I need to install a heater in my new garage (26x36x12). I am looking at the ceiling hung Reznor LP heaters. I can't find any information on how many BTUs I need - someone suggested 75k, someone else 45k. The garage is insulated & drywalled - 2x6 construction. Walls are R19, ceiling is R-30.

Any links to calculators for this? I am in Wisconsin and would like to keep it at 55 or so in winter.

 

http://www.gaudetgassystems.com/btu.html

 

I don't think that calculator is designed for this type of heater as it says I would need well over 90k BTUs...

 

Check with your local LP dealer, usually they deal in heaters and should be able to tell you BTU requirements.

 

my bro in law went to menards and got one of thoses nat gas heaters that hag on the wall he faced it diagonally from one corner it works great last winter it was like 10 below outside and we were working in there with a t shirt on just get one that u dont have to run on high all the time his garage is about the same size i think his is about 60k btus it cost like 130$ or so and we did the piping ourselves the only thing is if your on a creeper its a bit cooler near the floor

 

tofer, how big is his garage? i've never seen any natural gas heaters at menards like you described. is it like a furnace with a blower? permanent mount?

 

The wall mounted reddy heaters, correct? Last time I looked they had both, LP and nat. gas.

What the calculater is saying is 90,000 BTU is needed to maintain 72 degrees in that volume of air when its 15 below outside, with a little fudge factor. If your garage, with 2 x 6 walls, is insulated well, and no drafts, 80 or 70 thou would probably keep up at that degree difference. And since it rarly gets that cold here, normal temps around 20 in the dead of winter during the day, You knock another third of the degree difference. 50,000 BTU should have no problem keeping that space a toasty 72 degrees when its in the 20s outside. But when it gets below 0 the temp would slowly drop, with the heater working nonstop.

 

its just a 2 car not to big and yeah its one of those wall mount ones with the blowwer(peice of crap) in it the blower does no good you cant feel the warm air 2 feet from it so its mounted at a diaganal to the room and we have a regular box fan above it blowing works perfectly and about 20 min on high you can turn it to low and work in a t shirt all day

last winter it was 10 below outside and it was about 70 inside but like i saidd its a bit cooler near the floor

 

here is the same one on e bay item 5927101854 the great thing is it is ventless

 

Bencbr,

Go to the Reznor site : http://www.rezspec.com/index.php?pag...07&mod_catalog
I have a 30 x 40 x 11 with R20 and R28 in the real North Country where it gets down to -35 and -40 below. I have a 60,000 btu Nat Gas with electronic ignition. This one keeps me warm and toasty all winter long. Your propane is about 80% of the Nat Gas, so I would say that a 60,000 btu unit should be adequate for WI. You don't want to oversize them, you want to make them work.

I mounted mine up in the corner and it gives good circulation and no cold spots. I leave mine running all winter and turn down to 40 -45 when not in use. My tools are always warm and the compressor starts easy too.

 

Bencbr,

Phone Reznor rep @ 800-695-1901. and give him the size and insulation values. Found this number as I read a little further down in info I sent you. I'll look in my instruction book and see if there is some recommendations.

 

here's the link to that page: http://www.rezspec.com/index.php?pag...000017&mod_faq[faqid]=000000000008&mod_faq[mode]=1

 

The bigger the better!! We run a 100,000btu lpg unit in the 35x20 shop, a bit of an overkill but we stay very warm. Hey, if it gets too hot, you can always turn it off!! That's what we do and it's nice to have the assurance of staying warm even if it gets to be -15 or so, even though it prolly never will....Now in my personal garage I have heated concrete and 50,000btu nat gas unit 40x50, although I rarely use it cause heated concrete works very well! Just turn the gas on in the mornings and up the temp on water heater for the concrete a little, the concrete holds the temp pretty well all day long...it's quite amazing actually. It's especially nice for working on the under sides of the trucks, it's almost warmer down there, but not in the shop!
Scott

 

Well I don't have a heated Garage/shop but if I did I would put in one of those radiant Natural gas heaters. THey are just a long tube with a freash air intake, a blower and an igniter. then they vent outside. Those things heat up fast and keep things very toasty up here in the north. The added bonus is outside combustion air. I'm gussing there are a number of you folks more familiar with there specifics than I am. As it is right now all I have is a small wood stove in my garage.

 

that would be an economical solution for heat as long as you don't want an air handler for AC...