208/240v Electric Heater
Step 1: I wanted to work comfortably in an attached 22 x 22 (9 foot high drywalled ceiling) garage in the winter. Figuring I'd need lots of heat, I bought a portable 40,000 btu propane heater. It exhausts lots of carbon monoxide, so you have to partially open a door or window to the outside to let [cold] fresh air in -which seriously lowers heater efficiency. The heater warmed the garage, but the approach wasn't satisfactory -i.e., the fumes were so bad, I stopped using it. It was also very loud, like the hissing of escaping air from a large air boat; plus, when the propane tank ran out, the heater stopped; each time you needed heat, you had to drag it out, connect it to the tank, leave plenty of floor space around this self-contained-blowtorch; put it all away when you were done; and of course find a place to store it. Also, there was no thermostat. All in all, a royal pain in the keister. (Google search on: "propane heater carbon monoxide" to read about the serious risk of carbon monoxide from propane heaters.)
Step 2: I bought one of these electric heaters. It has only half the btu's of the propane unit, but there is no need to open a window or door for ventilation. It also has a thermostat, so you can set it (to a number, not a temperature), and come back 30 minutes later and be in relative comfort. On days in the low 30s, it will keep the garage in the 60s, which is fine for working.. (My attached garage ceiling and 2 walls are insulated.) My heater is mounted high up on a wall, but it can also be mounted to hang from the ceiling, as long as the clearances laid out in the instructions, are followed. In any case, once mounted, it is out of the way, and always ready. There's nothing to haul out or set up when you need heat -just turn it on. When done, just turn it off. This heater needs a dedicated 30-amp 220-volt circuit. You wouldn't want to use this every day, due to electricity costs, but for occasional use, it is perfect.
My advice is to skip step 1.
Note: As of this writing, Amazon sells this heater under several names:
Fahrenheat Ceiling-Mount Automatic 5000 Watt Electric Heater, Model# FUH5-4
Fahrenheat/Marley FUH54 Suspended Electric Heater
Dayton G73 Electric Garage Heater
Multi-Watt Horizontal Downflow Unit Heater With Thermostat 208/240v
These are all the same heater; it is manufactured by Marley Engineered Products of Bennettsville, South Carolina.
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