Looking for advice on natural gas forced air garage heaters. Putting up a 28×36 attached with 10′ ceiling and need to heat it.
BTU calculations I got off the we range from 32k to 60k BUTs. Planning to put up a 50k to 75k BTU unit. Does it make any sense to go oversize on the BTUs maybe to 100k BTU unit? Would it be less efficient in the end?
What brand you would recommend?
Planning on ceiling mount/direct vent, are there other options and would you recommend them?
Overkill is underated when it comes to garage heaters. I have a 75K unit heater in mine (Modine Hot Dawg) and it has been working great for many years. I don’t know the measurements but a standard 3 car garage. Your space is quite a bit bigger.
Quote:
Overkill is underated when it comes to garage heaters. I have a 75K unit heater in mine (Modine Hot Dawg) and it has been working great for many years. I don’t know the measurements but a standard 3 car garage. Your space is quite a bit bigger.
X2-Build the garage bigger as well 
What is your goal here?
Are you trying to keep the garage at a comfortable storage temp of 50 or so degrees? Or are you looking to keep it at 65-70 so you can work out there or be out there in your bunny slippers watching football, etc?
Biggest thing I found out when we set up my dad’s garage to be heated so he could use it as a workshop was that the average garage door leaks air like a sieve. Doing all the crap necessary to insluate and put weather seals on all the edges of each garage door took WAY longer than I expected and it wasn’t cheap either.
Grouse
Quote:
What is your goal here?
Are you trying to keep the garage at a comfortable storage temp of 50 or so degrees? Or are you looking to keep it at 65-70 so you can work out there or be out there in your bunny slippers watching football, etc?
Biggest thing I found out when we set up my dad’s garage to be heated so he could use it as a workshop was that the average garage door leaks air like a sieve. Doing all the crap necessary to insluate and put weather seals on all the edges of each garage door took WAY longer than I expected and it wasn’t cheap either.
Grouse
Good point. I spent considerable time and effort winterizing my garage. From ceiling insulation to tight fitting weather strips on my insulated garage doors.
I keep ours around 40 or so all winter unless I want to work out there. Then I can get it as hot as I want in very little time.
I have the same size garage as yours with exception I have
a 11 ft. ceiling. It is all insulated with R50 in the
ceiling. Have the Hot Dawg 75k and it does a great job.
Keep the thermo set at 58 and when I want to work on the
boat turn up to 62 and in about 10 min. or less its warm.
Hersh
If you are building a new one, I would put in-floor heat in. I have it in my garage and it is awesome. I keep it at about 50 degrees and it costs me about 60 bucks a month. When the concrete is warm, it stays warm for a long time even when the heat isn’t running. Just make sure your concrete guy doesn’t cut through your piping when he cuts expansion cracks in the floor.
Quote:
If you are building a new one, I would put in-floor heat in. I have it in my garage and it is awesome. I keep it at about 50 degrees and it costs me about 60 bucks a month. When the concrete is warm, it stays warm for a long time even when the heat isn’t running. Just make sure your concrete guy doesn’t cut through your piping when he cuts expansion cracks in the floor.
X2 if you plan on staying,else Hot Dawg 75K
I bought a used 125k propane hanging f/a furnace for my 28’x36’x10′ shop. Since then natural gas came thru and I converted it so I’m not real sure what the output is. I built the shop with insulated 6″ walls and 16″ in the ceiling and 4″ styrofoam sheeting under the slab, no windows and super insulated overhead doors. To maintain 45* usually runs me around $15-$25/month. For any lengthy heating, I use the wood furnace tucked back in the corner. Not much beats wood heat for comfort 
jerr
I would also add in the Wirsbo tubes, even if you don’t get boiler right away. I have it in my cabin basement (love it!), but I didn’t put it in the attached garage floor and I regret it.
Also when I built my 28×36 detached garage at home, I didn’t put in tubes, and regret it. Doesn’t cost much for the tube and insulation, and you can decide later.
I have an old home furnace in my garage at home, and it works great. Takes up more space than a hanging but the price was right 
I will put a 75k hanging in my cabin garage once I insulate it, and move there, and when I build a huge detached there I will for sure put in tubes and use another off-peak boiler to heat it.
Best of both worlds is to put use tubes to heat floor and keep at 40. Then have hanging furnace for when you are out there to heat it up quick.
Good luck! 28×36 is real nice, GREAT, size, but you will want more eventually, haha! I do!
Quote:
Overkill is underated when it comes to garage heaters. I have a 75K unit heater in mine (Modine Hot Dawg) and it has been working great for many years. I don’t know the measurements but a standard 3 car garage. Your space is quite a bit bigger.
I have the exact one as this one in my 32x48x10 shed @75k btu … It works great going on 6-8 yrs
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
