How big the heater for garage should be?

Keeping your space warm is very important – this is the place where you can do something and as you stay there, you need to create a comfortable environment. Finding the best garage heater is quite tricky. It is crucial to determine the heater size for the garage. If it is too small – you will not be able to heat up the space or you will have to use too often, which may cost you much (do not forget about the fuel price). If the model is too powerful – you will not use it to its maximum or it may be non-effective. A garage is not large so the best option is finding a compact solution that generates the required amount of heat.

Another important factor to consider is the seasonal temperatures – some areas do not have cold winters. The calculation is quite easy here – if the average temperature is around 15 degrees (outside) and you need to have around 60-65 degrees inside, then, the solution should increase the temperature by around 45-50 degrees (this amount is important for the final equation).

Measuring your space

Heating your garage requires understanding how large the space is. There are two simple steps here:

  • Square footage. Multiply the width by the length of the space interior. Therefore, if the garage is 30 by 20 feet, then the square footage is 600 square feet.
  • Cubic footage. To calculate the cubic footage you need to multiply the value you got by the ceiling height. Therefore, if the ceiling height is 10 feet, then the cubic footage is 6000 cubic feet (10 x 600)

Preserving the heat

Generating the necessary amount of warmth is not the only problem. If you do not preserve it, then you will have to force your heater work on and on, which leads to unnecessary expenditures. It is a great idea to insulate your garage. It determines the garage heater size – if you can preserve the generated warmth, then you do not need to use a heater frequently and it cuts the costs.

BTU calculating

BTU or British thermal unit will show you precisely how powerful the heating solution has to be. The final equation considers insulation (or its absence). The final equation looks like:

Insulation quality factor x total footage x the required heat = BTU.

The insulation quality factor may be 0.5 for high-quality insulation, 1 is for average, 1.5 means you have not perfect insulation and 5 is for the complete absence of insulation.

Fuel types

Electricity and gas are two main types of “fuel” for such models. Electric are 100% efficient – all the consumed electricity is turned into heat, while gas is not 10% efficient, but the natural gas as a fuel is cheaper and it can be a better option if you use it frequently.

What heating solution is better for your garage?

Keeping the required temperature in your space is important. It helps to avoid damaging everything you have here. Finding perfect heater to heat garage is not very easy since you should keep several factors in mind, like the overall space you need to heat up, how often you will use a heater and how much space you have to install a heater.

The main types of heaters

There are several types of heaters:

  • Radiant heaters may cover a huge area – they have perfectly polished panels installed which reflect infrared light. The models that use this heating method may use either natural gas or electricity. It does not use any hot air blowing, so it is a good option if you need stable, gradual heating. 
  • Convection heaters use heating elements or flame to heat up the air. The hot air naturally rises and heat up space without using any additional parts, like fans or blowers. These models are not expensive, but they may need some time to raise the temperature to the necessary level. 
  • Air blowing heaters create a blast of hot air that heats up your space. These models can use propane or electricity. You can direct the model to heat up a certain area. It may be the right type of heater for the garage if you want to get your garage heated up fast.

Portable and mounted models

Finding a good place for a heater can be quite challenging especially if you do not have much space. Mounted garage space heaters can be attached to the ceiling or fastened to a wall. There are small and heavy-duty powerful models. Modern solutions have thermostats so you can set the desired temperature. Plus they have various safety solutions installed. Such models can be a bit challenging to install, but you do not need to deal with cords. 

Portable models will make you deal with cords, but they allow you placing them wherever you need. This kind of model is incredibly easy to use – place it right where you want it to be and plug it in.

Fuel and expenditures

Different types of heaters need different kinds of “fuel”. There are two groups:

  • Electric heaters
  • Gas heaters

Electric solutions are 100% efficient – they turn all the electricity consumed into heat. If you do not want to produce too much heat – you can decrease the required temperature and it will consume less electricity.

Gas models turn around 80% of the fuel consumed into heat, while 20% are byproducts. These models output carbon monoxide, so you need a reliable venting system.

Electric garage heaters are cheaper to install – you just need to use a circuit breaker box, while gas-fueled heaters models use your gas line and you may need to hire a licensed professional to get everything done. Nevertheless, gas is cheaper as fuel, and if you will use a heater often, then you should consider getting this model.