# Heating a 20x20 garage with Electric... good or bad idea?



## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

i would use a 50 gallon barrel with some diesel in the bottom - a bit smokey but it gets the job done

check out baseboard heaters

.


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## sparky105 (Sep 29, 2009)

in slab radiant heat
take some time to warm the space but keeps it there with out a problem 
We heat with in floor but we don't get the - 30's that you get so maybe wood back up


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

Do you need a/c or just heat? Baseboard heat is not a very good heat, IMO but will be, without doubt, the most economical to install.

A lot of factors go into figuring heat loss etc. How many windows? How well is it insulated? How many cu. feet rather than sq. feet etc?

I don't know the temps there but I bet it gets cold. I am thinking about 5000 watts should do it and maybe less depending on heal loss.

Spacing the units evenly is important also. Baseboards are about 250 watts per linear foot of heater. Thus an 8' heater is 2000 watts.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

I have no experience with baseboard heaters - I actually live south of New Orleans so... I suggested the baseboards because of the space savings. I use a little plug in radiator for my heating needs.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Electric may be the cheapest to install, but it won't be the cheapest to operate.

My question is, do you need to heat it 24/7, or just when you want to go out and tinker on a project?


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Dennis.. your calculations are right on :thumbsup:

A 20 X 20 here would be.. 400 SQ. Ft. X 10 watts per Sq. ft. = 4000 watts of heat.

Being where OP is, 5000 watts is perfect.


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## den (Mar 28, 2009)

I have had good luck with my floor water heat. My size shop is 40 x 64x 15 and I used a gas boiler but your size will heat with a water heater. All you need then is a heater and pump controled by a thermostat. The expense will be pipes in the floor but if that is already poured you could use a heat exchanger with a fan. That size garage should heat ok without ductwork I think. You need to check your utility rates to compare. Around here LP gas has to be around $2.30 a Gal before electric is cheaper.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I installed an electric Modine heater in a guy's garage this winter, and he confronted me later about it in a diner when I was having lunch. He said his electric bill went up $125 a month. My response... "That sounds about right to me". He swore "I wired it up wrong". :laughing:

I actually never thought he'd be running it 24/7, but that's what he did.


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## Jeff000 (Jun 18, 2008)

480sparky said:


> Electric may be the cheapest to install, but it won't be the cheapest to operate.
> 
> My question is, do you need to heat it 24/7, or just when you want to go out and tinker on a project?


Well I would keep it 10C or so, and then put it up to a t shirt temp for working on something. 




MDShunk said:


> I installed an electric Modine heater in a guy's garage this winter, and he confronted me later about it in a diner when I was having lunch. He said his electric bill went up $125 a month. My response... "That sounds about right to me". He swore "I wired it up wrong". :laughing:
> 
> I actually never thought he'd be running it 24/7, but that's what he did.


Thats my biggest thinking, going to cost a lot to run. Just sucks I can't build a bigger garage, lol. Anyway I can put a gas furnace in the attic space? lol
Wood might be an option if I had somewhere to stack any amount of wood. 


Baseboard wouldn't really work, would need something with air movement for sure.


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## 10492 (Jan 4, 2010)

Propane.


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## CTshockhazard (Aug 28, 2009)

My garage is 30x24, open to the roof deck (8/12 pitch) and has a natural gas unit heater and 3 paddle fans up high circulating the air.

I have two stats with a relay that controls the system, on at 50° off at 57°.

In the cold winter months, it costs almost $200/mo in gas to operate. I've never calculated the electricity from the 3 fans that run 24/7.

I would think that electric heat would easily be double that, probably more.











I really wish that I had put in radiant floor heating, but when I built the garage in '05 I had no plans of heating it whatsoever. I am glad that it is heated, makes winter much easier to deal with, I practically live in my garage.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

dont do it. I tried it, and regret it. get propane heaters. or if you want, get one of the ones that use motor oil.


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## waco (Dec 10, 2007)

I wouldn't use electric heat. Propane "Salamanders" and kerosene "stoves" work pretty good.

I would certainly put electricity out there. 60 amps is probably adequate.


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

Look at the Mitsubischi Slim Jim or other products. Very easy to install and no ducts. I just googled them. It is a MR. Slim. I'm considering installing it at my cabin.


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## Voltech (Nov 30, 2009)

I would use propane if your not going to run it 24/7. I had a little wall unit like this in our shop and it worked fine. We put a tank behind the shop. For a little extra you can have one buried. Just depends on what you want and how much you want to spend 

http://www.joetrader.com/p_KWP192_328261.htm?sID=NX


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

Baseboards in a working garage will probably get the crap beaten out them after a while. If your not in the garage all that much why dont you just get an electric shop heater. I just installed a 5000 watter in a detached garage that was about 20x15 and it works great.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

these work awesome!!!

http://www.toolstop.co.uk/index.php...=1021&gl=us&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base


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## MisterCMK (Jul 5, 2009)

Make sure that you insulate the lid and the walls. Also, don't bother heating the place if you don't have an insulated overhead door.


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## Mike_586 (Mar 24, 2009)

I've got a 25'x25' garage that isn't insulated and open rafters, I just use a an oil filled radiator or a 30A construction heater (sometimes both) while I'm working in the garage, which isn't often in winter. I just arrange them to keep me warm while I'm doing something in there.

They'd be expensive to run all the time I suppose, but like I said its pretty rare that I need to be out there in winter for any length of time that I just can't justify doing anything else.

If I were to be out there all the time, I'd probably get some sort of proper gas/propane setup and insulate the thing properly.


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## garfield (Jul 30, 2009)

*calculators*

google calculator for propane versus electric. You input per kwh rates and per gallon rates for propane and it will tell you which is most cost effective to operate.


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## Jeff000 (Jun 18, 2008)

mikeh32 said:


> these work awesome!!!
> 
> http://www.toolstop.co.uk/index.php...=1021&gl=us&utm_source=google&utm_medium=base


Those put out a lot of heat, but I am looking at cost effective here. would cost me a fortune to run that as my heating for a garage. 




MisterCMK said:


> Make sure that you insulate the lid and the walls. Also, don't bother heating the place if you don't have an insulated overhead door.


Everything will be insulated, including the door. 




garfield said:


> google calculator for propane versus electric. You input per kwh rates and per gallon rates for propane and it will tell you which is most cost effective to operate.


Propane is very very seldom used for heat here. Outside of construction temp heat I am not sure I have ever seen it used for heat. Even on construction sites they pipe natural gas over using propane. 

I'm think I am just going to run gas out to the garage, unless I can figure out a way to get my glycol lines 40' to the garage for slab heating.


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## mattsilkwood (Sep 21, 2008)

I would probably go gas. If for no other reason you can crank it up and have it warmed up in just a few minutes. The slab heat is nice though if you have to crawl around underneath something.


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## 4Runner (Apr 4, 2010)

Jeff000 said:


> I live in Edmonton, it gets cold in the winter.


Cold in Alberta? You don't say. :laughing: 

What are your electric rates like up there?


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Radiant heat in the floor and electric space heater for ceiling/ wall mount.


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## MisterCMK (Jul 5, 2009)

Jeff000 said:


> I'm think I am just going to run gas out to the garage, unless I can figure out a way to get my glycol lines 40' to the garage for slab heating.


I think that your best bet is to bring gas out to the garage. Do you already have the lines in the slab for radiant floor heat? If so, add a boiler in the garage.


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## Jeff000 (Jun 18, 2008)

MisterCMK said:


> I think that your best bet is to bring gas out to the garage. Do you already have the lines in the slab for radiant floor heat? If so, add a boiler in the garage.


Doing radiant in the house. 
I haven't broke ground yet, so anything is possible still.


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## cobra50 (Aug 12, 2009)

Do you have nat. gas at the house? If not...put 2-propane above ground tanks behind garage. Heat calculator http://www.ultimategarageheater.com/electric-garage-heater/search.php


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## kwired (Dec 20, 2009)

instead of just having all of us tell you what is most economical you need to find out what your electric rate vs gas/LP/oil etc. rate is and then figure out operating cost is. It will vary from one area to another which energy source costs more. On top of that you also have some types of equipment that use the energy more efficiently but their initial install costs can vary quite a bit. If in a small garage that is only heated occasionally the return on investment may be a long time on some products vs spending more on energy when it is needed. Wood is not always as cheap as some think it is. If you figure in chainsaws, log splitters, fuel, maintenance and put a value on the time you spend cutting/handling wood it can be very expensive, but you also do not need a gym membership anymore.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I work on oil burners, and many people I know put waste oil burners in their garages for heat. They are VERY maintenance intensive, so unless you know how to work on oil burners (or want to learn), I wouldn't especially recommend a waste oil furnace.


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## alann53 (Dec 17, 2007)

*do the math?*

The conventional wisdom is that gas is cheaper than electricity for heating. There are more things to consider. Installing electric baseboard heaters in a garage or in a house for that matter costs almost nothing. An eight foot baseboard heater is about $50. It is also cheap to put them on individual room thermostats that will provide multiple zones. This is basically the same type setup as a gas hot water heating system with multiple zones, pumps and controllers. Now consider the difference in installation cost between the electric base board heating system versus the gas hot water heating system. For a typical house the gas hot water system will probably cost over $10-20,000 including boiler, pumps, radiators and controllers. Then you have to consider the cost saving for operating gas versus electric. If gas were 50% cheaper to operate than electric (I just made that up) and the heating cost for electricity is $1,500 for the winter months (4 months here in Virginia), the gas system would save $750 per year. In about 20 years the gas system would pay for itself,however, by that time you would have replaced the boiler once or twice! 



MDShunk said:


> I installed an electric Modine heater in a guy's garage this winter, and he confronted me later about it in a diner when I was having lunch. He said his electric bill went up $125 a month. My response... "That sounds about right to me". He swore "I wired it up wrong". :laughing:
> 
> I actually never thought he'd be running it 24/7, but that's what he did.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

Jeff000 said:


> Those put out a lot of heat, but I am looking at cost effective here. would cost me a fortune to run that as my heating for a garage.


Propane tanks are not that much. plus i only used it when i worked in the garage, so its not like i used it 24/7


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