Choosing the most economical way to heat your garage

Most motorists use the garage not only for its intended purpose, but also as a place where you can take a break from household chores, do a hobby or do some household chores. In order to stay comfortable in the garage even in winter, the room must be somehow heated.

In order for heating to be economical, it is necessary to know the features of existing heating methods, since you can choose the best one for yourself only taking into account the specific situation and a number of factors: the dimensions of the room, its distance from housing, the availability of fuel consumed, the budget for providing heat to the garage, etc. d.

Heating Options for a Standard Single Car Garage

The most popular and most economical way is to heat the garage with electricity, especially if the building is located at some distance from the house, has small dimensions and is not visited often in winter.

There are several ways to heat a garage space using electricity.

Convector

A reliable and efficient device, the principle of operation of which is based on air convection initiated by heating elements — cold air enters the device from below and, heating up upon contact with a heating element, rises warm to the top.

Convectors are available in floor, wall or universal versions — on support legs, with brackets for wall mounting or equipped with both mounting options. The latter type is especially convenient, as it allows you to compactly place the heater on the wall with the possibility of quick dismantling and installation next to the car — at the place of repair.

Advantages of an electric convector:

• fast heating to working condition;
• heating in automatic mode — a certain temperature value is manually set, upon reaching which the device turns off and resumes heating the room only when the air cools by 1 degree;
• safe operation and ease of maintenance;
• durability;
• the possibility of using in rooms with high humidity and pollution, since the operating elements of the device are closed by a protective case.

Disadvantages of the convector:

• higher cost compared to some other types of electric heaters (quartz);
• the achievement of the effect of the work of the convector in the garage occurs after at least half an hour of time;
• increased electricity consumption.

fan heater

Principle of operation: a heat exchanger (heating elements or a spiral) is heated by means of electricity, the air from the room is blown into the heater by a fan, passed between the heating elements and returned to the garage already hot.

Advantages of a fan heater:

• environmental friendliness — the absence of any emissions into the surrounding space during work;
• convenience of adjusting the intensity of heating — there are switches for heating modes (turning off part of the heating elements) and fan speed;
• small dimensions and mobility — can be installed anywhere in the garage;
• the possibility of focused heating of zones or objects;
• rapid heating of the room;
• equipment with automatic shutdown devices in case of overheating or capsizing;
• the possibility of additional self-completion with an electromechanical thermostat for automatically maintaining the set temperature in the room;
• low cost of electrical appliances of small and medium power;
• ease of use and maintenance.

Like any unit The fan heater also has disadvantages.which must be taken into account:

• heating-related decrease in air humidity in the room;
• the presence of a dust accumulation factor on the heating elements, which is fraught with fire or, at least, an unpleasant smell in the garage;
• noise caused by the operation of the fan;
• increased electricity consumption.

Despite these shortcomings, the use of a fan heater is the most popular heating for a garage.

heat gun

A compact and easy-to-use device that provides fast and efficient heating of the garage. It differs from a fan heater by several times higher power of heating elements. The device is based on electric heaters and a high-performance fan, which provides intensive air blowing of the heating elements, causing the rapid distribution of heat in the room.

Connection of heat guns of increased power requires a three-phase power supply with a voltage of 380 V, less powerful units are designed for 220 V.

In garages of a small area, the use of heat guns creates dust in the air, so they can be effectively used there only if the room is kept clean at all times, including through high-quality finishing of building envelopes.

Infrared heater

The operation of the device is based on the emission of infrared rays, which, reaching the surface of objects in the path of propagation, heat them, and those, in turn, give off heat to the room. Such devices are sometimes referred to as UFO heaters, but UFO, the common Cyrillic abbreviation of the same name, has nothing to do with ultraviolet radiation.

UFO heaters are available in various sizes and capacities, they can be on a leg or designed to be mounted on a vertical or horizontal base (wall, ceiling). Provided that the housing is waterproof or placed under a canopy, infrared heaters can also be used in front of the garage on the street.

Advantages of IR heaters:

• economical consumption of electricity;
• ease of operation and installation;
• reliability, safety and environmental friendliness.

The disadvantage of infrared heaters when used in a limited garage space is the effect of IR rays on a small area, which causes less heat transfer from objects into the air. But when focusing radiation in the direction of the actual zone, these heaters are quite effective.

Important! Significant heating of the body of UFO heaters during operation requires caution in handling the device in a cramped garage.

Water heating of a large capital garage

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The most familiar to consumers is a water heating system, the use of which in spacious garages is justified by many factors, including the possibility of do-it-yourself installation. If the cost of purchasing a heating boiler, radiators and other components of the garage owner does not bother, then water heating is the best way to heat a large garage.

The operation of a garage water heating system requires compliance with the following rules:

• equip enclosing structures, including gates, with insulation — this will give up to 40% energy savings;
• use non-freezing liquid as a coolant — this will eliminate the need to drain water during a long absence of the owner;
• to avoid damage, use heating radiators for industrial use, anti-vandal design.

If the distance of the garage is not more than 20 m from the house, you can connect it to the home heating system (in the case of autonomous heating — with sufficient power of the heating boiler). But heating a garage of a large area will require a significant additional consumption of coolant, that is, the installation of a common high-power boiler, the operation of which in the summer will not be economically justified. Therefore, in a spacious garage, it is more expedient to arrange an autonomous heating system and install an individual boiler. After making such a decision, it is necessary to determine the optimal fuel for specific conditions, under which the heating boiler will be purchased.

Gas

In terms of the cost of an energy carrier (natural gas), this is the most economical way to heat a garage, but it comes with hidden costs:

• registration of design and permit documentation;
• payment for the work of licensed specialists in the installation of gas equipment;
• costs for ventilation and removal of combustion products;
• costs for maintenance work on the boiler;
• possibly the necessary construction and subsequent maintenance of the chimney.

Alternatively, infrared gas heaters, heating panels, convectors that consume liquefied propane and butane in cylinders can be used to heat the garage — this eliminates the need to go to the authorities, but adds the problem of providing fuel.

Features of gas heating:

• advantages — a high level of automation of the heating system, when using natural gas — the constant availability of an energy carrier in the main, efficiency and high efficiency of gas equipment;
• disadvantages — the presence of a risk factor for explosion, fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.

When using gas heating, the owner of the building must especially strictly observe the safety requirements in his garage.

A good option for a garage is a steam-drop type condensing automatic unit, which is up to 15% more economical than other models, as it is able to work efficiently at low gas pressure. In the heat exchanger of such a boiler, water from being heated by a gas burner turns into steam, and then again condenses into a liquid state, which is accompanied by the release of heat. Such boilers are produced in floor and wall versions. For a garage, the second option is preferable, excluding the possibility of tipping over when performing some work.

Electricity

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Heating with an electric boiler is a rather expensive solution to the heating problem for a garage. If there is no alternative type of fuel, then it is better to use electrical appliances (convectors, fans, heat guns, UFO heaters — described in detail above).

When using electric heating equipment indoors with an open arrangement of heating elements (coils, heating elements), it is necessary to remove flammable and combustible materials (fuels and lubricants, solvents, paints, tow, etc.) from the garage.

We also recommend — We make steam heating in the garage with our own hands.

solid fuel

Today, solid fuel boilers are in demand by homeowners and industrial buildings along with gas equipment. The fuel is coal, sawdust, firewood. This is a fairly economical heating, well providing the room with heat.

Disadvantages of heating a garage with a solid fuel boiler:

• the need for smoke removal;
• the need to allocate a significant area for arranging a place to store fuel, which is not always possible in a garage;
• the danger of being in the garage of everything that can ignite from a spark when the firebox door is opened;
• the need for regular cleaning of the furnace from ash, and pipes — from soot.

The most advanced and therefore economical type of solid fuel boiler is a pyrolysis-type unit, where the fuel, under the influence of high temperatures, decomposes into two components — pyrolysis gas and ash, each of which is burned almost without residue in a separate chamber.

In most models of pyrolysis boilers, only wood, pellets and waste (not bulk) from the woodworking industry are used as fuel. However, universal units are also produced, also designed for the use of coal and peat briquettes. The only common condition for all models is that in order for the boiler to enter the pyrolysis mode, the moisture content of the fuel should not exceed 20%, otherwise it will work like a conventional solid fuel heater.

However, pyrolysis-type boilers are expensive equipment, and therefore not every consumer can afford to use them to heat a garage — it is really economical to heat a garage with your own hands only when all components of the process do not require significant costs.

For a better idea of ​​how to equip a garage with a stove, you can watch this video:

It is not difficult to build a stove by watching the corresponding video.

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Mining as a type of fuel

There are special furnaces that use used engine oil as fuel, the consumption of which is up to 1 liter per hour.

The disadvantage of this heating method is the need to clean the oil in special installations (you can make it yourself), since burning used lubricating fluids without first adapting the fuel to the process is fraught with failure of the furnace.

Air heating system for garage

Air heating is not as popular with garage owners as water heating, but with its help you can not only heat, but also ventilate the room.

The method consists in equipping the garage with an air duct with deflectors through which air is supplied, which is blown by a fan of a heat gun or fan heater and additionally passed through an air filter.

The main advantage of air heating for a garage is the rapid simultaneous drying of the entire volume, which prevents the aggressive effect of moisture on the car and other furnishings.

Advice

To reduce heating costs, the owner is recommended to insulate the outside walls and ceiling in the garage, having previously sealed all the cracks and holes. For thermal insulation of walls, you can use foam sheets, for the ceiling and floor — expanded clay. The use of mineral wool boards will require subsequent waterproofing

A properly selected garage heating system will not only provide a comfortable temperature in the room, protect the building envelope from dampness, but also prevent the development of corrosion on the metal parts of the car, which is detrimental to equipment.