If you live in a climate where it gets cold, you need heat in your garage. If you live where it gets hot, you need air conditioning. I have both in my garage, but I seldom use them because I have my woodworking shop in my basement. In winter, I work in the basement on my woodworking projects. Once it warms up outside, I put the Shopsmith to sleep for the summer.
Then, I try to get my outdoor projects done, and when I work on my vehicle projects, I run the air conditioning in the garage to make it decent. If I have an emergency repair on a vehicle in winter, I turn on the heat out there.
For me, heating and cooling the garage all the time would be too expensive to even consider. My garage is larger than my house..
Yesterday in my shop: Heat
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Heating workshop
Heating a wood working shop with any kind of open flame heater (i.e. kerosene heater) is a very bad idea. Sawdust is very flammable, and in some situations can be volitile. Many propane heaters with infra red grids can also ignite sawdust. The safest heaters are those labeled as "totally enclosed" or "explosion proof". An aquaintance of mine burned his shop, and house to the ground. He'd been warned, but insisted he'd been doing it for years with no problem. All it takes is once.
"The road between friends is never long"
I use a little tiny single-room heater to keep my 2-car garage bearable (external temps 30s), maybe gets to 50s around the work area (where I am doing glue/paint).
The secret is circulation. Along with the small heater I have a small fan blowing in line with the output. Keeps warm air moving just enough to hit that 50+F for most of my chemicals and it's comfy for me. Haven't tried it in the dead of winter. I also do this so that my children's electric scooters charge properly
I do keep in mind dust and fume levels, though.
I've thought about trying a larger oil-based heater with a fan, should actually be cheaper on the bill than a little heater running nonstop.
The secret is circulation. Along with the small heater I have a small fan blowing in line with the output. Keeps warm air moving just enough to hit that 50+F for most of my chemicals and it's comfy for me. Haven't tried it in the dead of winter. I also do this so that my children's electric scooters charge properly
I do keep in mind dust and fume levels, though.
I've thought about trying a larger oil-based heater with a fan, should actually be cheaper on the bill than a little heater running nonstop.
This winter was brutal, every night went to -5 to -10 degrees. My garage is 25' by 28' with a 12' ceiling. I heat it with a torpedo heater to get the temp to around 70, then I shut it off and use a small electrical heater in the center of the shop. When it starts to get too cold I know it time to quit working. About 3-4 hours. If I'm gluing up something, I'll do that when I first turn off the torpedo heater. If it's a small piece, I'll take it in the house to finish drying.
And yes I know about explosions, I was a Patternmaker in the Navy, and our shop blew up a couple of times when guys would just bring a lit cigarette into the shop.
I am deathly afraid of fire so I watch very carefully, That's why I don't fire up the torpedo heater the second time.
And yes I know about explosions, I was a Patternmaker in the Navy, and our shop blew up a couple of times when guys would just bring a lit cigarette into the shop.
I am deathly afraid of fire so I watch very carefully, That's why I don't fire up the torpedo heater the second time.
solution
If anyone would like advise and/or ballpark pricing on radiant heating for your shop, I would be be happy to oblige. This is my business but I deal mostly on the architectural and mechanical design end of the industry...I mention this so you know I'm not trying to sell anything, just trying to help out.
Jon
Jon