Gone are the days when garages were simply places to store cars or tinker on a workbench. Homeowners today are using their garages as extensions of their homes for all kinds of activities such as watching TV, entertaining guests and many other hobbies. The trouble is, when winter comes, an unheated garage can be a cold and uncomfortable space to enjoy activities. Marley Engineered Products® has the connected comfort solutions to solve even the coldest heating challenges to keep all spaces warm and comfortable within a home – even the garage.
One way to keep a garage or workspace warm and toasty in even the harshest winters is choosing a top-notch electric garage heater. Electric heaters offer several benefits over other heating systems – they don’t require venting like gas heaters and can be more cost-effective.
Electric Heater Benefits
One factor to consider when heating a garage is safety. Electric heaters do not pose the same risks as propane or natural gas heaters. Along with cars, trucks or other gas-powered vehicles, people store gas, oil and other flammables in their garages. Because there are no open flames or exhaust fumes with electric heaters, they’re safer to use around gas vehicles and lawn tools.
Electric heaters also offer efficiencies that other heaters do not. With an electric garage heater, every bit of electricity used is converted into heat. With propane, only 80 percent of its fuel is used for heat while the other 20 percent comprises lost by-products. That fuel loss translates into inefficiency and can mean higher costs for homeowners.
Furthermore, electric garage heaters provide the flexibility to provide warmth without taking up floor space or creating a tripping hazard. They can be mounted on the wall or ceiling, and angled to push warm air horizontally, vertically or in any other desired direction. These installation and airflow options are much harder to achieve with a gas garage heater.
Choosing the Appropriate Heater
Whether using the garage for hobbies or as a regular hangout, there are several electric heating options to choose from, including radiant electric, portable heaters and fan-forced units:
- Radiant electric heaters are designed to target a specific area with heat, typically using infrared technology to heat the objects in the room instead of the air.
- Portable heaters are easy to move around the garage, targeting heat to the necessary spots that are most occupied.
- Fan-forced heaters move warm air throughout an entire garage for balanced, all-over heating.
Consider how the heater will be best used in your garage before making a selection.
Garage Heater Installation Tips
How best to install an electric heater varies depending on the type. Some models may need to be wired by an electrician or trained professional, while others are portable and can be easily mounted and simply plugged in.
Before hooking anything up, be sure to check the voltage requirements. With a plug-in 120V electric garage heater, for example, all that’s needed is an outlet. An electric heater that runs at a voltage higher than 120, however, will need to be wired in. This will require some electrical work.
Also, make sure that the model of heater is sized appropriately for the space. To ensure a heater is putting out enough heat to warm a designated area, match the wattage level of the heater with the size of the garage.
No matter how it is being used, homeowners looking to heat up their garage space should consider an electric garage heater to keep the space warm even in the coldest of conditions. Marley Engineered Products has a wide variety of electric garage heater options that can solve any heating problem. Check out the selection at marleymep.com/electric-garage-heaters.
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