Today I will talk a little bit about heating solutions for my garage 120v. Now, you probably know that I haven’t needed heat because I lived in Arizona. When I moved to Colorado, I had my work cut out for me. I really had to do a lot of research to get to know what the current options are and which option is best for me in this certain situation. That is why, thought to share some of that information with you, because there’s a lot of options.
For a start is forced air heaters that run on gas, or propane, natural gas, kerosene, or diesel. These are very effective, but do require a gas supply, an exhaust, and a clean air intake and a sealed combustion chamber in order to prevent any major issues from the presence of wood dust or finishing fumes in the air. Then is forced air electric heaters. They have a similar concept to the gas versions but these units rely solely on electricity to produce heat. It is easy to install it but there is an evident drawback such as the increased electric bill.
Item model | Dimensions, Weight | Volt, Wattage | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Dr. Heater DR966 Check the price | 14.5" x 14.5" x 13", 27 pounds | 240V Single Phase, 3000/6000 Watt | Adjustable thermostat with HIGH and LOW setting, 5 adjustable louvers for to direct airflow |
Dr Infrared Heater DR-988 Check the price | 12" x 12" x 15", 12 pounds | 240V, 4800/5600 Watt | Thermostat control: 45-95 degrees F. |
Dr Infrared Heater Check the price | 13" x 11" x 16", 23.5 pounds | 120V, 1500 Watt | Electronic thermostat: range 50 to 86 degrees, 12hr automatic shut-off timer, IR Remote Control |
King KBP2406 Check the price | 11.5" x 10" x 13.5", 24 pounds | 240V, 5700 Watt | Made in the USA, Degrees on the label for precise temperature control |
NewAir G73 Check the price | 9" x 9.5" x 14", 15 pounds | 240V, 5000 Watt | Built-in thermostat with automatic shut-off protects against overheating, Heats up to 750 square feet perfect for shops, garages, worksites |
Optimus H-9010 Check the price | 26.4" x 14.6" x 5.1", 12 pounds | 240V, 750/1500 Watt | Quartz Heating Element, Instant 750/1500 Watt sun-like heat, plus soft halogen light |
Comfort Zone Check the price | 17.8" x 14" x 14.5", 27 pounds | 240V, 7500 Watt | Thermostat control, Fan-forced for wide heat dispersion, Heavy gauge steel body |
As to the infrared tube heat, I was sure that this option was good for me for the first couple of days of my research period. It has an enclosed combustion chamber, does not do much noise, and does not blow any air around the shop. The infrared energy, just like the sun, is unique in that it warms the bodies and objects instead of warming the air. In actual fact, you can stand in front of one of these just after turning it on and feel the heat on your skin right away. But the more research I did, the more I realized that this might not be a good solution for me. First, the tubes are large and have to cover a fairly significant area of the shop to be effective. Second, this type of heat can lead to hot and cold spots. At least while it is bringing the room up to temperature, you could easily have a hot face and cold feet. However, those who have these units installed seem to love them, and so your mileage may vary. Another option is ductless mini-split heat pumps. Now this one is nearest and dearest to my heart since I have been running these in Arizona for the past five to six years, though I can count on one hand the number of times that I have actually used the heat setting. The units consist of an indoor head unit and an outside compressor unit that blows cold or warm air into the space. It is very efficient and really quiet. As a heater, they are not very aggressive and they will not work very well when the temperature drops below a certain point. How about wood stoves and pellet? These are apparently the most old-school option, and you can just drop a big old oven in the shop and begin burning stuff. Of course, you need to exhaust it as well. These things can really crank out the heat, but you do have to have a great supply of fuel. If you worry about kids or pets, it could be a big safety issue. Moreover, there could be code ramifications and insurance to install something like this in a residential garage space. Then is radiant in-floor heating. I should admit after all of my research that it is effective and comfortable heating. It pumps warm water through tubes in the floor. The system heats the whole space from below, without any high temperature heat sources. But the installation prior to pouring the slab is required. In my opinion it is the best solution but it is not practical at the moment because it may be installed in a new subfloor on to pf the slab, and it is far away for me. Of course, there are other options available to woodworkers, but these options are the most popular and accessible. What did I do? Well, I chose the easiest thing first. I got a Mitsubishi mini-split ductless heat pump. We should see how it works after the installation. The size was not quite fit the space but I figured that it would be decent. And I could add a supplemental heater to increase the temperature, and let the mini-split keep it up to temperature. The main issue was the installation. We had to put the compressor on the front porch for the installation. As it was planned for the business, I had to do it. However, it was not a good idea and we just wasted our time and money because it was not good for that porch. So we had to reinstall it again. However, the compressor may be installed in another place and it needed even more work and more money because it is further away and the concrete work would be needed for tubes and the power for the compressor. But there is always the plan B. It was a gas-powered forced air unit. At first sight, it was easy to install. The representatives of the HVAC company to estimate the situation, and they said that it would take much work to connect the gas line properly to the unit. Another great problem. The garage was not so close, so that the vent would go out toward the front of the house, near the front porch. Of course, I did not want to repeat that situation that I had with mini-split. And the bill was over $5,000. So, I decided to contact different contractors to get to know about their prices. But I trusted this HVAC representative because he also worked on this house. But we had a real problem which was cost-prohibitive. So, I decided to move to the next option – forced air electric. Now, the drawback is power costs a lot of money, isn’t it? And my electric bill will definitely go up. But due to the installed units, my shop would be warmed up, and I can actually work to earn money for the bill payment. I think this is a good solution for now. What do I have here? The company Fahrenheat made two different models I have. The one is 7,500 watts. What a power! And the second is 5,000. Now, they are adjustable to different wattages. So, I think the 5,000 could be dropped down to 2,500, and the 7,500 could be adjusted for 3,750 watts depending on your needs. I called an electrician, wire it up for me just to make sure it’s safe. And they were hung in such a way to create a circular pattern of air around the shop, and their work is unison. The high is about 11 feet to the ceiling, so I had to use ceiling fans to push down the air otherwise a lot of the heat would be kept in a pocket at the ceiling. The air mixing is not necessary. But even now, it works pretty very well. The cost for these, about 400 for the 7,500 watt unit costed about 400, and the another one was 250. Therefore I helped electrician to save money because why not to help people in my house if it saved me some money? It is reasonable, right? The total investment for the installation and units was about $1,500. I like these two units. Now the first thing I do in the morning is turning them on. It does not matter what the temperature is currently in the shop, the cozy working temperature will be in 45 minutes, one hour. I can say that in 15 minutes I can take off jacket because it gets worm. So the annoying thing for me is climbing up the ladder to reach the thermostats. However, I found information that the external thermostat may be used, and I could use it down the wall, without any ladders. A shut-off is not used at the unit. I can easily reach the circuit breaker and shut it off. When we discussed about the different types of heaters, about infrared one to warm all the objects first and then the air. You may wonder if I open a garage door, how much cold air comes in? How much hot air do I lose? I cannot count it but I open it quickly, get into my car, close it, and do it that again 15 minutes later, I think it does not have any sort of impact that I can feel. Of course, air will be exchanged. It will be problematic if the door is open for a long period. For me, it is not a problem to open the door quickly and then put it down. In fact, opening the door will not cool everything down right away because the walls are warm, the floor is warmer, and the tools are warm. It is just a garage, and just a shop. We should not be too strict to it. What about the electric bill? These things have not run long enough to give you perspective, and I will inform you when we receive the first bill. But the heater was the primary thing because if I didn’t not do it, I would not make money, I could not work. So you can just analyze it and see the benefits. Next time I will probably have new lights. And we will discuss the installation.Dr. Heater DR966 – Best garage heaters 240v
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Dr Infrared Heater DR-988 – Topnotch electric garage heater 240v
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Dr Infrared Heater – Super electric heater for home and garage
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King KBP2406 – Best electric garage heater 120 or 240 volt
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NewAir G73 – Exclusive electric heater for uninsulated garage
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Optimus H-9010 – Topflight electric heaters for small garage
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Comfort Zone Wall Mount Heater – Champion electric heaters to save space
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Markwemple says
I’m looking for a 120V electric garage heater to take some of the winter chill out of my garage. Anyone got any recommendations? For the record, I’m in Northern Cali so it is not very cold. Just looking to take some of the chill off and keep my old bones from getting too cranky. I noticed Sears has one for $50. It looks promising. Sears electric garage heater Thanks.
oldopelguy says
There so many variables at work here. I am like you; I had one single 20 amp circuit and no natural gas so I was running a portable kerosene heater that needed to be plugged in. It was noisy, smelly and I always had to stop to refill it. I also had to have enough floor space in front of it so I didn’t burn the place down.
Then I switched to a radiant tank-top heater for a 20lb. propane tank. Not as loud, not as smelly, but not as hot either. Still made me feel sick after 6-8 hours and I was constantly refilling the tanks.
When that wasn’t enough, I got a forced air propane heater. It sat on the floor and had to be plugged in. I was constantly moving the propane hose and tank and extension cord to keep it out of the way. It threw off a ton of moisture and fumes. It had no thermostat either.
The last propane heater I had was a 360 degree radiant heater that I had on top of a 40lb tank. Very nice unit, almost silent, no electricity but man did that thing throw off the moisture. My floor was always damp and slippery, my tools were just dripping in condensation and bringing in a wet car from the rain and snow just amplified everything.
I finally upgraded the electrical to 60A/220V service and I installed a 5000W ceiling mount heater. It’s clean, quiet, off the floor and out of the way. I usually work in 70 degrees when the outdoor temps are in the 20s. I have an insulated ceiling with no insulation on the walls. The electric bill went up $30, but I am no longer buying kerosene and propane and wasting time and trips to get fuel. It may take longer to heat and be expensive to run, but for the convenience and lack of condensation, it’s more than worth it.
You would obviously need to come up with an electrical solution for a heater like this, but if your garage is attached, it can’t imagine it would be that difficult. Whatever you do, don’t waste money on 1500W electric heaters. They are meant for small insulated spaces. Also don’t buy in the hype about those amish infrared heaters or whatever they are, a 1500W heater is a 1500W heater is a 1500W heater. One does not have more output than the other. The infrared ones are literally two heat lamps in a box with a fan blowing over them. Not only are you using energy to create the heat, you are also creating light which reduces the efficiency of the heater.
Sofia Boesen says
This is one of the 5 Best Sellers in the RV Heaters Furnaces category and over 90% of the users of this portable heater were satisfied with it! The manufacturer characterizes this heater as ato 9000-BTU radiant heater for spaces up to 200 square feet and claims that it can be used both as an outdoor and indoor heater. There is a disclaimer though, as indoor use implies only garages, cabins, not living rooms and as tent heaters ! This heater uses radiant heating principle. This is very convenient and economical because the heater starts working instantly and is able to heat everything within a small area. Let us also remind you that this heater has auto shut-off: Mr. Heater will automatically turn off if dropped or if it consumes more oxygen than it is supposed to. A special built-in sensor is accountable for that, so your safety is under control.