Heater Hut

With fall and winter quickly approaching, you may be thinking about purchasing a new heater for your garage or workshop. When you’re shopping around for the right heater for your space, be sure to check out infrared garage heaters. Not only do they let you get more done during the chilly months, but they also are an inexpensive, efficient way to heat a relatively large area.

Like all infrared heaters, infrared garage heaters produce radiant heat as opposed to convection. Radiant heat works much like the sun, directly heating objects via transmitted energy. Convective heat (the heat typically produced by ceramic heaters or many propane heaters) warms the surrounding air in a room, which would prove to be an inefficient heating solution in a drafty garage or cold workspace.

Heating Things Up Instantly

On a chilly Saturday morning, you’ll be thankful that infrared garage heaters begin warming the area instantly. You won’t be waiting for the air in the room to be heated and circulated, so warmth can be felt almost as soon as you turn the unit on.

By focusing radiant heat directly where it’s needed, radiant heaters don’t waste energy warming air that may simply be escaping through drafty windows or an uninsulated garage. When working in your garage or workspace, you can thankfully direct the infrared heat to a small area. In addition, as the air isn’t being heated and circulated, you won’t get that stuffy feeling that some convection heaters can produce.

Fueling Your Garage Heater

The more efficient garage heaters (in terms of BTU output) run on natural gas or propane, rather than purely on electricity. While both fuel types have their advantages, propane tends to win in the convenience factor. You won’t need to run a new natural gas supply line, and the fuel can be easily refilled with the 20lb. propane cylinders available nearly everywhere.

For instance, take a look at the Mr. Heater F272100 Garage Heater. This model is thermostat controlled, wall-mounted, and outputs a maximum of 22,000 BTUs per hour. The manufacturer rates this model as able to warm a 500-600 square foot area. It doesn’t even require an electric supply, so it can be installed almost anywhere in your garage or workshop.

Thanks to their flexibility, they can even be used to clear snow from loading ramps or outdoor walkways. Try that with an electric ceramic heater!

A Word About Safety…

As with the typical gas or propane heater, safety is always a concern. However, most modern heaters will feature an auto-shutoff sensor that detects low oxygen levels. This helps to prevent asphyxiation hazards, but please still follow manufacturer’s instructions for use.

Bottom line, infrared garage heaters are a fantastic option for getting use out of your workspace all year long. They are affordable, safe, and can be installed in nearly any space.

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