In this episode of The Handyguys Podcast we take a question on garage heaters and have some follow-up thoughts on the CarMD product we discussed in episode 91.

Garage Heaters

We received a great question from Captain Kent about heating his garage so he can work on his honey do list. Its excerpted here:

Hi guys! I have a question for you. Last year I purchased a home built in the 80′s and I’m slowly morphing into this Handy-Guy-Do-It-Yourselfer-Inspector-Gadget kind of guy.

I figure my garage being 800 square feet that I can utilize this space in the cold months to do projects out there. In any case, I ripped all the sheet rock off the walls and am about 60% deep in the project of fully insulating the garage. I’m installing Champion windows, a new back door from Lowes, and even insulating the inside of the 20 foot main garage door with a neat Owens Corning garage door insulation kit. I’m doing everything myself accept the walk out door and windows…so far anyway.

I’m a pilot by day and a Handy Guy Podcast Warrior by night. We battle our garages on our days off and then compare notes at 41,000 feet. We decided we are probably both going to go with a hanging natural gas type heater but here comes our question. We thought about just breaking through the wall and piping one of our main house heater ducts into the garage for heat. When the garages are all insulated and sealed up it shouldn’t take a lot of heat to keep them warm, or warm enough to work out there. We were not familiar with any homes that have done this before and figured there must be a good reason for us NOT to do this. We decided to ask you guys if you know of any reason why we would NOT want to simply tap off and route one of our main house ducts into our garages for heat?

Thanks Brian and Paul, keep the podcast coming! I’d be in the poor house if I had to hire somebody to do all the jobs this house needs!

Captain Kent

Utilizing house heat

You need to maintain separation between the house and the garage to prevent easy penetration of flames and fumes. The building codes in your area likely prohibit any garage connection to a forced air central system. Of course, the story would be different if the garage were converted into living space.  In this case, a critical factor is the size of the current hvac system. If your house heat is hot water it might be possible to add a zone from your boiler for in-floor radiant heat.

Permanent installed heat

If you want a permanently installed heat source the best method is using a ceiling mounted heater. These beasts provide the most heat without interfering with handyguy duties or parking a car. The ceiling mounts provide a choice of  gas or electric. Lennox has one that looks nice.

Portable temporary heat

Portable heat will be much less expensive to purchase. You have several options such as portable electric, kerosene or propane. Paul has a portable propane and Brian has a kerosene heater. In Brian’s uninsulated garage the kerosene heater barely does the trick when its cold out and is useless when its fridged out.  Each kind of heater has its pros and cons.  We discuss these in the podcast.

CarMD Revisit

We talked about the CarMD scanner for your car back in Episode 91. The scanner is used to read errors in your vehicles computer to help you diagnose problems. When The Handygusy checked out the units they were impressed but they didn’t have any error codes on their vehicles at the time.  Things of changed and now both Brian and Paul both coincidently have their dreaded “check engine” brightly lit. The CarMD scanner read the error code *and* provided likely solutions with cost estimates for repairs! Well done CarMD, very cool.

Related shows:

1. Magnogrip, Carmd And Permaflow Review
2. Can You Save 50% In Your Energy Bill With A Space Heater?
3. Repair a leaking water heater T&P and planning for a new deck

In this episode of The Handyguys Podcast we discuss air-conditioning.

Air-conditioning is not something the typical handyguy or girl is familiar with. We turn it on and expect it to work as designed. What can we do if it doesn’t cool? Are there specific things to look for before calling in a pro to troubleshoot?

With high humidity and soaring temperatures this summer, the last thing you want to deal with is a broken air conditioner. But when an old air conditioning system fails, you will be faced with the tough and often expensive decision of whether to repair the existing system or purchase a new one.

Repairs on an existing unit may be the least expensive immediate option, but could cost you more in the long run since older systems tend to break down over and over and consume more energy and drive up cooling bills more than newer systems. However, there are times when simple repairs can prolong the life of an air conditioner, making immediate replacement a less sensible option.

Since the Handyguys are not experts in this area and we want to help you make an educated decision, consider the following tips from Bill Cunningham, a home cooling and energy efficiency expert with Lennox. Bill shares a great deal of wisdom and experience with residential central air-conditioning systems, regardless of who manufactures your system. He suggests homeowners ask the following three questions before making the decision whether to repair or replace:

1. Is the air conditioner on its last leg? Excessive energy consumption and frequent repairs are the trademarks of a worn-out system. If the air conditioner is more than 10 years old, replacing the aging system with a new ENERGY STAR-qualified system can save time, money, and headaches – and keep you cooler and more comfortable in the long run. If the system is less than 10 years old, routine maintenance is almost always the way to go. In fact, an annual check-up can significantly increase the air conditioner’s performance and extend the life of the unit. Listen to the podcast for more information.
2. Are your energy bills going up, up and up? While the cost of electricity is on the rise, an older, less efficient air conditioner may also be the culprit when it comes to high energy bills. By replacing an 8 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency rating) cooling system, which is much less efficient than the current SEER level allowed by law, with a 15 SEER system, homeowners can save approximately 47 percent on energy bills and up to $3,095 over a five-year period. Energy calculators, such as the one available on the Lennox site can help consumers compare the savings of different high-efficiency systems and determine whether to repair or replace an older unit. Listen to the podcast for more information.
3. Did your home feel like a steam room even before the air conditioner stopped working? A poorly operating air conditioner or one that is not properly sized for the home can contribute to excessive humidity. Leaky ductwork can also cause humidity problems. When making the decision to repair or replace, talk with a reputable home cooling contractor about the humidity problem to determine if you need to replace the existing system with one that is the right size for the home or if the issue can be resolved with repairs or duct sealing. Listen to the podcast for more information.

We also discuss with Bill a few things you can check yourself before calling a service tech.

1. Does your thermostat use batteries? Many of the fancier thermostats use batteries. If your batteries are dead your system will not work.
2. Did a breaker trip? Its an easy check and will save you the cost of a service call. Look for a tripped breaker if you have no fan or no cooling. You likely have separate breakers for each.
3. Did someone turn it off? Systems usually have switches for killing the power before service. There will be one near your outside unit as well as near your inside unit. There may also be a switch at the top of your basement stairs or somewhere nearby.

Listen to the podcast for more information.

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Related shows:

1. Vehicle Choices, Air Conditioning Leaks And Mower Carb Repair
2. Fall Home Improvement Checklist
3. Energy Star Fraud And Basement Egress Requirements