All About Garage Heaters

Electric, natural gas, and propane garage heaters

Garages can often be cold, dark places. Even though they take up as much as 15 or 20 percent of a homes total square footage, garages just aren't a home heating priority. Yet during the winter months, garages can be used as much or more as any other part of your house.

The solution to this problem? Garage heaters. Garage heaters are the cost-effective and time-specific way to comfortably start your car on cold winter mornings or engage in a little do-it-yourself auto repair over the weekend.

Choosing garage heaters

When shopping for garage heaters, the first choice you'll face is what type of energy supply you'll use. Garage heaters can run on electricity, propane, natural gas, and other fuel sources. Though natural gas prices are rising, natural gas garage heaters are still relatively cost-competitive with electric garage heaters.

You'll probably also hear the terms convection garage heaters and radiant garage heaters. A simple guideline to follow is that convection garage heaters will heat the air first and radiant garage heaters will heat objects first. If you tend to use only specific areas of your garage at one time, radiant garage heaters might be best.

Radiant garage heaters use infrared radiation to project heat until it strikes an absorbent surface, so you can point them directly at whatever area you wish to keep warm. Convection garage heaters will be faster at heating your entire garage.

Electric garage heaters

Electric garage heaters, also known as electric shop heaters, are often powerful and heavy-duty tools. Because electric garage heaters can reach high temperatures quickly, look for an electric garage heater with multiple heat settings and overheating protection such as an auto shutoff or temperature sensor.

Electric garage heaters are a ventless and safe alternative to propane or kerosene fueled space heaters. For maximum efficiency and safety, find an electric garage heater that's appropriate for the size of your garage. If you have a 2-car garage of about 500 square feet, a 3,000 or 4,000 watt electric garage heater should be suitable.

Natural gas garage heaters

One advantage that natural gas garage heaters have over electric garage heaters is that they won't be affected by blackouts or loss of power. And unlike propane fueled garage heaters, natural gas garage heaters are fueled by your homes natural gas line. The downside to that is if natural gas costs in your area are rising, an electric garage heater might be cheaper to run.

A 25,000 BTU natural gas garage heater is appropriate for a standard two-car garage.

Propane garage heaters

Propane garage heaters are a higher maintenance alternative to electric and natural gas garage heaters. Propane garage heaters run off a propane tank that will require manual refueling. Plus propane garage heaters require wall or ceiling ventilation.

Once installed, however, propane garage heaters can be very efficient to run. Just make sure before installation that propane garage heaters are permitted in your area.

More information on electric heaters