Garages are often cold, especially in winter.
The garage may seem like the least technologically equipped place in the house, but that’s not true: with a little home automation, the garage can become the most technically advanced and warmest corner of the house. Do you have one and don’t want to be greeted by penguins every time you drive your car outside? I’ve found a few ways to keep it warm without increasing your electricity bill.
Small, bigger, dark, light as a terrace in summer… Every garage is different, no two are the same. And they don’t have to serve only the indicated ones, thanks to garages we have everything from computers to mobile phones, even Amazon was gesticulated in one of them. With increased comfort, they can be turned into a second living room.
Step one: space
Having a garage that can fit three limousines is not the same as having a garage that can barely fit a Mini. Depending on the space, one heating method will work better than another, so you may need to combine different ways of heating your garage.
As well as the size of the room itself, it is also important to consider the amount of space available: do you have plenty of shelves, cupboards, can you move around the car comfortably when it is parked inside? If you don’t have a lot of space, a small radiator may be sufficient. If you have more space, you will need a more sophisticated heating method.
Since heating the dining room is not the same as heating the garage, the temperature you need will not be too high; at least not until you are living in that space. If your garage is about 20 m2 and your car is usually parked in it, a couple of electric radiators or similar will do. A thermostat and a few intercom plugs will be just as (or even more) important to warm up the room a little before you start using it.
Ideally, the garage should be heated for some time before you start using the car. This will increase comfort without increasing consumption too much.
Do you have a garage suitable for a Silicon Valley company? If you don’t have heating, I recommend extending the heating to the rest of the house. Do you use a heat pump? Install a split system in the garage. Or run hot water pipes with a couple of radiators, e.g.
Step two: connect a thermostat
In my experience, keeping any room at the right temperature is much easier with a thermostat connected. In my case, each room has its own thermostat and they are all connected to a control unit that manages the temperature in each room.
As the garage is not a dining room, it is necessary to set the ideal temperature for its comfort. On colder days, a temperature of 18-19 °C is more than enough to keep you from shivering when you get into the car. A thermostat is ideal for the garage.
Mount the thermostat on the wall in front of the garage door and connect it to the home automation system. Or, if you use a mobile phone, control it from your phone. I recommend that the temperature readings are connected to the heating. If you use electric radiators, this option is more than adequate in most cases – a few plugs are enough.
With the thermostat ready, set it to switch on the heating, for example an hour and a half before you get up. Or keep the temperature at a minimum (e.g. 15 °C) and set the comfort setting to run for a while until you go to pick up the car. The more control you have over the time, temperature and heaters needed to heat your garage, the more energy efficient you will be.
Step 3: Adjust your electricity costs
Because I have everything centrally, I know when anomalous consumption has occurred and what I need to do to program the environment more efficiently. This is perfect for the garage too: with thermostat readings and home automation control, you can see temperature fluctuations and the associated consumption; this will show you where adjustments need to be made.
Monitor indicators for colder days, cloudy days, predict weather forecasts and pinpoint start times based on when you get up in the morning. If you use the garage as a home room, you will need to adjust the time and probably add a couple or three degrees to the comfort temperature.
The more data you have about your house and the better you adjust your heating use, the more efficient it will be. Also, if your heating is electric and you leave early in the morning, make the most of the early morning hours when electricity is cheaper.
Correctly set up the heating system that best suits your needs.
If the garage is not too big, I advise you not to break your head: a good quality electric radiator with a smart plug that maintains the radiator’s power (important). If you have a lot of space, it might not be a bad idea to multiply the number of radiators, but the consumption will probably increase.
If you are looking for efficiency and comfort, an air conditioner with a heat pump is the best option. You can install it in the garage or extend the main compressor duct there. And if you already have central heating, consider the cost of extending it into the garage. It will probably be the most cost-effective.
I would not use gas, paraffin, wood or pellet stoves. Apart from the obvious fire risk, they are more difficult (and dangerous) to operate remotely. If you do use them, make sure that your garage is ventilated and that it has safe smoke exhaust pipes.
