Most Popular Garage Heater Options
A garage heater is nice to have in any home. For those who like to tinker with a garage workshop the garage can become uncomfortably cold in the winter. Adding a heater will help make it more enjoyable. Even for those who just store vehicles, a garage heater can help eliminate freezing early morning starts. Some heaters will be better options depending on your situation. Here are a few of the most popular options for garage heaters, and what to expect with them.
Electric Garage Heaters
Electric garage heaters are probably the most common, and most convenient. These can simply be plugged in to the wall and placed on a sturdy surface or mounted on a wall. These will have several options, including preset temperature controls and remote controls. This will allow you to have the heater turn on either at certain times, or when the temperature reaches a certain dip. The remote will allow you to turn the heater on prior to going into the garage if you want to warm up the area before starting your car in the morning. Electric heaters can be efficient when you purchase Energy-Star rated models and use them only when needed.
Propane Garage Heaters
Propane can heat a larger area such as a garage rather quickly. Propane tanks are easy to acquire, and simple to use. Many people do not feel safe with these, and if that is the case you should consider another method. The benefit to propane is it will quickly heat a drafty area, and quickly cools down as well. Most new propane garage heaters will have temperature controls, and some will have timer controls as well.
Infrared Garage Heaters
While these are not as popular as the other two types of heaters, they are gaining popularity quickly. An infrared heater heats the items in the room rather than the area itself. Think of the way sunlight heats the earth. The air itself is not affected as much. For smaller garages these are not a bad idea, but for larger areas it may not heat as effectively. A big benefit to the infrared heat is it will not be dangerous to use near common solvents found in garages, posing less of a fire risk.
Dual Zone Systems
For newer homes, or homes that you are planning on replacing or upgrading the current heating system, you may want to consider adding dual zones. This will allow you to use your regular heating system to heat your garage. With the addition of zones, you can turn off the heat to the garage when it is not being used. This allows you to be more efficient, only using the heat when necessary and not letting it run constantly.
About the Author:
The author, Jerry Brockman, is co-owner of Controlled Air, located at 21210 Eaton Avenue in Farmington, MInnesota. Serving the south metro area for over 30 years, Jerry continues to be highly involved in service and installations for Controlled Air on a daily basis.
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