Garage Heater...Lets Talk

Ive had just about enough working in a cold garage. Should have done this in the fall but whatever. The 2 car garage is insulated (including the door) and stays around 40 degrees, but id like to bring it to 55-60. Theres two heaters im looking at

$489 shipped - 50,000BTU (more then enough)
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200577749_200577749

$605 shipped - 45,000BTU (its enough)
http://www.qcsupply.com/modine-hot-dawg-heater.html?gclid=CIm5_qPFqMMCFeXm7AodHFgAsw

Wondering if anyone has had any experience with these two or can share some experience with other models they used.

Installation is pretty much straight forward. The one thing I like about the MODINE model is that its only 12" high. So 1" required space from ceiling plus the unit height puts it at 13" from the ceiling. The cheaper unit (17") will be at 18" from ceiling.
Not a huge difference

PM BDR and Lightemup, they both have simliar units.

I have been researching this as well. Subscribed.

I’ve got one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/World-Marketing-Propane-TankTop-Heater/dp/B002LUSHPW

Paid around $50 for it on sale and will heat my 2.5 car garage up in about 15 minutes.

Best part is while the space is warming up I can move the heater near me and bake myself. Also works good when I’m trying to thaw out the sled after a long ride and its caked in 200lbs of snow and ice.

I literally run the exact unit you are looking at. The 2nd one @45kbtu. I keep my 2.5 car at 45* and turn it up to 65 when im out there. It has been flawless for the last 2 years

Are you sure you only need 1" from combustible materials with that unit? My unit heater in my garage I think said 6"

i jist installed mine mine this year, you sure you know how to do the install? Gas piping, exhaust/roof penetration, electrical?

i do Hvac for a living

EDIT: I see it says only requires 1" from ceiling, but I’d rather be reading that in the manual.

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Just piping my gas lines to the garage was probably about $75-100 and I have an attached garage, the flue piping with roof flashing and everything was around $100 as well.

thats at cost for me with my company’s discount, just so you have an estimate in parts for that, luckily I had some unistrut and threaded rod I got for free.

I was looking at one as well. The first one allows side venting and I’ve been eyeing it up myself. My question is, my furnace/water tank exhaust runs through the garage from my basement. Could I tee into that to not have to bomb another hole in the roof?

Maybe, I don’t know how everything will work out if everything turns on at the same time.

I have the hot dawg in 75k I think. Whatever it is it isn’t enough. Takes forever to gray up the shop. 30x40 12ft ceiling 2 8 ft doors and a ten.
I don’t feel like it blows HOT air like the old modine. I have a 250k torpedo heater that gets the shop to 75 in about 8 min.

“Sign up to Pyro’s Corner” lol

but this is a good thread… I normally leave the door from my house too the garage open and put a fan blowing the house heat into the garage.

I’m gonna try that.

Yea Derek showed me the Big Maxx, nice unit for the price.

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Thats good to know, thanks.
Hows the gas bill been?
It has a auto spark right? I dont want a pilot on 24/7.

only warning is that if there are any females in the house while doing this they will hate you.

Actually the install shouldnt be hard. Gas line is already right there. Plus ive done a handful of remodeling (plumbing, electrical, demos etc)
I have never installed a unit like this so with some reading Im sure it will go smoothly. Ill read up on the venting. I plan to go out the side wall, since its insulated and vinyl sided I dont need any fires.

Ive read some people use single wall pipe but IMO double wall would be the way to go. Yea its more $ but im guessing its code

You can’t go thru water tank vent pipe, and I wouldn’t use single wall.

You always use b-vent/double wall going through a penetration.

It does have autospark. I would guess it is about $100/mo extra in gas but I heat the garage to 45* 24/7 and say 15-20hrs a week to 65* My total gas bill is around $300/mo in the winter with heating a 1907 built 3000sqft house to 70ish.

^That number actually isn’t that bad. With that total, the addition of the garage heater probably has minimal impact on the over gas cost.

100$ MAX id say. It really isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.