Garage propane space heaters-

For a garage or workshop area, there are many available options for propane space heaters. If you are someone who likes to spend a lot of time in the garage during the winter months, whether working on the car or doing other projects, then you may want to consider getting more of a heavy-duty type of garage propane heater. Some units are meant to be hooked to gas lines and not moved very often, wheras others are more portable and able to be moved in and out of the garage and workshop area at will.

Indoor Propane Space Heaters-

Indoor models of propane space heaters come in a variety of models and designs as well. Some will be base board mounted, whereas others will be completely detachable and hook onto a propane heating tank. These tanks are fillable at gas stations and grocery stores. Often times the portability of the heaters will be dependent on the size of the propane tank that is attached to the device.

Indoor propane space heaters need to take into account exhaust. Many indoor propane space heaters will have an automatic shutoff if the build up of exhaust becomes dangerous. Make sure the heater you choose has this feature, or do not buy it, period. Pretty much all newer models will have this feature.

Outdoor Propane Space Heaters-

Propane space heaters that are designed for exclusive outdoor use are very different. Often times these are large freestanding towers that don’t require permanent in ground installation. You simply hook up the propane tank within the tower itself.

Ceiling mounted outdoor space heaters are other popular designs that save space in commercial spaces. These are popular alternatives to the tower models.

Popular Models of Propane Space Heaters-

Mr. Heater, Oullette, NewAir, Dimplex, Soleus, Honeywell, Vornado, and other brands are popular on the market. Pricing can be anywhere between around $50 to upwards of $500 depending on the amount of space that needs to be heated. A great place to get any type of heater is at Amazon.com, where shipping is often free and prices are often better than at manufacturers websites.

Explanation of BTU’s-

Many companies will talk about “BTU’s” when describing heaters. This has to do with the heating output of the propane space heaters. This stands for “British Thermal Unit”. Basically, the larger the number, the more heat the propane space heater puts off and the larger the space can be heated. So keep this in mind when shopping for a new heater. If you need to heat a large room or workshop, make sure you are getting enough power.

The rule of thumb is for every 10-15 watts, 1 square foot of space can be heated. To convert watts to BTUs, multiply watts by 3.4. So if you had a 1,500 watt heater= 150-225 square feet, and this equals 5, 120 BTUs. This would be more of a portable design at these numbers.

Propane space heaters can fill many different needs depending on the BTU’s and watts, design, and intended indoor or outdoor use. Choose the right model and be warm no matter how cold it is outside!

Forced air propane garage heaters are heaters that have a fan attachment. These can either be in the shape of a square/rectangular heater or a cylinder that is placed on the ground and plugged into an electrical socket, or just stand alone. The cylindrical heaters, such as the Mr. Heater MH55FAV, usually come with a large hose that hooks up to a 20 pound propane tank. They will come in a variety of BTU output power ranges. A smaller portable fan will give you around 55,000 btu, enough to heat around 1,250 square feet of space. Larger the btu output, obviously the larger the space.

For a much larger BTU output, you may want to try something like the Mr. Heater BigMaxx 75,000 btu propane garage unit heater. This is a convection heater, which takes longer to warm up, but is much more effective in heater spaces. There are basically four types of heating units, convection, radiant, reflective, and forced air. All of these devices will do well in heating a garage area.

Some popular designs of propane space heater for the garage are rectangular floor mounted models with fans, ceiling mounted models that hang from chains and heat with reflective heat, small reflective heat models that hook up to the tank itself, and forced air models that are cylinders that are placed on the ground. You’ll want to take into account just how portable you want the device to be when choosing the right heater for you. Also, the larger the space you have, like over 1,000 square feet, you’ll want to make sure the heater puts out enough btu’s of heat. A propane garage heater will make your winter more productive.

There are many different types of indoor space heaters, such as electric, butane, kerosene, and propane. Propane is a great choice because of the efficeincy of which the gas burns. Propane is relatively cheap as well. Since this heater is for indoor use, there will be some nice features that you want to look for. Some heaters will disperse their heat by using reflective heat. That means there is a reflective surface behind the glowing, hot area, and the heat reflects into the room. Other propane space heaters will rely on fans to circulate the air. The fan may run on electricity, so it needs an outlet close by to run correctly.

Other heaters will just be rely on convective heating and are electric, which run electricity through heating elements to make it hot. The heat rises, and that’s how the room is heated. You need to be careful about starting fires with these devices as the heating element is exposed and if something is put too close to it, obviously it could ignite.

Propane space heaters can either be mounted on the wall and connected to the piping within the house, which would need to be professionally installed, or they can be more portable and connected directly to a propane tank. These propane tanks are very similar to those found at the gas station or grocery store for gas grills.

An outdoor propane space heater differ from indoor models because they don’t worry about ventilation as much. For instance, a tower that heats a patio relies on wind and open air to disperse the carbon monoxide exhaust, whereas an indoor propane heater will need a duct that pipes the exhaust outside. Be wary of this fact, and smart about installing an indoor propane space heater, and not another device that isn’t properly designed for the job and you and your family will be safe.

Some great brands of indoor heaters are Mr. Heater, Pentair, Noritz Residential, and Heatstar. These can come in all types of designs. For a garage space heater, you could consider a hanging one that suspends from the ceiling on chains and looks much like a florescent light fixture. Others can be very portable and be hand held. Some will mount on a base board, which are more for the home. Take a look online and you’ll find some great ideas for different types of indoor propane space heater.

Forced Air Portable Propane Heaters: Forced air models of portable propane heaters rely on battery power, or electricity to power a fan to circulate the heated air. There are a variety of different models available on the market today. Some are more or less box designs with handles on them for carrying, while others will be a cylinder style with one side being the air emitting side. Don’t have batteries or electricity? If you want to take these out in the wilderness then make sure you get a model that allows a battery power option. These propane heaters will still emit heat even if the fan doesn’t work, though.

Tank Top Attached Portable Propane Heaters: These portable heaters are radiant heat models instead of convective. That means they will usually have a reflective surface that helps direct the heat to where you want to focus it. The heating module itself attaches directly on to the top of the propane tank. This can limit the mobility of the propane heater, depending on what you want to use the heater for. For the campers who need to pack the heater into the wilderness, the tank top attached may not be a good idea. But for the person who doesn’t mind transporting a propane tank, then a tank top model may be perfect. Since the heating unit attaches to the top of the tank, you will need to attach it to a tank that is large enough so it doesn’t tip over, so there is another reason for less portability for some peoples needs.

Other Models of Portable Propane Space Heaters: Some other designs of portable propane space heaters will allow you to truly bring your heater wherever you want. The smaller ones could even be packed into the wilderness in a backpack. The only thing making your heater as portable as you want is the size of the propane tank. You can get very small 1 lb. tanks. These are pretty small to carry around, of course that means the heating time will be significantly less. You can expect 1-2 hours heating time on a one pound tank.

These other models will be hooked to the tank via a hose. The hoses can come in different sizes depending on your needs. Since the heater isn’t attached to the tank top, you can now attach a smaller sized tank because it’s not going to tip over. Therefore if you get a heater that is hose attached you can expect a little more portability.

Portable propane heaters can also come in models that are more of a conventional box design that sets on 4 legs on the floor. Some will be forced air, others radiant or infrared. So you can see that “portable” is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to a propane space heater. It all depends on the size of the tank as well when discussing portability. Some good brands are, but not limited to, Mr. Heater, Coleman, Desa, Dayva, and Schaefer.

Wall Mounted Natural Gas Space Heaters: Many wall mounted natural gas heaters will be simple to install if there is no need for a vent outlet. Fortunately, most of the wall mounted models will have no need for a vent. This is because the space heaters burn around 99% of the gas and give off little fumes. However, if the carbon monoxide levels rise or the pilot light goes out, it is standard for a natural gas space heater to shut off immediately.

Radiant/Infrared Natural Gas Space Heaters: These space heaters heat the objects around the heater rather than the surrounding air. Interesting technology indeed, these radiant or infrared heaters can be good for spaces that can’t count on air movement to circulate the heat coming out of the device. Some larger models can heat up to 150 feet away. Each radiant natural gas space heater will have some sort of heat reflecting surface to point the heat in the direction you want to focus it. There are many different designs from a tower-like design to a large rectangle wall mount. Otherwise, you may want to go with a convective heating design.

Convection Natural Gas Space Heaters: Convection heaters heat the surrounding air and take a little longer to heat a larger area, but are still great heaters. There are a ton of different designs, from a smaller box like design that can hook up to your natural gas outlet on the patio, to a larger floor mounted large stove-like design that can heat large rooms and even entire houses. A tower design may be just what you need for your patio or other outdoor area as a propane space heater. These are popular for restaurant patios and can come in many different great looking designs.

Natural Gas Space Heaters Vs. Propane: Natural gas is extracted directly from the ground and piped to residential areas for use. Natural gas is a mixture of propane, butane, methane, and other gases. The exact mix will vary from source to source of extraction. Propane, however, is extracted from Natural Gas and when pressurized can be stored in liquid form in tanks. These are the same tanks used widely on gas grills, and also portable and stationary propane space heaters. Lots of natural gas space heaters will double as propane space heaters as well. Just look at the specs before you buy. You never know if or when you would want to switch between the two fuel sources. Some are natural gas only.

Wall Mounted Natural Gas Space Heater: A wall mounted natural gas space heater will mount right on the wall to heat the room it is in. Obviously there is little portability for this device as it is mounted once. These can heat up the room for just pennies an hour, they natural gas is a great, clean energy choice that is cheap. Most natural gas space heaters will have an emergency shut-off sensor should the oxygen level drop too low, or if the pilot flame is extinguished for some reason. So there is some safety features built in to ensure that the gas doesn’t flow freely into the room or the carbon monoxide levels don’t rise to dangerous levels.

Floor Mounted Natural Gas Space Heater: These models can come in the shape of a simple box-like design, or even be shaped in the form of a large wood stove. Of course the wood doesn’t burn in it, it just gives the space heater a nice look for living rooms, outdoor sheds, garages, etc… These models can be cheap and run on propane or natural gas with some portability, while others can be very expensive and run off the natural gas supplied to your house. These larger space heaters, or stoves, can heat entire rooms efficeintly or even a whole house depending on different variables.

Portable Natural Gas Space Heater: Portable models are tough to come by, since natural gas is normally piped to residential areas. Propane on the other hand is separated from the natural gas and sold commercially in bottles. So if you are looking for a portable solution, a propane gas space heater is probably what you will want.

Portable Gas Space Heaters: Portable gas space heaters are great for the outdoorsman, patio, garage, shed, or other outside or cool workspace. There are a couple different types of designs when it comes to portable gas heaters. The tank top mount- These heating devices mount directly on top of a propane tank. These are pretty portable, keeping in mind that they will weight as much as the propane tank you decide to attach it to. Some will have a single heating unit that attaches to the top, while others will be larger and have 2 or more heating units that attach to the top. The hose to heater- These models have a hose, sometimes up to 10 feet, that attaches to the propane tank. These can be light-weight or much larger to heat larger areas, but they are still portable. The handled heater- There are some models that come in a box type design with handles on it. These are the ultimate portable models and can be taken anywhere. Make sure to get a model that can take a beating and is sturdy.

Forced Air Gas Space Heater: These types of gas heaters are a little more powerful as they force the air away from the heating unit with a fan motor. Some of these models will rely on electricity as well to power the fan, however other models are completely free of electricity dependence. These forced air gas heaters can really pump out the heat, and they come in varying powers and sizes. The very large ones can really get expensive, but can heat entire indoor and outdoor areas. This could be perfect for those winter construction sites, cold large rooms such as factories, and other various uses. Smaller forced air types of propane space heater are perfect for bringing different places and really pump out the heat as well. Some of these models will be a forced air space heater if you can plug it into electricity, but will still emit heat when the power goes out and the fan can’t be operated.

Kerosene Gas Space Heaters: Kerosene gas heaters can come in a variety of designs and models for different uses as well. There are obvious drawbacks to the kerosene models because filling and transporting the kerosene can get a little messy. However, the good thing about these models is you don’t have to attach it to a large propane tank like some of the propane models. Kerosene gas space heaters are convective heaters so they heat portions of the room surrounding the heater, versus a radiant heater which will have a more pronounced warm and cool side.

Floor and Wall Mounted Gas Space Heaters: There are many models that are not meant for portability per se, but are more for putting directly on the ground in a garage, on a patio, etc… These often will have the ability to be plugged in so a fan motor can run. However in the event of a power outage the gas space heater still heats the area. It just will be more of a natural heating effect versus being blown into the surrounding area.

The Portable Propane Heater and The Size of the Tank: Keep in mind that propane tanks come in all sorts of sizes, and the overall portability of the portable propane heater will depend on the size of tank you decide to use. When using a smaller tank such as a 1 pound tank, portability is maximized. However the heating time is cut down significantly compared to a larger tank. A small 1 lb. tank will normally give you around 1-2 hours of heating time depending on the model of heater you decide to get. Get a larger tank and the time increases much more.

Top of Tank Attached Portable Propane Heater: These are pretty self explanatory as they attach directly to the top of the propane tank. These obviously can tip over easily if the tank is too small, so keep that in mind. Portablilty is to a different degree for these heaters. If you are simply camping next to your car, truck, or RV, then there is no reason to worry as you won’t be carrying the tank too far. However you may want to buy a different model if you are planning on packing the tank into the wilderness camping.

Hose Attached Portable Propane Heater: Portability can really be maximized with these models as the heater is attached to a hose. This means you can use a smaller tank and the heater won’t tip over because it’s not attached to the top of the tank. There are a ton of different models out there. Mr. Heater is a brand that has a lot of portable options, so you may want to check them out, not to mention they are fairly cheap comparitively. Coleman and other brands have a lot of options as well.

Forced Air Portable Propane Heater: These portable propane heaters are normally cylindar shaped and shoot heated air out of one end. Some models require electricity to power the motor, and some will allow you to install batteries to create total portability. These forced air heaters can be in the shape of a box with a handle as well. Either way, some models will still work as a great portable propane heater even without the fan working. Make sure the model you choose will still give off heat if your batteries run out. You don’t want to be stuck out in the cold with plenty of propane and no electricity.

So in picking the correct portable propane heater, obviously just keep in mind what you will be using the heater for. Will you need to pack the heater into the wilderness in the future? Then you’ll need to get one with a hose attachment. If this isn’t a real priority for you then don’t worry about getting a top of tank attached portable propane heater.

The Portable Propane Space Heater: A popular choice among consumers, the portable propane space heater allows you to take the heat wherever you want. This is perfect for outdoor activities such as camping or patio activities. These often attach directly to the top of the propane tank, radiating heat from the device. Bring it into the garage, plop it on the ground on the patio, or even heat your animal enclosures such as chicken coops. The portable models will come in a variety of engineered designs. For instance, Mr. Heater offers a model that radiates from one heating unit that attaches straight to the top of the tank. Another model they offer has two heating units that attach to the one tank. Some are square with handles to carry them from place to place, like the portable “Buddy” propane heater. So there are many choices when it comes to portable, from tank-top attached designs to more boxy designs that have handles to carry it around.

Forced Air Propane Space Heater: The forced air models are usually in the shape of a cylinder where air is forced from one end. This is still a portable design, but has a hose that attaches from the propane tank to the device. These heaters emit hot air in a steady stream from the end and are perfect for larger areas that need heating such as construction sites and farms, warehouses, or even factories. These are not completely portable devices as they need to run off electricity for the fans to push the air out.

Radiant Propane Space Heater: There are many models of propane space heaters that emit more of a radiant heat from a larger device. Many of these have no need for electricity at all and need no outside venting, as they are extremely fuel efficient. Some have blowers that are battery operated and can be wall mounted, floor mounted, or ceiling mounted. All have steel caging over the radiant surface for safety protection. All devices will have an emergency shut off system that makes sure no harmful fumes are building up, or simply that the device is getting too hot.

Patio Tower Propane Space Heater: These are the large tower devices often used on restaurant patios. These are perfect for keeping warm while lounging on the patio or just to radiate heat from a central outside point. Tower propane heaters can radiate heat out to a 10-12 foot area. They can be bought in elegant designs and even be copper plated or painted different colors to desired look. Having such a huge bulk of design and great heating coverage, you can see why these tend to be the most expensive option to choose from. However, nothing beats the tower models when hanging out on the patio!