Your garage can be cold especially during the winter, which means that you will need a garage heater to raise the temperature to a comfortable level as you work on your projects. Garages normally have poor insulation and therefore tend to get cold and need a heater that can produce a lot of heat in a short while.
However, before you buy that garage heater, and you do your home fix for garage heaters, you need to assess your needs so that you can know the must-have features that it should have. Other than that, ensure that the heater is durable, easy to use, safe, and powerful.
The below tips can be useful when you are buying a garage heater to ensure you get what you need.
Assess your needs
Do you have a small garage or a large one? Is your garage well insulated and does your ceiling have high height? Â The size will determine if you need a small garage heater or a large and more powerful one. For instance, you can use a radiant heater of 2000 watts in a small garage while a large garage needs a heater of 4 to 6,000 watts.
You can check how powerful a garage heater is by looking at the BTU rating or the number of watts. Heaters with high BTU rating or a high number of watts generate more heat and so they can heat bigger spaces. A garage of 3 cars can use 60,000 BTU while a 2-car garage needs 45,000 BTU.
Most models have heating range information included on the packaging. If it is not there, check the spec sheet online. The heating range is measured in feet with a 10:1 ratio, which means that a heater of 1000 watts can heat 100 sq ft.
Check if it has safety features
You do not want your garage heater to tip over and burn down everything when it is knocked over or one that will overheat and cause a fire. Look for models that have overheating protection feature that shuts the heater off when temperatures get extremely high to prevent fire or damaging of the components of the heater.
A tip-over switch turns off the garage heater when it is knocked over for models that are not mounted on the wall. Alternatively, you can opt for a model that can be fixed on the wall to prevent incidences of tipping over.
What powers the garage heater
Garage heaters are powered by gas, propane, or electricity. Those powered by gas and propane are good at heating up large areas. However, they are dangerous in small spaces that are enclosed due to the emissions and so they require adequate ventilation.
Electric garage heaters are safer, do not need ventilation and they are mounted on the wall or ceiling and so do not tip-over. However, they are more expensive to operate and they are not as powerful as gas-powered heaters since they can only heat up to about 500 sqft while gas-powered can heat up to 5,000 sqft.
Determine the amount you want to spend
A good quality garage heater with extra features comes at an extra cost. You should ensure that the amount you want to spend could get you a good heater that will serve its purpose well. If you want to get a good quality garage heater with extra features, you should be prepared to spend more.
Also, note that gas heaters tend to have a higher initial cost and lower operating costs, while electric storage heaters have a lower initial cost and high operating costs.
Look for additional features
While it may cost more to get additional features, they help in making the garage heater more efficient and easier to use. Some of the features are a thermostat, which helps to regulate the temperature depending on the need; wheels or handles for portable models and a built-in fan that can help to warm the room efficiently.
