attached garage heating ideas

[wvpolekat]

That's unusual. Typically building codes apply to the resulting structure/installation, not the person doing the work. The homeowner exception is typically that the HO does not need to be licensed to do various work, but the work still must meet code.

There are lots of loopholes like that here. I assume it is because so much of the population lives in sub standard housing that they built as they could. There simply isn't money for enforcement, nor would/could many people here pay the fine if there was one.

You would also never expect to have anyone to call the building inspector if they saw you building something and didn't have a permit or whatever. Very much a live and let live attitude.

I have seen rental properties here that were little more than a shed. Wood stove, no insulation, plywood walls between the rooms. You get the picture. Most places, that would be condemned. Nobody bats an eye here.

Heck, I still know people who don't have electricity or running water. Friend of mine that has never had electricity was visiting with his 5 year old son one day. His son had to go to the restroom. He walked in closed the door, did his thing, all while never even thinking to flip the light on. He was used to functioning in the dark.

 

[ultrarunner]

There are lots of loopholes like that here. I assume it is because so much of the population lives in sub standard housing that they built as they could. There simply isn't money for enforcement, nor would/could many people here pay the fine if there was one.

You would also never expect to have anyone to call the building inspector if they saw you building something and didn't have a permit or whatever. Very much a live and let live attitude.

I have seen rental properties here that were little more than a shed. Wood stove, no insulation, plywood walls between the rooms. You get the picture. Most places, that would be condemned. Nobody bats an eye here.

Heck, I still know people who don't have electricity or running water. Friend of mine that has never had electricity was visiting with his 5 year old son one day. His son had to go to the restroom. He walked in closed the door, did his thing, all while never even thinking to flip the light on. He was used to functioning in the dark.

Makes me yearn for the simpler life...

Living in the city, I've had people call when they say Mom landscaping with a shovel and wheel barrow or when my neighbor was having new double pane windows installed...

It wasn't always like this... with the influx of people comes additional layers of regulation...

I've worked in areas where the owner had a free hand in building... the only caveat was the tax assessor would come out and measure when the building footprint or height changed.

Heck... we have 70 roving inspectors whose job it is to write citation if they witness fireplace smoke...

The only thing that matters is what is permissible for a given location and time...

 

[WM75Guy]

In a previous life I was a building inspector. Texas law allows a home owner to do work on their homestead exempt from licensing requirements. In unincorporated areas there are no codes. Most cities have code requirements for permits and inspections for homeowner work with reduced fees. If you ever sell your house and the mortgage company or new owner gets an inspection you need to be able to prove the work met code and was inspected. I saw many a sale go down in flames because of homeowner work that was not up to code, like running 110 volt fixtures with 18v low voltage landscape wire, penetrating the garage firewall to add a room, and plumbing that was not vented.

 

[bironacad]

I am looking at heating my work area and garage. My cousin is using the propane unit heater found in the link below for his garage. It is a through wall vent design and is up off the floor avoiding low lying fumes, it also has an option for sealed combustion (air for combustion comes in from outside and then these combustion products are vented outside). He said that the base of the unit heater had to be 8' off the ground by code. I am leaning toward radiant heat same idea it is up off the floor but has the advantage of not being affect by an outside door opening, you often see them on loading docks and community centre ice rinks. As an old HVAC guy no longer in the trade (my cousin is as well) there are building and fuel codes to follow which do not allow for mingling of the garage environment with the household environment, for reasons obvious and already stated, in actual fact there is a part of our building code that does not allow for different rental apartments to share the same forced air from one unit to another. Horizontal Oil fired units had to be a minimum height above the garage floor, at one time they were very common, some able to burn waste oil. I would have to check the code book but they were always at least 7' to their bottom above the floor in the garage.
Electric heaters require no combustion air so this is a plus but the cost is prohibitive to run. Anything that burns fuel requires air for combustion so units that bring in air for their combustion will eliminate negative pressure in the working environment which could result in carbon monoxide poisoning. There are reasons why consulting with building inspectors and licensed people are recommended. A lot of people in the area of my property are using outside boilers that are wood or pellet burning so all combustion happens outside, the hot water can be piped to multiple areas and gives the added advantage of zoning the heat. The heat to the house or garage is thereby radiant water. Most commercial garages are using some form of radiant heat, water or sealed combustion. There was an earlier link to a supplier of radiant heaters. My two cents. My cousin purchased his propane unit heater at TSC here are some links:

TSC Stores
TSC Stores

 

[grsthegreat]

again i agree with the comment about the safety police..... a fireplace on the ground would allow combustion source too low to the ground. you could place the fireplace 24" above the ground and probably be safe (but id still be afraid due to the gas vapors from vehicles, lawnmowers, etc...) but kinda hard to load wood, etc. if you penetrate the garage wall with any duct work, you could allow a path for a fire to follow into the main structure. I have been in the building trade for over 30 years, and have never been able to DUCT a garage from a home system either directly or indirectly. they will allow a liquid filled tube embedded in the slab to operate on a house system only. Personally what i usually see are 5000 watt electric heaters used where people want to keep a constant temp of 40 deg or so thru winter. if you only want to heat it up while your in there....use a ceiling mounted nat gas/propane heater. i have a 125,000 btu furnace in my 30 x 40 shop. i only fire it up for 15 minutes to take the temp up to where i can work in shirt sleevs in the dead of winter. i couldn't afford to leave it on....but i dont need to. I do alot of work out there in the winter with my metal projects (have a CNC plasma table and do metal art/work). for a standard 2 car garage, a 50,000 btu would heat you out in 10 minutes of use. as long as the room is insulated. But this is only my opinion....for what its worth.

 

[bironacad]

again i agree with the comment about the safety police..... a fireplace on the ground would allow combustion source too low to the ground. I do alot of work out there in the winter with my metal projects (have a CNC plasma table and do metal art/work). for a standard 2 car garage, a 50,000 btu would heat you out in 10 minutes of use. as long as the room is insulated. But this is only my opinion....for what its worth.

Plasma cutter me likes that

Heres that TSC UNIT HEATER:
Regular Price: $649.99HEATER BIG MAXX 45000 BTU LP
SKU # 215043
Vendor Part # MHU45LP
Brand: ENERCO MR HEATER CORP

 

[JMynes]

If you have gas just run a line to the garage, put a forced air modine type gas heater in and call it good. That is what I had in my shop in Anchorage years ago and it worked superbly.

+1! Heat the garage only when you want it warm. And it's on sale right now! Mr. Heater Natural Gas Garage Heater — 75,000 BTU, Model# MHU75NG | Natural Gas Heaters | Northern Tool + Equipment
When you figure the time, hassle, and materials to run a ductwork loop through your garage, this is a lot easier. I also doubt the ductwork loop would transfer enough heat to make much difference.

 

[Jay4200]

HVAC trained tractor guys please weigh in on my idea.

Bad all around - way overly complex. If you had FHW heat, running a loop into the garage with a radiator/blower would be the way to go. However, with FHA, you're mixing the garage and house air, which is a no-no.

Your best bet - an I am planning to do this myself - is to find a used or scratch/dent propane FHA furnace for cheap or free. You'll have to install an adequate exhaust - real easy if you find a condensing furnace. Set up the furnace in a corner and hook it to a 30gal bottle. No duct work needed - just fire it up when you are going to do work.

JayC

 

[wrath]

I did something similar once. It was an air-to-water feeding a water-to-air system. It consisted of two radiators out of 73-80 GM Fullsize trucks, 1" CPVC, two box fans, and an el-cheapo electric water pump.

It worked. However, it would take bloody forever to recover from an open garage door. The deltas just weren't large enough.

 

[Jeff H]

Hello Mr Wrath.
Thank you! I believe only you and CurlyDave on page one understood what I wanted to experiment with, either air-air or air-liquid-air transfer.

I never advocated tying into the house system in any way, and said in my post I did not want to commingle the air, yet many well meaning folks went on to warn me against doing it.

If I can find some suitable radiators I may give it a try.

Thanks