Posts: 3,750
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Joined: Dec 2006
Location: SW Pa.
I bought 4 12000 BTU mini splits when Menards had a good price. One in my house...does a great job. Two in rentals... they are happy. The one in the garage does a fine job. Heating and cooling meet my needs. I have an electric heater and ventless propane as backup if needed. They were my original sources. The days in the mid 80's the dehumidifier does just fine and costs less.
I bought a vacuum pump and installed them all myself. Don't forget a surge protector. I bought an 80-dollar one that is guaranteed to protect the device.
If it can't kill you it probably ain't no good. Better living through chemicals.
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Joined: Jan 2005
I’d recommend going with a Modine Hot Dawg heater. I’ve had one in my garage, and it works really well for quickly heating up the space, which is perfect for woodworking. It’s also good for keeping things warm enough to avoid rust. I’ve tried electric heaters before, but they can get expensive and don’t heat up as fast. Mini splits are nice, but they’re more for well-insulated spaces.
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Approx. same size shop in central IN, attached to house, insulated about the same as yours. Mine is plumbed to NG, but you can get LP models. This is my second unit, first one lasted about 15 years and when the thermocouple went out I just bought a new unit. Ventless, so easy install. Have never not had it so don't really know how much it's costing me extra but not so much that I notice our gas bill is higher than expected. It keeps the shop however warm I want it, i.e.- it will heat you out if you turn it all the way up. Simple to operate and maintain and no electricity required so it's potentially backup heat in a power outage. Never noticed a humidity problem (common concern with ventless gas heaters). Run CO and gas alarm but never had a trigger. Run a window A/C unit in the summer if it's really hot.
