Benefits of a Garage Heater

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Midwest winters are always a wild card. They can go from warm one day to negative twenty the next. You may use your garage for work, storage, or just to keep your car safe. Many homeowners may not even consider installing a heater in the garage, but if you spend a lot of time in there, it may offer more benefits than you think. Follow along as WestAIR Heating & Cooling discusses the benefits of a garage heater.

Keeps your Vehicle in Good Shape

If you look out your window on a weekday morning and see snow, ice, and a whole lot of work to get your car out, it may be time to start using your garage and invest in a heater. Garage heaters will not only help keep your car safe, but your loved ones too. If you drive your kids to daycare or school every morning, you don’t want to lug around a car seat in the freezing cold and ice or get into a freezing car every morning. With a garage heater, you will have less of a chance of slipping and you will be getting into a warm car. Snow, ice, and salt can be damaging to your car. Garage heaters can also help to protect your car from rust, and it will help protect the engine of your car.

Adds More Living Space

If you enjoy working on your car and having more room for activities, a garage heater will take living to the next level. You will be able to work in your garage year-round and have extra space in your house. Pets, children, and adults will have room for activities, and won’t have to be outside in the freezing cold. Some garages can double as a home gym, an art studio, a yoga studio, and so much more. Your garage can be more than just a storage unit for your cars and tools.

Helps Heat Your Home

One massive benefit of a garage heater is that it helps to keep your whole house warmer. The interior walls that are connected to your garage are going to be cold. Having a garage heater will help the warm air rise and balance out the temperature of the rooms above and around it. You will stay nice and cozy throughout the house.

With the cold days closing in on us, now is the time to start thinking about how to deal with this gnarly weather. A garage heater is just one of the many ways to keep your vehicles in good shape, add more living space to your home, and help keep your garage and home at a decent temperature. The professionals at WestAIR Heating & Cooling are here to help you select the perfect garage heater for your space and budget.  Contact us today to learn more and keep your garage comfortable year-round.

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Benefits of Heating Your Garage

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Benefits-of-Heating-Your-Garage

When you think about heating your home, you likely zero in on the traditional, indoor living space. But what about the garage? Today’s garage is more than simply a place to park the car or store tools. And with the frigid temperatures of winter just around the corner, you may want to consider the benefits of heating your garage.

Protect Your Car

Parking your car in a garage during the winter helps protect the vehicle from the bitter cold and blustery winds that come with the season. Bitter cold temperatures reduce the car battery’s ability to hold a charge, possibly leaving you stranded. Chilly air can also affect tire pressure, oil thickness, and acceleration.

Having a heated garage keeps the vehicle at a steady temperature. This helps preserve the battery and allows the car to warm up faster, cutting down on fuel consumption and wait time. What’s more, any snow or ice that accumulates during your commute to work or trip to the store will melt away, which means no more scraping the windows before heading out.

Protect Your Family

Cold mornings often mean starting the car to let it warm up before heading out for the day. Doing so while the car is parked in an attached garage can create issues for the air inside your home. Exhaust fumes and emissions can seep in, which can be a threat to your family’s health. A heated garage negates the need to warm up the car, even when it feels like the frozen tundra outside.

Warm the House

If you have a rec room, family room, or even bedrooms adjacent to or directly above your garage, chances are those spaces get pretty chilly in the winter. A garage heater can help remedy this situation. Heating the garage that’s next to or below your additional living space keeps those areas inside the home warmer. As heated air makes its way into those rooms, you’ll notice the whole house staying cozy.

Work(out) in Comfort

Many garages double as workshops, fitness areas, art studios, or even man caves. If you’re building your body or a project in your garage, working on a car or motorcycle, painting, or hanging out with friends, you want to be comfortable, not cold. Keep your space warm with a garage heater and you won’t have to worry about cold discomfort and frozen fingers.

Stay Warm with WestAIR

With winter just around the corner and surely on its way, now is the time to think about how to deal with the cold in and around your home. These benefits of heating your garage are just the start. The experienced professionals at WestAIR Heating & Cooling are happy to discuss garage heaters and determine the best fit for your space, needs, and budget. Contact us today to set up your installation or to learn more.

This entry was posted in Garage,Heating and tagged , , ,

Carbon Monoxide Awareness

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless gas, making it difficult to know when you’ve been exposed. Known as the silent killer, carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common fatal pollutant in many countries. As the weather turns cooler and we turn on our heating systems, it’s important to increase your awareness and take extra precautions.

What Causes Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Burning fossil fuels produce carbon monoxide when oxygen levels are too low to create carbon dioxide. Gas, oil, wood, and coal burning appliances like boilers, central heating systems, water heaters, dryers, and generators are all sources of CO. Smoking cigarettes increases CO levels by 10-40 parts per million. Inhaling fumes from paint thinners and products containing methylene chloride, especially in poorly ventilated areas, causes carbon monoxide to metabolize in the bloodstream.  Cars running in a closed garage can produce a deadly amount of carbon monoxide in only ten minutes! Some factory and industrial workers have exposure to carbon monoxide as well.

Carbon Monoxide Levels at Parts Per Million

The concentration of carbon monoxide is measured in parts per million (PPM), and effects from exposure vary.

  • 0 PPM – Fresh air.
  • 10-24 PPM — Possible long-term exposure risk.
  • 35 PPM — OSHA standard for maximum exposure during an 8-hour work day.
  • 100 PPM — Causes headaches after 1-2 hours.
  • 200 PPM — Causes dizziness, nausea, fatigue.
  • 400 PPM — Life-threatening after 3 hours of exposure.
  • 800 PPM — Death within 2-3 hours of exposure.
  • 1600 PPM — Death within 1-2 hours of exposure.

Symptoms

Inhaling CO turns your hemoglobin into carboxyhemoglobin, which prevents your blood from absorbing oxygen. Be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning in case you are in an area without a working alarm.

  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Disorientation
  • Nausea
  • Blurred Vision
  • Memory loss
  • Loss of consciousness

Risks from CO Exposure

Anyone can be at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Prolonged exposure to CO can lead to seizures, coma, and death. Treatment requires administering 100 percent oxygen, and risk of death reduces as the oxygen brings the HbCO count down to less than 10 percent. Carbon monoxide poisoning is considered an anoxic brain injury, causing long-term neurological problems like memory loss, confusion, and poor coordination.

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, install at least one carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home. Check and replace your batteries twice a year and upgrade your alarm every five years. Schedule annual maintenance on any gas, oil, or coal appliances. Don’t use grills or generators indoors and keep your home and garage properly ventilated.

Contact us to learn more about the safety of your heating or ventilation equipment and to schedule your annual maintenance.

This entry was posted in Garage,Health Tips,Heating,Tips and tagged , , , , , , ,

Find the Right Garage Heater

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

find the right garage heater

 

November is finally pushing us to turn on our thermostats. If you have any last-minute home or work projects to finish, you will need a garage heater as well. If this is your first heater, you will need to assess this situation first. Ask yourself, what do you need a heater for?

Heaters for quick projects.

Are you doing some quick fixer-uppers such as fixing or replacing parts from time to time? Do you have a designated workspace in your garage? If so, consider getting a portable electric heater. These garage heaters are lightweight, quiet, and provides direct heat.

Heaters on the go.

Do you need your garage heater for work projects outdoors or for a traveling job? You will want something fast and portable. Portable gas and kerosene heaters are lightweight and need little maintenance. Both use a fan to help circulate air.

Heaters for long-term projects.

Do you spend most of your time in the garage? Fixing up cars or hanging out with your buds, or just finished the great “Man Cave”? You will want a heater that is installed and thermostat controlled. Installed gas heaters are quick, quiet and project more heat. Electric installed heaters are compact and need little maintenance. Both types of heaters require mounting or installation. We recommend this option because you can keep your space warm to avoid letting your car idle in the winter. You can also provide a warm area for your family or pets.

Schedule an appointment today if you are interested in installing a unit heater for your garage.

 

 

This entry was posted in Fall,Furnace,Garage,Heating,Winter and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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