Lets talk warmth (pretend its not january!)

[Torqu-E-Cycles]

What recommendations do you lot have for heating a garage?
I have just converted a spare room out the back of my ebike shop into a little garage to work on my mini, its about 3.7m square, 500mm thick solid block walls (old olddddd building!) With a pair of big steel doors that are pretty well sealed.
Unless I open the doors there's next to no airflow so fuel/gas heaters aren't an option, its gotta be electric. I know it'll cost but thats life, its on the businesses electric bill so ultimately tax deductible

However I don't want to waste money on something that won't work, I don't need to heat the entire garage really, I need to heat myself and whatever corner of the car I'm working on at the time.

Anybody bought something that works great or any to avoid? 3 phase in the building but let's not go crazy its only to take the chill off haha.

 

[Kram]

Cut a vent hole in the door, roof or block walls. Chinese oil heater.

 

[Torqu-E-Cycles]

I don't think the business insurance would be happy having a fuel powered heater in an ebike shop full of lithium batteries sadly! Even though it is on a different floor and well over 20 metres away.

 

[addjunkie]

Cut a vent hole in the door, roof or block walls. Chinese oil heater.

Put the heater outside and duct the warm air in!

 

[Bornfree]

What heating do you have in the shop ? Could you extend it to the garage.

 

[Farside]

Infra-red stock (as in cattle, pigs, etc) lamps, aimed at you at the bench.
Localised heating, very effective.

 

[rtcosic]

As @Farside says direct IR heating is most 'efficient', but not helpful if you are moving around the space.
An air to air heat pump has a CoP of 3-4 so as cheap to run as gas.
Easy enough to install if you are vaguely handy. Cools in summer too!

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[Shox Dr]

As @Farside says direct IR heating is most 'efficient', but not helpful if you are moving around the space.
An air to air heat pump has a CoP of 3-4 so as cheap to run as gas.
Easy enough to install if you are vaguely handy. Cools in summer too!

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We used an IR heater. As it heats up objects in the room, they radiate the absorbed heat in multiple directions. Works very well

 

[Morrisman]

I have a little portable propane heater, the sort of thing that was all the rage in the 80's. For some reason nobody uses them any more, yet they are still for sale. It only takes minutes to get my workshop warm, so I invariably turn it off after ten minutes or so, or its too warm.

Would it be advisable to get a carbon monoxide alarm out there?

 

[Nomad]

Insulate the roof if not already done - that 1 job was a big improvement in my utility / garage / workshop in winter.

You lose heat through your feet on concrete floors, put a bit of carpet or rubber down where you're working?

 

[Bobupndown]

I have a little portable propane heater, the sort of thing that was all the rage in the 80's. For some reason nobody uses them any more, yet they are still for sale. It only takes minutes to get my workshop warm, so I invariably turn it off after ten minutes or so, or its too warm.

Would it be advisable to get a carbon monoxide alarm out there?

I attended a sudden death maybe 25 years ago where a guy had been using a propane heater in his living room. Carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death.

 

[Erie Fred]

I attended a sudden death maybe 25 years ago where a guy had been using a propane heater in his living room. Carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death.

So that totally rules them out ?
As above get a CO detector.
One death doesn't make a plague.

 

[Beanwood]

I have a little portable propane heater, the sort of thing that was all the rage in the 80's. For some reason nobody uses them any more, yet they are still for sale. It only takes minutes to get my workshop warm, so I invariably turn it off after ten minutes or so, or its too warm.

Would it be advisable to get a carbon monoxide alarm out there?

Do I recall they aren't generally liked as they generate a lot of condensation?

 

[sako243]

Oil an option? I picked up a complete bar pipework oil fired system with 7 rads, two towel rails, boiler, hot water cylinder and expansion bottles for £250 just before Christmas.

 

[waddycall]

I use heat lamps I picked up from Mole Valley. theyre 175w bulbs. I just use the ones where I’m working. Been meaning to check that they don’t damage your eyes! Makes good lighting too.

 

[Pond frog]

Do you really need to heat it ? my workshop is virtually impossible to heat but in cold weather I find padded overalls are plenty warm enough Without heating.

 

[addjunkie]

I use heat lamps I picked up from Mole Valley. theyre 175w bulbs. I just use the ones where I’m working. Been meaning to check that they don’t damage your eyes! Makes good lighting too.
View attachment 432306

We have a few of those, but use them for their intended purpose but in the shed if Im needing heat I use IR heaters, but its normally shortish duration!

 

[gaz1]

I don't think the business insurance would be happy having a fuel powered heater in an ebike shop full of lithium batteries sadly! Even though it is on a different floor and well over 20 metres away.

as long as you have a secured fireproof area you should be fine to vent in but do check first

with the chinese heater you can also swap too water so heating radiators instead

the diesel heaters can get the outside air to fire same as a water heater as long as the flow from the workshop is vented back into the heater

wood stoves can be vented from the outside as well

electric isnt heater friendly never has been but you can go down the electric boiler route and use radiators

you pick your punishment with your bills

 

[Maker]

Do I recall they aren't generally liked as they generate a lot of condensation?

Yep, only any good if you want all your machines to rust.

 

[Smallfry]

Another vote for IR heaters.

Any butane or propane heater produces about one and a half times the volume of water, as what is in the cylinder, so for a workshop I wouldn't have one, and thats even before the issue of CO poisoning.