Garage Heating

            If you’re thinking about heating your garage this winter you have some research to do first. First check to see if the garage is properly insulated. Just because it’s finished with sheetrock or wood paneling doesn’t mean you’re ready for a new heater. Make a test hole in a few walls and ceiling to see if you have any or enough insulation.

            Are your overhead doors insulated? Most older doors are designed to keep the rain out not keep the heat in. Same rule applies for any windows in the garage. Next check the ceiling for insulation. If the garage ceiling isn’t insulated then walls and the overhead doors probably aren’t insulated.

If you live in the north you should have the following insulation valves.

Example. New York State.

Attic = R-49

Wall = R-18 to R-28

Slab Edge = R-8

           

            Before your contact a HVAC contractor think of what type of heating systems you would like. Will you be using natural gas, propane or electric heat? If it’s electric heat do you have any space on your electric breaker for another heater? If you plan ahead your contractor will adjust to your needs. When you ask for a heat load, have your insulation R valves ready.

A heat load is only as good as the information in the heat calculation. If they have to guess the will plan on little to no insulation. The less information you have for your heat load the bigger your heating system will be. The bigger the heater the more it cost.

Not every garage should be heated as is. The insulation is more important than the heater.

 

Go Green option.        

The Overhead Door Company has a green option for you. The “Ecobuilt” series comes with a R-7.31 insulation and is made with 88% min. recycled contents.

Home Heating

Home Heating (the new bathroom) – If remodeling your home is costing more than you planned I bet the bathroom heating system was forgotten a long time ago. You’re new bathroom room is almost finished and you still need a bathroom heating system that works for you.

You connected to the central air system, but it’s never warm enough in the morning. The bathroom is a tricky room to deal with. If you over heat it your wasting energy on a room that’s used for only a few minutes a day. If you don’t heat it you wasted all that remodeling on a room you hate to be in.

Time is your biggest problem, how much time and money do we put into a room that’s seldom occupied. The other concern is the room’s location relative to the bedroom. Master bathrooms have to be very quiet when you’re sleeping. A cheap heater can drive you nuts if it’s cycling on and off all winter.

If you looking for an affordable solution to go with an electric convector heater. You mount it to the wall and air enters the from the bottom leaves out the top. It doesn’t have a fan so it’s completely silent. It will have its own controller so you don’t have to waste heat. Size on is easy, 10 watts per square foot is a good rule of thumb. If you have 150 sq ft room all you need is a 1500 watt heat. Just add a zero to your square footage to find your wattage.

You can now control the amount of time your heating systems is on high. In the morning you can raise the room temperature and for the other 23 hours you can lower it or shut it off. Don’t build a new room that pretty and not functional. By controlling your home heating system you can save money and energy.