I got a diesel cab/camper van heater off ebay, about £70. I've divided my double garage into a smaller 5 x 3m workshop and it warms that up from 2 to 20 degrees in about 10 mins. If I reduct to th E main garage it struggles to get to 15 degrees but that makes working out there quite comfortable. With the oil pump on full chat (so max output) to get the place warm then throttled down, I reckon it uses about a gallon of diesel a day. I get red diesel off a farmer mate of mine so it's about 80p/litre. It sucks combustion air in and exhausts to the outside and recirculates warm air.
Double garage heating
- Thread starter gazt42
- Start date
Help Support UKworkshop.co.uk:
Orraloon
Established Member
A very efficient way to heat. I have one in my motorhome. There are also portable ones for larger spaces. Believe it or not here in Australia from about April to October inland it can get very cold at night. Over 20*c daytime but below zero at night. Heats up the motothome in a couple of minutes. Anyways its the hot part of the year now and most days I cant do much in the shed. Seriously thinking of a small AC unit to keep the shed cool. May need more power supply to run it however. Different ends of the same problem and isnulation is key to both.
Regards
John
I’ve got one of these, it’s handy if you’re in one spot - it just heats surfaces including me.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cla...GNi2VllIkIDu0NxCARRoCx2AQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/cla...GNi2VllIkIDu0NxCARRoCx2AQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Better to use at least a metre of single wall first and then the double wall, the single wall will then radiate heat that is otherwise lost up the pipe.
CaptainBudget
Established Member
As someone who works in their garage and is all too painfully aware of winter temperatures I can suggest the below. My garage walls/roof appear to have the insulating properties of tracing paper and I have no heater:
1. Drafts -find any gaps/holes/etc. in the door frames, walls, etc. and fill with expanding foam. Doors you can use neoprene strips to fill any gaps around the frame, and draft excluders at the bottom of the doors. If it's a UPVC door you shouldn't have this issue. Brushes or neoprene strips on the underside of your doors will help as well...
2. Thermals. A decent base layer T-shirt and trousers makes a HUGE difference as you don't feel the cold anywhere near as much. You can get these for ~£10.00 each
3. Tea station. Warm your hands up on a brew as required; cheap kettle and a mug is maybe £20.00? The Power of Yorkshire Tea will also improve the quality of your work as you go
3. Hand Tools! I've hand-planed in -5C before and dropped down to a T-shirt after 5 minutes because I just got too warm.
Others have suggested insulation and heaters, if you can afford to do so then go for it but a garage is unlikely to ever be "toasty warm" unless someone has built it extremely well (seems to be very unusual in the UK...). I'd suggest trying the above first as you'll be maybe £50.00 out of pocket if they don't work.
1. Drafts -find any gaps/holes/etc. in the door frames, walls, etc. and fill with expanding foam. Doors you can use neoprene strips to fill any gaps around the frame, and draft excluders at the bottom of the doors. If it's a UPVC door you shouldn't have this issue. Brushes or neoprene strips on the underside of your doors will help as well...
2. Thermals. A decent base layer T-shirt and trousers makes a HUGE difference as you don't feel the cold anywhere near as much. You can get these for ~£10.00 each
3. Tea station. Warm your hands up on a brew as required; cheap kettle and a mug is maybe £20.00? The Power of Yorkshire Tea will also improve the quality of your work as you go
3. Hand Tools! I've hand-planed in -5C before and dropped down to a T-shirt after 5 minutes because I just got too warm.
Others have suggested insulation and heaters, if you can afford to do so then go for it but a garage is unlikely to ever be "toasty warm" unless someone has built it extremely well (seems to be very unusual in the UK...). I'd suggest trying the above first as you'll be maybe £50.00 out of pocket if they don't work.
how do you prevent damp developing in the cavity behind the insulation and the outer wall
Amplidyne
Established Member
I've been thinking about getting one of these.
Amplidyne
Established Member
Just an observation. It's about 5 C outside here, according to the outside thermometer.
Just went into the double attached garage for something.
8 C. That wall's insulated as well. So even a little bit goes a long way. It was noticeably warmer in there than outside.
Just went into the double attached garage for something.
8 C. That wall's insulated as well. So even a little bit goes a long way. It was noticeably warmer in there than outside.
Adding to the list others have posted on how to stay warm
I have a Charnwood dc50 dust extraction when in use this produces one heck of a draft.
I now separate the garage half way , with wind brake netting . I have the heater my side and put the dust extraction unit on the other just having the hose by the lathe...
No more cold air blowing on my back and side
I have a Charnwood dc50 dust extraction when in use this produces one heck of a draft.
I now separate the garage half way , with wind brake netting . I have the heater my side and put the dust extraction unit on the other just having the hose by the lathe...
No more cold air blowing on my back and side
Ollie78
Established Member
I have been working in an unheated church fixing some windows for the last couple of months. As you can imagine it is impossible to keep the entire place warm, especially once you take out a 3 metre high window.
So, in order not to completely freeze I bought a couple of infra red heaters which come on tripods and I can point them at the workbench and me and stay fairly toasty.
I was a bit sceptical at first but I had to do something so tried them out, they are actually very good. It is a direct radiant heat and though it doesn`t heat the air it warms the bench and tools and me quite well, they have 9 heat settings and usually number 5 is enough.
They are these ones https://castleheaters.co.uk/products/nebula-2kw-infrared-heater
The tripod is surprisingly good for the money, only thing I would improve would be a swiveling head so you could turn it 90 degrees for better storage when folded up, I might adapt this if i get around to it.
Ollie
So, in order not to completely freeze I bought a couple of infra red heaters which come on tripods and I can point them at the workbench and me and stay fairly toasty.
I was a bit sceptical at first but I had to do something so tried them out, they are actually very good. It is a direct radiant heat and though it doesn`t heat the air it warms the bench and tools and me quite well, they have 9 heat settings and usually number 5 is enough.
They are these ones https://castleheaters.co.uk/products/nebula-2kw-infrared-heater
The tripod is surprisingly good for the money, only thing I would improve would be a swiveling head so you could turn it 90 degrees for better storage when folded up, I might adapt this if i get around to it.
Ollie
Last edited:
