Whether you’re a hobbyist who wants to work in comfort year-round or plan to convert the space, adding climate control makes the garage livable year-round. There are plenty of good options, none of which include extending your forced-air HVAC system to condition the garage.
Good air quality and home safety is a priority and running ductwork to the garage carry the risk of contaminating the air throughout your home with the gases and fumes commonly found in the garage. With proper installation, none of these heating and cooling systems will pose a safety hazard.
Heating Systems
Ductless mini split heat pumps. These systems are designed to provide year-round heating and cooling. They are ideal for garages since they don’t use a combustion fuel to create heat. Rather, they extract it from the air. Ductless systems blow the air directly from an air handler that sits on the floor or hangs on the wall. A high-efficiency ductless heat pump will be able to warm your garage to comfortable temperatures in all but the coldest weather, giving you dependable and energy efficient climate control. Heat pumps are a more affordable choice than baseboard heaters in the long run.
Combustion heaters. Natural gas or propane vented and unvented heaters are available for garages. A vented heater is much safer because all the combustion gases go outdoors. An unvented heater uses an oxygen sensor as a safety switch. When the levels fall too far, the heater shuts off. They’re not considered as safe as vented heaters and if you do use one, run it in short cycles and be sure you have a window or door cracked slightly open.
Cooling Options
Wall, window, and portable air conditioners will provide summertime cooling. The size you need will depend on the overall energy efficiency of the building and your preferred temperatures. An HVAC professional can help you size and install a mini split system.
If you’re going to climate control the garage with combustion heating systems or a ductless mini split heat pump, contact the pros at Ace Hardware Home Services, providing trusted HVAC services for Dayton-area homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
