I just got my variance for my garage, so I'm going to be breaking ground on my 28x x36 garage in about a week. I'm just waiting for the foundation guy. Well, I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do for heat. There is natural gas on the street, I could do propane, or should I do heating oil? My experience with gas is that they are both expensive. I do plan on insulating and sheetrocking, so it should hopefully be pretty tight. I know radiant heat is nice, but I don't want to lay pipe in the concrete. I've got a lift already, so I won't be working on my back. The ceiling is going to be 13 feet tall. I was thinking gas maybe, but its so expensive. Here is a heater I was looking at on Ebay. ANy thoughts on this heater? Any suggestions on my oil, gas dilemma?
I'm in a similar situation, and am anxiuos to hear some repsonses. We should be doing the foundation for the shop in the next 2-3 weeks. I don't have gas readily available, so I would have to do propane or electric. I've looked in to the radiant heat, and it seems reasonable if you do the work yourself. Prices to install a system were quite a bit more. I was kicking around a heat pump, but don't think that will work because of all the trees. I know there are a lot of people with nice shops out there, so let's hope we get some input. Jeff
Just a couple of considerations: For the first time natural gas is more expensive than propane. If you already have natural gas, the weight of the propane delivery truck may take a toll on some driveway sufaces. Probably the most efficient is the heat pump that uses the ground water to preheat and precool.
One problem to consider with natural gas, is that if you only use it in the winter,and you have a separate meter ( not connected with the house), they will charge a flat fee all summer whether you use any or not. In my area it is $7.50 per month whether you use it or it as completely shut off. Many of the oil and propane companies also charge a fee for tank rental. I have propane in my garage, and it is $45 per year for the tank.
Whn I needed heat, I ended up using oil. I don't have natural gas here and didn't want to fool with propane. Oil USED to be the cheap way to heat but times have sure changed!! Four years ago, I was paying around $.60 a gallon and it has been as high as $2.00 this year!! I was very lucky to find a downdraft furnace that was from a mobile home for $100.00 delivered! I just built a base for it as it blows all the warm air out the bottom and I have it angled toward the bay I always work in. The nice thing about forced air is that it doesn't need to be on all the time and warms the place up quickly. Good for me because I don't work in there every day. With in floor heat I would guess you pretty much need to keep it on all the time because it would take days to heat that whole slab! I just run mine from a 55 gallon drum and it would be very easy to just move it to my next garage if that day ever comes. I have also talked to people that love the radient heat tubes that mount on the ceiling. I think these are completely sealed from the inside and would be safe for paint work and fumes but I think you need a high ceiling for these to work well?? The thing to keep in mind is that what ever system you put into place, that fuel will go up the most in cost next year!! Some guy called Murphy will just see to it!! I was really looking at a waste oil heater to use should I ever get my big building but that would require a lot of transporting of fuel and looking for places to donate it to you. If you can cover that, it's almost free heat! Ken
They advertise heaters that run on used motor oil. Mostly for commercial shops to get rid of it as fuel. You may find a waste oil company will sell it fairly cheap. Just another avenue to consider.
Natural gas is the way im going in my new shop 28x40 hot water in the floor would have been nice but im just going with a forced airr furnace. insulated well shouldnt use much. I burried a gas line from my house to the garage along with the water line. Used oil fired furnaces are nice, and inexpensive to run. but they are labor intesive to keep running correctly and are also very expensive if you buy one that meets all the EPA codes and regulations for clean burning. also yo may have codes or ordinances that prohibit that type of heat. just my .O2
The only problem with forced air is that as soon as it enters the room it gets cool. It has to run constantly; as opposed to a radiant style baseboard or hot water system which continues to radiate because it acts as a heat sink and stays hotter longer. I locked into oil at $1.60 a gallon 1 year ago and that's what I'll pay even if the price goes to $5 a gallon. That's the plan I have. "Radiant" floor heating systems are good I guess, but I have a neighbor who installed it in his open floor plan/loft style house; under the kitchen floor and it's freezing up stairs because that type of heating does not have the same ability to spread it's heat throughout a dwelling like a basebord hot water system would. I'm sure you'll get 6,000 different opinions though. Never even heard of a heat pump.
I buried a gas line as well and heat my garage with natural gas. I just leave the thermostat at 50 all winter. (unless I come out to work in there) I insulated the walls and ceiling and got an insulated door. It's actually much cooler in the summer also and I can even use a window air conditioner in there if I want to, although it uses a lot of juice and once you open the door it gets hot again quickly. :bglasses:
If the garage is attached to the house, and you have baseboard hot water,install base board, with a thermostat and a seperate zone valve, so you shut it turn off in summer
I don't know about the heat pump... You are too far north with temps well below 30* throughout the winter, worthless in your climate. It is going to cost you no matter which route you go, I'd probably opt for electric myself. I assume you are already going to add electric out there, so there would be no real extra work (plus I'd be installing the electric myself, & save a bit more). Propane is mighty explosive, and then the tank and delivery issues. Did I ever tell ya about the house that was 1 mile away? It rattled the pictures on my wall (I thought there was a small earthquake) when it blew, a propane leak AFTER it was serviced (filled)by a professional. uzzled: The people did survive (4 at home), but there was nothing left of the house, totally leveled & spewed over several acres with only small parts to be found. :jd: I have seen several nat gas explosions in homes, no comparison. :Smarty:
My shop is divided up into two areas. One section is 30x50,the other for my cars is 30x30. The 30x50 section is for my cabinet shop,I have a 175,000 btu Reznor propane hanging unit from the ceiling,the car section has a 75,000 btu Reznor hanging unit also. My cabinet shop side heater is a sealed combustion type of heater[takes air in from the outside]so you can spray paint, laquer,or glue like I do. My propane supplier gives you the tank for free,as long as you use x amount of propane. I actually just called today to get the tank refilled,its only a 250 gallon tank. I know I could save a boatload of money by insulating the ceiling[the walls areinsulated] but building this shop cost a lot more than I budgeted for. The ceiling WILL get insullated this next summer,for now its just drywalled.BTW both heaters cost around $1700,[this included all the gas lines,flu`s,etc]the cost would be less if you choose the regular non-sealed combustion heater
Im doing my garage addition in the spring 22X26 on the back of the exsiting i will be installing infa red heaters using natural gas. A friend of mine has this set up in his garage and his gas bill only went $20.00 a mo.
Anyone think of using a sealed wood-fired fireplace? I have one in my basement and it keeps the lower levels of the house 20* warmer than the upstairs. I know that mine if furnace rated and also uses outside air for combustion! and I buy slab wood for $35 a full-cord. My father-in-law uses wood to heat his garage (26 x 40) in -20* Minnesota winters and it does a great job. Stay away from Electric...while clean it's VERY expensive, at least here it is.
I used to heat with wood and while it can be cheap, it's a lot of work and not much good for those days when you only have a few hours to work. I only heat once and a while when I can work and it's so much nicer to go and and flip a switch, go back inside for a half hour, go out and work. My needs are no doubt strange but this AM, I got to work for 1 hour I also don't have complete trust in wood! If I want to tune a car, I can set the thermostat and do the job saving the fuel filter for last. When I go to do the filter I can just shut the heat off and KNOW I'm safe with the fumes. There are some nice outdoor wood burners that you can use with hot water heat and they are about the safest you can get! Still need LOTS of wood though and the initial investment of $4000-$5000 would buy me a LOT of fuel oil for the limited use my furnace gets! Don't think I used 30 gallons last winter. Ken
I vote for forced hot water with oil. And, use cast iron baseboards. They stay warm for hours. May cost a little more, but the heat quality is best, IMHO. One word of caution - NO OPEN FLAMES, especially if there are fumes.
Stay away from the waste oil heaters. My brother had one of his best friends die from heavy metals from the used oil building up in his body. He lived a couple days after he felt sick. He is the only one doctors had ever tested with it that was still alive. I am not a worry freak but that chance is not worth it. By the way i have hot water in the floor for my heat. ED K
Heat Pumps basicly work just like an air conditioner, but in reverse. They are very efficient, but they will only work down to about 35 degrees outside temp. Heater elements (think toaster) are then used as backup, at which point it may get expensive..... depending on your local cost of electricity. Gas or oil furnaces can also be used as a backup to a heat pump. In milder climates, where you need AC in the summer, A heat pump would be a good choice. Gas furnaces produce water vapor during combustion. Some models use drains to capture and remove that water.....So if the building temps drop below freezing, that water could freeze, expand, and damage something. Just be sure to choose the proper model. Edit: talked to my co-worker (in HVAC 18 years)...The high-efficiency gas furnaces, 90+, are the ones that use water traps in the exhaust. Apparently, they capture more of the combustion heat, so the water vapor drops out in the exhaust pipe....usually PVC pipe. The less-effecient units (80) have hotter exhaust, so the water vapor stays in a vapor form. These usually use chimneys for exhaust. I'm going with an oil furnace for my shop. Got a great deal on a used one....Free!
