Heat my garage

[heritage58]

I have a 24x24 inside garage half I would like to use as a workshop. I do not, obviously, want to waste money heating an area beyond workspace required for a sofa or chair to recover. Sewing I can do inside. This is Carolina, so we are not talking about the Artic. . Suggestions?

[SteveA]

You could get away with two of those parabolic dish heaters.  The warmth is immediate and directed at you.... it's not going to warm the whole space.     Otherwise a kerosene heater would be my next choice.
SA

[MinUph]

Any fuel based heat will cause an odor. Not good for some people. Id stick to electric choices.

[gene]

Some type of portable walls will help you heat only the square footage in your garage that you are using.

I have a bunch of thermal drapes that I bought for pennies on an auction site. I sewed them together to make one long curtain that I hang up to split my shop in half on those days that I am only working in the front of my shop. I use a parabolic and an oil filled heater to keep me warm and to keep my utility bills down.

gene

[Mojo]

I have friends who have used the propane heaters with great luck. They put out a lot of heat and propane is pretty cheap.

I once used a fuel oil heater and it made me sick from the smell and fumes.

The price on heat pump systems that are wall mounted have come way down. You can put one in a garage for around $ 1,000. They are very efficient and will provide heat in the winter and air con in the summer. I believe they are called split cycle systems.

They are getting very popular here in the USA. Before that they were used a great deal in Europe and Australia. Here is what the systems look like: 

http://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/ppd/5835684884.html

They come in various sizes.

Chris

[SteveA]

Just one thing about kerosene heaters.  When I first purchased one I got the fuel from the gas station.  It did have an odor.  Then I tried the store bought fuel in the blue plastic jug.  It burned much cleaner and hardly any odor except when you first fire it up.  I have used my kerosene heater in the house for heat when the power went out and it was fine.  In a garage there are less issues with the smell overcoming anyone. 
If I didn't mind the expense I'd go with what Mojo suggests the spit system -
SA

[gene]

The problem with using a kerosene heater in a small, enclosed space is that you eventually have to take the battery out of your CO detector because that constant beeping sound will give you a headache.  :o

Be safe out there, folks.

gene

[SteveA]

A garage isn't that much of an enclosed space.  I have both hard wired and battery smoke / carbon monoxide detectors and the kerosene heater has never set them off.  I don't spend the long hours in the workshop like I did before but the Kerosene heater warmed the space entirely very well - one tank of fuel lasted more than the whole day.  The dish is great for an hour or two - no sense in heating the whole space for short work periods.  And yes be safe - we work around many hazards - power tools, dust, odors, etc.
SA