Electric Garage Heater - what to know
Shop for an Electic Garage Heater
An electric garage heater comes in many forms ranging from a small space heater to a power-hungry 240 Volt blast furnace. If you only need to warm a small area of your garage you are working in, then a small electric garage space heater may fit the bill. However, many people will desire the warmth and comfort only a large electric heater can provide. While electric heaters may be less efficient than gas heaters for heating an entire garage, electric heaters do have an advantage. With an electric heater, there is no hazard of carbon monoxide fumes that require ventilation with most gas heaters.
Electric Garage Space Heater
There are three main types of small electric space heaters. The first type is commonly referred to as a forced air heater. These heaters have resistive heating elements that get very hot while a fan blows air across the elements. This type of heating warms the air in a given area only as long as it is running. Similar to the design of your electric hair dryer.
Convection heaters also heat the air in the room. However, an electric heating element is used to warm a transfer liquid (such as oil) which then gradually releases the stored heat into the room. Convection heaters release a more consistent heat and use less energy than forced air heaters. Convection heaters can be of a portable variety or mounted baseboard and wall heaters. Though baseboard and wall heaters are stationary units, they are nonetheless considered space heaters as well.
Infrared or radiant heat is the third type of electric garage space heaters. Radiant heaters work by physically warming objects such as your body, the car, floors, and walls. Just like the warmth of the suns’ rays, you must be in the field of view of the heater to be warmed by a radiant heaters source. Since these heaters operate by warming objects, radiant heat is retained long after the heater is turned off. A Radiant heater can help you save energy by heating only you work area, as opposed to your entire garage.
Here’s a great little inexpensive Radiant Heater to mount over your work bench.
Portable Propane Blast Furnace
Should you choose a Gas heater can be ventless or vented. The best option is to buy a professionally installed garage space heater run by gas. The garage must have sufficient air for ventilation for a ventless unit. It must have an oxygen depletion sensing shutoff system. This will shut off the heater if there is not enough fresh air in the garage space. For installing vented gas heaters a hole is cut on the garage wall and a small vent leads directly outside from the heater.
Electric Garage Heater Shop
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