Last winter you make a big mistake: you forget to buy a garage heater to replace your older heater. To prevent similar mistake, you must pick one new product. With so many options in the market, you need a guidance to buy heater especially in this article about the best electric garage heater 120V. What are some great features of a garage heater? How to choose between two available options?
Read also: THE EASIEST AND BEST WAY TO HEAT A GARAGE IN WINTER
1. Check the Size
First thing and probably the most important step to do is determining the size of the garage heater. The answer depends heavily on the dimension of the room and also the insulation level in your garage. Definitely, a garage built on limited land won’t have similar heater to the one designed to fit several cars. In addition, better insulation will grant you a heater with greater energy efficiency.
Grab your measurement tool and note the width and length of the garage. The rough dimension for a garage that could fit two cars will be 400 to 600 feet. Then, divide the garage size by 200. Next, multiply the result by 9.000. This is the simplest way to check the BTU of the garage heater. Remember that you are allowed to choose the smaller wattage heater only when the garage is well-insulated.
2. Consider the Location
To survive the cold season, a garage heater is a must. Have you ever thought about the location or position of the heater? It must be a strategic corner or side, allowing the heat to be distributed evenly. You could also put the heather to warm the spot where most activities take place.
Some of you have wide space left on the floor, so a portable heater would be a perfect choice. It could be moved to any place. On the other hand, small garage with busy traffic should consider another option. You might want to see the wall or ceiling mounted type. Both won’t disturb your pace and still could provide adequate heat for the garage.
3. Check Safety Feature
A heater produces heat to warm up the room. For the first hour, everything seems to be fine. However, the unit might be overheated and cause a fire. This is the reason why you want to consider the safety feature in the heater garage. First, find the label of overheat protection. It automatically shuts the heather when the temperature inside the machine is too hot.
Some other important features are cool touch and also the tip over. When the heather is used for too long, it could be too hot to touch. Without the cool touch mechanism, you might burn your hands after touching the heater. The tip over has similar function: turning off the machine. This feature is activated when the heater is tipping over.
4. Include Remote Control
Installing a garage heater is meant to prepare a comfortable space to work or do activities. While you are busy, it would be a hassle to stop your business and fix the heater. To prevent this inconvenience, a remote control or digital display would be a helpful tool. With a few clicks or taps, the heat is automatically adjusted.
Which one is better for you: remote control or digital display? Well, it depends on the type of the heater. For a ceiling mounted, it is more comfortable to grab a remote control. It is similar to controlling air conditioner. A digital display installation is recommended for those who mostly work near the wall and have wall-mounted heater.
5. Consider Adjustable Thermostat
A little tip for those who live in specific area with fluctuating climate: find a product with adjustable thermostat. The system is programmed to detect the surrounding temperature then adjust the indoor temperature as requested. When the weather is too cold, the heater will raise the temperature and vice versa.
The adjustable thermostat is the most efficient for the area that require 24-hour heating. Extreme weather may not happen too long, but those days are the worst. Imagine that you have to go back and forth, adjusting the heather to make yourself comfortable. Would that be great?
6. Think Carefully: Fixed vs Portable Heaters
What makes other costumer choose fixed heaters? First, they have a large garage that could fit more than two cars. There is no better choice than the fixed type. Be prepared for the cost, though: the wall or ceiling mounted heater requires complex cable installation. You will pay for extra installation service.
If you own a small garage, then portable heater might be a great option. It could be stored once the cold season pass, so the space is not occupied anymore. When you use the portable heater, you could literally move to any corner of the garage without feeling cold.
7. Compare Fans: Infrared or Forced Fan
If you try to find the pictures of garage heater in online store, you will see two different type of fan as well: the infrared and forced. Among these two, infrared is definitely prettier and more elegant than forced fan. Aside from the appearance, you need to consider some other things as well.
The infrared heater converts electricity into heat through the light bulbs. You might not see the heat wave, but you can feel it. On the other hand, the forced fan uses electricity to heat the coil. Then a wind will blow the heated coil and warmth the room. This is why you could see the heat wave surrounding the heater.
Image: irda.org
8. Note the Maintenance
You are almost sure that one heater is the perfect choice for your garage. A thought passes your mind: what about its maintenance? This is another important thing that you should consider while comparing the models. There are some lightweight types with cheaper price. It is great for temporary use, so be prepared to purchase another one every two or three years.
For a permanent model, you need to clean it every week. While doing so, don’t forget to check all the cables. Should you notice any cracking cables, call for help to the store. Even when the heater is not used, you need to occasionally check whether the machine is working. You want to repair any damage before the season starts rather than rushing to buy a new unit.
