Follow-up: Garage/Shop Heater Question

[Don Abele]

I've been following the thread about the Hot-Dawg heater with much interest. I have a 2 car garage, insulated with no heat. Living in south-east Virginia wasn't sure exactly what I'd need out there to keep it warm. The temps over the last week are getting below freezing and the garage is getting pretty cold - too cold to work in and too cold for the liquids stored out there. I have some 1500 watt radiant heaters keeping it around 50 at night now.

I need a better solution though. After reading the thread about the Hot-Dawg I decided to research and look at all my options.

For $1.00 you get the following heat:
125,000 btu's from natural gas
100,000 btu's from #2 diesel
61,000 btu's from propane
55,000 btu's from electricity

Well, #2 diesel is out and with the hassle of propane and not a significant increase in energy, I'd eliminate that one too. So I've got electricity or NG. My house has NG, though the accessible pipe is no where near the garage - it's probably 25-30 feet away. I can't imagine the winters to be very long here (just started to get cold) so investing in a $500+ NG system and pipe install seems very expensive, but so could my electric bill. Oh, and I'll only be here for 2 winters before the Navy moves me again.

Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Be well,

Doc

[Paul D. May]

I've been following the thread about the Hot-Dawg heater with much interest. I have a 2 car garage, insulated with no heat. Living in south-east Virginia wasn't sure exactly what I'd need out there to keep it warm. The temps over the last week are getting below freezing and the garage is getting pretty cold - too cold to work in and too cold for the liquids stored out there. I have some 1500 watt radiant heaters keeping it around 50 at night now.

I need a better solution though. After reading the thread about the Hot-Dawg I decided to research and look at all my options.

For $1.00 you get the following heat:
125,000 btu's from natural gas
100,000 btu's from #2 diesel
61,000 btu's from propane
55,000 btu's from electricity

Well, #2 diesel is out and with the hassle of propane and not a significant increase in energy, I'd eliminate that one too. So I've got electricity or NG. My house has NG, though the accessible pipe is no where near the garage - it's probably 25-30 feet away. I can't imagine the winters to be very long here (just started to get cold) so investing in a $500+ NG system and pipe install seems very expensive, but so could my electric bill. Oh, and I'll only be here for 2 winters before the Navy moves me again.

Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Be well,

Doc

Doc,

I purchase some flexible gas pipe from Menards for $40 (25 ft) that you can bury underground if sheathed in conduit. They also have other lengths as well. This is a safe, cost effective way to go.

Paul

[Glenn Clabo]

Hey Doc,
Have ya thought about a woodstove?

Also...I spent some time (just 18 years) in the DC area. I worked out of a one car that I heated with 2 electric heaters then shifted over to a kerosene heater just because someone gave it to me. I only really needed it for a couple of months...but I grew up up here in New England so I really rather have it cold than hot.

[Mike Evertsen]

I have used 2 kerosene heaters in the past not those long torpedo heats but the round ones,,I didn't leave it on when I wasn't in the shop and it took about 2 -3 hours to warm up the shop depending on how cold it was....I bought a 55 gal. drum
of kerosene at the start of the heating season,,(,kept it out side in a shed)
it got me thru 4 years,,,,,then I moved into a building with a furnace,,,

[Chad Pater]

If it were me, I'd have a hard time going with the NG for only a two year stay. That is just me. I'd probably stay with electricity and then get back to making sawdust and not waste time messing with heating.

[Jim Becker]

If it were me, I'd have a hard time going with the NG for only a two year stay. That is just me. I'd probably stay with electricity and then get back to making sawdust and not waste time messing with heating.

I kinda have to agree with Chad on this one. If it were a dedicated shop in an outbuilding and you could realize value from resale, it would be a different situation, but heated garages are not something that catches most folks eyes. (Their loss....<G>)

I'm kind of in the same situation that until I get to finish the upstairs of my shop building, I will not have any "permanent" form of heat or A/C. For now, I'm using electric radiant units that hang from the ceiling as shown below. They are about $60 each and I have three in the shop. On the really, really cold days of winter, I'll get the air warm with a kero heater, but am careful to get it out of the shop before shutting it down...I can't stand the fumes. But the electric units are pretty surprising. As long as I start them up in the morning before dealing with breakfast, email, etc., they shop is very usable. Once the temp gets to where I want it, I can shut them down to half-power, and keep it there for the entire day. And since they warm objects and "you", they can give almost immediate relief from the cold if you want to start working right away. (Several others who post at SMC use these units)

[Don Abele]

Thanks to all for the comments so far. Follow-on though:

Do you guys heat your shops at night? It appears by your posts, that many of you don't. Isn't that problem with freezing glue/stains/etc.? I really wanted to keep it at about 50* constant and then bump the temp up when I'm in there. Which is another factor to consider - the safety of having the heat source unattended. This is why I really didn't consider a kerosene heater. Though using the radiants at night and kerosene to boost the temp when I get ready to use the shop sounds like a good idea.

Jim, are they 1500 watt units your using? Do they have thermostats to maintain an even temp or just power settings?

Thanks again to all for the comments,

Be well,

Doc

[Jim Becker]

Jim, are they 1500 watt units your using? Do they have thermostats to maintain an even temp or just power settings?

Settings:

1500 watts
750 watts
Off

No thermostat on these units. Some of the oil-filled radiator units have thermostats, but none are large enough for that big of a space.

Cold can be problematic for finishes...most caution about freezing right on the container. You may need to make alternative arrangements.

[Jeff Watson]

Don,
I am going through the same decision right now. I have a 2 car garage and am considering electric. I ruled out the other energy sources because of cost and combustibility issues. After reading about this issue on other forums, I have some doubt as to whether the small Marvin units will put out enough energy to keep my shop warm enough during January and February when the temp can dip to around zero outside.

I don't know if this is the answer, but I have been leaning toward a electric construction heater as maybe any answer. The Marley 13,650 BTU electric construction heater sold by northerntool.com or a similar one made by Dimplex (http://www.dimplex.com/productshow.asp?id=234) at Menards. When taxes and shipping are figured there is about a $35 difference. They both have built in thermistats.

The only problem I have is that I do not have a 230 volt outlet in the garage yet, However the 200 amp panel is right there with six or seven open slots for breakers, so I don't think it will be a problem to install and I need one for a dust collector in the near future anyways. Need to research that one a little more.

That is where I am at. I don't want to hijack your thread but maybe an owner of one of these could give their feedback on these heaters?


Jeff W.

[Don Abele]

Jeff, the Marley is one of the units I have been looking at as well. The portability really means nothing to me. It's more the cost ($99.99 at Northern), the btu's (13,650), and the thermostat (which I think is really important to stop it from running continually yet be able to maintain the temp). I'm also considering the Fahrenheat unit. It's twice the cost, but puts out 17,065 btu's and is a much beefier unit. Though I admit, I am still leaning towards the Marley.

While out today, I saw a tower heater that uses a ceramic electric heating plate with a blower. It's rated at 1500 watts (5000 btu's), oscilates, has a digital thermostat, timer, and even a remote control. Selling for $49 at Walmart. I'm thinking of picking up a couple, putting one in each bay and trying them out over the weekend. If they don't cut it, back they go and I'll try the Marley. Since there's a Northern near me, if it doesn't cut it, I'll swap for the Fahrenheat. Eventually I'll find one that works. :p

Be well,

Doc