I have a two car garage in Ohio and am starting to do woodworking. Its getting into the 40s and hard to use the table saw with a winter coat.
What is a good way to go with a portable heater? size, type, etc?? Are any of you successfully heating a two car garage for woodworking in the winter? What have you found that is successful?
I have a two cars garage, I use a 2,000 BTU portable kerosene heater. My garage is not insulated, if I turn it on 1/2 hr. earlier I could work with only a light jacket. The outside temp is about 40 degree.
If you do get a kerosene heater get one that is easy to clean and replace the wick. I have a Dyna-Glow RMC-95-C7 and Heat Mate HMHC 2230, Dyna-Glow have a slightly larger tank capacity and last much longer. But, take more than 2 hours to clean and replace the wick. The three studs in on the outer side of wick require aligning to the heater mechanism that take ages to get it right. While the Heat Mate took 15 to 20 minutes to replace the wick.
I would avoid any open flame like propane. A propane type heater deliver about
1,800 BTU and last about 1/2hrs for a normal BBQ size tank.
I have a kerosene forced-air heater; I think it's 55,000 BTU/hr, and it will warm my 2-car garage in Minnesota, although I haven't really tried it when it's -30 degrees outside.
Use decent kerosene, but you don't necessarily need the really expensive stuff you'd buy in cans or jugs and Home Depot for $4/gallon. I buy it at a pump at Fleet Farm, where I think it's labled both "KEROSENE" and "#1 Heating Oil". Last year it was a little less than $2 per gallon.
In Minnesota, there is sales tax on kerosene but it's not included at the pump, which can be a rude surprise if you are paying cash and not carrying much.
You will need to keep a window or door cracked open for ventilation if your garage is at all tight.
I have an oversized one car detached garage. I heat it with a 30,000 Btu propane heater. It is OK down to about 20 degrees outside, but when it gets lower, it is just not enough heat. I've added some insulation so it may be better this year.
If I was doing it over again, I'd get a 30,000 to 80,000 adjustable model. I have a Reddy Heater that has a fan in it. Between the fan and the flame, it is not so loud to need hearing protection, but enough that listening to the radio is difficult at best. I'm also considering adding an infrared propane heater as a base and using the old heater at a warmer upper to get the temperature up to a comfy level.
FWIW, if you are considering electric. 1500 watt is about max on a typical outlet. That is 5100 Btu, not much at all.
Be very aware of the open flame on any heater. Most garages have a can or two of gasoline and maybe some other solvents. You may want to put them outside.
I heat a four car garage with natural gas in North Dakota winters, Ohio should be easy! Why not just bit the bullet and install a Modine Hot Dawg heater or a Reznor UDAP. Insulate the walls and ceiling and get it over with! insulated two car garage with a 30,000 BTU heater and you will be set!
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If the garage is uninsulated you will never get it comfortable, unless your easily satisfied! Greg
He is missing something!! I think he dropped a couple of zero's. A propanne BBQ tank will deliver 40,000 or more BTU's and run for a few hours! I heated a one car garge with a 20,000 BTU "sunflower" heater, IIRC it would run almost 24 hours. Greg
Last winter I ran out of kerosene for my forced air heater in my shop and bought some diesel fuel instead because it was easier to find. It seemed to work fine. There's not a lot of difference between heating oil, diesel fuel, jet-a, and K-1. The tax rate may vary and the dye in the fuel may be different but they all work.
You can even use gasoline.... once. Then you need to report to the Burn Center.
Doesn't diesel fuel stink when the heater first starts up or shuts down? I've also heard that it generates a little more noxious fumes, so you have to "air out" the garage more often if you are working for an extended period of time.
(I wish I could use the thing to burn old motor oil)
All this reminds me that I need to buy some kerosene while oil prices are not too high, before they spike up again.
It smells a little different. I don't know that it was any worse than kerosene. As my garage/shop is both drafty and uninsulated, I don't worry too much about the fumes. So far no headaches, and the CO detector in the next room has never gone off.
Those forced air heaters are noisy. That tends to limit how much you run them. I'll turn mine on for 30 minutes or so, raising the garage temp from 40 to 70 or so, then turn it off. Every 20 minutes or so I'll run it for a few minutes again... just enough to keep things comfortable.
That's the worst choice you can make. Far better is a hanging heater, Modine or similar, fueled by propane or natural gas. For safety, convenience, economy, there just isn't any better way to go. Had a variety of space heaters, oil furnaces in my shop back in the
70's, and finally did the Modine + propane thing after several years of aggravation with the others. Converted the Modine to NG a couple of years ago and it still serves well. Had the forethought to use stainless steel pipe and cap through the roof, still looks new. A program Honeywell TS keeps the costs down nicely. HTH
I have a two-cars garage, I use a Dyna-Glow RMC-95-C7, max. 23,000 BTU/hr portable kerosene heaters. We have not insulated the garage, if I turn it on
1/2 hr. earlier I could work with only a light jacket, while the outside temp is
40s degree.
If you do get a kerosene heater get one that is easy to clean and replace the wick. Dyna-Glow has a 1.9 gal capacity and requires more than two hours to clean and replace the wick. The three studs in on the outer side of wick require aligning to the heater mechanism, take ages to get it right. While my other kerosene heater Heat Mate HMHC-2230 max. 22,300 BTU/hr. requires
15 to 20 minutes to clean and replace the wick.
I just came back from Costco, and you might be interested in their electrical dish radiant heater for $59.95 (Dyna-Glow and Heat Mate cost about $150 each) claim to be cheaper to operate than other heaters. Kerosene (K1) price varies from places to places. If you live near a County's cooperative store, you can get it as cheap as $1.50/gal, no tax except a flat charge of $5. A kerosene heater has disadvantages, high cost if you buy from Borg and it emits black carbon after long usage.
I am thinking of replacing it with dish radiant heaters.
Oh, by the way "BTU" British Thermal Unit - A measure of heat energy.
I use a kerosene in a 35,000 salamander heater leave the window or garage door cracked a little for oxygen, I have a thermostate on the heater..... works fine.
Honestly, I don't know (absent minded most of the time looking for good cheap stuff). I was busy looking for the price posted behide the stacked boxes. I stopped cuz the heat was so powerful as I walk passed it.
It is 1,000 watts and would put out 3400 Btu. OK for supplemental heat in a cool room, not nearly enough to heat a shop that is very cold. If you are working in one spot and it is aimed at you, it will give some comfort, but those big cold metal tools will still be very cold.
DO NOT!!!... I Repeat DO NOT!! use a table saw while wearing a "winter coat". You have received some very good advice here about heaters. Pick one and use it. If you have a coat on (or worse gloves) the physical size of your arms is much larger due to the puffy coat. We are all very careful around our saws, however, what would be a safe blade overreach in shirt sleeves could cost you an arm or at least a few fingers when wearing a winter coat. Warm that shop up before you start cut'n.
Jukin John been cutt'n for 30 years and still have all ten fingers......
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