undecided on heating garage

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Donald

Donald

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I would like to be able to work in my 1.5 car garage at times over the winter. Its got bedrooms over it and I believe its insulated.

I have a powerful propane torpedo heater.

So I continue to use that, but it does not go down to a low BTU setting. Was thinking of adding a 30K BTU blue flame propane heater or maybe a 220V electric heater (10K BTU).

I bought a Re-Verber-Ray radiant heater (60K BTU) but it seems that needs to be up maybe 20' so its 12' from your head. So that sits uninstalled.

One idea would be to start to heat it with my propane torpedo heater and then switch to another heater to maintain. My 3 ton Bobcat will be in the garage, so thats 3 tons of cold steel to heat up as part of heating the garage.

I assume I have enough leaks around the garage door for ventilation.

I am opposed to cutting/drilling holes in things so I would not want to get a vented heater and cut a hole through the wall.
 
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I have a 30 year old kerosene heater that keeps my garage comfy when I need it. It does take a little while to heat up, but maybe something like that would be good to maintain the heat after you warm it up with your torpedo.
 
Are there people in those bedrooms?
crazy.gif


Tread very very carefully WRT code and safety. If you keel over tomorrow and someone else buys and uses the garage, this stuff has to be kosher. At a minimum, CO detectors... but there could be rules to keep them from falsely going off.
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
I would like to be able to work in my 1.5 car garage at times over the winter. Its got bedrooms over it and I believe its insulated.

I have a powerful propane torpedo heater.

So I continue to use that, but it does not go down to a low BTU setting. Was thinking of adding a 30K BTU blue flame propane heater or maybe a 220V electric heater (10K BTU).

I bought a Re-Verber-Ray radiant heater (60K BTU) but it seems that needs to be up maybe 20' so its 12' from your head. So that sits uninstalled.

One idea would be to start to heat it with my propane torpedo heater and then switch to another heater to maintain. My 3 ton Bobcat will be in the garage, so thats 3 tons of cold steel to heat up as part of heating the garage.

I assume I have enough leaks around the garage door for ventilation.

I am opposed to cutting/drilling holes in things so I would not want to get a vented heater and cut a hole through the wall.




Heating a tiny garage, over bedrooms, with a propane heater pumping out loads of CO2.

Now that should end well.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Are there people in those bedrooms?
crazy.gif


Tread very very carefully WRT code and safety. If you keel over tomorrow and someone else buys and uses the garage, this stuff has to be kosher. At a minimum, CO detectors... but there could be rules to keep them from falsely going off.


You don't wanna kill Fonzie.
 
I think just run the electric heater to keep the garage above 50F and then run the propane one if you need higher temperatures for painting or epoxy or something special.
If you keep your core warm you can work down near freezing without getting cold hands.
 
If your only heating the garage periodically, I don't see any problems. I leave a door cracked when I use mine, and then open the garage door when I'm done to make sure no fumes linger. CO is heavier than air, so I don't see that being a problem. If you're looking to heat the garage full time, install an approved heater, and make sure it's up to code. CO detectors are a good idea either way.
 
Originally Posted By: Tosh
Why not install the heater you have?


The Re-Verber-Ray? My garage is maybe 10' or 12' high and that heater needs to be 12' from objects like my head. So it would need to be close to 20' up. Its really a commercial heater for a warehouse.
 
Originally Posted By: whip
If your only heating the garage periodically, I don't see any problems. I leave a door cracked when I use mine, and then open the garage door when I'm done to make sure no fumes linger. CO is heavier than air, so I don't see that being a problem. If you're looking to heat the garage full time, install an approved heater, and make sure it's up to code. CO detectors are a good idea either way.


As absurd as it sounds I live in a 7 bedroom house by myself. No one on top of the garage. I have a CO detector and am going to get another one that monitors CO and propane. The heaters will only be on a few hours here and there on weekends. But I do not want to wait 8 hours to get the garage warm.
 
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Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Heating a tiny garage, over bedrooms, with a propane heater pumping out loads of CO2.

Now that should end well.


I don't know about US, but in Canada the garage has to be insulated, has to have a vapor barrier and be sealed off from the rest of the house by code. You know, just in case somebody gets this crazy idea to park their car in that garage and start the engine in there.
If that garage is done right, no CO2 should enter the house.

Having said that, my garage is also built in with a bedroom above, and I find that it stays quite warm during winter. Even on the coldest of days it's about 6-10C inside the garage. It may not be a good temp. for tinkering, but I found it plenty warm to do oil changes, or as I had to do recently, a thermostat change.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Donald
I would like to be able to work in my 1.5 car garage at times over the winter. Its got bedrooms over it and I believe its insulated.

I have a powerful propane torpedo heater.

So I continue to use that, but it does not go down to a low BTU setting. Was thinking of adding a 30K BTU blue flame propane heater or maybe a 220V electric heater (10K BTU).

I bought a Re-Verber-Ray radiant heater (60K BTU) but it seems that needs to be up maybe 20' so its 12' from your head. So that sits uninstalled.

One idea would be to start to heat it with my propane torpedo heater and then switch to another heater to maintain. My 3 ton Bobcat will be in the garage, so thats 3 tons of cold steel to heat up as part of heating the garage.

I assume I have enough leaks around the garage door for ventilation.

I am opposed to cutting/drilling holes in things so I would not want to get a vented heater and cut a hole through the wall.




Heating a tiny garage, over bedrooms, with a propane heater pumping out loads of CO2.

Now that should end well.


I'm just a lowly carpenter however I did pass grade 9 science class and from what I recall carbon dioxide is HEAVIER than air.
So now I have to wonder why exactly this torch heater will have any effect whatsoever to second story rooms,unless of course this heavier gas is somehow being forced upstairs,then I suppose if "may not end well".
OP
I use salamander heaters,the diesel/kerosene versions as well as the propane versions to heat houses as we build them. They are great until the mud and tape start getting applied,at that point they are too moist and the mud doesn't dry.
If you've got an electric I'd use the torch to get it warm enough to work,then the electric to maintain.
There shouldn't be any co2 deaths if you've got even a bit of airflow so I wouldn't worry about that,no matter what pop rivit seems to think.
I would think about open flame and combustible fumes though.
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Donald
I would like to be able to work in my 1.5 car garage at times over the winter. Its got bedrooms over it and I believe its insulated.

I have a powerful propane torpedo heater.

So I continue to use that, but it does not go down to a low BTU setting. Was thinking of adding a 30K BTU blue flame propane heater or maybe a 220V electric heater (10K BTU).

I bought a Re-Verber-Ray radiant heater (60K BTU) but it seems that needs to be up maybe 20' so its 12' from your head. So that sits uninstalled.

One idea would be to start to heat it with my propane torpedo heater and then switch to another heater to maintain. My 3 ton Bobcat will be in the garage, so thats 3 tons of cold steel to heat up as part of heating the garage.

I assume I have enough leaks around the garage door for ventilation.

I am opposed to cutting/drilling holes in things so I would not want to get a vented heater and cut a hole through the wall.




Heating a tiny garage, over bedrooms, with a propane heater pumping out loads of CO2.

Now that should end well.


I'm just a lowly carpenter however I did pass grade 9 science class and from what I recall carbon dioxide is HEAVIER than air.
So now I have to wonder why exactly this torch heater will have any effect whatsoever to second story rooms,unless of course this heavier gas is somehow being forced upstairs,then I suppose if "may not end well".
OP
I use salamander heaters,the diesel/kerosene versions as well as the propane versions to heat houses as we build them. They are great until the mud and tape start getting applied,at that point they are too moist and the mud doesn't dry.
If you've got an electric I'd use the torch to get it warm enough to work,then the electric to maintain.
There shouldn't be any co2 deaths if you've got even a bit of airflow so I wouldn't worry about that,no matter what pop rivit seems to think.
I would think about open flame and combustible fumes though.


Good points. I think its CO carbon monoxide one worries about.
 
Originally Posted By: KenO
Is it not possible to add a heating duct from your household heater?

I think he might have a problem not having an air return from the garage? I have seen guys just get an old electric forced air furnace and put it in the corner of a garage. No ducting required.
 
I have a similar situation, two car basement garage. With the walls all insulated things were fair, then I replaced the garage door with an R-13 insulated door and wonderful seals.

Bingo, the temperature seldom drops below 50, maybe at -20f it drops into the 40's without any heat at all. It never freezes ever and is generally at a perfect working temperature in the winter. For an occasional event when I want room temperature the 10,000 btu "Kerosun" warms it quickly, and these are very safe heaters and certified for household interior use.

This burns about a gallon in 24 hours when doing household backup emergency heat.....like a power failure, etc. I never leave it running in the garage unless engaged in a project. I have had several motor vehicles develop a gas leak at some point in their life...I suspect this is the reason that "open flame" type furnaces are prohibited by our city code.
 
I need to insulate my garage, down here in GA most aren't. I have the same situation - 2 car garage, wtih 3 bedrooms above it. No insulation in the garage whatsoever. My upstairs is the warmest place in the house, while the 'downstairs - basically half level between the garage and the upstairs, is cold as [censored]. I know the insulation sucks in my house, and it was built in '92. Hopefully next year I'll be able to start tackling some efficiency projects, starting with my front single pane (really, theys till sold single pane windows in 1992???) windows.


My house has an HVAC vent into the garage as well, but there's no return from down there. I have a feeling there was a conditioned room there at one point, but there isn't now.
 
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