• Scam Alert. Members are reminded to NOT send money to buy anything. Don't buy things remote and have it shipped - go get it yourself, pay in person, and take your equipment with you. Scammers have burned people on this forum. Urgency, secrecy, excuses, selling for friend, newish members, FUD, are RED FLAGS. A video conference call is not adequate assurance. Face to face interactions are required. Please report suspicions to the forum admins. Stay Safe - anyone can get scammed.

Heating a garage - Infrared, innovative or terrible idea?

No worries. We're all victims of hindsight.

When I researched upgrading my 100 Amp service I found that to go three homes over to the transformer would cost 10,000 - 15,000 plus insurance to directional drill.

Suddenly, I envied others in old neighbourhoods with aerial service that's easy to upgrade. The same will be true if you want fibre in the future.

I really want to come back in my next life carrying all the hard earned knowledge I learned in the past 50 years.

Oh........and I want to be thin too, if that's an option.
 
Don't feel bad. Older home issues around panel amp duty + location + vintage is getting to be a thing even from insurance/up-front purchase consideration standpoint.
https://globalnews.ca/news/3043048/electrical-service-in-some-calgary-homes-may-not-be-covered-by-insurance/

Or maybe worded another way - an upgraded 'welder friendly' home should be considered better resale investment, don't you think? :) Nobody cares about your basement development or new carpet, but fresh 200amp panel to plug in a hot tub, now we're talkin!

Don't even get me started on these idealized scenarios when everyone has a Tesla charging overnight. The answer as usual is: it can be done, but may come with potential ramification$$. LOL
 
Investment favours forward thinking all the way to resale, do it all IMO! The day is coming when every garage will need the power, not just cars but highend electric Road bikes and dirtbikes are quickly coming to a market near you!
 
Thanks @Dabbler for helping me to conceptualize the layout of the gas line yesterday.

Turns out it will be pretty easy. I thought so, but glad to hear it officially from someone else, haha.

Next up is sketching the pipe layout and buying a furnace.

JW
 
Just to add my experience which is similar to the others. I built a detached garage and for heat I went with the Mr Heater Big Maxx 70kBTU unit. Love it and I've had it since 2011.

Bought 50' of 1" plastic yellow gas pipe and two risers (around $300 in 2011) and was planning on ditch-witching it but by luck, ATCO was replacing all old lines in our neighbourhood, so I just dug two holes for the risers and they punched in my 1" line between the holes without trenching. And they did it for free since the main line replacement was right beside it. Lucked out there. Then I had to pay a pipefitter to just connect the risers to the meter and garage line. That was around $500 which is crazy since it took him 30 mins, even with the price of the permit that was easy money for him.

If you need any of the 1" yellow gas pipe, let me know I think I still have some 10-15' laying around.
 
In my new garage to which I didn't move in yet I got Protech gas fitters install a 60k Hot Dog forced air gas heater. Garage is Calgary max at 800 sq ft. I also have 10ft ceilings (also max). I put in 100 amp service in the garage shared with the house. All electrical work is on home permit. Gas heater unfortunately cannot be done on home permit - it is expensive at around 3000 or so.

Garage has no windows & I am putting R20 in the walls for insulation. Even the foundation has R8 insulation.

I think Hot Dog is the right way to go - its much cheaper then electric and swinging temps in the garage is a bad idea - things do rust. keeping temps in the garage > 0C all year round will cost $ but at least machines and tools will not rust. Also all my cooling fluids freeze without heating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top