A garage heater is an easy, reliable way to make your garage more usable and comfortable.
Designed with a low profile, garage heaters operate with cost-effective efficiency that makes them ideal for winter months. Propane and natural gas units are available for home garages of any size, as well as large industrial work areas.
Not sure if a garage heater is for you? Consider these possibilities:
- Getting in and out of the car on cold mornings and evenings can be made more comfortable with a garage heater. It can also protect your vehicle from cold starts that can wreak havoc on an engine.
- A garage heater can provide a warm, comfortable environment for pets, with greater safety than a space heater.
- With a garage heater, you can continue to do home projects every day of the year. You also have the flexibility to store items such as beverages and houseplants without the danger of freezing.
Features to Consider in Good Garage Heaters
Type of Heater
The type of heater that will be most suitable for your needs depends on several factors: garage size, what you use the space for, and access to utilities such as power and gas.
For smaller spaces, infrared heaters are popular as they work by heating objects rather than air. If you’re lucky enough to have a large garage, a forced-air heater will do the job more efficiently as it forces out warm air that spreads throughout the room.
Fuel-operated heaters require appropriate venting, whether they’re portable or not, while electric heaters either need to be hardwired or have an appropriate outlet available.
Garage Size
The size and type of your garage play a big role in choosing an appropriate heater. A larger garage will require more power to heat it up, and also more air circulation to make sure the space is heated evenly. An uninsulated garage will require more heat to keep warm, which is neither eco-friendly nor friendly to your pocket. Conversely, a well-insulated garage will be cheaper to heat, and you may be able to get away with smaller units.
Safety Features
The nature of your garage is important to consider when choosing a heater, predominantly due to safety issues that might arise. Workshops where flammable vapors are present or where there’s a lot of sawdust flying around require a heater where no sparking or combustion is taking place. As such, woodworking workshops are best off with a forced-air electrical heater. If, however, no varnishing is taking place in the garage and sawdust is kept under control, more types of heaters can be used.
Safety features such as automatic shut-offs in case of low oxygen, lack of fuel, the pilot light going out, or the heater tipping over are important to consider not only to reduce the risk of fire but also for your own peace of mind. Other safety features, such as no-heat handles and components, are also something you may want to keep in mind. It’s particularly important to keep an eye on the carbon monoxide (CO) levels when using a fuel-operated heater. A safe heater should come with a low oxygen detector, but if they don’t it’s up to you to ensure a CO detector is installed in the room.
Legal Requirements
If you happen to live in California, Massachusetts, Canada, or a few other jurisdictions, the laws regarding heating units may be more restrictive than they are in most of the United States. Before purchasing any heater, make sure the product will be compliant with local laws.
Size and Mounting
Last but not least, you should decide whether you want a portable unit or a permanent addition to your garage. Both vertical and horizontal space is important to consider: a portable heater will sit on the floor, potentially cluttering up precious floor space, while most mounted heaters require a minimum floor-to-heater height or must be installed in a specific place. Different heaters will also have different utility requirements, such as accessible outlets or an available gas supply.
Dragon Air Services is a family-owned business located in the heart of Plano. We specialize in residential Air Conditioning and Heating repairs, Air Conditioning, and Heating replacements, and Air conditioning and Heating service. Our expert technicians pride themselves on providing honest diagnostics so our customers can make educated decisions on what’s best for them. If you are in need of replacing an HVAC unit in Dallas, Plano or surrounding cities call us today at 214-790-9872 to schedule an appointment.
Here’s the list of services we provide in Plano and Collin County
AC repair
AC Replacement
AC Installation
Heater Repairs
Heater Replacements
Heater Installation
AC and Heater Preventative Maintenance Furnace Repair
Furnace Replacement
Furnace Installation
Duct Replacement
Duct Design