Hi guys I am looking for some input on Garage heaters . I am in closing on small acreage With a Double attached garage and a Double Detached garage Bot are about 30X30 maybe a bit bigger
I am not to keen on Radian heaters leaning more towards overhead blower style.
Anyone have any brand names they are familiar with Pros /Cons

Thank you

 

I have an ITT Grinnell Excello overhead heater. It has been in my garage for 26 years and operated flawlessly. I clean the pilot light and have changed the thermocouple a few times but it's still like new. I do have a sloped floor and drain trough so no standing water. I would recommend it. I did use some electronic ignition overhead heaters in an aircraft hangar I owned and went with electronic ignition so they would be easy to shut off, they were a mistake in some ways as they broke down a number of times and one needed a new gas valve. The pilot light one I have is simple and works.
A couple of things I think are important is to keep the floor cool so the water will drain off and not evaporate and when you close the doors you want fast heat recovery, that's why I went with overhead forced air. I also ran the exhaust vent horizontally for a distance before going vertical. I only used "B" vent on the vertical and stove pipe on the horizontal. This gives more heat kind of for free.

 

I have a direct air furnance in my garage...I liked it better than a open pilot light in a regular furnance...Less likey to blow up with fumes in the garage with a direct air..But I guess it could still happen...Another thing...my garage is small..

 

Very Good point about the Pilot light .I tend not to like pilot light applications . Will have to look into both

Thank you for the comments

 

Unless it's old stock your buying, most garage heaters are electronic ignition now a days.

Nothing wrong with radiant heaters, they actually work better than you think, the expense of them is the downfall.

I have had both, radiant and "blow" type and honestly prefer the radiant. It's a more consistent heat and is actually cheaper to operate.

The other option is getting an old house furnace and going that route. They work excellent in a garage application with some minor duct work and are efficient enough to be cheap to operate. It's not that hard to track down a house furnace that is getting or has been replaced.

Now is the time with any of these units because heating season is coming to an end and the sales are going to be happening.

This time last year I paid $400 for my $900 "blow" type heater just for the sake they wanted to unload them. Couldn't afford to not buy it.

Jeff

 

I just added 2 ''Mr. heater'' forced air units (45,000 BTU) from princess auto, one for each of my garages. Have been working well, no complaints. Reznor is another but more money, a tad quieter though.

i have a 24x30 and it heats it fine.

 

I was going to ask about the Reznor , This is the heat is see most on the net it seems
Thanks Biltit and all of you

 

Also, i found peavey mart had a better price than PA, after i already purchased and installed them of course.

 

Pick-up a "Mr. Heater" from Co-Op couple years back on sale $200 cheaper than PA and PA wouldn't price match cause I didn't have flier, so off to Co-op it was. Works great zero clearance 1.5" off ceiling in a garage with 9' ceiling and I can still walk under it.

 

My barn / shop is 30ft x 40ft. The furnace is a 15 yr old cube, hanging from the ceiling. It is about the cheapest route you can go and it is very reliable. It is forced hot air. Since it is a breezy and high dust environment and a little hard to get at, I'm really care about reliable. In the 11 yrs I have lived here, I have had to relight the pilot light twice due to wind blowing it out.
I do automotive painting in there occasionally and when I do, I turn it off completely, including the pilot light.

 

I just put a Hot Dawg in my 24 x 26 garage. I used the 45,000 btu model and it works very well. Also, compared to the old gravity chimney heaters, this one is low profile.

http://www.modinehvac.com/v2portal/p...ntent2_035.htm

I bought it at Kehoe Equipment in Edmonton for around $500. That was a steal of a deal compared to other outlets (Sinclair Supply, etc) that wanted $700+ for comparable unit heaters.

 

Thank you never seen that one before

 

I may have a contact to get wholesale price on the reznor product but not sure yet
But going to keep an open mind just depends availability to

 

I thought the radiant tube heaters were the way to go. Is that not the case?

 

I was told that to but they are outta my comfort zone lol always afraid they are going to cook my paint which i know is stupid , but i will have more clearance with forced air too