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Winter projects. Heater?

  • Thread starter Thread starter exzachtly1
  • Start date Start date
E

exzachtly1

Guest
As other north / north-easterners are aware, it's starting to get COLD outside. I've got a lot of projects that I was hoping to do over the winter and some of them will require a fair amount of garage time. Since this is my first winter season with a motorcycle that I want to work on outside, I was hoping someone would have some tips on what kind of heater and just general safety concerns.

My garage is a detached 2 car garage. Uninsulated, probably about 500 sq. ft. So I'm thinking of a heater like this one, a 35K BTU torpedo style heater.

Will this be warm enough for some garage sessions, maybe a few hours at a time? And is there any safety concern with running this type of heater with a car and a motorcycle nearby (gasoline)? Just figured I'd throw it out for some advice from people that have done this before. Cheers!
 
The prob with those torpedo heaters is 5 minutes on and its so hot you cannot breath, and then five minutes off, you start getting cold.
Also they produce a lot of humidity and tear inducing fumes and carbon dioxide., along with the fact that if you get your uninsulated garage too warm, and all its metal contents up to temperature, on a winter night, everything sweats and in turn rusts with constant cycling of this.
You would be better off with an elecric quartz heater that can be placed in front of your work area. It radiates enough to keep the immediate area warm without over heating the entire space.
Painting is also a bear under these unheated garage conditions.
I think my basement is going to sprout a two bay, indoor wrenchin sort of set up this winter. I currently have no gal to complain about fumes and smell....besides, the fumes help me sleep at night:eek: lol
 
loud et said:
The prob with those torpedo heaters is 5 minutes on and its so hot you cannot breath, and then five minutes off, you start getting cold.
Also they produce a lot of humidity and tear inducing fumes and carbon dioxide., along with the fact that if you get your uninsulated garage too warm, and all its metal contents up to temperature, on a winter night, everything sweats and in turn rusts with constant cycling of this.
You would be better off with an elecric quartz heater that can be placed in front of your work area. It radiates enough to keep the immediate area warm without over heating the entire space.
Painting is also a bear under these unheated garage conditions.
I think my basement is going to sprout a two bay, indoor wrenchin sort of set up this winter. I currently have no gal to complain about fumes and smell....besides, the fumes help me sleep at night:eek: lol
Click to expand...

Ah, I didn't think about the condensation. I'll look into the electric ones. There's also ones like this that might be a nice middle ground between the torpedo and the electric.

I'd love to be able to paint my gas tank but have resigned myself to probably not being able to do that until spring at the earliest!

Sounds like you have it figured out though. I'll just get myself a trailer and haul the bike up to your place when I need to work on it :D
 
Any of the Mr Heaters I've been around puts off a VERY LOUD ROARING sound to the point you cant think ... I use one of the two round burner ones the clamp to the propane bottle .. It will run you out of the garage it gets hot anuff...
 
I have one like this, but mine has high/low heat and a built in halogen light. If you had two of these and placed them on either side of the work area or above, you would be lovin it. They radiate a fairly strong heat.
http://www.farmandfleet.com/products/683395-duraflame-overhead-quartz-electric-heater.html

more powerful/expensive
http://www.heater-store.com/quartz_infrared_spot_heater_tpi_9855_prd1.htm

I think this is the one I have.
http://www.shopping.com/Marvin-W-B-Marvin-7260-Quartz-Heat-N-Light-Heater/info
 
haztoys said:
Any of the Mr Heaters I've been around puts off a VERY LOUD ROARING sound to the point you cant think ... I use one of the two round burner ones the clamp to the propane bottle .. It will run you out of the garage it gets hot anuff...
Click to expand...

+1, for a fuel delivered heater, these are simple and cheap and heat nice.
 
I heat up with this exact set-up.

16160_1_lg.jpg


Set up is very cheap, and fuel is free.
Very easily heats a 35'W x 40'L detached 2 car garage and keeps it toasty warm for hours with minimal effort.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_20894_20894

Electric heaters are no match for -40


Tank
 
haztoys said:
Any of the Mr Heaters I've been around puts off a VERY LOUD ROARING sound to the point you cant think ...
Click to expand...

You can hear it running, but it's not that loud...
You can still talk in a normal voice and hear the music oK.
No big deal.
 
tkent02 said:
A heater near the ceiling is much safer than one on the floor as far as igniting fumes from gasoline or whatever other fumes you may have.

I got one of these and it rocks...
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200577749_200577749
Click to expand...

That looks nice but probably out of my price range and current needs!

Steel Toed Tank said:
I heat up with this exact set-up.

16160_1_lg.jpg


Set up is very cheap, and fuel is free.
Very easily heats a 35'W x 40'L detached 2 car garage and keeps it toasty warm for hours with minimal effort.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_20894_20894

Electric heaters are no match for -40


Tank
Click to expand...

This is so cool, definitely up my alley but probably not enough room in the garage for a setup like that. Got two cars that have to live in there so storage space is limited.

I'll be taking a look at the round propane top ones and electric ones to see what makes the most sense. How are the electric ones on the electric bill? Would electric end up costing more than propane?
 
I gave up worrying about the electric bill.
I doubt its worth worrying about for a handful of nights in the garage here and there.
 
I have a 35,000 BTU propane torpedo that i heat the storage unit with ( 20 X 35 ). If it gets too hot i simply lift the door and let some cooler air in..and its good from time to time to open the door just to let some fresh OXYGEN back in. Gotta be mindful of carbon monoxide with open flame furnaces of any kind.
 
I use a unit called Farenheat baseboard heater, it's an older one (like from the 80's), but I'm always amazed on how well this hydronic baseboard unit works in the garage.
 
This is my heater:
3834888_2TJ0W8524.jpg


It's about 11,000 BTU and works well in my 2-car, semi-insulated garage. :D

Uses just over a gallon of kerosene a day, if I leave it on full-time.

Even if it's down to 10 degrees (F) outside, it maintains 55-60 degrees in the garage.

It's also over 25 years old and still working well.
icon_thumbsup.gif


.
 
Very low maintenance also..just trim the wick and replace once it gets to short. tech tip..dont use diesel in it like my buddy did his. It burns fine, but the deposits on the wick ruin it in short order.
 
Another version of Steve's. very steady heat, almost no fumes and quiet. Even though I don't have garage I bought one to bring to the garage I borrow for car repair, but I can't store it there. They're in Craigslist quite a bit here, I bet you pick one up for 50-75 bucks
 
Steve said:
This is my heater:
3834888_2TJ0W8524.jpg


It's about 11,000 BTU and works well in my 2-car, semi-insulated garage. :D

Uses just over a gallon of kerosene a day, if I leave it on full-time.

Even if it's down to 10 degrees (F) outside, it maintains 55-60 degrees in the garage.

It's also over 25 years old and still working well.
icon_thumbsup.gif


.
Click to expand...

I have one of these if you want it .. They do work good ...Its about 15 years old I dont use it any more ....
 
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