electric heaters for garage

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
What are you using for electric heat in a small garage? Would prefer not to switch to gas.

My attached agarage is ~450 sq ft. I'm tired of using the little corded "1200-w" (unknown BTU) heaters during the winter, takes forever to heat up.
I have a 12k corded window A/C unit in there now, I'm tempted to swap it out for a combo A/C/heater unit (just bc it would be easy). There's an unused easily accessible 20A line I can tap into. Am I correct that the biggest of that type is ~12k BTU heating?
I know the right answer is a mini-split and ditch the window unit altogether but I want to explore the lazy options first :laughing: . With the laziest being to just buy a better standalone thing.
Whats the highest BTU corded thing you can even get?
 
RatLabGuy said:
What are you using for electric heat in a small garage? Would prefer not to switch to gas.

My attached agarage is ~450 sq ft. I'm tired of using the little corded "1200-w" (unknown BTU) heaters during the winter, takes forever to heat up.
I have a 12k corded window A/C unit in there now, I'm tempted to swap it out for a combo A/C/heater unit (just bc it would be easy). There's an unused easily accessible 20A line I can tap into. Am I correct that the biggest of that type is ~12k BTU heating?
I know the right answer is a mini-split and ditch the window unit altogether but I want to explore the lazy options first :laughing: . With the laziest being to just buy a better standalone thing.
Whats the highest BTU corded thing you can even get?
Click to expand...

You need to get 220v into there anyway, How else you gonna run a decent welder? then when you get that in there, you can get one of these;



I run two of the 25,000 BTU versions (One up from this) in my 1,200sqft shop with a 21ft ceiling, and they keep me plenty toasty for about $120 a month...
 
zuke said:
You need to get 220v into there anyway, How else you gonna run a decent welder? then when you get that in there, you can get one of these;
Click to expand...
lolz I think you missed the part about exploring the lazy solutions first :laughing:
 
I didn't miss it, If it weren't for that part of it, I would have told you to put a full blown furnace or a wood stove in there ;)

Seriously, There isn't anything electric that is gonna keep it comfortable in there on 20 Amps, Even if a heater is the only thing running in there! (And I assume you like having lights on?)
 
zuke said:
You need to get 220v into there anyway, How else you gonna run a decent welder? then when you get that in there, you can get one of these;



I run two of the 25,000 BTU versions (One up from this) in my 1,200sqft shop with a 21ft ceiling, and they keep me plenty toasty for about $120 a month...
Click to expand...
Agree I've got something very similar hanging in my garage it works great. When I need to use it I turn it on for an hour or so before I go in then when I'm in there I don't normally run it anymore.
 
I know you said you didn't want to switch to gas i have my body shop running on propane gas for 20 years and i wouldn't run anything but gas it is the cheapest and the cleanest thing to run. Except for used oil furnace but the hassle of getting used oil and it not a clean as gas. I will heat my shop for about $2000 this year. My shop is 50X56 with 21ft peak roof and 3 glass garage doors. The heats runs for 6 days and 14 hour days.
 
zuke said:
I didn't miss it, If it weren't for that part of it, I would have told you to put a full blown furnace or a wood stove in there ;)

Seriously, There isn't anything electric that is gonna keep it comfortable in there on 20 Amps, Even if a heater is the only thing running in there! (And I assume you like having lights on?)
Click to expand...
I have several independent circuits, not worried about doubling up. I can dedicate 20A to something if needed.
Its not a huge space, with everything insulated and heat from the house on 2 walls. Theoretically even 15k BTU or so should be plenty.
 
I have a 220v 20 amp window unit built in to the wall of my 24x24 shop. It does a great job of cooling and heating my space. Like others have said, idk what kind of heating capacity you will get with a 20 amp 110v circuit.
 
We have a couple of these in our basement. I’ve been very pleased with them
IMG_0511.jpeg


We have one other on that has a clock on it that you can set schedules on but it’s more expensive
 
FYI what I learned from some interwebz research is that US regs don't allow more than 1500 watts draw for anything considered a space heater, at least with a cord. This is bc it keeps it under the rating for 15A circuit with some overhead. 1500 watts equates to roughly 5100 BTUs if from resistive heat so thats the most you'll see from anything with a cord. A 20A dedicated hard wired unit could theoretically get around 6100 BTUs resistive heat, which is starting to get useful but they also don't seem to exist.
What I didn't catch until now with close reading is that the 110v window AC units with heaters are just a secondary resistive strip, so their BTU heat capacity is way less than cooling... and really no different than standalone corded things besides saving a little space from not having multiple things.

So that means really my options are (1) just run 2-3x of the 110v standalone corded heaters on different circuits (I mean, ideally I could get 10k or 15k BTUs) (2) run 230v and put in something big as suggested or (3) mini split.

With a mini split... its a heat pump, Dumb question - when the air is cold and you turn on the heat, does it just go full bore so you get all 12k or whatever BTUs? Functionally is that any different than a resistive heat 12k BTUs?
 
orange150 said:
We have a couple of these in our basement. I’ve been very pleased with them
View attachment 409847

We have one other on that has a clock on it that you can set schedules on but it’s more expensive
Click to expand...
I ran one like this in my 24x24 insulated garage and it would keep it plenty warm in the winter. My in laws used to stay down there when we lived in the upstairs garage apartment (which had 12” of insulation in the floor and offered no heat to the garage). If you have an exceptional memory, you may remember I used it with a box fan to create a kiln in February or March of 2015 to create a redneck kiln, and that combo heated the garage to somewhere north of 80 degrees, maybe even north of 90. It was friggin hot in there, and this was in the middle of winter. I think in your case, the issue would be heat up time, but if you kept it at something like 50-55 degrees, heat up time would be a lot less.
 
Last edited:
RatLabGuy said:
With a mini split... its a heat pump, Dumb question - when the air is cold and you turn on the heat, does it just go full bore so you get all 12k or whatever BTUs? Functionally is that any different than a resistive heat 12k BTUs?
Click to expand...
Your not going to have any heat strips with a cheaper mini split. so it will work like a heat pump. Depending on the model what min outdoor temps thay can till get heat from.

Are you wanting to heat the space 24/7 or just one night a week?
 
83oldyoda4x4 said:
Are you wanting to heat the space 24/7 or just one night a week?
Click to expand...
This is the important part. I just work in there a few days a week. Occasional evening for a few hours, or half a Saturday etc. So the vast majority of the time it is not heated. That's why I've gotten by for years just using little space heaters. I go turn it on a good bt before hand then go work. I'm just getting tired of that wait.

And this also makes me suspiious a heat pump may be frustrating when its pretty cold out bc the air it puts out won't be that hot and still take a long time to heat up (unless I guess a pretty high BTU unit)
 
Wait, this is an attached garage?

Now refusing to run a 220v circuit into there is REALLY lazy.... Hell I don't live that far from you, I'll come help you do it...

Also, have you considered running a duct with a closeable regulator vent from the rest of the house into there? That would be way more economical than any of these separate solutions and lets you get rid of the window ac unit.
 
I used to run one of these in my garage back in NC that was about 12x20. I’d turn it on about an hour before going in and I could work in a t shirt and thermal shirt and jeans.

IMG_4968.png
 
Oil filled radiant
 
zuke said:
Wait, this is an attached garage?

Now refusing to run a 220v circuit into there is REALLY lazy.... Hell I don't live that far from you, I'll come help you do it...
Click to expand...
Breaker box is in the basement, opposite end of a ranch house. Running wire from there up to the attic and over and back down nearly 100' is not a trivial or inexpensive task. If I can avoid it I'd rather. It will probably eventually happen but not today ;-).
Also, you;re on the wrong side of DC and the rest of Maerry-Land for that to not be a painful drive.
zuke said:
Also, have you considered running a duct with a closeable regulator vent from the rest of the house into there? That would be way more economical than any of these separate solutions and lets you get rid of the window ac unit.
Click to expand...
There actually is a ventt hat the original owner put in. Its a single 3x10 at the floor on the house side. It was pretty much useless (1 bc its just too small, 2 bc its so far from teh furnacet he air coming out its even that hot). The bigger problem was that it allowed "garage smells" into the house way too easily. Its been blocked off for years.

skyhighZJ said:
View attachment 409858
Click to expand...
You mean like this one?

Carhartt Queer | MECA Portfolio

Discover + showcase creative work from the Maine College of Art & Design community.
portfolio.meca.edu portfolio.meca.edu
UncleWillie said:
You want cheap and sorta lazy. Install your window ac backwards. You have to go outside to adjust it though.
Click to expand...
I quite love this solution. The only reason I won't do it is bc I'd have to turn it around again in the summer, which kills the lazy vibe.
Although, I DO have another window unit sitting in the shed... and 1 more window.... hm. Would have to deal with the drainage too.
 
For now its sounding like the solution is an oil filled radiant heater and a fan a la @jeepinmatt redneck kiln, until I get the ineertia to run some 220v.
I just wish they made 'em for 20A so you could get >1500W
 
RatLabGuy said:
For now its sounding like the solution is an oil filled radiant heater and a fan a la @jeepinmatt redneck kiln, until I get the ineertia to run some 220v.
I just wish they made 'em for 20A so you could get >1500W
Click to expand...
Just turn it to 11
 
RatLabGuy said:
Breaker box is in the basement, opposite end of a ranch house. Running wire from there up to the attic and over and back down nearly 100' is not a trivial or inexpensive task. If I can avoid it I'd rather. It will probably eventually happen but not today ;-).
Click to expand...

Well, if you really want to avoid all that, are there 2 20a circuits on that side of the house that are on opposite legs of the house panel? There are some creative but dangerous things you could do with hacked up extension cords to create the power to run something designed for 220v.... I don't really recommend it, but it does fit your criteria...

RatLabGuy said:
Also, you;re on the wrong side of DC and the rest of Maerry-Land for that to not be a painful drive.
Click to expand...

Little over a 2 hour drive, I've driven further for less, although the route to get there in that time does suck!

RatLabGuy said:
There actually is a ventt hat the original owner put in. Its a single 3x10 at the floor on the house side. It was pretty much useless (1 bc its just too small, 2 bc its so far from teh furnacet he air coming out its even that hot). The bigger problem was that it allowed "garage smells" into the house way too easily. Its been blocked off for years.
Click to expand...

I'd definitely be exploring that further, looking for a way to make it bigger, increase the flow, and isolate it so it doesn't let smells back in the house. If you get garage smells back in the house, it's probably because you have negative pressure in that duct due to a downstream vent that is larger and flows better, so it drags air into the garage vent and spits it back out at the larger one.
 
Back
Top