I have a 23' x 25' garage with a 10' ceiling. The house and garage was built in 1983. I have searched on previous posts as to the best way to heat a garage during the winter while I work. The majority of the responses were elaborate. Everything from installing furnaces to heat coils in the floor. Is there a good heater or blower that I can plug into my 115V outlet to do the job on a garage my size? I don't need anything fancy. Just something that I can plug in and get the garage warm in a 30 minute period. I would rather stay away from kerosene, etc. I live in Virginia which usually avergaes a winter low in the 20's. Any ideas?

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Steve Petzer - Richmond, VA
1969 SS Chevelle Convertible project
members.tripod.com/~The_Petzers/chevpic01.html (http://members.tripod.com/~The_Petzers/chevpic01.html)
1977 El Camino Classic

Steve, I think it comes down to whether you want to heat the whole garage or make it tolerable to work in. I'm in RI, and it gets pretty darn cold. Personally I use one of those tiny ceramic heaters <$100 and have it blowing on me while I work. I still need to wear a sweatshirt, and a knuckle-slice will hurt like heck. If you want to heat the garage, you'd need a pretty big electric heater. You don't mention if the garage is insulated or not. That makes a big difference. If not, you'll need a space heater or something like that. I too worry about gas fumes, etc. Hopefully someone else can comment on space heaters in a garage.

We heat our 24x32 garage with a 120,000 BTU Kerosene torpedo heater. It takes about 20-30 mins from about 30 degrees to get it to about 55 or so. It gets the garage warm enough to paint a car on a 45-50 day. I don't think electric would do the job if you want to get it warm enough to work in there.

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Bryan Shook
Burgettstown, Pa.
1972 El Camino
www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/6673 (http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/speedway/6673)
Favorite Quote: Some people have shrinks. Some people have their garage.

I use one of those "fish cooker" liquid propane burners hooked up to my 20lb LP tank. It will warm up my 21 X 22 garage from below freezing to almost 80 degrees in ten minutes flat. Then I go back in the garage and turn it down so there will still be some oxygen in there for me!

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Bob (Creedmoor,N.C.)
65 Vette B&M Blown, Richmond 5-speed
68 Malibu B&M Blown, Turbo 350 10" converter

Heat a 14 x 24 garage in Manitoba Canada, in the winter using 2 construction heaters worth ~ $75 each Canadian, with temps in the -20 range. Advantages = Cheap to buy. disadvantage = noisey, expensive to run, require 20 amp 220v service, expensive to run, floor area never does get really warm, expensive to run, did I mention expensive to run. Have also seen it done using a recycled oil furnace from a house, cheap to buy, install and operate also barrel stoves burning scrap wood.

Temps in the 20s, heck I haven't even turned my heat on in those temp ranges, will wait till it gets cold.

Just to tick some other areas of the country off, temp is still above freezing and no snow yet. The 64 is still on the road. Other years have had the sleds out by now.

keep on cruisin'

JimC

Steve - It's not electric, but I use my gas grill with 10 bricks on the grates - and it is cheap. It takes about 10 minutes to heat up a 24x24 garage and continues to radiate heat for a few hours. Just make sure you let it burn all the junk off before the cold spells or you will smoke yourself out! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/wink.gif Also, like Bob said, make sure you still have oxygen to breath. Good Luck. Jeff.



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Got Chevelles?
Jeff Carpenter
65 Malibu Convertible- www.littlecars.com/car1.jpg (http://www.littlecars.com/car1.jpg)
67 Elky project- www.littlecars.com/67.JPG (http://www.littlecars.com/67.JPG)
Team Chevelle Gold #61

100,000 btu salamander type heater is what I use in a 2 car garage..works fine. I have a 230,000 btu salamander unit too but this monster is overkill. my 100k unit is a craftsman, and is over 10 years old now, and still works like new.

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70 chevelle ss396 conv
66 chevelle ss396 hdp/conv
55 chevy prostreet

Steve, Sounds like you need about 40,000 btu/hr output in an average garage that size to warm it up fairly quick in cold weather.
A 115 volt heater, well you probably would need several of them plugged in.
Anyway, what ever you decide on, keep in mind some safety rules (which you may already be aware of).
Any fuel burning appliance will take oxygen away from the room it is in and replace it with Co2 and if not burning properly will even produce deadly CO
If the contaminated air is not being deluted a lot with fresh air the Co2 will start to be burned in place of oxygen that it should be getting then the second time through it will be deadly CO
CO is completely orderless and tasteless so you won't realize it's presence until it's too late.

Never use any appliance for anything other than what it was intended for and always read and adhear to all manufactures safety instructions.

Any flame in a garage must be at least 18" above floor.

There is more too but what I am saying is don't create a potential killer by trying to do the job some cheap non elaborate way.

A lot of creative people have come up with different ways to do things and are up above, looking down on us now.

You really should probably be asking for help elsewhere, from someone who knows. Getting advice from people that may or may not know is not too smart.

Just don't want to see you to burn you garage, your car or yourself or maybe worse.

Good luck


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Dean Call
Team Gold member #3
A.C.E.S. # 00235
N.C.O.A. # 4350
M.A.C.C. # 001
macc.chevelles.net (http://macc.chevelles.net)




[This message has been edited by Dean (edited 11-18-99).]

I have a 24x24 garage with a 10 ft ceiling,
I heat it with an Emerson propane heater,. It's 16 inches wide , about 7ft tall, attched to the wall with an exhaust vent through the wall, operated by a regular thermostat, and a 100 gal. propane tank outside. it works great. It keeps it comfortable, 68-70 degreze no problem.

Jeff

I design and engineer houses and building compnents for a living, so I have been able to talk to all sorts of professional builders, heating contractors, and building inspectors to help in my decision on heating my own garage. First It sounds like your garage is connected to your house. If so, think twice about using any non-vented appliance that burns ANYTHING!(you really shouldn't burn anything in an unattatched garage without ventilation either, but by being attatched to your house, you are putting others at risk in addition to yourself!) I have wrestled with the same dilemma in my own house w/ attatched garage. First thing to do is finish and insulate the ceiling, then the walls. If you haven't already done this, it is amazing how much heat is held in from the vehicles being brought in from outside at operating temperature. I have decided on a good size overhead electric heater from a company named Farenheit (sp?) for around $200. The BTU output varies with how you wire it, but I know a guy who has one and it heats his insulated 26 X 24 garage 50-60 degrees above the outside temperature quite nicely here in green bay, wisconsin. It does need to be wired 220, and the guy I know who has this heater, wired it to be plugged into his welder outlet. I will hard wire mine. Electric heat is the safest, probably the cheapest to install (in a permanent application), but the most expensive to run! I am willing to pay more to run it if I know I am not putting myself or anyone else at risk of CO poisoning.

The father of a guy I know is an EMT, and he has seen more 'near miss' cases of carbon monoxide poisoning than you can believe, every thing from ice fishing shanties to hunting shacks, to idleing cars with rustholes in the exhaust, to the malfunctioning furnaces, to GUYS USING UNVENTED HEATERS IN ENCLOSED SPACES!!! He says that he knows he can't convince everyone to not burn fuel in an unvented appliance in a closed in space, so he asks that you also get a carbon monoxide detector to let yourself know when the danger level is at hand, and he also says the thing won't be malfunctioning, CO builds up faster than anyone thinks!! STAY ALIVE OUT THERE- LIVE TO DRIVE THAT PROJECT YOU LABOR OVER!!!!

You need to talk to your local building inspector, most municipalities have strict regulations when it comes to heating equipment, even if it's only used to heat your garage. If you do something in violation of a building code, and your house burns down, your home owner's insurance won't be covering you either. This is without a doubt a situation where you must DO IT RIGHT OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL!!

[This message has been edited by SSteve L (edited 11-18-99).]

I have worked in the housing/architectural field for the last 13 years, and I can tell you something about electrical heat. The first time you get a 150.00 - 200.00 power bill, you will tear that thing out and install a proper gas horizontal flow furnace!

I have worked for a major home supplier in canada for the last 6 years, who do 500+ homes a year. There is absolutly nothing wrong with a gas furnace, properly installed, in an attached garage. The problem comes into play with using non-vented gas heaters. (propane construction heaters, bar-b-q's?)

Check with your local sheet metal shop for a quote. I bought a 2 year old horizontal flow furnace from a school board that has modernized a building for 50 bucks, had the gas valve and heat exchangers check at the local sheet metal shop, bought 100 bucks in gas line and new chimney, and installed it myself.

BUT if you are not at all confident with the install, get a professional pipe fitter to do the gas line, and a sheet metal shop to hang the furnace and run the chimney.

I'd be happy to give you answers to any questions that you may have.

E-mail me at dsernecky@hotmail.com

But remember, your safety, your family, your house and your car are at risk. do it once and do it right!

Doug

You do have to ask yourself how much it will be used, and how much floor space you can give up. I suspect that in Virginia, your heating costs are going to be less than in Canada! I should have said that I will only be using a heater in my garage once in a while. I store my chevelle in it's own special (well it's not that special, but it is it's own) garage at my dad's place, and if I need to work on it, he has a big wood stove with a proper chimeny in his garage that surely takes the chill out, but it takes up a lot of floor space.

I built my 24x24 2 years ago. I insulated the walls with r13 and the ceiling with r19.
This year I bought a Fahrenheat model nph4ab
220v heater works great so far. I'd stay away from kerosene. Its real easy to forget to crack a window open. Been there done that!
BTW I live in Maryland.
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Tino #28 Gold

[This message has been edited by Tino (edited 11-20-99).]

People up the street burnt down the garage, the house and almost killed everyone because of some cheap gas heater that they installed. Guess what? Fire Marshall determined it was the heater and the the insurance company said the homeowner was negillent in insallling it. Last I heard they were sueing the insurance compant for the loss. Naturally they did nothing wrong but I have heard from friends that this heater was a throw out someone had been trying to give away.

This is not one area where you should be trying to save a buck. Some area's have verys strict building codes and I know around my area wood heat is a big thing. If you install anything that the insurance company does not approve, your policly could be null and void. Lots of $100,000+ homes around here are now ashes because some tightwad installed his own wood heater.

[This message has been edited by elcamino (edited 11-20-99).]

The absolutly safest and best is to fill the barn with pretty little sweethings that can hand you a 9/16 and a beer(to cool things down). Cost will be high with all the yak'in but at least you'll have money for parts and the method won't kill ya, well not right off anyway.

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Harley
69 461 El Camino Nitrous Model, 69 Chevelle coupe
70 El Camino,71 SS Camaro
79 Corvette
Kerrville,Tx.

You guys useing torpedo heaters better read Deans post and learn from it. Two years ago in winter i fired mine up and worked on the chevelle for a couple of hours. I felt like i was getting the flue and went into the house, thats all i remenber. I guess i was saved by the nurse in the rescue squad when my heart stoped twice. One week in hospital and a lot smarter. Never will i use a fuel burning heater with such disreguard again.

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CFR.

Harley's got the best idea yet!!!! Do you actually get any work done on the car though??? I'll also bet that your method does get kind of expensive!

Its seems Heating out garages/shops is a pay ne now or pay me later thing. I used a
125,000 btu kero heater(read LOUD) to take the chill off for YEARS. The Shop was not insulated . I finialy got ahold of a UL listed kero Hot air furnace (mobil Home type)
and installed it. It became pandoras box because now I must insulate the wall and ceiling. Whil I was at it I ran new air lines
electric outlets . Its sure nice to walk into the Garage 24x44 and it 55deg. no mater what. Another alternnative is these Monitor
eltronic vented kero stoves. There free standing and use a small 2in insulated throught the wall chiminy ??? looks like a dryer vent from the outside.
There Expensive 1,000 rang and you need a tank to store fuel/ I know a few in my area
good thing about them is ther small. Look like a big siut cass !

Wayne
ACES TC

Dean is definitely on the right track _SAFETY is #1.
Near Durham NC a guy burned down his house and 50s Corvette when using lacquer thinner which got ignited.
(Plenty more houses, but not 50s Corvrttes)
If you use any combustion device , be careful about oxygen levels, Carbon Monoxide, and flammable fumes.

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Gotta have a Chevy !In Durham N.C.
Why is there never enough time or money to do it right the first time, but ALWAYS enough to do it over?
Make it look the way you like it, forget what the other guys say!

I am in the same postion as Steve - trying to find a safe and happy method for heating my two car garage. After reading this string last night I panicked from some of the stories. In any case I am not taking any chances - I put a call into my heating and A/C guy. Will see what he advises and go from there, Steve think you should do the same. Why take chances if for a few more dollars you can protect your life, your families life, your house and of course the car.

Better safe then sorry.

Rich

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70 SS - L34
Sea Mist Green
N.J.
Member # 442
www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1 (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/richr1)

Thanks for the replies from everyone. Richr pretty much read my mine. I have contacted my heating friend and will have him take a look at installing something safe and efficient for the garage.

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Steve Petzer - Richmond, VA
1969 SS Chevelle Convertible project
members.tripod.com/~The_Petzers/chevpic01.html (http://members.tripod.com/~The_Petzers/chevpic01.html)
1977 El Camino Classic

Saftey is important, and I really don't know what your building codes and such are like where you live, elcameno, but up here in the great white north, we can get away with installing your own gas furnace.

You have to get a permit from the local building inspection branch, and have to be the registered owner of the property (your name on the title). If you do that, then your home insurance covers any work you do, as the building inspector will come and 'green sticker' it.

If you do it without a permit, yeah, your wholely responcible for the job, and anything that happens to it. And you can only do the work on your own house. That is, if you get the permit, it has to be for your house and not your buddies.

I'm comfortable doing this kind of work, so it's not a big deal for me. But if your not, get a pro. Know your limitations, and check with your local building inspection branche for all the details. I wonder if your construction heater burnt your house down, if your insurance would cover that?

Later,

Doug

Steve,
Smart Move!!! After reading your thread, having a Professional do it the right thing to do.
One, thing you folks didn't think of is up grading your regular house furnace with a move efficent model, add in the extra space for the garage. Then have the ducting ran into your garge from the new house furnace.. That is what my father did so he would be cold working on his Harleys... He lives in
Missouri get cold there too. It may cost a little more, but hey, It is a tax write off for a "Home Improvement" loan...
Something to think about...

Here in Ohio, it can get cold during the winter. Not like Canada I expect. I rough it out in long-drawers and plenty of hot cocoa. No heat in my garage, but I don't stay out there all day.

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DG
Springfield, Ohio
70 Chevelle Malibu

www.wright.edu/~adams.6/chevy.htm (http://www.wright.edu/~adams.6/chevy.htm)
TEAM Chevelle Member #0086
Genx member (Founder 4 Ohio)
eBay username: dg98adams

Dean definitely has excellent ideas. He recommended and even let me help him install a propane overhead forced air furnace in my shop. He owns a heating and plumbing service and is able to tell you how many BTUs you should need to heat your specific amount of square footage. Thanks to Dean I keep my 43 X 36 area heated to 60 deg. on approximately 150 gallons of propane a year. I have R19 in the walls and R44 in the celling. Nothing beats good insulation, and a safe heater to stay snug as a bug in a rug.

If your working on your car's fuel system will the gas fumes blow you up if you use a kero heater?

It could...FRED

just my slant, mine is an attached garage and i open the door to the house 1/2 hour before i work. the overhead is insulated as is the rest of the garage. that takes the edge off of the cold without freezing up the house. then i shut the door and turn on my lp ready heater @ 35,000 btu's it does a nice job with sweat shirt. there are enough cracks around the door seal the add ox. you probably don't need 150,000 btu's to burn all of your air up. by the way wouldn't a co2 detector add some safety?? john i've used this method for two years with no ill effects (in michigan). by the way good luck on your project.

My garage is 30x30 and I heat it with a small wood stove. You just have to have the right chimney set up. Everything you need can be purchased from Home Depot or any major hardware store. Also check with local fire dept. on what they require to install it by code.

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Scott

This is what I did and am VERY happy with it. I found a place that that takes apart old mobile homes (house trailers.) I bought the gas fu

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Steve

Something happened to my first reply, and didn't all go through so I'll start over. Antway this is what I did and am VERY happy with it. I went to a mobile home repair salveage type place. I bought a furnace out of one. They are fairly tall but are not very wide and take up very little space. By just changing the orphus you can run them on natural or lp gas have the blower built in and you can hook up a thermostat to set the amount of heat you want. The best thing is that they take up very little space.

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Steve

I don't know how this would work in colder climates, but all I do is turn on our electric clothes dryer for a few minutes. It's doesn't have an outside vent. I do have to clean the lint accumulation behind the dryer every couple of months. If you have a dryer in the garage, disconnect the outside vent and vent it into the garage. More than likely, you're working on your car on the weekend when all the dirty clothes are being washed, so you're not running it empty and wasting electricity. DON'T DO THIS WITH A GAS DRYER!!! Gas dryers are rare, but they're still out there.
It works for me in our mild winters. It may work up north if the garage is insulated.

I know a guy who did the same thing with a clothes dryer and can't remember the details but some how another the lint collected behind the dryer and they blamed the burning of the house and the car in the garage to the dryer. Be safe. My garage is well insulated and sheet rocked and just the pilot light from the furnace will keep anything from freezing, and that is in Illinois. I wired the blower through the same switch as the lights so if I forget to turn the heat down when I am done, when I flip the light switch off and leave the garage the blower quits and everything goes out except the pilot. Good luck but be safe.

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Steve

I hope you also wired the gas valve to shut off with the lights and not just the blower.
If not your heater is cycling on the high limit.

I know you did but I thought I would just clarify http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif
Well at least you can't forget to turn off the heat, unless you forget to turn off the lights.


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Dean Call
Team Gold member #3
A.C.E.S. # 00235
N.C.O.A. # 4350
M.A.C.C. # 001
macc.chevelles.net (http://macc.chevelles.net)

Yep Slime, that's why it's got to be kept clean. The same goes for the rest of the garage as well. I have an older house that wasn't built with a dryer vent. Steve was asking for something simple. Other than that, I plan to build a nice heated and air conditioned shop AS SOON AS I HIT THE LOTTO!!