 40 was warm. Now that I have been back fro a number of years 40 is chilly...

Allan's got a hot ass ...
That's what all the ladies say.

My service panel is 100A, the 15kw electric furnace uses a 80A 220V breaker. Each 5kw coil uses 20A when running, and even my highest electric bill (and my house is completely electric), is still less than my neighbor's gas/electric bill. You can always "de-rate" electric furnaces, meaning you disconnect coils to lower its output to 10kw, or even 5kw to suit the size of the space you're heating. The most expensive part of the unit is the blower motor, and I still can get those for about $35 (universal/3-speed/reversible/220V). The pic was taken from a new mobile home electric furnace that's for sale on ebay....$300 "buy it now" if I recall correctly. Call W.W. Grainger, or Johnstone Supply (best price) for wholesale (or as close as you'll get without an account).

I have radiant hot water heat in my garage works great, it's hooked up to my home system. I love it until I open a $556 natural gas bill for December. Needless to say the heat in the house and garage is way down and everyone is wearing sweats in the house!

Go the Hot Dawg route, a friend has one in his garage, it's noisy when the fan runs, but it does a good job of keeping it warm.

40 is balmy in these parts. I use an electric ceiling heater and a ceiling mounted radiant heater which keeps my garage pretty warm. Even when its below 0.

You might consider a window mounted or through the wall heat pump, if you're located in an area with moderate winters. Then you would also have AC during the summer. Air to air heat pumps can be more efficient than straight electric resistance heat, but they don't work well when temps are 35 degrees or less. That is one of my gripes about them.