Garage heating options

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Sidecarflip

Sidecarflip

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What do you mean "way too slow" ? Water has been a heat transfer liquid since the cave men have learned about fire. The only "slow" part may be heat up time, and even that isn't terrible.
It's all about maintaining a desired temperature consistently, at least with me, it is. I never shut down my system, it's running constantly, 365 days a year. Regardless of of my obviously not conforming the code, heat source (that I really don't get concerned about and never have), my in slab PEX system is 100% hands off now. Hard to beat a warm floor in the winter time here. Easy on the feet too.
 
sean donato

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It's all about maintaining a desired temperature consistently, at least with me, it is. I never shut down my system, it's running constantly, 365 days a year. Regardless of of my obviously not conforming the code, heat source (that I really don't get concerned about and never have), my in slab PEX system is 100% hands off now. Hard to beat a warm floor in the winter time here. Easy on the feet too.
Yeah we had a similar system in the machine shop. I liked it. Not worth the agitation or cost for my new shop. Only wouldn't have been able to do half with in floor heat anyway. There are a few things getting bolted into the slab, that have yet to be purchased and I'm not sure where I want them. Heat exchangers with fans are cheap enough and I plan to add ac eventually. Just need to add an A coil to the heat exchanger and condensing unit.
 
ErnieG

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I recently built a 24x32 garage detached from my house and I contacted my insurance company on installing a wood stove and they asked if I had water in the garage and I said yes which I do and they said the stove was allowed then .
For my own piece of mind I had it inspected by a local fireplace company so I had something in writing just in case .

Ernie
 
Hulpio

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What do you mean "way too slow" ? Water has been a heat transfer liquid since the cave men have learned about fire. The only "slow" part may be heat up time, and even that isn't terrible.
At least how it is done here there is something like 500gal tank. There is no better stuff than water if there is a need to store heat energy but OP did not like the idea.
 
ErnieG

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Speaking of explosions there was one in the village of Wappingers near the my rental property . Seems it was natural gas line that a contractor hit with an excavator. Bet he didn’t call 811 .View attachment 1124739
News said they were doing routine replacement and upgrades of lines dating back as far as the 30's .
I'd say he probably had inspectors on the job from the gas company.
Slitest little spark to set off an explosion like that ... definitely some scary stuff .
I actually am in the construction business and have to occasionally excavate around gas mains and jts not fun .... especially when you com across a line that WASN'T supposed to be there.

Ernie
 
jhellwig

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It is a 3 car attached garage about 24 by 32. Since this is just a garage I don't want to mess around with water because if I am away and the fire is out it either freezes or if I use antifreeze it will still take a long time to heat the system back up.

I want wood fired, no water and not taking up space in my garage. Options are slim for outdoor wood fired water less systems so would like to know about systems that people have.
 
sean donato

sean donato

Chainsaws are like crack... just can't get enough.
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I recently built a 24x32 garage detached from my house and I contacted my insurance company on installing a wood stove and they asked if I had water in the garage and I said yes which I do and they said the stove was allowed then .
For my own piece of mind I had it inspected by a local fireplace company so I had something in writing just in case .

Ernie
This prompted me to contact my insurance company. Waiting to see what they say. If everything goes as planned, there will be a lean too added to the shop after its finished and a owb will be sitting in the lean to, so I shouldn't need to worry about it being in the shop. We'll see what they say.
 
sean donato

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They and again code generally spec 10 ft from building for a OWB
Due to local ordinances, they pretty much have to be in an exterior shed/building. The requirements for new installations is just plain stupid. Stack requirements that include being 2 feet higher then the tallest peak of your house, guide wire requirements, pad thickness etc. It's a circus. The county code enforcement officer, basically tells everyone to stick them in a shed and call it a day. Stupid, I know, but thats how it is.
Edit, the central boiler we've been looking at states 44 inches for rear to combustibles 48 to the front and side walls 12" clearance.
 
bubba3228

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I use a 60k propane torpedo for the take off the chill. Have a ceiling mounted 3kw/4kw/5kw 240v electric unit heater with a built in t-stat to maintain temp. 55deg feels pretty damn nice when it is 5deg outside

@0.15cents a Kwh set at 4kw thats 0.60cents an hour x 8hrs, lets say 5bucks

One big thing that helped me was to install 2 ceiling fans and run them reverse to pull the cold air off the floor and heat it.
 
Hulpio

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I use a 60k propane torpedo for the take off the chill. Have a ceiling mounted 3kw/4kw/5kw 240v electric unit heater with a built in t-stat to maintain temp. 55deg feels pretty damn nice when it is 5deg outside

@0.15cents a Kwh set at 4kw thats 0.60cents an hour x 8hrs, lets say 5bucks

One big thing that helped me was to install 2 ceiling fans and run them reverse to pull the cold air off the floor and heat it.
So total price of kWh is about the same as electricity here?
 
660catman

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I have a forced air electric furnace in my garage. Although all four elements are hooked up, I have it set to have only two come on. It’s run from mid October to mid April. It’s set to around 10c or 50f. It sits in the corner and is ducted from there in a U shape from there.
 
Sidecarflip

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I see 'Bangood' has the diesel fired heaters on sale for $99.00 plus shipping. I buy stuff from them once in a while. Mostly drone stuff (I have a commercial drone for observing ag fields and a commercial drone operators license too). Bangood has a bunch of stuff on sale every day and it's all Chinese too, including chainsaws.
 
Hman1024

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Just my opinion and my situation, not suggesting for OP topic. I installed OWB when we built our house, then added garage heat to attached garage and then ten years later added it to new shop 24x32. Also heat domestic hot water. Surprisingly, with using high dollar insulated pex, I haven’t noticed a real measurable increase in wood consumption with the adds. Mine is using fan/heat exchanger since I didn’t have sufficient time when the builds happened or I would done in floor pex. I can’t be more pleased, much better experience crawling around on 70•F concrete working in things.
 

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