Garage Heaters


Electric Garage Heaters - Garage heaters can generally heat areas up to 400 sq. ft.  Our electric garage heaters range up to 19,000 BTU we offer electric garage heating and gas garage heating systems.  Electric garage heating is safe and for this reason most of our customers choose electric garage heaters over propane heating options when there is less than 500 sq. ft. of area to heat.  When choosing an electric garage heating system we also recommend that you hardwire when possible.  This can result in a considerable savings since you do not have to purchase an electric space plug or receptacle.  The following are our two most popular electric garage heat models.

There are two types of natural gas heaters to consider: a forced-air garage heater (first photo) that blows warm air like a conventional furnace, and a “low-intensity” infrared tube heater (second photo) that radiates heat. (Avoid “high-intensity” infrared heaters—which visibly glow red—because most aren’t approved for residential use.)

Both will burn natural gas (your most economical choice) or LP gas, and both are available in several sizes, so you can choose the one that best heats your space. As you can see, both require an electrical hook-up, and both require venting to the outside as well. But the similarities of the two types end there (see chart).

 

Forced-Air Heater:
PROS

  • Less expensive initial cost (50 percent less than comparable infrared heater)

CONS

  • Noisy
  • Loses heat quickly if garage door is opened (longer recovery time)
  • Heat rises and stratifies (the air is warmer at ceiling, cooler near floor), but you won’t notice it with a 7- or 8-ft. ceiling
  • Air movement tends to blow airborne dust around (woodworkers will have to shut down unit before staining and finishing projects)

Low-Intensity Infrared Tube Heater:
PROS

  • Little noise
  • No air movement (dust settles)
  • Lower cost to operate
  • More uniform heat distribution (no stratification)
  • Quicker heat recovery if door is opened/closed (floor and objects retain heat)

CONS

  • Higher initial cost (50 percent more than forced-air)
  • Correct location of heater is critical (minimum 7 ft. from floor, 3 ft. from objects). Adequate headroom is also critical, because you can overheat if you’re working near the unit.

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