| Best Choice |
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Dr. Heater 240-Volt Hardwired Shop Garage Commercial Heater | CHECK LATEST PRICE | |
| Premium Pick |
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Modine HD45AS0111Natural Gas Hot Dawg | CHECK LATEST PRICE | |
| Best Value |
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Isiler Space Heater | CHECK LATEST PRICE |
- 1. Dr. Heater 240-Volt Hardwired Shop Garage Commercial Heater
- 2. Comfort Zone CZ260ER Ceiling-Mounted Industrial Heater
- 3. Fahrenheat FUH54 240-Volt Garage Heater
- 4. Dr. Infrared Heater 1500W Carbon Infrared Heater
- 5. Newair G56 5600 Watt Garage Heater
- 6. Modine HD45AS0111Natural Gas Hot Dawg
- 7. Dimplex DGWH4031G Garage and Shop Heater
- 8. Isiler Space Heater
- 9. Dyna-Glo KFA50DGD 50,000 BTU Kerosene Forced Air Heater
- 10. Mr. Heater Natural Gas Garage Heater
- 11. Optimus H-9010 Garage-Shop Heater
When the temperatures begin to drop, working on projects in your garage or workshop can be more daunting than it is during warmer months. After all, fiddling with nuts and bolts with frozen fingers is no fun. Luckily, there’s a wide range of garage heaters to keep you warm and working through the colder months, so Old Man Winter won’t stop you from making progress and enjoying time in your workspace. From electric to propane-fueled units, there are a wide variety of garage heaters with different warmth-producing characteristics and output levels. This article will compare some of the best models on the market across a range of different applications to help you choose the perfect heater that will fit ideally in your garage and heat it up to a toasty working temperature fast and efficiently.
The Best Garage Heaters
The Dr. Heater 240-Volt Hardwired Shop Garage Commercial Heater is a versatile heater that can be used in a garage, workshop, church, dormitory, etc. It is 14.5 x 13 x 14.5 inches and requires a hardwired connection. Once it’s installed on your wall or ceiling, simply turn the power knob clockwise for operation, and choose either the low or high heating mode by pressing the switch. The heater features spiral steel metal sheath electric heating components, so it provides consistent heat.
The 8-inch fan circulates and distributes the warm air, which you can direct using the five adjustable louvers. The 3000/6000-watt heater is thermally protected with a heavy-duty, ball bearing motor. It also has a built-in adjustable thermostat.
One downside with this unit is that it doesn’t include a power cord, which you must purchase separately. The fan is also a little noisy, and because it relies on an electrical connection, your utility bill will increase.
- 240 volts
- 3000 and 6000-watt temperature options
- Wall or ceiling mountable
- Hardwired connection
- Forced air
- Brand Dr. Heater
- Model DR966
- Weight 27 pounds
Provides consistent heat
Louvers allow users to direct the heat
Easy to operate
Power cord must be purchased separately
Fan is somewhat noisy
When space utilization is a concern, consider the Comfort Zone CZ260ER Ceiling-Mounted Industrial Heater. It’s constructed in a fan-forced air design that features adjustable directed airflow vents to give you superior and customizable heat distribution across your entire garage space. This garage heater can put out up to 10,000 watts of heat that is capable of heating larger garages with ease.
It features a heavy-gauge steel body that is extra durable and rust-resistant. The heating elements are fully sheathed and the motor is fully enclosed for protection for dust and debris. This well-designed garage heater also features a 12-hour shut-off time and remote control operation for added convenience. It also comes equipped with power and caution indicator lights and an overload cut-off switch as added protection against malfunction. It should be noted that this model of garage heater does require a single-phase hardwired 240-volt AC connection for installation.
- 10,000 Watts of heat output
- 12-hour programmable shut-off
- Pivoting vents to direct circulation and air flow
- Remote control operation
- Brand Comfort Zone
- Model CZ260ER
- Weight 48 pounds
Powerful heat for larger garage spaces
Ceiling mounted for optimal space savings
Installation takes a while due to the need for hardwiring
Farenheat’s FUH54 brings industrial-style materials and construction to heat your garage and keep you warm while working over the cold winter. Featuring a wide output range from 45 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit in a compact 11 x 14 x 13-inch package, the FUH54 is an excellent choice for heating your workspace when temperatures plummet.
The FUH54 packs 5000 watts of electrical heating power meaning that you can simply plug it in and start warming up to create a cozy and productive workspace for both day or night. A built-in mounting bracket makes securing the heater to any horizontal, vertical or ceiling surface hassle-free and adjustable front-mounted louvers direct heat exactly where you need it.
- Built-in thermostat with an output range of 45-135 degrees Fahrenheit
- Front-mounted louvers direct heat where you need it
- Industrial-grade build quality
- Design incorporates mounting brackets for simple, effective installation
- Brand Farenheat
- Model FUH54
- Weight 24 pounds
Easily installed and operated
Simple electric heating means no hassle with propane fuelling and refills
Not ideal for heating larger spaces
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option that’s ideal for smaller garage heating solutions, the Dr. Infrared Heater 1500W Carbon Infrared Heater is a perfect option. It’s a super slim and compact garage heater that is suitable for indoor or outdoor use and can easily be installed on the wall or ceiling of your garage to create an efficient, out-of-the-way heat source that will keep you cozy and comfortable all year long. It produces up to 1500 watts of instant clean and odorless infrared heat and offers a super quiet function that won’t disturb you while working.
The outside of the heater is constructed from durable and weather-proof lightweight aluminum that is made to resist moisture and condensation. Choose from three heat levels, automatic timer shut-off, and remote control operation for the ultimate convenience. This unit is suitable for smaller garage spaces but isn’t likely to be strong enough on its own to heat larger garages.
- Wall, ceiling, or tripod mountable
- Low, medium, and high heat settings
- 1500w of warmth
- Brand Dr. Heater USA
- Model DR-238
- Weight 8 pounds
Wireless remote control
Super quiet and space-saving design
Not strong enough to heat two- or three-car garages
The NewAir G56 is a great garage heater to consider if you require some portability as well as plenty of heat. With the power to heat up to 560 square feet contained within a compact steel construction, you’ll be toasty warm in no time. The G56 also comes certified for electrical safety with an overheat protection system that shuts the heater off if it starts to become too hot.
Designed to be set down on the floor, the G56 features a sturdy carrying handle on its top surface and a 6-foot long power cord to allow it to deliver its 5600 watts of heating power. In addition, all moving parts stay contained behind a steel safety guard. A single-pole thermostat ensures that you get precisely the amount of heat that you need.
- Capable of heating 560 square feet
- Built-in overheat protection for safe operation
- Portable design and 6-foot power cord
- Easy to use with simple manual controls
- Brand NewAir
- Model G56
- Weight 16.6 lbs
Portable and powerful
Steel construction and safety systems provide worry-free heating
Lack of mounting bracket means this floor positioned heater may prove to be a tripping hazard.
Modine’s Hot Dawg garage heater provides an impressive 45,000 BTUs of heating power and is capable of running on either natural or propane gas. Its quiet operating volume makes it ideal for commercial, industrial, and especially residential uses.
The Hot Dawg runs at 80% efficiency and comes packaged in a compact 26x12x16 inch casing; which is surprising, considering the heating power that it’s capable of putting out. Intake and exhaust piping can be routed from the left or right sides of the unit and a small-diameter exhaust pipe makes the venting process simple and safe.
- 45,000 BTU heating capacity
- Residential, industrial, and commercial usage approved
- Able to run on natural gas or propane
- Operates quietly
- Brand Modine
- Model HD45AS0111
- Weight 60 lbs
115 volt power means no special wiring required
Powerful heating capability in a compact package
Quite heavy with a weight of 60 lbs
The Dimplex DGWH4031G Garage and Shop Heater is a small, but mighty garage heater that is capable of delivering 4,000 watts of cozy heat capable of heating 600 sq. ft. of space or more efficiently and safely. The outside of this compact garage heater is constructed from heavy-gauge steel that’s treated with a durable epoxy powder-coated finish that’s rugged and rust-resistant.
This tough little electric heater is an excellent value for the price, but be warned, it requires a specialized power source that you may have to install, as it functions off a 240-volt, 20-amp outlet, which most residential garages do not have. It features an easy-to-use thermostat with overheat protection and a convenient swiveling and pivoting wall-mounted bracket for out-of-the-way installation.
- 4,000-watt electric heater
- Adjustable thermostat
- Durable steel base construction
- Pivots to direct heat where needed
- Brand Dimplex
- Model DGWH4031
- Weight 12.1 pounds
Extremely portable and compact
Powerful enough to heat a larger area
Requires specialized 240-volt, 20-amp power supply to work properly
The Isiler Space Heater is a tiny and super maneuverable garage heater that can be used almost anywhere to take away the chill and create a cozy working environment. It’s a self-regulating ceramic heater that offers automatic shut-off in the event of accidental tipping or overheating. The thermostat is fully adjustable from 41-95 degrees Fahrenheit to give you optimal heat control.
This tiny garage heater is capable of putting out 1,500 watts of heat, which is enough to heat up to 108 square feet of space, so it’s definitely not the strongest on our list, but it’s super lightweight, weighing only 2.42 pounds, and it’s compact enough to easily fit almost anywhere you need it. It features a 4.9-foot cord that plugs into any 120-volt household outlet for added convenience.
- Fan-forced ceramic heat
- Durable steel body construction
- Auto-shutoff if tipped over or overheated
- Fully adjustable thermostat
- Brand Isiler
- Model —
- Weight 2.42 lbs
Super compact, lightweight, and portable
Plugs directly into any 120-volt household outlet
Not powerful enough for heating large spaces as other heaters on this list
The Dyna-Glo KFA50DGD 50,000 BTU Kerosene Forced Air Heater is one of the best kerosene powered heaters on the market if you need to heat a large, well-ventilated space, like a large garage, workshop, warehouse, barn, construction site, or even a loading dock. This super strong torpedo heater pumps out a whopping 50,000 BTUs and is capable of heating up to 1,200 sq. ft. of space quickly and efficiently.
The outside of this powerful garage heater is constructed from heavy-duty, rust-resistant steel and features an impressive 98 percent fuel efficiency. It also features automatic overheat shut-off protection, a flameout sensor, and a run-time fuel gauge for added safety. This heater is definitely one of the more powerful options on our list, however, it’s not necessarily the best option if you have a space that small children or pets enter frequently, as it gets very hot and could lead to injury. Also, bear in mind, that this heater creates a carbon monoxide risk and is to be used only in well-ventilated areas.
- 50,000 watts of propane heat power
- Rugged and durable steel housing
- Clean and efficient heat source
- Can heat up to 1,200 sq. ft. of space
- Brand Dyna-Glo
- Model KFA50DGD
- Weight 26.9 pounds
Super powerful
Cost-effective and efficient heat source
Carbon monoxide risk and not safe around children and pets
If you are looking for a heater to warm up a larger amount of space, but that is safe for your family, the Mr. Heater Natural Gas Garage Heater is capable of heating areas of up to 1,000 square feet and puts out an impressive 30,000 BTUs of power. The blue flame burner is there to allow for even convection heat. If there is low oxygen, the system shuts off automatically. This is a super efficient garage heater that features an extremely low fuel consumption rate.
This vent-free garage heater comes equipped with automatic shut-off in the case of accidental tipping. Other features include wall mount hardware and legs to keep it off the ground. Bear in mind that it runs on natural gas, which means that it is not suitable for indoor areas such as bathrooms and bedrooms.
- Electronic ignition
- Variable output
- Heats areas up to 750 square feet
- Brand Mr. Heater
- Model F299731
- Weight 26.8 pounds
Equipped with a thermostat for enhanced control
Can be permanently mounted on the wall
Not suitable for certain indoor living areas
Optimus’s H-9010 provides excellent heating power in an attractive package. Featuring a quartz heating element contained within a sturdy metal frame, the H-9010 is compact and can be mounted on walls or ceilings to save space. The heating unit begins producing warmth the second it gets turned on and features an operating range of between 750 and 1500 watts.
The heater also features a built-in work light to illuminate the area below it and which can be operated totally independently of the heating element. Safety has been considered too with the H-9010 featuring an auto-shutoff system in case it detects any overheating. A pull cord on/off switch makes operating the heater extremely simple.
- Quartz heating elements
- Durable metal housing give a long service life
- Built-in halogen light
- Can be mounted on walls or ceilings
- Brand Optimus
- Model H-9010
- Weight 8.25 lbs
Produces heat as soon as it gets switched on
Low-profile design and mounting versatility keeps the heater out of your workspace
Lack of precise range of heating temperatures
Best Garage Heater Buying Guide & FAQ
What to Look for in a Garage Heater
Power Rating
The first thing that you need to know about your garage heater is how much power you need to heat the space that you have. The best garage heater brands should list this power rating information, but some will tell you in square footage as well to help you get a more concrete idea. Remember that the power rating is assuming the best conditions possible, so you should go for a heater that has a higher rating than the one you require, which accounts for any drafts or poor insulation in your garage area.
Don’t forget to take into account the height of the ceiling as a garage with a tall ceiling requires a more powerful heater. As a general guide, if you have an especially large space that needs heating, a heater of around 4,000 to 5,000 watts is a great choice.
Heat Source
Not all garage heaters are created the same and one of the biggest differences is their heat source. Depending on your personal preference, space requirements, geographical location, and heating costs, you may choose from combustion-powered garage heaters or electrical garage heaters.
Combustion
Combustion-sourced heaters use either natural gas or propane to power the garage heater and are usually ideal for larger garages or workshops, but are not to be used in small interior spaces, such as one-car garages, sheds, bedrooms, etc.
Natural gas and propane are known to be very efficient, cost-effective, and clean methods of heating larger spaces. They cost much less than electricity and don’t draw any power at all when then they’re turned off. They’re also guaranteed to work in the event of an unplanned power failure, which makes them a great emergency source of heat.
The trade-off is that they can often be less safe than electrical heaters and can pose a carbon monoxide hazard, as well as a burn risk to children and pets. They also have a higher risk of unintentional fire.
Electric
Electric garage heaters are a great option for most household one-, two-, and three-car garage spaces, with some of the stronger ones being able to heat upwards of 1,000 sq. ft. They’re often very quiet and come with many built-in protection features, like automatic shut-off in the event of accidental tipping and overheating.
Thermostats on electric heaters are more incrementally adjustable and often feature remote control operation. Oftentimes, these garage heaters are also wall mountable for space saving considerations.
The trade-off is that electricity is often much more expensive in the long run than natural gas or propane, especially if you need to use the heater very frequently and for longer periods of time.
Safety Features
Keeping yourself safe is obviously the most important thing when you are at work in your garage. Check the reports online for safety ratings and any accreditations that have been issued. The most common safety features include:
Tip-Over Protection
A tip over switch will automatically shut your garage heater down if it happens to get knocked over for any reason. Sensors inside the heater will detect when the unit has been knocked over and shut it off immediately so as to minimize the risk of a fire starting.
Overheating Protection
This system will detect if the heater is producing too much heat and therefore becoming unsafe, stepping in to switch it off before any damage is done to your home or the heater itself.
Cool Touch Heater
A cool touch feature on your garage heater will stop the surface of the heater from getting too hot. This is especially important if there are children and/or animals anywhere around the vicinity.
Portability
If you need to be able to take the heater from one place to another with no problems, you should be looking for a device that is highly portable. A carry handle helps in your task of picking it up and moving the heater around whenever you want. Alternatively, wheels or casters help too – and you are not in danger of throwing out your back by trying to pick up something that is simply too heavy. Ultimately, this comes down to the question of whether you want a fixed or a portable garage heater.
Adjustable Features
It is worth checking whether the heater features any sort of adjustable features that allow you to redirect the heat as needed. Some feature a pivoting function, while you can also get heaters that are operational by remote control. Another common adjustable feature is the option to change the power setting from low to high.
Ease of Assembly and Installation
Some of the heaters that we have talked about above come pre-assembled straight out of the box, whereas others require some assembly work. If you are handy with DIY, the latter may not be a problem, but the former is better if you want something that is ready to go straight away. Other heaters will need to be hardwired into the circuitry, and this needs someone with professional electrical experience to take care of the task. Otherwise, you could find yourself in a dangerous situation.
Power Cord Length
A commonly overlooked feature that people don’t tend to think about is making sure that the power cord length is suitable to ensure that you can put it wherever in your garage. With high output heaters, it may be especially tough to find a safe extension lead, so you should double check to ensure that the cord is sufficiently long enough.
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Why You Should Invest in Garage Heaters
There are plenty of different reasons why keeping your garage warm is a good idea. First, you help to prevent freezing damage to pipes and equipment during the colder months of the year. This can impact various components inside your garage such as your car battery and other electrical features. In some areas, it is required to heat your home properly, which protects it against wear and tear, so it is worth knowing whether your neighborhood code dictates this. The garage can be an area that invites a lot of cold air into the home, so heating the area properly can help to prevent cold air from reaching the interior of your home, which can help decrease some of your overall home heating costs.
Garage heaters are a quick and easy way of heating this area of your home. They are easy to assemble and don’t tend to require a lot of maintenance. Since many homeowners use this area of the house as a workspace, this is a great way to maintain comfort, so you can get on with the jobs that you want, day or night – even when the weather has taken a turn for the worse outside.
Fixed vs Portable Garage Heaters
One of the main questions that you need to ask yourself when you are choosing a garage heater is whether you want it to be fixed or portable. The latter makes sense if you ever envision a time when you may need to move it to a different workshop space or area of the house. For the electrical garage heaters, you just need to plug them into the nearest available outlet, although sometimes, certain electrical garage heaters require specialized electrical outlets due to their size and power. Or you could go for a propane or natural gas fueled heater if you want to escape from the restrictions that a cord imposes on you.
There are plenty of benefits to using a fixed heater if you don’t think that you will ever need to move it. You wire them into the position that you like, and you don’t have to worry about finding somewhere safe to stand the heater where it is not in danger of being knocked over. This gives you more space to work with in your garage area and can eliminate the tripping or accidental burn hazard that many portable heaters pose.
How to Heat Your Garage Efficiently
When you are heating your garage, you need to do so in a way that ticks both the safety and efficiency boxes. When you are positioning your garage heater, you should choose an area that is off the floor and other work surfaces. Also, avoid putting a freestanding heater near any entrance or exit areas as it could easily get knocked over in the event that you need to make an emergency exit. If you can mount the heater directly to a wall or ceiling, this is the safest way of doing so that keeps it comfortably out of your way. You may need to enlist the support of a heating expert to take care of the installation for you.
Plenty of garage heaters have the convenient feature of giving you the option to direct the heat wherever you like. When you are choosing a direction, you should go for the middle of the garage or any area that you are going to be concentrating on working on. This will allow you to experience the full benefits of the heater. You could also look at investing in a radiant panel as this can help a garage keep warmer for longer.
As we mentioned before, you need to choose a heater that is effective in warming up the space. Bear in mind that some garage heaters require ventilation as well. But proper heating of your garage doesn’t only extend to using a garage heater. You should also insulate the space to stop any heat from escaping. If you use high-quality insulation, this will help to keep the heat in that little bit better. Also, check the window and door areas to ensure that the insulation here is adequate too. Any gaps can cause draughts, which allows the precious heat to simply escape outside. Remember, proper heating also has the other major benefit of lowering your heating bills, which no one is going to complain about!
Types of Garage Heaters
Garage heaters can take many forms based on what you require in your workspace. From small personal heaters right up to units that are capable of heating cavernous job sites there is a heater that would be perfect for your needs. As a basic rule of thumb, electric heaters have a ten to one ratio of watts to square footage heated. Therefore a 3000 watt heater will heat a space that measures 300 square feet. Listed below you’ll find some of the major heater styles as well as information on their characteristics.
Fan Forced
Fan forced heaters utilize a fan to move air past a heated electrical element. As the air moves past the element it becomes heated before moving out into the room. Fan forced heaters provide soft, comfortable, and gradual heating and are well suited to smaller rooms which do not need to be heated immediately after the heater is switched on.
Ceramic
Ceramic heaters replace the electrical element in fan forced heaters with a ceramic heating element to provide more heat while using the same principles. As such, ceramic heaters are suited to heating larger rooms. They also have a greater ability to focus the heat being produced than do their fan forced counterparts.
Quartz
Quartz heaters utilize infrared radiation to provide greater heat which is often compared to that of the sun. They are very useful for heating people and objects but less so for heating air as the infrared heat produced is of a different spectrum than the absorption spectrum of air. Quartz heaters use metal reflector sheets to direct the heat in the direction it is needed and are well suited to heating larger rooms as well as outdoor spaces.
Propane/Natural Gas
Propane and natural gas fueled heaters work on the principle of an extremely controlled flame within the unit heating the air inside before a fan pushes the heated air out into the room. These are the most common kinds of heaters found in industrial applications and can produce large quantities of heat for extended periods of time. Residential applications often value electrically generated heat over propane or natural gas because of the simplicity of plugging the unit into a wall over refilling and fueling with compressed gas.
Free Standing or Wall Mounted
The question of free standing or wall mounted heaters essentially comes down to your own application and personal preferences. Free standing heaters can be moved around a space which is useful if you need to direct heat to a few different locations. They can, however, provide a tripping hazard when sitting on the floor which is not ideal if you will be moving around your garage or workspace a lot. Wall mounted heaters remove the tripping hazard as they are not typically in an area that you would find yourself moving about in. The downside to this is the fact that they are difficult to move once they have been installed and therefore cannot be transferred as needs be. One upside of mounting propane or natural gas fueled heaters on a wall is the fact that you are able to isolate all of the necessary piping and fuel bottles away from walkways. If your heater is mounted on an exterior wall it is also easier to run piping for venting to outside your workshop.
Safety Precautions when Using a Garage Heater
Garage heaters are, by their very nature, capable of generating intense quantities of heat. Even electric heaters, which lack the controlled but active flame of propane/gas burning heaters, can start fires and have other adverse effects if used improperly. There are a few things to consider when using a garage heater in a safe manner.
- Always make sure that any gas bottles or fuel sources are kept well away from your heater. Fuel sources can include oils, aerosols, gasoline/diesel storage containers, firewood, and any other flammable material. If possible you should keep substances that can add fuel to a fire are kept in a separate storage area, be that a different room from the one being heated or a specifically designed fireproof cabinet.
- Keep your garage heater out of the path of foot traffic and other movements. This may mean mounting the heater on a wall/ceiling or simply finding a place for it that’s well out of the way. Avoiding the possibility of the heater being knocked over should be of high priority. Although modern garage heaters feature safety systems that will shut the heater off if it gets knocked over it’s always better to be safe than sorry when dealing with fire risks and ignition sources.
- Make sure that your new heater is in good condition. Frequently check on it to make sure that it hasn’t become damaged without your knowledge. Gas-fueled heaters should have their burner nozzles inspected to make sure they’re functioning as they were designed to do. If you are not comfortable performing these inspections yourself, you can always take your heater to someone who is certified in their maintenance.
- Make sure that the motors/fans are free of dust and debris. Keep any accessible areas of the heater clean. Dust and lint can prove extremely flammable and making sure they don’t build up on your heater can save you from an unnecessary fire.
- Any gas fueled heater will require exhaust venting. Make sure that the exhaust piping ends up outside the building in the fresh air and that it isn’t being expelled near any windows or HVAC intakes. When used correctly and given their proper respect garage heaters are an excellent way to keep warm and keep working through the cold winter months.
Top Brands
Fahrenheat
The Fahrenheat® brand was developed in 1986 as part of the Marley Engineered Products family. It draws on the company’s long history of providing reliable, comfortable heating and ventilation solutions to both residential and light commercial applications. Some of its more popular products include the 202SL Series – Radiant Plug-In Under Desk Heater and the MMHD Series – Portable Fan-Forced Utility Heater.
Dr. Infrared
Dr. Infrared is a subsidiary of the USA-based Dr. Heater USA Brand. One of its more innovative products is the Dr. Infrared Music heater that features Bluetooth connectivity and AM/FM radio capabilities to play music while you heat your home.
Modine
Modine Manufacturing Company has been a leading force in thermal management since 1916. It designs, manufactures, and tests heat transfer products for a wide variety of applications and markets.
NewAir
NewAir was founded by Luke Peters in his garage over 15 years ago. Since then, the company has made a name for itself by offering high-quality, affordable compact appliances and heating and cooling options, such as the NewAir 126 Can Freestanding Beverage Fridge and the NewAir Countertop Ice Maker.
Dimplex
Glen Dimplex Americas is a member of the Glen Dimplex Group of companies based in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world leader in electric heating, and offers a wide range of residential, commercial and industrial solutions. It offers such ground-breaking products as the Winslow 42″ Wall-mount Electric Fireplace and the Dimplex Indoor/Outdoor Infrared Heater.
Mr. Heater
Mr. Heater has been around since 1984, and is a subsidiary of the Ohio-based Enerco, which has been at the forefront of infrared combustion technology since 1957. Enerco also specializes in consumer heating products, like the Little Buddy Heater and the 3.6 Kw Portable Forced Air Electric Heater.
Best Garage Heater FAQ:
The amount of power that your garage heater needs depends on the size of the space that you intend on heating. Wattage is one of the most common power units out there, but British Thermal Units (BTU) is also widely used. You can use either to determine the size of the heater that you require for your garage. Watts are easy to calculate as you just need to think 10 watts per square foot of space. The calculations are slightly more complicated when it comes to BTU. You can convert the amount of watts into BTUs by multiplying by roughly 3.41. If you want to be even more accurate, you can calculate the amount of air by the volume inside your garage. Even more accuracy can be achieved by multiplying the R-value of the insulation into cubic feet.
Some of the portable heaters that we have discussed above have an installation method that is so simple. All you have to do is take it out of the box, plug it in, and you are good to go! Installing and wiring a fixed electric garage heater becomes an altogether more complicated affair. First, you need to complete all the installation work that ensures the correct wiring is there to begin with. Then, you can get into wiring the thermostat and the garage heater. For most people, they need to enlist the help of a professional electrician to make sure that the task is accomplished properly. Before you purchase the heater, it is certainly worth checking the item description as this will tell you whether you need to install the heater directly into your electric supply or you can just put it into a power outlet. Or if you get an electrician to install the heater or you decide to do it yourself, you should make sure to check the voltage output. Some garages have a lower voltage which would be dangerous if you were to connect a heater to it.
Yes, propane heaters are generally safe. However, there are one or two points that you need to bear in mind so you can be assured of safety. There needs to be plenty of oxygen in the area to allow for proper combustion. Also ensure that there aren’t any flammable materials in your garage that could pose a fire risk.
Generally, for most two-car garages in America, 45,000 BTUs is sufficient to comfortably heat the space. Larger garages, such as three-car garages require upwards of 60,000 BTUs to effectively heat them. Some low-intensity infrared tube heater manufacturers state that 30,000 BTUs is enough to heat a two-car garage.
This all depends on the size of your garage space, but for a regular two-car garage, a natural gas or propane heater will be the most energy efficient option. Just make sure you have enough ventilation to remove and gaseous build-up during use.
Ventless garage heaters can be some of the safest in the industry thanks to their oxygenation depletion sensors that automatically shut the heater off if the surrounding oxygen levels drop to or below 18 percent.
Infrared heaters can be a great option for garages because they don’t waste energy heating air that can quickly dissipate in drafty areas like garages. Because objects surrounding the heater actually absorb the heat, this can be a very low cost and efficient means of garage heating. <em><strong>Related Posts: Best Winter Tires</strong></em>
Sources:
- Need a Garage Heater? Key Features to Look For! – Air & Water
- Quartz Heating – How It Works – Tansun
- Great Tips for Safe Garage Heating – Heater Home
