Garage heating to c. 5 degrees to stop condensation

[Timja]

I want to get a heater for my garage to keep above freezing and to keep above 5c over the winter to prevent condensation forming and rusting cars / tools etc.

NB: I am not looking for a solution to heat to 20c so I can work in there which seems to be the question on all the threads I found when I searched.

Electrician has suggested these:

https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/376872-1k...

But I know other people use this type:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_In...

Conscious with the tubular heaters that they may take up a lot of wall space where i'd ideally like racking, but may have to consider if better running costs..

Has anyone used either type and have opinions on how well they work? or details of what size and the quantity you have used would be good. One thing with the built in thermostat is making sure the heater warms the whole garage and not just by the heater so not sure about benefit of a separate thermostat?

Want something as efficient as possible, balanced with total cost of ownership.

Garage is detached, 4m x 6m with vaulted ceiling, fully insulated, built a year ago.

[Wombat3]

Timja said:

I want to get a heater for my garage to keep above freezing and to keep above 5c over the winter to prevent condensation forming and rusting cars / tools etc.

NB: I am not looking for a solution to heat to 20c so I can work in there which seems to be the question on all the threads I found when I searched.

Electrician has suggested these:

https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/376872-1k...

But I know other people use this type:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_In...

Conscious with the tubular heaters that they may take up a lot of wall space where i'd ideally like racking, but may have to consider if better running costs..

Has anyone used either type and have opinions on how well they work? or details of what size and the quantity you have used would be good. One thing with the built in thermostat is making sure the heater warms the whole garage and not just by the heater so not sure about benefit of a separate thermostat?

Want something as efficient as possible, balanced with total cost of ownership.

Garage is detached, 4m x 6m with vaulted ceiling, fully insulated, built a year ago.

A simple oil filled (free standing) radiator? Plenty available from the likes of Screwfix for 30 or 40 quid.

Running costs will be broadly the same whatever you use A 2 Kw heater costs whatever a 2Kw heater costs to run.(regardless of what it looks like!)

[Wombat3]

Timja said:

I want to get a heater for my garage to keep above freezing and to keep above 5c over the winter to prevent condensation forming and rusting cars / tools etc.

NB: I am not looking for a solution to heat to 20c so I can work in there which seems to be the question on all the threads I found when I searched.

Electrician has suggested these:

https://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/376872-1k...

But I know other people use this type:

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_In...

Conscious with the tubular heaters that they may take up a lot of wall space where i'd ideally like racking, but may have to consider if better running costs..

Has anyone used either type and have opinions on how well they work? or details of what size and the quantity you have used would be good. One thing with the built in thermostat is making sure the heater warms the whole garage and not just by the heater so not sure about benefit of a separate thermostat?

Want something as efficient as possible, balanced with total cost of ownership.

Garage is detached, 4m x 6m with vaulted ceiling, fully insulated, built a year ago.

A simple oil filled (free standing) radiator? Plenty available from the likes of Screwfix for 30 or 40 quid.

Running costs will be broadly the same whatever you use A 2 Kw heater costs whatever a 2Kw heater costs to run.(regardless of what it looks like!)

[Evolved]

Can’t you plumb another rad in from your main central heating? It’s what I’ll be doing in my new garage, as well as insulation.

[Timja]

Evolved said:

Can’t you plumb another rad in from your main central heating? It’s what I’ll be doing in my new garage, as well as insulation.

Not easily or economically, would involve running pipes around 15m underground which would presumably need quite good insulation to ensure no risk of freezing and digging up most of the garden footpath.

Out of interest, how are your pipes going to be insulated and protected when you run the heating to your new garage, or is yours very close to the house/attached?

[Bill]

Wouldn't a dehumidifier make more sense?

[Julietbravo]

I have the same issues, I have a fridge freezer that trips out when it gets too cold in the garage, and a wardrobe with cycling gear that won't fit in the house. I use an oil radiator on a timer that came off a Facebook sales page. It does the job. Not sure what it cost to run, but it's only on when the timer and thermostat say it should be, and it gets lost in the constant battle to get the kids to turn the lights off, the tv off when they're not watching it and the daily discussion of what the house thermostat should be set at.

[Evolved]

Timja said:

Evolved said:

Can’t you plumb another rad in from your main central heating? It’s what I’ll be doing in my new garage, as well as insulation.

Not easily or economically, would involve running pipes around 15m underground which would presumably need quite good insulation to ensure no risk of freezing and digging up most of the garden footpath.

Out of interest, how are your pipes going to be insulated and protected when you run the heating to your new garage, or is yours very close to the house/attached?

Ah, detached garage. Ignore my suggestion then. Mines attached.

[Belle427]

Probably just a case of weighing up which will be most cost effective to run.
I’d try the tubular heater if the garage is well insulated with no draughts.

Edited by Belle427 on Saturday 13th October 08:14

[herewego]

You'd need four of those biggest tubular heaters to equal the output of the 1kW frost guard, but they're all insanely expensive plus installation costs. Your electrician will be installing 13 amp plug sockets anyway so you can just get an ordinary fan heater and a plug-in thermostat, about £30 all in.

[C&C]

Bill said:

Wouldn't a dehumidifier make more sense?

+1

We have a Ruby Dry desiccant one in the garage which works really well. Removes the moisture and slightly warms the air. Rather than having to empty the tank regularly, you can run a piece of pipe from it outside to a drain.

It does use a bit of electricity, so I tend to put it on the low setting and only run it when it's cold/damp outside.

No issues with rust on the car or tools stored in the garage.

Some reviewers on Amazon seem to have had reliability issues, but we've had ours for 4 years or so, and no issues.

[Trevor450]

I’ve got a desiccant dehumidifier in mine. Electricity costs are reasonable with it set to auto and they have the advantage of raising the temperature too as they use a heating element to dry the desiccant.

http://ecoair.org/DD3-Classic.html

[Jonesy23]

That frost guard at least has a circulating fan, the tubular or oil filled are going to rely on radiation & convection so not as effective for a filled space like a garage.

Could always use a heater plus a separate circulating fan I guess?

[Pan Pan Pan]

Ensuring natural through ventilation, might be a better option, than using a de humidifier, because it costs nothing to run.
Using a de humidifier would be viable if the garage was, or could be hermetically sealed. Otherwise all using a de humidifier will achieve, is an attempt at de humidifying your garden and the local neighbourhood, expensive, and it will need emptying of condensate at very short intervals.
As an alternative if an electronic option is wanted, might be a greenhouse type electric tube heater, they seem quite effective, and don't seem to use `too much' power.

Edited by Pan Pan Pan on Sunday 14th October 11:35

[cptsideways]

The cheap Chinese "Planar" diesel heaters are proving very popular, ideal for shed/garage heating. Get one with a timer/thermostat control & they run off 12v/diesel

[swanny71]

Dehumidifier works best for my garage, cuts in/out as required and is much cheaper to run than the greenhouse heater I had in there before.
I ‘plumbed’ it in so don’t have to empty the tray.

https://www.meacodehumidifiers.co.uk/products/meac...

[Timja]

I had thought about getting a dehumidifier but was concerned that as the garage doesn’t completely seal around the garage door that it would be drawing in damp air constantly and be running to try and take all the moisture from external air too!

I suppose you could argue that with a heater some will escape at the same point around the garage door and be trying to heat the outside up!

With the plumbed in drain, does this have a pump or rely on gravity to drain it? Just thinking about where it could be positioned and where it would drain outside. Ideally want it going to sewers by downpipe rather than on the path to create an ice rink in winter!

Could be a good option to get a dehumidifier though as been considering trying one in our cellar too.

Thanks for the links too, good to see that dehumidifiers also kick out some heat so may do both jobs.

[Timja]

I had thought about getting a dehumidifier but was concerned that as the garage doesn’t completely seal around the garage door that it would be drawing in damp air constantly and be running to try and take all the moisture from external air too!

I suppose you could argue that with a heater some will escape at the same point around the garage door and be trying to heat the outside up!

With the plumbed in drain, does this have a pump or rely on gravity to drain it? Just thinking about where it could be positioned and where it would drain outside. Ideally want it going to sewers by downpipe rather than on the path to create an ice rink in winter!

Could be a good option to get a dehumidifier though as been considering trying one in our cellar too.

Thanks for the links too, good to see that dehumidifiers also kick out some heat so may do both jobs.

[C&C]

Timja said:

With the plumbed in drain, does this have a pump or rely on gravity to drain it? Just thinking about where it could be positioned and where it would drain outside. Ideally want it going to sewers by downpipe rather than on the path to create an ice rink in winter!

Certainly ours relies on gravity. Doesn't need much of a drop though - I have it sat on a couple of bricks around 8 feet away from the garage door, then ran the tube out under the garage door to a drain just outside.