Heating your garage
Things you should know about heating your garage
The garage is an extension of a home, and although most of us use them simply for storage or to park our cars, there is a growing trend to heat the garage for expanded uses. Feeling stir-crazy? Some want that ‘bonus’ space for a place to retreat to during the long winter months, to perhaps work on a project or the car, or to play a mean game of Ping-Pong. You may not be ready to turn your garage into living space, yet here are some thoughts to better understand the benefits of heating your garage.
But how does one exactly heat garage space? Not by running ductwork and using your home furnace. According to Keith Hill of Minnesota Air, that’s a sure way to cut short the lifespan of your furnace. “Any manufacturer of a furnace designed it to function at 60-degrees or higher,” he said. “Regular furnaces can’t work properly in lower temperatures (like a garage).”
But there is a solution. Hill goes on to say that some HVAC dealers are selling Unit Heaters for garages that are about 80-percent efficient. These units are box-shaped and usually hang from the ceiling. And they have improved greatly in the past few years. Consider this about Unit Heaters:
They’re now more compact
Units in the past were large and clunky and often times a hazard for tall people, but now they are smaller, have a low-profile, and yet effectively heat your garage.
Prices have come down
Prices range depending on how big of a space you’re trying to heat, or how quickly you want that space heated. Regardless, Unit Heaters should be purchased from a licensed HVAC dealer and installed by trained technicians.
Safer than before
With the improvements in technology, Unit Heaters are safer than ever! You can be worry-free and comfortable in your heated garage.
A Unit Heater can be set to manage the garage temp – so it can be set relatively low, for example, to keep your car or pet safe and comfortable throughout the entire winter, or turned up to be warm enough for extended periods of time without wearing a jacket (and then turned off when you leave). So the space can become a place to hang and play a game or even watch TV. But it’s probably not the space to use for sleeping. In fact, since these units use a propeller to blow heated air, they can be a bit on the noisy side, so consider that when you’re looking at a unit to heat your garage.
Regardless of how you’d like to expand the use of your garage space, a garage Unit Heater is a viable option. For a modest investment you can have a Unit Heater installed and suddenly have new work space, play space or just a more comfortable garage for your pets or yourselves during these long winter months.
For home maintenance and comfort tips, visit StayComfyMinnesota.com! Stay Comfy, Minnesota is your Minnesota resource for air conditioning repair, furnace repair and HVAC tips and advice.
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