Just because you’ve decided you want to put a heating system in your garage doesn’t mean that you know what kind will work best.
You want to make sure you’re picking the right heating system for your garage and your needs.
Not all of the options for heating systems will even be available for you. Some of your decision will be based on where you’re located. If you live in an area that doesn’t have access to natural gas because there are no lines going into the neighborhood, then you won’t be able to use a natural gas powered heating system. You have to choose a system that runs on energy sources that are available to you. You should also look at what is the most economical choice for your specific garage.
3 Reasons Why People Heat Their Garages
Plenty of people don’t heat their garages. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot reasons why people should install heating systems in their garages. Let’s look at some reasons why people choose to heat them:
1. Helps regulate house temperature – If you use the door from your garage that leads into your house as the main entryway for your home, you will be letting a lot of cold air in with you if your garage is not heated. That means the central heating system inside the house is having to work harder to keep the temperature up. Heating the garage will help to regulate the temperature in your home.
2. Frozen pipes – There are water pipes that run through the walls of your garage. These run a higher risk of becoming frozen when it’s cold if the garage is not heated. You can keep your pipes in good condition and significantly lower the risk of a busted pipe if you put a heating system in your garage.
3. Added comfort – For people who spend a lot of time in their garages, heating systems will make it where they can do that comfortably even through the cold winter months.
3 Factors that Affect the Kind of Heating System You’ll Want
Your decision should be based on some key factors:
1. Garage size:
The size of your garage is very important for deciding on a heating system to put in it. You’ll need to note the length, the width, and the height of your garage space. Your garage expert is going to ask you about the measurements so be prepared with what they are for your garage.
2. Garage use:
Consider all of the things you use your garage for. Do you only use it for storage? Maybe you work out in there. Is it somewhere you spend a lot of time in because you like to build things or do a lot of your own vehicle maintenance? What your uses are and how much time you spend in the garage are very important for deciding on a heating system.
3. Cooling needs:
You can certainly get a heating system for your garage that will also be able to cool things off. If you live somewhere where there is a need for cooling the garage down in the hot months, then you’ll want to look for a system capable of doing that.
Now, we’ll look at different 4 heating system options.
The Wood-Burning Stove
This isn’t going to be the option that most people usually choose to heat their garages, but it is a good option for people who live out in the country and other rural areas.
It’s great for people who have access to a lot of wood. Many times you’ll see this kind of heat system in a detached garage but it could be used in an attached garage also. There will be guidelines to follow at installation to make sure that safety standards are being met. Some city or county governments have restrictions set for the use of wood stoves.
Make sure you familiarize yourself with what regulations there are in your area.
For the safety of yourself and others in your household, make sure you only burn dry wood in your wood stove. If you burn painted wood, wood that has been stained, or pressure-treated wood, you could be releasing harmful chemicals into the air. Also, make sure you keep the chimney clean so it doesn’t become a dangerous fire hazard.
The Natural Gas or Oil Heating System
You can install a small, individual heating unit in your garage that runs on the same natural gas or oil that is fueling the appliances in your house.
You can choose from models that are either directly vented or unvented.
Between the two types, the direct-vent heater is the better option in our opinion.
We say this because of the ability it has to draw fresh air in from outside to replace air that’s contaminated with things like carbon monoxide and other flue products. The air coming in helps to support combustion. The air going out travels through a pipe that is installed in the wall. Many people who live in places where temperatures get below freezing opt for these kinds of heating systems.
The Electric Heating System
For the largest variety of styles and sizes of heaters to choose from, you can go with an electric heating system. You’ll find styles ranging from fully portable units, to overhead heaters mounted to the ceiling, and some that are installed into the baseboards.
The voltages also come in a range, some plugging into your 120-volt outlet, some 240 volts, and some up to 480 volts.
It’s easy to use an electric heater. Most of them are pretty easy to install also. You don’t have to worry about any kind of chimney or vent system.
The heaters run clean and are usually very quiet. The units don’t normally cost a ton of money either. The down side to electric heaters, if there is one, is that they can do a number on your electric bill. If you live where you’ll have to use your garage heater pretty often, you’ll probably want to make sure your garage is well-sealed and insulated.
Electric heating units can usually be placed up vertically or horizontally. You can also choose to mount them on the ceiling, a wall, or hang them from something strong enough to support the weight of the heater safely. Keeping the units up off of the floor makes for a much safer garage environment.
If you decide to mount your electric heater on the ceiling, you need to angle the heater toward the floor at 45 degrees. You can also just angle the louvers if the unit has them. The thermostat should not be near to the heater. One last thing is to position the heater closest to the wall that is opposite of the garage door for maximum efficiency.
The Extension of Your Existing HVAC System
In the case of an attached garage, it might be easiest to just have an extension done from your home’s existing HVAC system out into the garage. A professional will just have to put in additional ductwork to bring it out to the garage. It’s a really good option for those who have the need for both heating and cooling in their garages.
You’ll definitely want someone to do this for you that knows what they are doing. It’s a job for the professionals to take care of. You’ll want an inspection performed on your HVAC system to make sure it’s not going to get overloaded. You also want to make sure that the garage air doesn’t get circulated into your house. A specialist will be able to take care of these things for you safely.
Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Your Garage Door
Your garage door is an important part of the picture to consider when you’re choosing a heating system for your garage.
Your garage door needs to be considered as the 4th wall. It lets a lot of energy in and out and has to be well-insulated to maintain a temperate garage space. Whatever heating system you choose.
Your garage door might need new weather seals. Maybe the R value and the U value of your garage door are just too low and you should think of replacing it. If so, here is why we recommend Garaga garage doors. Learn more about the 2 most popular types of insulation used for garage doors.
You want to make sure you have the best garage door for maximizing the benefit of your heating system.
Don’t know if your garage door has a proper R-Value and air-tightness? Let us help you with that.
Contact us at 705-322-0136 today.
We know garage door systems better than anyone else. Also, we can email you a quotation at any time.
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