garage heating question

I have a 30.000 BTU Ventless odorless propane Blueflame heater. Internal thermostat, can be wall mount or floor and option of dual fuel depending on how you set it up. It works great with no noise or fumes. https://www.google.com/search?clien...TU+Ventless+odorless+propane+Blueflame+heater
I also just bought these but yet to try them. I got them to use under house because they are waterproof with remote this winter so my pipes won't burst. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QF839N6/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
 
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Since we are discussing all possible options, you can also get an electric vest. Keeps your core warm but won't keep frozen tools from sticking to your hands. Wasn't mentioned, what outside temps are you dealing with in the winter?

If the volume of the garage is larger than your actual work space, open ceiling etc. then obviously you will be spending money to heat your roof and rafter area and that happens first. Does your garage door fit tight with seals, a one inch gap all the way around is like having a window open.
 
carl said:
Since we are discussing all possible options, you can also get an electric vest. Keeps your core warm but won't keep frozen tools from sticking to your hands. Wasn't mentioned, what outside temps are you dealing with in the winter?

If the volume of the garage is larger than your actual work space, open ceiling etc. then obviously you will be spending money to heat your roof and rafter area and that happens first. Does your garage door fit tight with seals, a one inch gap all the way around is like having a window open.
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Very good point on the vest! I have thought about one for sprts and hiking, never thought about using one in the garage. even if it is while it is warming up.
Lansing, michigan.. colds can go below zero but not often. normal winter is high teens low 20's..

yeah I always thoght when using the online calculators that they use square feet vs cubic. even in houses. think mobile home vs old Victorian. and totally understand the insulation part. it became budget vs time. putting the ceiling in will cost me about $800. doing the walls will be about $1400, so $2200 to insulate but still have stinky heat. putting in a better heat source wil at least keep me warm and not as stinky.

also the ceiling and walls were being planned to go in slowly on the budget not in one shot where as I cant really do that with the heater. the Doors are as sealed as they can be (my uncle installs garage doors and set me up with seals. )

Odie
Again Thanks for all the input. it is looking like no one else has used a pellet stove here to heat their garage/barn though, and that is still looking very attractive to me.
 
Chaostoy said:
I have a 30.000 BTU Ventless odorless propane Blueflame heater. Internal thermostat, can be wall mount or floor and option of dual fuel depending on how you set it up. It works great with no noise or fumes. https://www.google.com/search?clien...TU+Ventless+odorless+propane+Blueflame+heater
I also just bought these but yet to try them. I got them to use under house because they are waterproof with remote this winter so my pipes won't burst. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08QF839N6/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
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I have 2 of those in my house. We call our house the franken-house. is was put together piece by piece. and well before code.. our furnace (which is actually a commercial hanging unit they hung form the basement joists and created a venting system for, I wil have to post pics sometime) only ducts to living roo, 1 bedroom, kitchen and 1st floor bathroom. our master bedroom, also on the first floor has a ventless in it. we have a second floor that has a living room, bedroom,, small office second kitchen (not a kitchette, a full kitchen) and another bathroom. that also has one of the ventless heaters in it. needless to say with all this inefficiency especially with gas usage is also why I didnt want to add more to my gas bill. we are fixing it as best we can knowing there are certain tings we cant fix without having to bring a pissload into "code" so a $6000 furnace upgrade wil end up costing us about $15k. to get everything else it touches up to spec. one day I will do a walk though vid. some of the things are unbelievable. but it is home and I love it, at least until retirement when I move way up north where I dont see people, only great lakes.

Odie
 
autox19 said:
We call our house the franken-house.
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I hear ya! Ours was originally 1 room, dragged to it's current location by horses in the late '30's. They built 5 other rooms plus bathroom at different decades, and it's nowhere near square, level or anything anywhere in the building! I had to fix a copper water line when I first got it, and when crawling under one of the newer rooms, I discovered in white chalk on the beams the names of either the kids playing under it or builders, and the dates of 1940's.
 
autox19 said:
Very good point on the vest! I have thought about one for sprts and hiking, never thought about using one in the garage. even if it is while it is warming up.
Lansing, michigan.. colds can go below zero but not often. normal winter is high teens low 20's..

yeah I always thoght when using the online calculators that they use square feet vs cubic. even in houses. think mobile home vs old Victorian. and totally understand the insulation part. it became budget vs time. putting the ceiling in will cost me about $800. doing the walls will be about $1400, so $2200 to insulate but still have stinky heat. putting in a better heat source wil at least keep me warm and not as stinky.

also the ceiling and walls were being planned to go in slowly on the budget not in one shot where as I cant really do that with the heater. the Doors are as sealed as they can be (my uncle installs garage doors and set me up with seals. )

Odie
Again Thanks for all the input. it is looking like no one else has used a pellet stove here to heat their garage/barn though, and that is still looking very attractive to me.
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My Mom has used a pellet furnace to heat her home in Vermont for years. They work well, are easy to deal with and are an on demand solution.

You just need to keep the cubic volume of the pellets in the building and dry.

They can use a similar thermostat to a normal furnace.

A pellet stove would be worth pursuing. They can use outside air with sealed combustion so minimal danger from your other activities in the building.

Would your insurance allow a pellet furnace rather than a wood stove?
 
kmead said:
My Mom has used a pellet furnace to heat her home in Vermont for years. They work well, are easy to deal with and are an on demand solution.

You just need to keep the cubic volume of the pellets in the building and dry.

They can use a similar thermostat to a normal furnace.

A pellet stove would be worth pursuing. They can use outside air with sealed combustion so minimal danger from your other activities in the building.

Would your insurance allow a pellet furnace rather than a wood stove?
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21 today.... .....
I am 95% going with a pellet. I was 80% before you chimed in. use the torpedo to kick up the heat and the pellet to maintain. I am looking at the king pellet kp130. 130 lb hopper and does have fresh air intake.

lots of room for a pallet of pellets.

yes insurance is good with w pellet over wood. mainly because it is hard to easily define a wood stove and people will try to slip by and it causes issues when it comes to claims. (helps working for an insurance company )

Odie.
 
autox19 said:
21 today.... .....
I am 95% going with a pellet. I was 80% before you chimed in. use the torpedo to kick up the heat and the pellet to maintain. I am looking at the king pellet kp130. 130 lb hopper and does have fresh air intake.

lots of room for a pallet of pellets.

yes insurance is good with w pellet over wood. mainly because it is hard to easily define a wood stove and people will try to slip by and it causes issues when it comes to claims. (helps working for an insurance company )

Odie.
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Lucky you, I had to carry nearly three tons down my Moms basement stairs for her winter heating…

Look into the controls for these as they can have timers or use a remote thermostat. One with a circulation fan would be worth having in a large space.

Good luck.
 
kmead said:
Lucky you, I had to carry nearly three tons down my Moms basement stairs for her winter heating…

Look into the controls for these as they can have timers or use a remote thermostat. One with a circulation fan would be worth having in a large space.

Good luck.
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this one does have a fan. as well as alot of the vids I have watched on this model say underneath gets crazy hot so they use a fan to blow under the unit. (like one of the scroll tye they use to dry floors that has the output on the floor. )

working out there today putting the chains on the tractor/snow blower. got about 3 inches last night

Odie
 
If you have an open ceiling then you might consider a ceiling fan to blow down the heat up there.
 
yup yup already in the works we saw this one and it looked real cool
fan.jpeg

but it was 1199.99 (i kid you not. )
so we are going to buy HF ones and add chains. less than $300 for 2..


Odie
 
I have done all of these options, and the pellet stove idea works really well. One time, it was winter and cold, we had the stove cranked up and were working away. Decided to take a break and walked into the house which was cold. Well, it wasn't. House was at 74, but we had the stove cranked up and it must have been 85 in the garage! hahaha... Worked like a champ.
 
Janis said:
maybe it was sparkless to avoid explosions if chemicals or dust are in the area
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very good point.. I looked it up and it is also the CFM.... the 48 inch one is 33,000 CFM.. a bit more than my 13,000 yeah I am not in an Gymnasium LOL its also got a better warranty and such. hard wire with remote speed adjustment and such.

Odie
 
I would approach this the way you approach a cars performance. You can buy bigger brakes, bigger engine, better suspension or you can reduce wieght. If you insulate the garage well you can get by with a much smaller heater. Buddy of mine is in construction and was redoing a home he bought, he had it professionally spray insulated. When completed and he was finishing the interior he has a small propane heater that kept the whole house warm to work in. Maybe focus on heat loss first, you could also install a fresh air heat exchanger into the system that draws in fresh air to deal with air pollution in the sealed up garage..
 
KBabcock said:
I would approach this the way you approach a cars performance. You can buy bigger brakes, bigger engine, better suspension or you can reduce wieght. If you insulate the garage well you can get by with a much smaller heater. Buddy of mine is in construction and was redoing a home he bought, he had it professionally spray insulated. When completed and he was finishing the interior he has a small propane heater that kept the whole house warm to work in. Maybe focus on heat loss first, you could also install a fresh air heat exchanger into the system that draws in fresh air to deal with air pollution in the sealed up garage..
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I have explained the reason for not doing insulation first. not in the budget. I need to get the place warmer and less stinky NOW. Ideal, no. will I be spending more in heat this winter because it isnt insulated? absolutely. As far as spray insulation. VERY expensive. as well as being in insurance I get to see the bad of it. I will be VERY shocked if insurance for spray foamed places doesnt go up in the future. that stuff is bad during a fire. As far as an insulator, at this time it is CRAZY good.
my rear door (16' ) is usually a foot open while the torpedo is running. I did tune it a bit and got it better.

also I will probably be hitting this thread as far as insulation. my current thought is also in phases. phase 1 will be 1.5 inch foam on the walls and drywall on the ceiling.
phase 2 will be bat on the walls (4 inch) covered in drywall. will be flush with the 6x6's
Blown Insulation in the ceiling.

Odie
 
I built 1200 sq ft building and insulated it with R21 in the roof and R19 in the walls. Have had sub zero weather with out a heater going and the building will stay above freezing. I split the building in half with a single plywood thick wall and my son has a clay studio in one half and I use the other half for my projects. For several years he would use a space heater on his side and my side while chilly would stay above freezing. When he fired his electric kilns his side would get really warm and my side would warm up a bit. Finally I put in a 10K electric heater that I got for $100 and it takes care of both sides. With the insulation and weather stripping around the doors it didn't run the electric bill very much. Even though electric is not the cheapest way to go it is clean and quiet with out the hassle of gas lines.
 
carl said:
Since we are discussing all possible options, you can also get an electric vest. Keeps your core warm but won't keep frozen tools from sticking to your hands. Wasn't mentioned, what outside temps are you dealing with in the winter?

If the volume of the garage is larger than your actual work space, open ceiling etc. then obviously you will be spending money to heat your roof and rafter area and that happens first. Does your garage door fit tight with seals, a one inch gap all the way around is like having a window open.
Click to expand...
I have lived it up in my 75 years and consequently clogged some arteries so my toes get really cold in the winter months. I sprung for some pairs of electric socks. Wearing a pair right now and my feet are nice and toasty. Keeping your feet and head warm make a big difference. They sell heated socks, jackets, cloves and pants. You could get all of them and then throw your out packing around all those batteries.
 
There are a surprising number of us old Xheads clanking around, not yet ready to sit in front of the fireplace and read all day. I originally got the electric vest after helping another old friend with his Fiat outside on a cloudy, windfree upper 50s day. I was wearing a nonthermal vest and after an hour begged out and went home. I was really cold to my core well into the evening.

Hard to believe I once rode my motorcycle to work on a 15 degree morning, this was back before all manner of bike specific winter wear. I swore I would never do that again, my new limit was back to the mid 20s.....what a moron I was back then.
 
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