Garage heater how many btu

This type of heater directly warms up the air, making them more effective at high insulation areas. There are also some gas heaters that work with an infrared tube to create infrared rays making them more like an electric heater. Gas heaters are often much more powerful than electric ones and are usually the only way to heat up a larger space, especially in really frigid weather conditions. That being said, they do suffer quite a bit from energy efficiency. While thermodynamics forbids any system from being percent energy efficient, electrical models get much closer to this than gas ones.

Upwards of 20 percent of gas used in a gas powered heater can be burned off, requiring ventilation if used in an enclosed space.

Finally, electric heaters are usually cheaper when compared to gas models. There are two ways to calculate the heater you require for your garage — either by wattage or BTU. Watts are easy enough to follow as they can be quantified by 10 watts per square foot of space.

Gas heaters are often rated by the amount of BTU they produce and the calculations get slightly trickier. Taking the amount of wattage you need — in our example — you then need to multiply it by 3. This comes out to 16, BTUs needed to warm your space.

For increased accuracy, you then need to multiply the R-value of the insulation into the cubic foot number. R-values on the outside of the home can range anywhere from 13 in warm climates to 27 in cold ones. If you have really good insulation you can simplify this number to 0.

Take this number and multiply it by both the cubic feet and the amount of temperature rise that you want. To get this down into watts, merely divide the amount of BTUs by 3. For example, a garage space with 4, cubic feet multiplied by 0.

A well-insulated garage won't require as large of a furnace as a leaky and poorly-insulated garage would. In the long run, insulating and sealing air leaks in your garage or workshop could significantly reduce energy costs.

You might also consider installing ceiling fans to help circulate air, especially if your garage or workshop has tall ceilings. You can calculate the ideal garage heater for your garage using the formula of size in cubic feet times 0.

These factors vary, but we generally recommend an 8, - 12, BTU garage heater for a one car garage. To heat an average two car garage, you'll need a garage heater that is capable of heating roughly 6, - 9, cubic feet of air. We recommend getting a 30, - 50, BTU garage heater to get your two car garage to a comfortable temperature. A 50, BTU garage heater is your best bet for a garage that fits three or more cars.

If your garage heater has fewer BTUs, the unit simply won't be able to make the large space as warm as you'd like it to be. To enjoy the benefits of garage heating, be sure to get the right size garage heater for your space. Both are great garage heating options to keep your space warm and useful throughout the winter. Regardless of the type of heating system you choose, remember that it must be sized correctly to heat efficiently and prevent early system failure.

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What type of energy do you use? If garage walls are well insulated, you can buy a heater with a lower thermal output. But what should we do in cases of poor insulation?

First, we multiply 2, x 1 x 33 to get 69, BTU. You then divide that number by a btu factor of 1. To convert this number into watts we divide by 3. To sum up, you can use either of these methods to solve the dilemma of perfect garage heater sizing.

For cost-effective solutions, choose heaters that suit the needs of your garage and don't forget to have a glance at the unit specifications. Also consider ways to improve insulation as it goes a long way with heat retention. The Vehicle Lab is reader-supported. If you decide to buy through a link on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission. How many BTUs do I need for a square foot garage? What size heater do I need for my garage?

How many BTUs do I need to heat my garage? How many square feet will a watt heater heat? How many square feet will a watt electric heater heat? How many BTUs do I need to heat square feet?