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HEAT!! (for your feet...and hands...in the garage) Topic is solved

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This topic is in the MVS Volvo Repair Database » How to Heat Your Garage
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- Pete -
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Re: HEAT!! (for your feet...and hands...in the garage)

Post by - Pete - »

You will never regret having heat in that space. Even sheets of the pink rigid board insulation between the rafters would make a big difference. As budget allows, do your garage door first, if it isn't already insulated. That thin metal does an excellent job of transferring heat outdoors & freezing cold indoors. Then do ceiling. Then walls. Garage door & ceiling will make the biggest difference in reducing your heat loss/heat up time.

They really are nice, the little electric heaters. Just be careful, pretty soon you'll start thinking about sleeping in the garage. Adding a fridge (if you don't already have one out there).

I wired in a 7.5kw 240v heater in one of our last place's garage. It really didn't cost that much to run. I only fired it up when I was working on cars/motorcycles though. Very simple 3 wire installation.

Edit:
I forgot something. After we sold that place, I ran a little Monitor heater to heat my garage. It was a bit tinkersome, but once I got the kinks worked out it was flawless, so long as I ran decent fuel through it. The first winter I ran off road diesel through it & it did ok. The soy content up here in diesel, even in off-road, is ridiculously high, the sh!t is waxy. So you end up with clogged filters, carbon'd up holes in your burners, etc. Ended up running the Monitor on straight Jet-A, and then K1, which are both essentially ultra refined diesel. Anyhow, if you ever see a Monitor heater on CL for cheap or free, just get it regardless. They still are a major heat source in AK, if that tells you anything.
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Post by abscate »

We get a mild winter here in ALB , I do better in the 30-40 F range than above 80 in the sun!

There’s only about 30-40 days I can’t mechanic outside in the driveway and even then, it will usually warm up to 45 if I choose my day

My girl Beetle is in the garage and the latest project. ( currently the 1998 parts car) is in the other.
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Post by 850 LPT »

That's a nice heater you are getting. I put a 6k heater in my garage 2 years ago and I am so glad I did. This is the one I got:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS ... UTF8&psc=1

And yes, I have a fridge in the garage, a stereo and a laptop station etc. Now it's fun hanging out in there and wrenching a little.
When it's really cold out I plan ahead a little and go in the garage to turn the heater on first thing in the morning before breakfast. Then, when I'm ready its already 55 or 60 F.

You will enjoy this :)
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Post by BlackBart »

- Pete - wrote: 16 Dec 2019, 22:56... pretty soon you'll start thinking about sleeping in the garage.
I may have to, depending on what all this costs.....
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Post by BlackBart »

850 LPT wrote: 17 Dec 2019, 05:52When it's really cold out I plan ahead a little and go in the garage to turn the heater on first thing in the morning before breakfast. Then, when I'm ready its already 55 or 60 F.

You will enjoy this :)
The only thing I'll need is little heater pads in all the tool drawers....! Maybe I could adapt seat heater pads! Nothing nicer than a 20º ratchet on a Saturday morning!
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Post by matthew1 »

850 LPT wrote: 17 Dec 2019, 05:52 That's a nice heater you are getting. I put a 6k heater in my garage 2 years ago and I am so glad I did. This is the one I got:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HS ... UTF8&psc=1
Hey that's really inexpensive. No wonder you guys went electric. Low upfront $.

I have a crappy PC desktop speaker system on the wall that I plug my phone into for Rock Music Listening. No fridge :oops:.
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Post by matthew1 »

BlackBart wrote: 17 Dec 2019, 10:19
850 LPT wrote: 17 Dec 2019, 05:52When it's really cold out I plan ahead a little and go in the garage to turn the heater on first thing in the morning before breakfast. Then, when I'm ready its already 55 or 60 F.

You will enjoy this :)
The only thing I'll need is little heater pads in all the tool drawers....! Maybe I could adapt seat heater pads! Nothing nicer than a 20º ratchet on a Saturday morning!
:lol: :lol: :lol: heated tool drawers!
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Post by - Pete - »

:lol:

I hate crappy sound, 2 old subwoofers & a bunch of retired surrounds w/Dolby pro logic sounds nice in a garage.

Pretty sure it ran me about $600 total - wire, breaker, all the dumb little stuff and the heater.
Last edited by - Pete - on 17 Dec 2019, 10:34, edited 2 times in total.
2001 V70XC 200k
2004 V70 AWD 174k
2004 V70R M66 147k
2004 XC70 361k
1995 F250 7.3PSD 262k
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Post by BlackBart »

Heated tool drawers! The luxury! Imagine!!

I found that the 240v heaters are actually cheaper than the 120v, which surprised me. My electrician said I want 240v - more efficient, heavier duty, lasts longer. It needs a 30A double breaker. The 7500 watt needs a 40A, and I think that's overkill for my space.

I've been listening to music and podcasts on my phone speaker, from across the room, until it dies because there's no outlet.

I have my wife's dad's old studio speakers - big vintage Bose in walnut. I've toyed with hanging them in the garage, but I think I'd need some big amp to run them.

Many years ago in Seattle, a friend showed up to help me finish installing the cylinder head and timing chain on my Alfa. He brought a bottle of red wine and a stereo with classic opera cd's. We had a great afternoon with the music blaring and the beautiful Italian bits going back together carefully.
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Post by matthew1 »

Yesterday I had a couple buddies over for coffee... which was Italian (Illy), made in Belitta (sp?) Italian espresso stovetop pot. Somewhat embarrassingly, all the food I had on hand for one of them, a diabetic, was Italian dry salami. :lol:
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