Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Pub Talk). This thread is read-only.
Winter sucks, I hate cold weather, never liked it. Not even when I was a kid did I ever like the cold. Of course as a kid I played in the snow, and enjoyed a good snowball fight or igloo fortress, but cold weather has never been my friend.
It’s fucking (pardon my language but it’s not just “regular” cold out, it’s “fucking” cold out) cold outside, as Illinois always is during winter months, and that means my non-heated garage is off-limits. I typically can warm it up to a tolerable level with a space heater, right now I have two running in there with the hopes of spending at least 30 seconds with some new tools. I’m curious to know how everyone gets by in the wintertime, and how you all heat your garage. Hopefully we can update the house to 200-amp service, which means I’ll add heat to the garage. However, right now I’m pissed as a rattler in a box that I can’t be in the garage.
What’s the lowdown on tips or tricks on keeping the garage warm, what’s a good heat source, etc.. Hit me with the knowledge my TIA peeps…
😎😎😎 Florida 🌴🌴🌴🌴
I can afford to upgrade to 200-amp service and install a heater much easier than moving to Florida.
The two heaters didn’t do shit, it’s way, way too cold outside. Oh well, I spent about 10 minutes with the router running it around a piece of wood…it’s a nice router. But, then I gave up, it’s too cold out there. I’m gonna sit inside the warm house, browsing around for lettering guides for the router.
Foneguy wrote:
10 hours ago, Foneguy said:😎😎😎 Florida 🌴🌴🌴🌴
It’s actually nice to work in the garage this time of year!! I don’t need to turn on my industrial sized fan this time of year, I can use paper in the shop without it blowing all over the place!
Days like these last few have been great for finding all of the little cracks in the outer walls that need to be sealed. I went through several cans of foam chasing the worst violators and have found that I need to add new weather strips to all of the doors. I need to find an affordable thermal imager this year.
Foneguy wrote:
19 hours ago, Foneguy said:😎😎😎 Florida 🌴🌴🌴🌴
I would add Louisiana, but it was colder down there yesterday than it was here in GA or in VA. It is nice knowing that sub-freezing temperatures are usually offset by 60 degree days the following week, though.
Kato wrote:
18 hours ago, Kato said:I can afford to upgrade to 200-amp service and install a heater much easier than moving to Florida.
The two heaters didn’t do shit, it’s way, way too cold outside. Oh well, I spent about 10 minutes with the router running it around a piece of wood…it’s a nice router. But, then I gave up, it’s too cold out there. I’m gonna sit inside the warm house, browsing around for lettering guides for the router.
That would be cheaper
@Kato I feel your pain about Illinois in the winter time. I had a garage heater put in last year. I keep it warm enough to be above 40 degrees. Any more than that would skyrocket my electric bill. At the 40 degree temp it is plenty warm to work in the shop. If I know I am going to be out there for a long time I will turn it up getting it closer to 60 or so. My goals arent to have it hot but to have it moderately comfortable.
I believe this was the one I bought https://www.menards.com/main/heating-cooling/electric-heat/electric-industrial-heaters/king-electric-garage-heater-7500w/p-1461692447348-c-6328.htm?tid=-6813624470622957298&ipos=14
I don’t care about the electric bill, if it goes up it goes up. It goes up like crazy during the summer when we’re running the pool pump…on the pool I never wanted. Small price to pay to be able to work in the garage without freezing my balls off…which would probably cost more to fix than paying the electric bill. As for the type of heater, I don’t care. I need to upgrade to 200-amp service before I even think of anything 240v, I’m already doubled-up on a few breakers. I was thinking of a propane heater but who the hell knows, I haven’t got a clue what I want to do yet.
Gotcha. I’m happy with the heater I purchased. I like it hangs from the ceiling and doesn’t take up wall space. I don’t turn it on high like I could. An officer I work with is a certified electrician so it cost me like $60 in any parts plus he put in a separate 220 outlet for me as well.Kato wrote:
I don’t care about the electric bill, if it goes up it goes up. It goes up like crazy during the summer when we’re running the pool pump…on the pool I never wanted. Small price to pay to be able to work in the garage without freezing my balls off…which would probably cost more to fix than paying the electric bill. As for the type of heater, I don’t care. I need to upgrade to 200-amp service before I even think of anything 240v, I’m already doubled-up on a few breakers. I was thinking of a propane heater but who the hell knows, I haven’t got a clue what I want to do yet.
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I want a ceiling-mount unit, but I’ll have to clear some stuff out whenever I figure out where it’s going. Doing the work is the easy part, I’ve been in industrial maintenance over 30 years, doing stuff like this is easy. However, getting the cash to get the ball rolling is a different story altogether.
As far as actual heat, I could deal with mid-range degrees in the garage, 40°, 50° would be good enough. Cold though, if it’s below 40° I’m a little pussy, can’t stand being cold at all.
I hear a bunch of the “Big-Time” YouTubers talk aboot something called a Mini-Split. Not sure what it is, but they seem to swear by the system.
Yea a mini split is basically a heat pump the only thing is heat pumps don’t work well in extreme cold,
you would need the heat pump for the main heat source then an aux heat for when it gets real cold out. At least thats how a furnace works I think.
How about a wood burning stove? I would definitly consider this heat source for a garage/shop. I am currently researching a wood stove pool heater, and they make these with a section to cook food, really slick.
This is what I’m using out in the garage. I was out there most of the day. 25 degrees outside and 70 inside.
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Kato wrote:
On 1/1/2018 at 1:12 PM, Kato said:Winter sucks, I hate cold weather, never liked it. Not even when I was a kid did I ever like the cold. Of course as a kid I played in the snow, and enjoyed a good snowball fight or igloo fortress, but cold weather has never been my friend.
It’s fucking (pardon my language but it’s not just “regular” cold out, it’s “fucking” cold out) cold outside, as Illinois always is during winter months, and that means my non-heated garage is off-limits. I typically can warm it up to a tolerable level with a space heater, right now I have two running in there with the hopes of spending at least 30 seconds with some new tools. I’m curious to know how everyone gets by in the wintertime, and how you all heat your garage. Hopefully we can update the house to 200-amp service, which means I’ll add heat to the garage. However, right now I’m pissed as a rattler in a box that I can’t be in the garage.
What’s the lowdown on tips or tricks on keeping the garage warm, what’s a good heat source, etc.. Hit me with the knowledge my TIA peeps…
Boy can I relate lol
SevenOddosFence wrote:
20 hours ago, SevenOddosFence said:Boy can I relate lol
We have had cold temps here too. Had record lows last month.
Also Welcome Back!
regopit wrote:
On 1/15/2018 at 1:21 AM, regopit said:This is what I’m using out in the garage. I was out there most of the day. 25 degrees outside and 70 inside.
IM very tempted to try one of these but always afraid of the ventilation situation. How much do you have to vent it ? I have a garage door and a walk door , would I just crack open the walk door ?
cold? you guys don’t know what cold feels like……your cold is our T-shirt weather…..
try -44F without wind and see how your garage feels like…..
I don’t remember where it was, might have been the New England area, but was something like -60F
Brrrrrrr………..
a coupla years ago, heading into late fall, i just had to have heat in the carage for the coronet. i would up getting a 40k gas fired unit heater. buried 3/4 sch. 80 pipe with heavy couplings the depth of a spade shovel. i already had run a 1” galv. pipe with 60a, 230v, along with a fist full of #14 a few years before (also at the depth of a spade).
keep it at 45. nice getting into her car and its warm.
SevenOddosFence wrote:
22 hours ago, SevenOddosFence said:IM very tempted to try one of these but always afraid of the ventilation situation. How much do you have to vent it ? I have a garage door and a walk door , would I just crack open the walk door ?
I just leave the garage door open a couple of inches
I don’t know how you were able to use that torpedo in the garage? I bought one and they tell you to leave a door partially open to get some fresh air. I opened the side door a little in my 2 car garage and almost instantly got a CO headache. I opened it more, I opened one overhead door a little. I opened it more. By the time I stopped getting sick from that thing, the garage was too open for the heater to do any good. I returned it.regopit wrote:
This is what I’m using out in the garage. I was out there most of the day. 25 degrees outside and 70 inside.
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regopit wrote:
On 1/15/2018 at 1:21 AM, regopit said:This is what I’m using out in the garage. I was out there most of the day. 25 degrees outside and 70 inside.
I’ve got the exact same one, used it in my basement shop for a couple of years with the bulk head open. Fumes sucked but they weren’t too bad with the bulkhead open, got the shop toasty then I’d shut it down for and run it again when it started to cool. I would not recommend doing this to anyone, but it worked for me.
Would an electric heater be a better option in a room that can’t be ventilated?
Jronman wrote:
7 hours ago, Jronman said:Would an electric heater be a better option in a room that can’t be ventilated?
I think it would be much safer. I had thought about one of those kerosene stationary units but I remember responding to a terrible fire with one of those and would never risk having one in my shop. Our new home has an unheated basement but this one seems to stay a little warmer getting in the upper forties on the coldest days. I have a Milwaukee heated sweatshirt and a hat for shop time then.