Looking for the best propane heater for your garage? You are in the right place.
Propane heaters use propane instead of electricity as a heat source. When used to heat garages, propane heaters are viable options because they don’t increase your electricity bill and can heat large spaces. That said, finding the best propane heaters for garages is not easy. There are dozens of products to choose from and each one claims to be the best. The good news is that we’re here to help. We’re going to take you through some of the best propane heaters for garages. While our favorite choice is the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater, we also have two other units that work well for specific situations and garages. Read on to learn more!
Best Propane Heaters for Garages
Below are the 3 best propane heaters for garages.
1). Top Pick: Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater
Quick Facts
- BTU: 30,000 to 60,000 BTU
- Range: 1,500 square feet
- Heating Time: 14 hours
- Wide BTU range
- Durable and portable design
- Quick assembly
- Indoor and outdoor
- 50% quieter than similar propane heaters
- Uses more propane than other heaters
Why We Like It: The Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is our favorite choice because of its range and power. It can heat large garages without using too much propane.
Quick Facts
- BTU: 30,000 to 60,000 BTU
- Range: 1,500 square feet
- Heating Time: 14 hours
The Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is a durable and portable product. It can heat most traditional garages and can be moved around with ease. While it doesn’t look like a traditional propane heater, the cone-like design helps the unit disperse hot air quickly and efficiently. It’s also 50% quieter than similar products and comes with a wide range of settings to help you heat spaces faster or help with propane conservation. With a standard propane tank, it’s a unit that you can turn on and forget about for more than half a day. The Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater also has the fastest assembly compared to similar products and can be used inside garages or outdoors.
What Sets It Apart
The Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is unique because of its portability. It’s one of the few propane garage heaters that features a handle and outdoor capabilities. While it’s designed for portability, it’s made with industrial-grade quality that keeps it safe in garages, harsh elements, and even at job sites. Many products sacrifice quality for portability but this unit excels in almost every notable area for propane garage heaters.
Things To Consider
The Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is a great product but it’s not for everyone. One of the biggest flaws is that it uses a lot of propane and is best suited for large garages. While these features are great for some shoppers, some people are better off with smaller units. If you’re looking for a smaller unit that has a similar quality, the Gasland Propane Heater is a great choice. While it only heats 500 square feet of space, it does so efficiently and for a low cost.
Who It’s For
The Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is the perfect choice for people who need a portable garage heater. While it’s suitable for most garages, if you plan on using a propane heater in several places the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is your best choice. Its portable design and advanced features make it ideal for people who work on job sites and can even be used for camping trips.
Pros
- Wide BTU range
- Durable and portable design
- Quick assembly
- Indoor and outdoor
- 50% quieter than similar propane heaters
Cons
- Uses more propane than other heaters
2). Upgrade Pick: Gasland Propane Heater
Quick Facts
- BTU: 18,000
- Range: 450 square feet
- Heating Time: 20 hours
- Low oxygen protection
- Tip-over protection
- Portable
- Energy-efficient
- Multiple heating settings
- Small heating range
- Low BTU
Why We Like It: The Gasland Propane Heater is one of our favorite choices because of its premium safety features and quiet design. It’s also one of the best units if propane conservation is a necessity.
Quick Facts
- BTU: 18,000
- Range: 450 square feet
- Heating Time: 20 hours
The Gasland Propane Heater is a premium product that comes with a lot of advanced features. While many garage-focused heaters focus on BTU output and durability, the Gasland Propane Heater focuses more on safety. With features like low-oxygen shut-off and tip-over protection, it’s one of the safest units available. It’s also a stylish unit and looks great in ventilated basements or garages. If that’s not enough, it also comes with three heating settings and a portable design if you need to move it. Overall, it’s a premium unit designed for heating small garages.
What Sets It Apart
The Gasland Propane Heater is unique because of its premium features. While it doesn’t have the best heating range, you don’t have to worry about carbon monoxide or tip-overs. It also benefits from being one of the best-looking propane heaters for a garage. Instead of having an industrial appearance, it resembles a space heater that you would find in a living room and basement. Another feature that sets the Gasland Propane Heater apart is its propane-saving ability. Because it uses less BTU, it can operate for longer on the same 20-pound propane tank.
Things To Consider
The Gasland Propane Heater is a great product for smaller garages but it struggles in larger environments. It struggles in larger garages because it only has a range of 450 square feet. While this is enough to heat parts of a garage, it won’t be enough for 2-car garages or 3-car garages. If you’re looking for a propane heater with a better range, we recommend the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater as an alternative. It can heat 1,500 square feet, which is enough for large garages.
Who It’s For
The Gasland Propane Heater is a great choice for people who don’t have large garages. When it comes to safety and efficiency, it’s second-to-none; this makes it great for people who have children that will come in and out of the garage. It’s also a good choice for people who only want to heat a small section of their garage. In these cases, the small propane requirements and small range make it efficient and cost-effective.
Pros
- Low oxygen protection
- Tip-over protection
- Portable
- Energy-efficient
- Multiple heating settings
Cons
- Small heating range
- Low BTU
Read Also: Best 120v Electric Garage Heater
3). Budget Pick: Mr Heater Tank Top Heater
Quick Facts
- BTU: 30,000, 36,000, 45,000
- Range: 1,500 square feet
- Heating Time: 28-48 hours
- Simple assembly
- Indoor and outdoor usage
- Tip-over protection
- Open flame
- Requires a lot of ventilation
Why We Like It: We love the Mr Heater Tank Top Heater because of its flexibility as an indoor/outdoor propane heater. It also has great customization options and the ability to connect to 100-pound propane tanks.
Quick Facts
- BTU: 30,000, 36,000, 45,000
- Range: 1,500 square feet
- Heating Time: 28-48 hours
The Mr Heater Tank Top Heater is a unique product that features a simple design. It’s a propane heater that rests on the top of propane tanks, which makes it portable and easy to assemble. Moreover, it has three heating settings and can be used indoors (garages) and outdoors. The Mr Heater Tank Top Heater also comes with several safety features to prevent accidents and injuries. One example is the shut-off switch that turns the unit off if the propane tank is tipped over. It also features a heavy-duty bracket and quiet design that produces radiant heat.
What Sets It Apart
The Mr Heater Tank Top Heater is unique from similar products because of its flexible design. While it doesn’t have many premium features, you can use it with most propane tanks and customize your heating experience. Its simple design also makes it easier to assemble than similar propane heaters. Plus, it can be used indoors and outdoors, which sets it apart from the average space heater for garages. That said, it’s also one of the few models that come with a switch that turns it off if it tips over.
Things To Consider
We love the Mr Heater Tank Top Heater but it’s not perfect. One of the biggest drawbacks is that it has an open flame, which is dangerous for children. Another problem is that it’s not always the best choice for garages because it needs a lot of ventilation. If you’re looking for a more well-rounded propane heater for your garage, the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is a great choice. It’s made by the same manufacturer but comes with more garage-friendly features.
Who It’s For
The Mr Heater Tank Top Heater is a great choice for people who need an indoor/outdoor propane heater. You can use it in garages during the winter months but use it on patios or camping trips in the warmer months. It’s also a great choice for people who plan on moving it around often because of its portable design and simple assembly. Furthermore, it’s a budget-friendly unit for shoppers that don’t want to break the bank on a garage heater.
Pros
- Simple assembly
- Indoor and outdoor usage
- Tip-over protection
Cons
- Open flame
- Requires a lot of ventilation
Everything You Need to Know About Propane Heaters
Looking at the best propane heaters for garages is a great place to start. That said, finding the perfect product for your specific garage is easier said than done. You need to make sure that the propane heater has the right BTU, range, and more. The good news is that we’re here to help. We’re going to take you through some features to consider before deciding to help you narrow down your options.
BTU for Propane Garage Heaters
First and foremost, it’s important to understand the unit of measurement, BTU. BTU stands for British thermal unit. The measurement is used to determine how much heat is required to increase the temperature of one pound of water by a single degree (Fahrenheit). The United States also follows the same unit of measurement for things like space heaters, propane heaters, and other heaters. BTU can also be used to determine how much heat can be removed from a pound of water by an air conditioner.
When Shopping for a propane heater, understanding BTU is essential. For garages, you want a BTU range that’s between 20,000 and 90,000. The amount of BTUs you need depends on the size of your garage. Smaller garages can get by on 20,000 BTUs but 2-car garages need at least 45,000 BTU. That said, there are plenty of propane heaters that fall within this BTU range. For smaller garages, we recommend the Gasland Propane Heater. On the other hand, the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater is great for 2-car garages and bigger garages.
Range
The next factor to consider is the range of a propane heater for garages. Range is important because it determines how large of an area a propane heater can cover. The range for propane heaters is measured in square feet. One square foot is the area of a square with sides that are one foot. You can measure the square feet of your garage by multiplying the length and width of the room. Before considering a propane heater for your garage, we recommend having a rough estimate of how large your garage is.
If you have a larger garage, we recommend a propane heater like the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater. This heater will heat an area to 1,500 square feet. On the other hand, smaller garages and work areas don’t need an expensive or powerful unit. Instead, the Gasland Propane Heater is a cost-effective and efficient choice for a space that’s less than 500 square feet.
Heating Time
Lastly, it’s important to understand the heating time for propane heaters. When we talk about the heating time we’re referring to how long a propane heater for a garage can operate without needing more propane. Some products come with low and high settings and these settings influence the amount of heating time a unit has. A good rule of thumb to follow is that a 20-pound propane tank can be used for about 13-15 hours. For example, the Mr Heater Portable Propane Forced Air Heater has a 20-pound tank and can run for 14 hours on the lowest setting.
That said, some products can heat spaces for longer periods because they have less BTU. One example is the Gasland Propane Heater. On a 20-pound propane tank, it can heat a 450-square foot space for about 20-25 hours. This is more cost-effective for people who don’t need large garages heated.
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Propane Heaters FAQ
Are Propane Heaters Safe for Garages?
Yes, propane heaters are safe for garages. In fact, propane heaters are also a cost-effective way to heat your garage without increasing your electricity bill. That said, ventilation is important when using propane heaters. Having proper ventilation (placing the unit near a window) lowers the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
How Much BTU Is Enough for a 2-Car Garage?
To efficiently heat a 2-car garage a propane heater needs to produce about 45,000. If it’s a 2.5-car garage a BTU of 50,000 is more ideal and 3-car garages should have propane heaters with 60,000 BTU. For one car garage, 20,000 BTU is sufficient. The BTU needed to heat a garage also depends on the climate. Colder climates require more BTU than warmer climates.
How Long Can a Propane Heater Heat a Garage?
Propane heaters can heat garages for about 10 hours (on average). This number is derived from propane’s Heating potential. For example, one gallon of propane can produce 91,502 BTUs. Each pound contains about 21,548 BTUs, so a 20-pound propane tank can heat 1,000 square feet for about 10 hours. There are also climate factors that determine the effectiveness of propane as a heat source.
Does a Propane Heater Need to Be Vented?
Yes, propane heaters need to be vented. Without proper ventilation, propane creates carbon monoxide that can reach toxic levels. When it comes to using a propane heater in a garage, there needs to be an open window or door to release the carbon monoxide. Otherwise, the risk of death and illness increases.
Can You Use Outdoor Propane Heaters in Garages?
No, you shouldn’t use outdoor propane heaters inside garages. While some propane heaters are designed for indoor and outdoor usage, outdoor-specific propane heaters release dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide if used indoors. Carbon monoxide poses a little risk when ventilated outdoors but it can’t escape spaces like garages if there is no ventilation. Therefore, it’s essential to use a propane heater for your garage that’s designed for indoor use.
Stay Warm!
Keeping your garage warm is easier said than done. Garages are typically not connected to a home’s primary heating source, which means you’ll need to use space heaters or upgrade your heating unit. The good news is that propane heaters for garages are viable options that produce a lot of heat for a reasonable price.
Propane as a fuel source is also effective for heating large spaces like 2-car garages. While they’re not perfect, having the right propane heater for your garage can make all of the difference during colder months of the year and even help you save money on your electric bill.
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