Recommend a portable heater

Working in the garage sucks in this cold weather, so it’s time for a portable heater. Anybody have one they would recommend for a one car garage?

 

You can get a wick type kerosene heater from amazon for ~130 bucks that will heat 1 car size space. It will take some time. Or a 40-50,000 btu forced air kerosene heater will heat it much faster, but needs a plug.

If its insulated you could even use 1 or 2 electric oil filled heaters. turn them on a couple hours before wanting to go in.

 

Picked up a small torpedo heater to thaw a place I had to excavate, it’s universal fuel (K1, #1 diesel, #2 fuel oil). Diesel is available everywhere, and cheap. Burns clean enough for me to run it in the tent without gagging.

 

I use this basic electric heater in an insulated two car garage in Wisconsin. It's been in the 20-30's here and my garage is currently sitting at 70 deg. No fire wood, gas, or condensation to deal with. Simple and easy.

I keep it set at 45-50 to keep the chill out of the air. Then I'll crank it up to 70 a couple hours before I want to work in the garage. I've been in there every day this past week so i left it at 70 with a box fan angled upward to circulate the air in the garage. As you know, this keeps the warm air from just sitting at the top so that the whole room is uniformly warm.

My garage is nice and warm with minimal cost.

I imagine it would be plenty in a 1 car garage with a small fan.

 

I have one of these and it puts off a lot of heat. Runs off propane and you can buy the extension hose to hook up to a 20lb tank if you want.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mr-Heater-...Vhb3ACh3_4AgmEAQYAyABEgLPfvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Right now I use a little 1500W quartz heater in my 1.5 car non-insulated garage and that really doesn't make a dent unless directly in front of it.

think those 25k kerosene BTU things would work? i just don't want to set the garage on fire

 

I have a Big Buddy propane unit, my only gripe with it is it cranks up the humidity in the space you use it in. I've got a quartz radiant that I tend to use instead. It doesn't really heat the garage, but if you're in it's cone of effect you're warm.

 

i use one of these in the basement of the house, and in the 1 car garage.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Comfort-Gl...323846&hash=item52440ee6be:g:VBcAAOSwlupf4m7z

in the garage, i also use this, in combination of the comfort glow so, neither have to work 100% of the time. they will keep it 70* in there, at well below zero F, temps. Ski

https://www.amazon.com/NewAir-G73-Hardwired-Electric-Garage/dp/B000TK2SWO/ref=sr_1_11?crid=3CGINS4PH3MC4&dchild=1&keywords=garage+heater&qid=1609784891&sprefix=garage+,aps,203&sr=8-11

 

I like the idea of the electric ones, but the small one I have draws a lot of current already. Depending what else I power up in the garage will trip the breaker.

 

I have one one of these for the last 15 or so years https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-EW7...a41a-73ca-403a-923c-8152c45485fe&tag=21oak-20

Oil filled and it does not get overly hot to the touch so much safer to use. I have used it to warm up the garage and we carry it with us in the camper to keep it much more comfortable than running the gas furnace

 

my issue too. can't run the air compressor or quickjack and the heater at the same time

 

It should, but it depends on the outside temp and insulation. I found this formula on my propane suppliers website.

(desired temperature change) x (cubic feet of space) x .133 = BTUs needed per hour.

 

I tried a 1500 watt in my garage last winter and it was like pissing in the ocean (outside Philly, 3 car uninsulated garage). Can’t figure out what these guys are talking about using these rinky dink heaters and keeping it reasonable.

I’m gonna bite the bullet and get a 240 electric heater installed for next winter (or suck it up and use propane).

 

Well, theres yer problem.

Edit: last winter, in a 2 car insulated garage, I was working in shorts and a tshirt even when it was NEG 20 degrees. That's not too shabby

 

I have used a propane torpedo heater before and it seemed to use gas very quickly. My kerosene torpedo heater on the other hand holds 5 gallons and lasts for multiple weekends of work. It doesn't bother me smell wise but my wife hates it.

 

I have s little torpedo heater that is hooked up to a gas grill propane tank... hears up my 3-car unheated garage rather quickly when I chose to work there.

 

uhhhh, you are talking a 3 car garage, considerable space, AND NOT INSULATED. we (I) am talking about a single car garage 12x24, finished and insulated. you are going to need at least a 60,000 btu, or better to heat a 3 car. Might be better to ask an hvac pro to give you a rough idea, how many btu's you will need to heat your garage, or you may be just pissing in the ocean with the 240v unit too. Ski

 

People who post in this thread should also state their location. A guy in Orlando with a finished, insulated two car garage has much less of a need for BTUs than a guy in, I dunno, Dowagiac, MI, and his clapped out, uninsulated 24x32' yard barn with 16' wall height. Because you know he doesn't have a nice, finished garage. It even be illegal up there.

 

I see what you did there....plus its 30x40.