Garage Heat

[dbelisle]

The Hot-Dawg heater may be your best bang for the buck. Even though the monitor and Rinnai units do a nice job you can't put anything that could be a source of ignition within 18 inches of the floor unless it is explosion proof. That means all electrical .

One problem with ventless heaters is the byproducts of combustion is CO2 and water vapor . There is 11 gallons of water in 1,000,000 BTUes of Propane. You don't need that kind of moisture in your building . There is also the issue of CO if it isn't operating properly.

Good Luck and stay warm, I went snowmobiling up by the Candian border this morning at 25 below zero !!!!

Mahindra 2810HST

 

[thcri]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Murph do you know of any problems with running warm air supplies or return air from the forced air furnace that heats the main house to a garage area that may have gasoline or other flammables stored there? )</font>

Don't do it. Under no circumstances don't do it. I don't know of a State that it is acceptable. I believe you would find in the Uniforma Mechanical Code book and the IBC that it is illegal. You read so many times in the paper where a homeowner has done this on his own and then killed one of his family members by running the car in the garage. We had one in our area where even the homeowner had his car outside of the garage and running and got everyone sick in the house. Just don't do it.

murph

 

[PineRidge]

Murph they may have permitted it years ago but its not safe. I have heard of cases where flammable vapors were pulled back into the home with disastrous results. My last home had several supplies in the garage and a gap under the door between the home & garage acting as a cold air return when I purchased it. I quickly blocked the supplies off and sealed them up with drywall. I then installed a metal door with magnetic seal between the house and the garage.

 

[rockinmywaypa]

Is there any way that you can build a closet around the sink and other freezables that could have an inch of styrofoam insulation and a light bulb or one of those ceramic heaters inside? I have an old water heater in the barn that is enclosed with sink. I open one door and have access to hot water for thawing water bowls. Works great for me.

 

[BillyP]

Well There ya go Kip, you're problem is solved.

It's up to you on how much you want to spend to keep your faucets from freezing. 100 bucks or several thousand? /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[kiphorn]

Sometimes too much information can be a dangerous thing. I've found after posting on these forums that there are always 100's of opinions. Most of the time there all valid which puts me in a position that now I know more than I did before but I'm still not sure of the correct answer. Is it me or does this happen to anyone else?

Anyway- my furnace is located under the mudroom but I didn't want to rob heat from the rest of the house. The duct to the gargage would be the first off of the trunk line and I thought that I would/could rob heat and pressure from the rest of the house.

I was all set to put in a ventless heater. Lowes had a 26,000 BTU unit on clearance. 50% off. So for less than $200 I could buy the unit and the copper line and have heat in the garage. BUT, with the negatives (condensation, CO) I'm not sure that this is the right way to go.

The modine heater has all the pluses except for the price.

So here I sit, still wondering what I should do. If money wasn't an issue, I put the modine in without thinking about it.

Thanks for the information, I'll read it all again and try to make the right decision.

Kip

 

[Mark_in_NH]

It's clear that you are looking at, or wanting an independant heat source for the garage. The problem will be, the expense of buying something appropriate and getting it set up.
Something to consider would be a mobile home furnace. The brand most common in mobile homes around here is "Miller". Oil fired, forced hot air, a fairly compact, floor mount, upright furnace.
Check your classified adds, check with your area mobile home dealers, junk yards etc. Sometimes you can stumble upon one for a few hundred bucks.
You would need to set up a fuel tank for it, which could be a negative if you were looking to stick with gas.
Just a thought.

 

[Junkman]

You are correct on the opinion issue, so I will just give you mine again. Go with the Lowe's unit. The moisture isn't going to be a problem in the garage, because I doubt that it is that well sealed in the first place. As for the CO issue, buy a CO detector and that will put that issue to rest. One of the problems that I have encountered in reading some posts is that opinions are based on flawed information that isn't always up to date. I have been known to have fallen into that area in the past myself. Times change and it is difficult to keep up with all the advancements that take place from year to year. It is like computers.... todays machines won't run tomorrows software or so I have been told. I don't know if this is true, but I do know that the heaters of today are some of the safest that have ever been built. Check with your local building official and ask if there is any prohibition to using the model that you are considering. If you purchase it, check to see if you need a permit to install it or if it has to be done by the propane dealer. In CT, the homeowner can install the unit, but the final hook up to the tank has to be done by the propane company. They check all the connections and make sure that the unit is properly installed before making the final connection. That way, the homeowner is off the hook is something goes wrong. This cost me about $30 for the testing and hook up the last time for my propane generator. They supplied the regulators at no charge so I feel that they did this at cost.

 

[PineRidge]

I used one of the infrared heaters in my attached garage for exactly one heating season. It was free at the time as a promotion from the Gas Co. to all homebuilders that hooked up to natural gas on new construction.

The problem that I saw with it was that it actually heated the concrete floor or anything else beneath it and then that radiated heat in turn warmed the air. So there was no working under it since it would burn the top of your head. I have also heard bad things about what it will do to the paint on an auto parked under it and since we work with a lot of shredded paper there was a concern in my case for a fire hazard as well.

I grew up in a second generation heating business and was always taught that non-vented appliances like these were a no-no but I will say that I never saw any appreciable monoxide generated from my unit. I did notice a couple of times that if I used it hard and then shut it off ice crystals would form on the walls. Water is one of the byproducts of the combustion process. I wasn't real happy with that fact so I replaced the unit with a Reznor Unit Heater in both the garage and my pole barn.

I have been very happy since. With heating you normally get what you pay for. There are trade offs either way that you go.

 

[Knight9]

Pineridge,

I'm surprised to hear that you didn't like the radiant heater. I've always thought they were the "cream of the crop"...and had planned to put one in my double detached when I get around to heating it. Was this an "older" model that was more focused in it's heat distribution? Too low (close to the floor)?

Maybe I better really follow this thread too! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Kevin

 

[PineRidge]

Kevin it was new when the house was finished 4 years ago. And it was installed by the builder per the manufacturers instructions. The bottom of it was roughly 8 foot off the concrete floor but we were not happy campers with it. I took it down and sold it for 50 bucks so it wouldn't be a total loss. I am very happy with both Reznor units. We are working out in the garage today in short sleeve shirts and it is toasty warm. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[NIXON]

I've got a moline "hot dawg " in my garage under the house ,and it is a great heater . But, I'm in the process of building a pole building (ran out of garage ). I'm very tempted to go with Radiant floor heat . Are there any significant advantages,or pitfalls to this type of system ? If I were to use radiant heat, I'd like to use an on demand heater (Takagi ) as the one I have in my house for heating water has proven to be bullet proof . Thanks , John

 

[BillyP]

We must be talking about 2 different animals here? The ones I've had/have, heat the air.

The one in my old house was about the size of a medium to small suitcase that was mounted on the wall. It was a 30,000 BTU and heated 1,300 sq ft of living area.

 

[PineRidge]

Billy the type of heater that I am referring to is mounted on a wall and at a downward angle. It radiates heat to the objects under it. IE. people, cars, and the concrete floor. The heat is then released from the objects heating the air. The picture was the quickest example that I could find.

 

[thcri]

Pine,

If the picture of the unit is the one you had and was only mounted 8 ft off the floor?? then that is why it probably didn't heat very well. With any infra-red having it too close to the floor is no good. I am not sure what the manufacturers instruction said on that one but I can't ever remember seeing one that allowed less than 12 ft.

murph

 

[powerstroke2000]

you should go with a waste oil furnace. You can get the oil for free most places are glad to get rid of it.

 

[PineRidge]

Murph I was finally able to locate the info. It was an Enerco unit and for all I know the Gas Company may still be offering the same garage heaters today to new builders. They don't need the 12 feet that you speak about, fact is 12 feet in a residential garage is a rarity. Here is a link to their site showing the heater and giving the installation specs. garage heaters

 

[powerstroke2000]

Another thing that works well is when you put in a new floor is heated floors just run your lines and hook them up to a hot water heater and install a pump to circulate it.

 

[BWa]

You might try a couple of 100 watt bulbs left on all the time might just be enough heat to at least keep from freeze'n ....don't laugh until you have try'd it .... put a thermometer out there and see , you don't have to get it up to 70 dregrees to keep the pipes from freeze'n ...40 or better works just as well ...
bill g.

 

[Knight9]

Pineridge,

Ok, I see what you mean now. That's not the kind I was thinking of, although I've seen those. I was thinking of this kind: Radiant heater

I think their heat is a little more gradual? I am concerned about a "blower" heater like a Hawt dog having issues with sawdust in a home workshop.

Kevin