Garage Heater

Tiger

I have a new 3-car garage with a 9' double door. I thought about heating it electrically, but I'm afraid of the bill I'd get & also that the heat will all escape when I open the large door. The city gas is about 100' away and would cut across the underground power lines. A kerosene forced air heater would warm things up quicker and cost less, but I think the smell bothers me. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. It's getting too cold to use my new garage.

Dave

KillerToiletSpider

Corn burning stove.

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tinner666

http://www.mrheater.com/

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Frank Slate Roof Repairs, Richmond, Va.

A W Smith

they make waste oil heaters for garages.

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Al Smith
http://www.awsmith.com

MechanicalDVR

Waste oil heaters are only a good choice if you actually have a source for waste "oil". I have worked on several in the last couple of heating seasons that were full of plastic in the blast chambers from having synthetics put in the tank. The liquid plastics ruin the pumps and need to be manually cleaned from any surface they melt into, as the fumes are noxious. These heaters are true atomizing burners, the flame quality depends on a constant fuel viscosity.

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neolitic

Those wall hung radiants are great.
Heat stuff, instead of use air to heat stuff.
I use the bottle tops, gonna get a wall hung.
If I ever get natural piped out there.

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KillerToiletSpider

Burn corn, not gas.

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DeanV

I got a heat pump put in my work shop. Gives me AC in summer, heat in winter. We will see if I regret when my next electric bill gets here.

Tin Cup

I use 4 oil filled electric radiant heaters, one in each corner of my 2.5 car garage. today outside temp was 45 degrees, with all four on low inside was a nice 65 degrees. I can keep it between 60-70degrees thoughout the winter just turning them up a notch as it gets colder. idea is to warm contents not the air. opening door for a short time doesn't cool it too much. attic isn't even insulated, just filled with contractor stuff.

When door is open longer, i kick on the kerosene heater, or turn on the quartz heater above the work bench or the natural gas fired infra red heater i bought at an auction. during those warm stretches in winter, turn them off. so nice to work in the garage in the winter in my sock feet if i want.

I love the oil filled radiant heaters, keep one in the trailer. sure they take alot of electricity but they are safe and do the job. i buy them at the end of the winter, got a few extra still in the boxes i got last year for $12 each at H.D.

Tin Cup

neolitic

No, no, no
DRINK corn
Burn gas!

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KillerToiletSpider

LOL!

I am going to replace my cob burner with a corn furnace next summer, the cob burner is to high maintenance.

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MechanicalDVR

BUT, if you didn't want to keep them on constantly how long would it take to heat the space if it was less than 40 outside?

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neolitic

By next year corn may be too high to burn or drink!
Bought kero today $3.99!!!

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MechanicalDVR

I guess that is good if you have a source for corn. How much maintenance does that type of burner require? What does the corn cost you?

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Michaeljp86

Im working on a dueplex putting in electric heat. A lineman came and cut the power at the pole and said everyone is going to electric heat now because its cheaper then fossil fuels.

KillerToiletSpider

The cobs cost me twenty bucks a ton, delivered, the maintenance is twice a day cleaning. A corn furnace will burn corn, cherry pits, lima beans, wood pellets, and soybeans, and needs to be cleaned once a week.

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MechanicalDVR

Sounds like a lot of manual labor.

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KillerToiletSpider

I can run a corn furnace at roughly a bushel a day, I can buy clean dry corn for two and a half dollars a bushel. Do the math over fossil fuel.

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MechanicalDVR

But how long will it run on it's own unattended?

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Tin Cup

it's slow to heat all the contents, 1/2 day to full day depending. that's why i still have the kersose and infra red if i need to keep the door open or get quick heat up. the oil filled heaters draw alot of electricity trying to get up to temperature, maintaining temp of oil inside is alot less so i just keep them on, go from low, med, high as outside temp dictates. Oh, they'll pop 15 amp breakers easily. i ran sub-panel to my garage with dedicated 20amp circuits for each heater and a few extra circuits for compressor, tools, etc.

after many years, i find it best to just keep them on all the time, my tools and equipment stay cozy, don't need to winterize the sprayer or mower or pressure washer and wife gets a warm car inside. i figure it costs me an extra $50-75/month for electric over 3-4 months. so what, next house will have the ultimate garage. garage in winter also doubles for kids poker nights or neighbor buddies hangout with T.V. going and neighbors watching me fix something. upstairs attic has floor but no insulation just contractor stuff not used often.

"small-time contractor by choice"

Tin Cup