Step 1
Gas Garage Heater Installation
Forced-air heater
A forced-air heater is less expensive than an infrared heater, but it blows air (and dust), which makes it difficult to paint or stain projects.
Step 2
Infrared tube heater
An infrared heater is quiet and doesn’t blow air, but it’s expensive and placement in the garage is critical.
There are two types of natural gas heaters to consider for heating your garage: a forced-air garage heater that blows warm air like a conventional furnace, and a “low intensity” infrared tube heater 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. 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).
Make sure your garage walls and ceiling are insulated (minimum of 4 in. thick in the walls, 6 in. thick in the ceiling); otherwise you’ll waste energy and money. The basic differences are how the heaters perform and how they feel in terms of comfort.
If you plan to work on projects in the garage, presumably with wood, an infrared heater may work better because it doesn’t raise dust or keep dust airborne. A forced-air heater will stir up sawdust, which is a big problem when you’re painting or staining.
You won’t feel warm as quickly with an infrared heater because it heats objects first, then the air. However, once your concrete floor warms, you’ll feel more comfortable because infrared heat is more uniform. But you must keep all objects 3 to 4 ft. away or they’ll overheat—and so will you. With forced-air heat, the air is warmer at the ceiling and cooler at your feet. And a forced-air heater will take longer to reheat the space after the garage door has been opened and shut.
Another big difference is the initial cost. Most forced-air units cost half as much as low-intensity infrared tube heaters. We paid $611 (not including the vent kit and thermostat) for the 60,000-Btu Modine Hot Dawg forced-air unit, and $995 (including the vent kit) for the 30,000-Btu Caribe infrared unit shown. However, it’s usually less expensive to run the infrared unit, so the cost difference will decrease with frequent use. Check with the manufacturers or a local heating pro for a more exact estimate.
Installation is markedly different too. Infrared heaters must be installed a minimum of 7 ft. above the floor, and must hang down a minimum of 4 in. from the ceiling (check the manufacturer’s instructions, as these measurements vary with the size of the heater). It’s critical that you make sure objects below are not too close. The 30,000 Btu unit shown requires a minimum 3-ft.distance from heater to objects below. Most infrared heaters are installed at the back of a garage pointed toward the garage door, then aimed downward at a 45-degree angle. They can also be installed between car bays if the garage door opener rail allows and you don’t have a tall vehicle. Here are a few ways to heat your garage safely and reliably in winter.
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