Need a small but reliable heater

[RevDisk]

I have a detached garage that I'll be refurbing next year. Currently unheated. However, in the mean time, it has a small bathroom in it. Cracked pipes would make me sad. I need a small heater to warm something the size of a mid sized closet to above freezing, without burning the place down if left relatively unattended and running for a couple months.

Any suggestions?


Next year I'm partitioning off the workroom/bathroom as an apartment and adding baseboard heaters to the workroom, which should be more than enough. So only needs to last this winter.

[Fly320s]

Get one of those small, oil filled heaters from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  They are electric, most have a built in timer and variable heat settings.  I use a larger version in my basement.

[MrsSmith]

Propane tank with this attachment. Then you can use the tank from your grill and it isn't in the way when you don't need it. Draws very little propane, takes up little space to store off season, no power requirements. Perfect!

[RoadKingLarry]

I use a small electric forced air heater to get the bathroom temps up a little in the winter, mostly for added comfort while wet and nekkid.
I've also used whats called a "milk house heater" in well houses to keep things from freezing.
If the room is well insulated it won't take much to keep it above freezing and not much more to keep it toasty warm and comfortable. Any good quality UL listed heater should be OK as long as common sense is employed in usage.

[mtnbkr]

Get one of those small, oil filled heaters from Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  They are electric, most have a built in timer and variable heat settings.  I use a larger version in my basement.

This.  They're quiet and safe.  

Edit to add: I have one running in my unfinished basement all through the winter months to keep it comfortable.  I have another in our foyer to do the same.

Chris

[charby]

This.  They're quiet and safe.  

Edit to add: I have one running in my unfinished basement all through the winter months to keep it comfortable.  I have another in our foyer to do the same.

Chris

Yep! I used one an entire winter in a really cold apartment I lived it, ran it 25/7 for 3.5 months and didn't have any problems.

[K Frame]

"Get one of those small, oil filled heaters from Bed, Bath, and Beyond."

Triple recommendation.

I had one I bought second hand in 1992. I used it every winter in my bedroom until last year when the low setting toggle switch broke.

I have two others that I've bought more recently.

I have no problems plugging them in and letting them on while I am sleeping.

If you are going to use an electric heater, these are probably the safest and most foolproof.

Don't, however, just plug it in and assume that everything will be peachy for 4 months. If something does happen, you could end up with real problems.

[Fly320s]

Since you plan on doing a refurb, are the pipes exposed right now?  If they are, you can wrap them in heated tape, or whatever it is named, and then put pipe insulation over that.  That might be cheaper than the space heater.

[roo_ster]

Since you plan on doing a refurb, are the pipes exposed right now?  If they are, you can wrap them in heated tape, or whatever it is named, and then put pipe insulation over that.  That might be cheaper than the space heater.

The condo assoc my dad was part of in a state up in the great white north would heat an entire parking garage so the pipes would not freeze.  BIG money. My dad gave me the pipe lengths and I did the math for him on just such a solution. The cost was a bout a week's worth of heating the garage in the winter for parts & installation.  Save them beau coup in heating bills, paid for itself in less than a month.

[geronimotwo]

drain the lines, and blow them out with a compressor if needed.  rv antifreeze in the drains/toilet traps.

i have used a freeze alarm to run a light bulb in a smaller space (pump house) to keep things from freezing.  they are a thermostat that plugs into any outlet, and will turn on a lamp when it gets below the set temp.  i am not sure if a 100 watt bulb will heat a whole bathroom.

http://www.accentshopping.com/product.asp?P_ID=150460

otherwise i like the oil filled heater with a thermostat as well.

[K Frame]

Last several times I tried heat tape it failed part way through winter.

[AZRedhawk44]

I have a detached garage that I'll be refurbing next year. Currently unheated. However, in the mean time, it has a small bathroom in it. Cracked pipes would make me sad. I need a small heater to warm something the size of a mid sized closet to above freezing, without burning the place down if left relatively unattended and running for a couple months.

Any suggestions?


Next year I'm partitioning off the workroom/bathroom as an apartment and adding baseboard heaters to the workroom, which should be more than enough. So only needs to last this winter.

Out of the box suggestion:

Grundfos hot water pump on your water heater, and a crossover line at the faucet in this outbuilding.  This is of course, assuming that it receives hot water from an active hot water heater somewhere.

This will cycle over hot water into the cold water pipes, and move water slowly back to the water heater tank.

No need for a more dangerous air heater that is left unattended.

[Balog]

Something the size of a small closet, if it's insulated, could probably be kept >freezing with a couple hi wattage incandescents. A lot of bathrooms in this neck of the woods have a heat lamp in the ceiling (generally mounted as part of the exhaust fan assembly) which would probably be enough. Local climate depending, I suppose.

[K Frame]

Agree that the best thing that you can do is just winterize.

Just out of college my first regular job while looking for something in my field was working with a pool company closing them down for winter.

We did a lot of cabanas and outbuildings.

[Jim147]

I use one of the oil filled heaters in the cabin bathroom all winter just in case I don't get by to start the wood stove.

I use two 100 watt light bulbs in the well house. I used to only use one but it burnt out a couple of years ago and I lost the pump and one of the filter housings.

jim

[280plus]

Grainger stock # 3VU37. Has thermal cutoff and tilt safety. 

[Scout26]

I use a $19.99 ceramic heater in the camper at deer camp.  That by itself will keep it toasty down to around 15F.  If it gets below that I fire up either the propane furnace or another heater depending. 

But at $17 per day, I can use a lot of electricity before I break even. 

[MrsSmith]

Ah, see, I didn't really read the whole post apparently. Clearly the propane thing isn't suitable for keeping pipes from freezing.
Sorry!

[RevDisk]

Already is winterized, partially. But there is no hot water out there. It's a shop bathroom.

280plus, I'll look into it.


Sounds like the oil filled heater thingie is the winner. Any pictures, names or descriptions?

[mtnbkr]

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Optimus-Portable-Oil-Filled-Radiator-Heater/15162311

Chris

[Perd Hapley]

I think Kahr has a good reputation.

Oh, wait. I thought you meant a small, reliable heater, in the hard-boiled, pulp novel sense.

[never_retreat]

Oil filled electric radiators are very safe, or if the space is small enough use a light bulb.

[K Frame]

Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, Walmart, Kmart, Sears, etc. etc. etc. all normally carry this kind of heater.

Delonghi and Pelonis are two of the big names. Honeywell is also a name you'll see.

When you are shopping, see if you can find one with a freeze protection setting. It will only come on when the temperature drops to 40 or so degrees.


Home Depot's website has the pelonis for $40.

[Hawkmoon]

Delonghi and Pelonis are two of the big names. Honeywell is also a name you'll see.

I've had a DeLonghi for twenty-five years or so. Still works fine. I originally bought it when I was renting a one-room office in a 200+ year old building that didn't have much going for it in the way of balancing for the forced air heating system. The house I live in now has a half-finished basement with no heat and no insulation. I keep the portable heater over near the end where the two windows and walk-out door are located right next to the washer and laundry sink. It works nice;y to prevent pipes from freezing on cold nights. And the area I'm heating is a lot bigger than a closet.

[AJ Dual]

Wait for the ice pack to freeze up, and go snowmobile across to go steal one of those Russian RTG powered nav-beacons.