Best way to heat garage

[zzmac]

Hi all,

I've been considering getting a ceiling mounted radiant heater (I've heard they're the best) for my garage. I've got a 3 car garage with 11' ceiling and no insulation in attic above. I live in Toronto and it can get cold here. Not sure if the infrared heater mentioned earlier is the same, but does anyone have experience with a similar radiant installation?

If so, here are some questions:
1. I was told 30,000 BTU's would be sufficient, does this sound right?
2. Any particular brand you'd recommend?
3. Would moisture be an issue with my stored Cobra if I only heated up my garage when working on the car? (or would I need to always leave it on at a certain temp?)
4. If I installed the heater in the middle garage and down the road installed a 4 post lift on the garage floor to the right to store my car, would it melt the paint off the cobra (that's up in the air)? :-)

Cold Canuck

[ERA Chas]

I've got some questions too so I'll wait in line behind ZZ.

Being in the north east my garage temps visit the mid 30's at the worst times. Garage is 20 x 22, 11' ceiling, 8 years old and good doors and insulation. Currently use a movable propane heater of 30K BTU's only when working on car.

To the propane and NG users; You guys paint or use volatile cleaners/ chems? I frequently spray primers and paints when I get the temp to 60-65 then shut the flame off. Will there be a ka-boom hazzard if I use one of the above types? Or are pilot lights safe to use while painting?

I think I'd like a ceiling mount NG unit as that's my house supply.

[doleauto]

I have an auto repair facility at my home. My garage is 24 by 65 with a 14 ft ceiling. I use a Miller mobile home furnace, 85,000 BTU, oil fired, forced hot air to warm up the garage first thing in the morning. The thermostat is turned down all the way at night. At 7AM, I turn the thermostat up to 60, then light the wood stove in the back of the garage. After an hour, the Miller shuts off and that is the last time you hear from that all day. The wood stove takes over from there. I have 2 ceiling fans that drive the heat down, and I use around 150 gal of oil per year, along with 4 to 5 cord of wood. Not bad when you think that I have the garage heated 6 or 7 days a week. I keep the temp inside around 73 or so all day long, most of my customers are female, and women just love a wood stove.
When I first started off, I used an 18,000btu kerosene wick heater, with a small 30,000 btu "torpedo" heater, also kerosene. I used the torpedo heater first thing in the morning, and the wick heater kept the garage at high 60's to low 70's all day long on just over a gallon of kero. The problem is, that kind of heater is good for low budget, but illegal in a lot of states. It is permissable in NH, however the day of the local gas station selling kero is long gone. Most times you have to drive 20 miles or so to fill up a can. Just food for thought, that is my 2 cents worth.

Tom

[lamaluv]

Originally Posted by zzmac

Hi all,

I've been considering getting a ceiling mounted radiant heater (I've heard they're the best) for my garage. I've got a 3 car garage with 11' ceiling and no insulation in attic above. I live in Toronto and it can get cold here. Not sure if the infrared heater mentioned earlier is the same, but does anyone have experience with a similar radiant installation?

If so, here are some questions:
1. I was told 30,000 BTU's would be sufficient, does this sound right?
2. Any particular brand you'd recommend?
3. Would moisture be an issue with my stored Cobra if I only heated up my garage when working on the car? (or would I need to always leave it on at a certain temp?)
4. If I installed the heater in the middle garage and down the road installed a 4 post lift on the garage floor to the right to store my car, would it melt the paint off the cobra (that's up in the air)? :-)

Cold Canuck

The real key in whatever you decide is the take care of "no insulation in attic above" . Without good insulation (at least R36) in the attic you will be wasting lots of money on any method you use to heat the garage.

Dick

[zzmac]

Originally Posted by lamaluv

The real key in whatever you decide is the take care of "no insulation in attic above" . Without good insulation (at least R36) in the attic you will be wasting lots of money on any method you use to heat the garage.

Dick

Yes, I plan on insulating the attic.

[zzmac]

Originally Posted by zzmac

Hi all,

I've been considering getting a ceiling mounted radiant heater (I've heard they're the best) for my garage. I've got a 3 car garage with 11' ceiling and no insulation in attic above. I live in Toronto and it can get cold here. Not sure if the infrared heater mentioned earlier is the same, but does anyone have experience with a similar radiant installation?

If so, here are some questions:
1. I was told 30,000 BTU's would be sufficient, does this sound right?
2. Any particular brand you'd recommend?
3. Would moisture be an issue with my stored Cobra if I only heated up my garage when working on the car? (or would I need to always leave it on at a certain temp?)
4. If I installed the heater in the middle garage and down the road installed a 4 post lift on the garage floor to the right to store my car, would it melt the paint off the cobra (that's up in the air)? :-)

Cold Canuck

The radiant heater I'm asking about would be run on natural gas, by the way. If anyone has experience with these, please chime in. Thanks.

[ERA Chas]

Originally Posted by zzmac

The radiant heater I'm asking about would be run on natural gas, by the way. If anyone has experience with these, please chime in. Thanks.

Second request: yes please chime in and also provide experience about paints/ chems/sawdust usage in the heated area.
Thanks.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by ERA Chas

Second request: yes please chime in and also provide experience about paints/ chems/sawdust usage in the heated area.
Thanks.

You mean other than the grain elevator that goes through his garage?