Garage Heater


 
LMichaels

LMichaels

TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
So, I am going to install a sub panel in my garage and then install a hanging electric heater. Some of you have seen my garage, but it's 20x21 or 22, and ceiling is 10' IIRC. It's mostly insulated (only one wall is on an exterior with no insulation but it is drywalled) and my overhead door is double walled insulated.
So, that being said. I don't intend to have heat in there all the time. Only occasionally if I want to do a small project or such out there. And will likely never need it in brutally cold weather. Likely only with times of lower wind and temps 20-50F outside. Don't need it shorts and T-Shirt warm either.
I'm vacillating between 7500 watt and 10000 watt. The "issue" keeping me from just going 10k is cost. Seems like going from 7.5k to 10k doubles the cost.
Just looking for input. I have a 30K BTU LP forced air heater that accomplishes this with the window open to about 4"
A 7500 w unit looks to be about 23k BTU while the 10k W units look to be about 34k BTU.
Just curious if anyone has experience with these units.
 
You need like 9k BTU for that size. Look at mini-split systems that are energy efficient.

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Daikin brand was pervasive in Europe when we were there last summer.

When we looked at updating our previous home, we looked at Bosch heat pump units. The higher the efficiency the higher the price.

Figure out what fits your budget for this occasional use model you’ve presented.
 
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Oooof! Way out of the question. For as little as I would need the thing efficiency is not an issue. It would take the rest of the years I have left on this planet to pay myself back.
Also how did you arrive at 9k BTU? is there a chart or something I can look at?
 
LMichaels said:
Oooof! Way out of the question. For as little as I would need the thing efficiency is not an issue. It would take the rest of the years I have left on this planet to pay myself back.
Also how did you arrive at 9k BTU? is there a chart or something I can look at?
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See the first link for sizing. Your 400 sq ft is what dialed me into 9k BTUs.

One of those radiant heaters is an energy hog and super inefficient. But it depends what you’re trying to achieve. IDK your electricity rates. I know here in crazyfornia, electricity is expensive.

With solar, my bill last month was $6 for electricity and $26 to connect to the grid (infrastructure costs).
 
24x24 detached garage fully insulated. My son is a sparky and did the sub panel and hooked up a 6000w heater he got a deal from work.
I run it to take the chill off when working out there.
Keeps it about 50 on a cold day.
 

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One of the down sides to an electric unit heater is the weak fan resulting in a lack of efficient air circulation within the space. Mathematically, a 5kw unit will “heat” the space but that’s really more about maintaining temperature rather than a cold start situation. That same 5kw heater is going to take forever to warm the space to a comfortable level when it’s in the teens outside. Bigger will be better in your case when selecting an electric heater but none will be very quick to warm the space. The larger sizes will just be “less slow” per se. They’re as safe as regular electric baseboard heaters for the most part but typically require more maintenance (ie: cleaning of the fan blades, etc), especially in a garage environment. BTW - KW’s aren’t cheap in my neck of the woods. Non-inverter based electric heat of any variety is usually a no-go in these parts due to running costs. Ductless splits and Hot Dawg style gas unit heaters are where it’s at for retrofit garage heating solutions around here.
 
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Brett-EDH said:
With solar, my bill last month was $6 for electricity and $26 to connect to the grid (infrastructure costs).
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What was the cost of the solar installation? Do you have the battery?

NEM3.0 has just about killed solar here in SoCal. Love to do it but so many solar companies have gone bankrupt.
 
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Good info. I just don't want to use "fueled" type heaters. Seems a loss to constantly have an open window, plus the smell, excess noise and such. I know being in a garage they get dirty. Again not a bother to me. I just want something to take a cold garage up from say it's typical winter ambient of 35F or so to 50-60F Not looking for summer temps. Just something I can work in
 
I'm gonna concur with NOT burning hydrocarbons, especially propane, in a garage space and definitely not in a rather chilled environment. Water vapor is produced and will condense on everything. This is one place where I'll go non-combustible.

I have a hanging electric heater in my detached garage, running on a 30 amp circuit. There was an LP heater in the wall at some point (rather obvious from the cavity, but it was gone before we bought.
 
TomRc said:
One of the down sides to an electric unit heater is the weak fan resulting in a lack of efficient air circulation within the space. Mathematically, a 5kw unit will “heat” the space but that’s really more about maintaining temperature rather than a cold start situation. That same 5kw heater is going to take forever to warm the space to a comfortable level when it’s in the teens outside. Bigger will be better in your case when selecting an electric heater but none will be very quick to warm the space. The larger sizes will just be “less slow” per se. They’re as safe as regular electric baseboard heaters for the most part but typically require more maintenance (ie: cleaning of the fan blades, etc), especially in a garage environment. BTW - KW’s aren’t cheap in my neck of the woods. Non-inverter based electric heat of any variety is usually a no-go in these parts due to running costs. Ductless splits and Hot Dawg style gas unit heaters are where it’s at for retrofit garage heating solutions around here.
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Thanks for posting. I didn’t want to compel you with a tag. Without a blower, there’s no convection, thus the room will be cold and hot, in spots concurrently. Thus my recco of the mini split heat pump. And dang cheap to operate when purchased correctly.
 
Ed P said:
What was the cost of the solar installation? Do you have the battery?

NEM3.0 has just about killed solar here in SoCal. Love to do it but so many solar companies have gone bankrupt.
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My plant fully installed was around 16k.

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No battery as I believe if I install a battery I can no longer sell back to the electric company (SMUD).

Same problem happened up here with PGE. People now install batteries and are grid independent.

There’s an abundance of solar electricity overproduction and there’s no community wide battery storage capacity. This all will have to change in the future, IMO.

My system will never be “profitable” as I’ll never break even. But it’s baked into the home’s cost so it is what it is.

We have an electric dryer for clothes and I feel fine using electricity again for anything I want due to overall low cost per kWh.
 
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timothy said:
24x24 detached garage fully insulated. My son is a sparky and did the sub panel and hooked up a 6000w heater he got a deal from work.
I run it to take the chill off when working out there.
Keeps it about 50 on a cold day.
Click to expand...
That still looks like an energy hog. Do your math on TCO. Buy what makes most sense and cents for you.
 
I have a Fahrenheat 7500W heater in my 22x28 garage with 9' ceilings. Circuit is 240V30A if I recall.

Attached garage, 2 walls insulated, insulated 16x7' door, drywalled. Heats the garage just fine. Now that ceiling is insulated it works even better!

Slightly different climate zone than you.

Fan seems to have a heck of a throw! I mounted it in a corner and it blows diagonal.

Thermostat is dial type with zero readout other than more or less indicators.

I would buy it again.
 
Wilmer Cogburn said:
I have a Fahrenheat 7500W heater in my 22x28 garage with 9' ceilings. Circuit is 240V30A if I recall.

Attached garage, 2 walls insulated, insulated 16x7' door, drywalled. Heats the garage just fine. Now that ceiling is insulated it works even better!

Slightly different climate zone than you.

Fan seems to have a heck of a throw! I mounted it in a corner and it blows diagonal.

Thermostat is dial type with zero readout other than more or less indicators.

I would buy it again.
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Thank you. FWIW, my garage will rarely get below freezing. Yeah occasionally water based solutions I have in the garage will sort of freeze but never solid. So, I suspect about 30-32 is about as cold as it gets. But your garage sounds about like mine just a few more sq ft. I was really hoping a 7500 would do the job. But it does not seem like it will. My SIL is going to install a mini split in their garage(s). He's gonna start with his detached large 2 car garage as the heat exchanger on the current gas heater is cracked. And he also wants to cool it.
I have no need to cool ours and would VERY rarely ever need to use it. So, while I know it will suck up the juice like no tomorrow, There would really never be payback for me to install a heat pump. I can get the 10k heater for just under $300, and I already bought the breakers, the sub panel and the wiring to install it. Thanks to Menards rebates my out of pocket for it all? $00.00 So, I only need the time, a decent day, and the actual heater to complete an install.
And no I understand on my 60 amp circuit I cannot charge my car and run the heat. That will never happen. I will turn off circuit to the heater to charge the car and vice versa
 
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