Do you spend a lot of time in your garage? Many people do. For lots of folks, the garage is more than just a place to park their car. In many instances, it’s the ideal place for you to enjoy partaking in your favorite hobbies, like woodworking, crafting, painting, or even rebuilding an antique automobile.
However, if your garage is not properly heated, you may wind up avoiding it in the cold winter months, which keeps you away from the things you like to do. But there are certainly alternatives to staying warm in your garage and you don’t have to wait until the spring thaw to get back in there and resume your activities. With the right kind of garage heater, you can work and play in there all year long… regardless of the weather.
You can purchase all sorts of garage heaters for your home, which also work in spaces like barns or free-standing workshops. They are available in a variety of types, including those that plug in as well as others who operate on a different fuel source – gas. This article will concentrate on gas garage heaters.
Which type of gas heater is best?
There are three primary types of gas garage heaters. Each works well but they can be used in different scenarios.
- Convection heaters, which are sometimes referred to as “blue flame” heaters, creating a cycle of warm air rising and cold air making its way towards the heating unit.
- Forced air heaters draw in the cold air from your garage, heat it, and pump it back into the space.
- Radiant heaters are good for heating “zones”. For example, if you have a work area you wish to heat, a radiant heater will project heat onto the objects in that space. It won’t heat the entire space.
There are two other options to consider. A direct vent heater exhausts its gas outside your structure while a ventless heater allows exhausts to enter the interior space. While the latter type is cheaper and installation eaiser, many garage owners opt for a direct vent heater because it’s healthier and doesn’t produce fumes or irritants that could make working in a confined space uncomfortable.
You’ll also need to choose between fixed-mount and freestanding units. There are advantages to both and which you choose will depend on the size of your space and what you’re trying to heat. For example, if you only use half of a very large garage as a workshop, you may want to mount a heater in the area where you most often work. Freestanding units, in contrast, can be moved around. They’re ideal when you use various portions of your garage for different things and not all at the same time. Regardless of which you choose, you’ll need to check the unit’s capacity to make sure it can get the job done.
Why choose gas over electric?
There’s nothing wrong with an electric garage heater. It may be the unit of choice for some. But it does need an outlet as a power source and is often not as efficient as a gas heater. In addition, it can send your electric bill soaring while the natural gas heater will probably have little effect on your gas bill.
If you already have a natural gas supply line on your property, installing a natural gas garage heater can be quite easy for someone who is skilled in such installations. And once it’s installed, you won’t ever need to worry about its fuel source. Natural gas will keep flowing and your heater will keep working!
If you don’t have a natural gas line, you might also consider a propane heater. Propane burns cleanly and it’s readily available by the tank at grocery stores, gas stations, and other locations in your neighborhood.
But are gas garage heaters safe?
A gas garage heater that is well-maintained is perfectly safe. The dangers arise when the heater is ignored and isn’t working properly. For example, poorly running heaters can cause a build-up of carbon monoxide, which can be lethal. That’s why it’s a good idea to install CO detectors in your garage if you’re using a gas heater.
In addition, be sure your heater is fitted with safety locks and other safety devices if you have children in the house who might inadvertently touch something that could harm them. It’s best to keep all heaters out of the reach of little ones.
Finally, be sure your chosen gas heater is installed and maintained by experts like the ones at BC Redi-Rooter. We’d be happy to lend our expertise to help you choose and then install the best garage heater for your needs. For more information, call us at 604-217-2268.
