Best Garage Heater [2.4kW Athena Wi-Fi Infrared Bar Heater] Workshop Electric Heating Costs & Review

Best Garage Heater [2.4kW Athena Wi-Fi Infrared Bar Heater] Workshop Electric Heating Costs & Review
In this video, I install and review an infrared bar heater I'm using to heat my garage workshop.
Here's a link to the 2.4kW Athena Wi-Fi Infrared Bar Heater on Surya Heating:
www.suryaheating.co.uk/indoor...
And check out their other bar heaters here:
www.suryaheating.co.uk/indoor...
Or on Amazon:
www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrorstone-...
Last year when I was working in the garage I really suffered the cold, and it made me spend less time out working on the project, and the time I spent was uncomfortable. This year, my plan is not to suffer, but to instead install heating in the garage, and Infrared Heating ticks so many of my boxes its almost too good to be true.
Those of you who subscribe and watch all our videos may recall last year when my old man installed a Chinese diesel heater into his workshop. His is more of a shed and even less well insulated than my double garage.
The power of that heater surprised us, and it also turned out to be very cheap to run if using red diesel. I was tempted to go with this, but there is a serious Achilles heel with them, and that's they are excessively noisy. They sound like a jet engine and as we're trying to record videos in our garages, it's far from ideal.
I also considered a charming log burner, but by the time I'd priced that up and considered how I'd need to rearrange the workshop, I decided against that too.
That was when Surya Heating got in touch with me recommending I try one of their powerful infrared bar heaters.
On paper, infra red heating is too good to be true:
1. They are powerful and provide almost instantaneous heat
2. They operate silently without any moving parts
3. They are energy efficient to run and good value to buy
4. They are very easy to install
The way an IR heater works is using infrared waves to heat the objects in an area, using radiant heat instead of convection heat. Infrared heating doesn't rely upon heating the air in a space to hear the space and objects within, it heats the space directly.
In practice, the heat is far more pleasant to be around than the heat coming from my old fan heater. It warms you up rather than creating a horrible dry atmosphere in the room.
The energy the IR heater uses is also minimal relative to it's power. The fan heater I was using before barely made a dent in the temperature of the room using 2400w of power. The 2400w Athena Bar Heater has a very big impact compared, while using the same amount of power.
My home and workshop are using around £0.05 of electricity per hour at idle, when I switch on the infrared heating on to power 3 (approx 75% power) that raises to around £0.40 per hour, and on full power it's around £0.65p per hour which is great value considering how much warmer the garage space is.
If it means I can spend more hours in winter working on the E30 project in the garage then it's worth every penny.
Garage installation of the 2.4kW Athena Wi-Fi Infrared Bar Heater was very easy, requiring only basic tools. I drilled 4 holes in the wall of my single-skin garage and used the supplied wall plugs and screws to affix the articulating brackets to the wall. I then offered up the heater bar and secured it with the provided wingnuts.
This system is very good because it allows your to point the infrared bar heater exactly where you want it, and with IR heat, you want to have good line of sight to get the waves.
This particular Athena IR heater model comes with a simple to use remote, and also the option to control it via a smartphone app over wifi. This is particularly useful if you want to set the heater going to warm a room up before entering it.
It even has a sensor which can tell when there is nobody in the space and switch the heater off automatically to reduce energy consumption. Particularly handy is the option to control it on a thermostat which means it will maintain the rooms temperature once achieved.
I will no doubt be putting this which I believe to be best garage heating through its paces over winter.
For more helpful how-to guides and restoration project logs, visit our blog: www.spannerrash.com/
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[@ohioken1]

I bought a 1500 watt unit very similar to yours. I have it aiming at my work bench. I only turn it on when I am at the bench and even on the coldest days, I find it keeps me warm within 30 seconds (as you said it heats you not the air, so the rest of the garage is still cold. I decided to make a portable stand to mount it to so if I need to work in another area, I simply move it. Since it is only on when I am standing there, my electric bill only increased by about 10-20 dollars a month. I am happy with that.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Making it portable is an actual stroke of genius, I love that idea! That's a great result really glad its working out for you. I love mine.

[@zk9964]

Nice setup. I too like these style as one gets quite toasty when near it without heating up a whole dungeon. Cheers!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks, yeah I'm really pleased with it so far, a major upgrade for the garage I'd say. 😁

[@ToolsandTime]

Cool heating solution--I hope it makes your garage more toasty. Thanks for telling us about it.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers! It's definitely made a big difference.

[@michaelbeckman1794]

Yeah, with a 20 x 22 garage, it would get so cold inside. I had moved the old household fridge into the garage when we moved in to store the household overflow. It just wouldn't work in the colder there was no thermostat heater for it to keep it working properly in the cold conditions,

[@BITTYBOY121]

Great heater - Professional installation mate - Just bought one of those cheapo £59.99 pink light 2000 watt infrared patio heaters off eBay to heat up my metal shed - Fingers crossed It will be half as decent as your heater ! - No one likes to spend hours in a freezing cold work space, especially with the extra cold weather we're now having ! lol - A warm comfortable work area = the more you enjoy working there = the more time you can spend there = the more work you can get done on the BMW E30 project ! - Best of luck mate. 👍👍👍

[@SPANNERRASH]

100%! Project is taking long enough as it is, I can't also be defeated by the cold. 😆 Hope your heater works out well

[@BITTYBOY121]

@@SPANNERRASH Cheers mate - Keep the great videos coming ! 👍

[@BadE30]

I have actually just been thinking about a heating solution for my workshop! Especially with planning to spray the interior soon, need dry heat like the IR. Cool man

[@SPANNERRASH]

Nice, well I'm seriously impressed with this IR heater. If it's got line of sight on you and you're within a few metres, it's really great. Plus silent which was a big deal for me. The fan heater I was using before was pants compared to this, and while using an equal amount of power, being noisy and kicking dust into the air - which is no good for painting. Speaking of painting, people use IR to speed drying up, I think those lamps are just the same type of thing as this in reality.

[@BadE30]

@@SPANNERRASH sorry yeh I meant IR heaters for the spraying! Good work

[@michaelbeckman1794]

After living in MN for 6 years, I finally decided to heat my 20' x 20' garage this year. Purchased a 30k natural gas heater (also runs on propane). Have it set on the lowest setting and the garage is holding at 55-60 degrees with outside temps at zero. The gas is much cheaper than electricity. Also have the thermostat controlled blower/fan on the unit.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Sounds like a good solution, thanks

[@markmanning5683]

What did you install? Brand and Model, maybe cost? Thanks.

[@michaelbeckman1794]

@markmanning5683 it's called Dyna Flow. They come in 10-20 &30 BTU and are non vented. I also purchased their thermostat controlled. I also have a electric fan in the garage that helps move the air throughout the garage. I also use the lowest heat setting and have three tempurator gauges placed in different locations and the furthest one reads 5 degrees colder but that one is closest to the roolup garage door. You can purchase them at places like Menards, Tractor Suppy, etc for less than $200 depending on the BTU you decide on and sale prices . I had my HVAC guy install it, running the gas line from the basement. Another option is to go with a vented heater.

[@michaelbeckman1794]

@markmanning5683 with the cost of a 20' gas line, fittings and install it was another $250.

[@bzamski17]

That’s why the government wants to ban natural gas to sell us overpriced energy that isn’t sustainable if everyone is using it

[@bobfrankish8883]

Interesting video. I have about the same size garage, 29.9 sq. m floor area. I am 71 now and hate working in the cold, and have tried all ways to economically heat the garage. I tried a halogen heater, which is a similar device to yours, they emit short wave infra red, which is ideal for drying paint (the main reason I got one). They do seem to belt out heat, far more than the cheap fan heater, but I found that they don't really increase the temperature of the space that much at all. Consequently, if you are working under the car for instance, it is still freezing. In my case, I find the best and most economical way to get the workshop comfortable (I class 12 degrees C as a minimum, and try and aim for 15) is to use a propane space heater first to get the garage up to temperature, then use 2 decent quality electric heaters, 1 fan and 1 convector, both with thermostats, to maintain the working temperature. That way, the fan heater gives me some warmer air at floor level, and the convector gives it a boost. With both heaters on full, they consume 5KW, which will now cost about £1.75 per hour, but once the garage is up to temp. they switch on and off on their thermostats so end up costing about half that. As I only tend to work for about 6 hours maximum nowadays, it's not too bad. Anything is better than nothing though, so I'm sure you will be a lot happier working in there this winter.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Thanks for the detailed comment Bob, I appreciate it. Sounds like you've got a serious heating setup for your garage there! I like that you've turned it into a system. I see what you're saying about working underneath the car, this heater does need to have line-of-sight on you to hit the spot, so if you're tucked under a car it might not get through so well! However, I found a fan heater was no use with that anyway as the hot air rises to the ceiling and stays there. I think ultimately what makes a garage difficult is the insulation, or lack thereof. So any heat you get into the room just escapes through the walls and any gaps to the outside. I imagine the powerful space heater really makes a big impact in preparing the room for more reasonable heating to take over - like the type I've fitted. My requirements were especially awkward though as I needed silence to be able to make these vids! 😃 With where it's positioned and how powerful it is, I reckon it will be a huge improvement to my winter spannering.

[@bobfrankish8883]

@@SPANNERRASH System would be too strong a word, sounds a bit like I might be organised in some way! Anyhow, you are dead right, insulation is the issue. My garage is a sectional concrete one with 7' high walls and a flat roof. I boarded it out with 12mm ply to make it easier to put shelves up etc. and stuck some 25mm polystyrene sheets into the recesses in the concrete panels, so I guess that's better than nothing. The main heat loss is the roof, mine is cement based corrugated sheets. Being a tight Yorkshireman, I checked out all the cheapest ways of insulating the roof, but with these type of garages, there has to be a flow of air under the roof, and I did not want to lose much height. So, I made a timber framework using that 19 x 38mm treated timber which is about the cheapest you can buy, and stapled bubble wrap to the underneath, with more bubble wrap 3 sheets thick above it, which made a huge difference. Obviously, suspect from the fire point of view, but I figured if the roof has caught fire, there's not much hope for the rest of the place including its' contents.

[@SPANNERRASH]

@@bobfrankish8883 Haha! Ahh yes I have a single garage which is the sectional concrete style too. All of the caulk has dropped out from between the sections which is a shame. I need to overhaul that one for car storage. The car that's in there will not appreciate water coming in. The double garage with the heater has a super thick flat roof which came in a few sections. It must be a foot thick foam and a metal skin top and bottom. It was all I could get at the time, but such a good roof has turned out to be a blessing. The single skin breeze block walls however don't offer much in terms of insulation, neither does the double door, but I've added a few foam panels to all the recesses on it to give it a fighting chance. I am considering lining the whole inside of the place but like you don't want to sacrifice interior space if I don't need to. The bubblewrap sounds like a good idea, effectively an airgap which is a big help for sure. But yes you're right about the fire resistance being suspect. I guess if you're careful you'll be fine!

[@wolfe2118]

I use those to cure paint in my body shop, hope you enjoy an astronomical electric bill. As others have mentioned an air source heat pump (mini split) is the way to go if you are running on electricity. I have three on my property, the 23kbtu unit keeps my 1800ft shop warm and only pulls 10 amps at max heat. It is not a "diy" unit but anyone that can change their spark plugs and read very simple instructions can install using nothing more than a cheap AC pump and cheap adapter. the refrigerant is already in the unit. It takes me longer to unpack the boxes and find my tools than it does to install in a garage.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Nice, I have had a few recommendations for those heat pumps. I will have to look into it. Are they quiet and work even with poor insulation though?

[@wolfe2118]

I have a natural gas furnace in my shop and a mini split, I can hold a quiet conversation directly beneath the mini split, I can't do that right next to the furnace. The outside unit is only moderately noisy during full heat but even then, it's much quieter than a normal outside AC unit. I have a higher end unit in another room that is so quiet you can hear nothing but the air moving through it.@@SPANNERRASH

[@normanmart7933]

Just found your channel and doing similar stuff but clearly need a few pointers on how to keep my workshop clean and tidy any tips.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Nice, and that's one of the hardest things. Having good quality shelving for parts and an external shed for long-term storage is a game changer. I wish I could keep my work space much tidier than it is though. But there's just too much going on. 😂

[@jwhite4]

The infrared heater might be good when you are working directly in it's path. But I'd think once you'd walk away from it (say to another part of the garage), isn't it as cold there as a was before?

[@SPANNERRASH]

It does need to have line of sight on you and not be too far away to work. Luckily with my square-shaped garage that's not too big of a deal. It's surprisingly good for my application.

[@littlejimmy7402]

So it heats objects and not air, I get that. So, is there a pre-heat time or whatever you'd call it until I walk out to the shop and the heater is a peak performance? Gets cold in Kansas, but I'd like to use My shop.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Not really it powers up very quickly, in seconds. Switch it on and get in front of it and you'll have a great time. Switch it off when you exit, this is what makes it more economical.

[@vinpat6703]

What is the warmth in other parts of the shop?

[@SPANNERRASH]

It's a very square 5x5m room so lends itself well to this type of heater. It doesn't warm you as much the further away you get from it, and it doesn't warm you up much if it doesn't have line-of-sight on you. But if you're working nearby, it's really great.

[@WatchingTheo]

An infared heater wont heat the room like a fan heater would. It heats the object it hits only. This makes them very ineffiecnt as a heat source. 2400w isn't going to be cheap to run. You're looking at 65p an hour, £2.60 for 4 hours. If you want efficiency, your better off with 2x 1500w Flat, wall hung oil radiators (not the floor standing fin ones). They will heat up and switch off, while the hot oil still pumps out heat.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Interesting suggestion, I will look those up, it could be interesting to combine. Cheers

[@emil.honganmaki5461]

Yes, it heats the air in the room itself in the courtyard apartment with thermostat control. consumption much lower than with a fan

[@patrickm318]

I just did a DIY heat pump install for my garage and it's working well so far. Cheap to run but a bit more on the install. Love the videos, great resource as I fix most of the same issues on my E30 318is.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Patrick, glad you're finding the vids useful! a DIY heat pump install? I didn't know that was was a thing, sounds really interesting I'll have to look that up.

[@patrickm318]

@SPANNERRASH your progress has been very inspiring! Ya they (Mr Cool) sell ones with pre-charged linesets and you just need an electrician to set up 240V power. It's more expensive but it very efficiently cools in the summer, heats in the winter, dehumidifies, etc all controlled on an app with custom schedules and thermostat control. It's also very quiet. Anyways, probably more info than you needed haha - cheers!

[@fionaGoldisgood]

Can not agree more.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Cheers Fiona!

[@ScienceBitch123]

Does this heat the rest of the room that's not right in front of it though? Also your car will get super hot right in front of it

[@SPANNERRASH]

It heats the objects (including and especially your person) in the room, rather than the air in the room. Really great in a garage because all the tools and the things you're working on are a much nicer temperature to work on. Rather than every spanner being painful to touch its so cold. you do need to have "line of sight" on it and not be too far away. In my square double garage it does a great job mounted up high. The car bonnet will get warm, but not like it would outside on a hot summer's day so I'm not worried about damage.

[@kavanobrien6547]

How much was it and where did you buy it from,

[@SPANNERRASH]

Hi mate, check out Surya Heating's website or see the product on Amazon here: www.amazon.co.uk/Mirrorstone-1-2KW-2-4KW-Controllable-Infrared-Mounted/dp/B0CHBLBLCP/ref=sr_1_1?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=alexandermo0f-21&linkCode=ur2&linkId=aca32e1127f91a21fe68f5784027b16f&camp=1634&creative=6738

[@FosterKhoza-j2c]

I need to fix it because my broken

[@SPANNERRASH]

Your bar heater is broken? How'd that happen?

[@thelouiebrand]

These cost a fortune to run. It needs to be on 24/7 to keep a garage at a decent temp and you’ll still need a jacket in sub 20’s and especially below 0.

[@SPANNERRASH]

The idea is it heads up you rather than the room. So if you're working in front of it and it's on half power, it's great and cost-effective. If it's on while you're not in front of it, it will waste money. The key is using it in the right way. I've found it to be pretty great!

[@TheOneAndOnlyRalph]

3rd Degree Burns are a fact very dabgerous

[@SPANNERRASH]

lol very true

[@peted3637]

I have tried them all; 2 x 2000W fan heaters, 1 x 2000W infrared heater, 1 x LPG patio heater, and, finally, a reverse cycle heat pump. 1 - Fan heater(s) - Can be placed to blow heat on me, but not much of an impact on garage temperature. 2 - Infrared - Can be placed close to heat me directly, but very little impact on garage temperature, and still leaves the lower 1/3 of the air in the garage really cold. 3 - LPG heater - Really heats up the air, tries to poison me with CO, and still leaves the lower 1/3 of the air in the garage really cold. 4 - Reverse Cycle - tops out at ~ 1200 watts consumption, blows tons of air downward where I want it, but struggles a bit when the outside temperature is low (unit is undersized). Can also cool the garage, too. One point to note for you is your 'efficiency' observations. You are comparing resistive heating and the heat output versus energy input is a 1:1 ratio. A COP of 1. Reverse cycle is typically a COP of 3 to 5. ie, 1KW input = 3KW output.

[@SPANNERRASH]

Interesting comparison Pete, thanks for sharing that. The whole heat pump thing is quite a new suggestion made to me by a few people now. I really should look into that.

[@TheOneAndOnlyRalph]

Don't fall asleep in front of this, Y'll Get 3Degre Burns!

[@SPANNERRASH]

Haha you're not wrong 🤣

[@Zam786]

A calor gas is great

[@SPANNERRASH]

Like a space heater? Yeah they are pretty powerful

[@leerouse2001]

If you put a ceiling ⚙️ fan in It would circulate the heat through your workshop more than you think. Remember🤔 heat rises. It doesn't matter what you're using. Just a little Idea Your way🫵

[@SPANNERRASH]

Interesting idea Lee, this heat is hard to describe though. I'm not sure a fan would work because that would only blow air and this heater doesn't heat the air, it heats the objects in front of it. It's really hard to explain!

[@leerouse2001]

@SPANNERRAS take a thermostat, find out what your temperature is above and then what the temperature is below. This will tell you exactly. Were your heat exactly going🫵⁉️ I understand it is a direct heat but when Any type of heat system? We're always put off some sort. Repeat threw out the area. Try that, let me know, reply back to me. What's your temperature is above and what it is below. If you put a ceiling fan above, make sure you turn it on low and make sure that the fan blades are turning counter clockways. That way, it will circulate the heat throughout the room. But let me know what differences above and below temperature.