Any advice on heating a grow located in a 400 square foot garage?

Currently have a Gorilla grow tent set up and I'm looking at a Mr Heater Portable Buddy that is safe for indoor usage. Should I be sitting this propane heater up inside the tent or setting it up outside the tent? Currently conducting a lot of trial and error. I am thinking best option is to have the Mr. Heater outside the tent and inside the tent electric heaters that kick on automatic once the temperature falls below sixty seven degrees. Plants are in the veg stage and I'm checking on them every hour. Trying my best to find the right solution so that I can get a full six to eight hours of sleep! Any and all advice will be appreciated.

Electric oil filled heater inside the tent

Insulate the garage first then heat it once your sure no heat can leave and cold isn’t pouring in. That’s my advice after doing it for 5 years

PlayBig said:

Currently have a Gorilla grow tent set up and I'm looking at a Mr Heater Portable Buddy that is safe for indoor usage. Should I be sitting this propane heater up inside the tent or setting it up outside the tent? Currently conducting a lot of trial and error. I am thinking best option is to have the Mr. Heater outside the tent and inside the tent electric heaters that kick on automatic once the temperature falls below sixty seven degrees. Plants are in the veg stage and I'm checking on them every hour. Trying my best to find the right solution so that I can get a full six to eight hours of sleep! Any and all advice will be appreciated.

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how cold does it get outside?i love unvented gas heaters there r way better ones than the mr heater

Best thing I did was get an old house natural gas furnace and put in garage. Keeps nice temperature efficient and runs on gas instead of expensive hydro. Their on Craigslist all the time

It gets anywhere from thirty degrees to zero degrees in the winter where I live. Under the current conditions.

I have found that a Mr. Heater "Tough Buddy" gets me four days of continuous run on low setting off the 15lb Lowe's puts in their 20lb propane tank and also 2 to 2.5 days of continuous run on the medium setting. When it is thirty degrees outside, I have to run it on low to keep Gorilla 10x10 tent at 70-72 degrees, when it is 15 to 20 degrees outside I have to run it on medium to keep tent at 70-72 degrees. Mr. Heater is also safe for "indoor" so it won't make the air awful around the plants, in tent/in garage. This really sucks right now though as I have to go check on the temp every few hours. Thinking about getting a baby monitor and placing the camera facing the temperature gauge. Also, thanks for all the other advice.

You can follow my grow journal here.

Aint no short ways about it. You gotta pay to play. Insulate the garage and get a 220V electric heater with a thermostat. You can get them for under $100. The insulation will pay for itself and the cost of the heater over the next few months. No fumes, no constant trips to fill up fuel, no cold plants.
https://www.ruralking.com/comfort-zone-240v-5000w-garage-heater-cz220?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=shopping&utm_content=3400363&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv-OrsqPo3gIVQ7XACh0-QQ11EAYYAiABEgLLKfD_BwE

HydroRed said:

Aint no short ways about it. You gotta pay to play. Insulate the garage and get a 220V electric heater with a thermostat. You can get them for under $100. The insulation will pay for itself and the cost of the heater over the next few months. No fumes, no constant trips to fill up fuel, no cold plants.
https://www.ruralking.com/comfort-zone-240v-5000w-garage-heater-cz220?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=shopping&utm_content=3400363&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv-OrsqPo3gIVQ7XACh0-QQ11EAYYAiABEgLLKfD_BwE

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Depending on electricity prices a 240 industrial heater can murder your power bill. Some draw as much as 20A @240 that’s like running four 1000w hids every minute that heater is on. My problem was
Solved by running two rooms on a flip that way you constantly have heat from the lights in one of your rooms plus whatever veg tent or room you have. That and insulation as well as sealing the garage door with foam . So much heat is lost from the big door it’s crazy

No doubt it can get expensive if you dont do the proper insulation like you mentioned. I use the heater I linked, & it hardly cycles more than 2 min at a time once the room is at temp (in a fully insulated 19'x14' garage). I think last time I checked, it would come on about 2-3 times an hour in my coldest temps (well below freezing). Definitely has to be cheaper and less hassle than going and filling a 20lb LP tank every 3 days like the OP is currently doing.

You could always make yourself a solar "popcan" type heater. Lots of DIY plans that really work.

Lund-o said:

Electric oil filled heater inside the tent

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That's what I use in my unheated ~50sqft space, and with built in thermostat , it works great to auto-maintain! I'm only running a 315lec 12/12 with lights on 9pm-9am, and 100w of T5s in my veg cabinet right now. We had some cold (~mid to high 20s) for about a week recently, and held temps between 70-75f no problem.

HydroRed said:

No doubt it can get expensive if you dont do the proper insulation like you mentioned. I use the heater I linked, & it hardly cycles more than 2 min at a time once the room is at temp (in a fully insulated 19'x14' garage). I think last time I checked, it would come on about 2-3 times an hour in my coldest temps (well below freezing). Definitely has to be cheaper and less hassle than going and filling a 20lb LP tank every 3 days like the OP is currently doing.

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ya bigger tank an them buddy heaters suck, I just cant bring myself to use elec to heat I rather toss in more lights an stagger it

HydroRed said:

No doubt it can get expensive if you dont do the proper insulation like you mentioned. I use the heater I linked, & it hardly cycles more than 2 min at a time once the room is at temp (in a fully insulated 19'x14' garage). I think last time I checked, it would come on about 2-3 times an hour in my coldest temps (well below freezing). Definitely has to be cheaper and less hassle than going and filling a 20lb LP tank every 3 days like the OP is currently doing.

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Amen to that no fuxkin way would I be doing that lol

thumper60 said:

ya bigger tank an them buddy heaters suck, I just cant bring myself to use elec to heat I rather toss in more lights an stagger it

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That’s what I’m saying get a separate veg tent say 4x8 about half the size of your flower room. Run two thouies or 600 open reflectors 24 hrs then you have the heat and also you will have a constant supply of plants ready to flower as soon as your big ass tent room plants are done. Also like I said best thing is insulate well, spray foam vapour barrier insulation and tuct tape. Keep the cold out and that heat you are paying big money for in. The biggest thing is when you go into your garage look up and make sure it’s insulated and at a minimum vapour barriered your whole roof or all that heat gonna rise right up and out your roof vents. If you have natural gas or a big ass propane tank look into the flex pipe and tap into one of the mains so you don’t need to mess with stupid tanks cuz I know eventually you will have a long day or get to high and forget to change the tank or say fuck it because your too tired and come back next day and have ice cycle buds.

All of you who said to go with the slow oil burning heater inside the tent were 100% correct.

"Master Splinter" of my operation told me to do the same thing. However, my garage did't have enough ampage to properly run all lights, equipment, etc. So I went with the Mr.Heater in the tent and everything was fine for a few days on "Low" setting, even "Master Splinter" said this was ok. But, when I had to move to "Medium" setting it over-fed the plants CO2 or maybe just CO and now they're much like Rocky "On The Ropes" taking lefts and rights from Ivan Drago. "Critical Condition" you could say. Sadly, "Master Splinter" was out of town for holidays and not here to check on the plants every day.

But, I got the low key cool electrician out here right now upping the ampage and in the meantime I have ran an extension cord from my home to the garage to power two electric heaters. In addition, 100% my idea, I quickly put together the "Rocky Balboa" mix cd with "No Easy Way Out," "Eye of The Tiger," and "Training Montage." Its playing on repeat from a portable stereo I put in the tent to "PUMP" these plants up. If there's any time to "Cheer," "Cheer" now my Roll It Up friends.

Okay, that sucks @PlayBig, hope your ladies pull through! i go with an enclosed oil filled electric radiator, not oil burning- works great for smaller spaces like tents. They're like $80usd online, and have a built in thermostat for 60-95°f...

A set back is an opportunity for a comeback. I have much to learn in this game and am lucky to have "Master Splinter" assisting me with my first seventy two plant grow. All is not lost, even if this plants die, I learn. And I am not the kind of person who makes the same mistakes price. But, I think these plants got some "Grunt" in them like Ben Wallace did for the Pistons when he went for the rebound, we'll see.

PlayBig said:

A set back is an opportunity for a comeback. I have much to learn in this game and am lucky to have "Master Splinter" assisting me with my first seventy two plant grow. All is not, even if this plants die, I learn. And I am not the kind of person who makes the same mistakes price. But, I think these plants got some "Grunt" in them like Ben Wallace did for the Pistons when he went for the rebound, we'll see.

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With the plant count and the basketball reference....I'll guess your from the Mitten. Hope things can turn around for your plants. Just a heads up too on the extension cords and heaters -this can be dangerous and cause fires. The longer the run of cord you use, the hotter the cords can become because they arent rated for that kind of amperage draw on that long of a run (guessing over 25" or so?). I know every situation is different, but just be mindful of how hot your cords/plugs will get. Theres reasons they tell you not to use extension cords for electric heaters.

"Master Splinter" has determined the plants are going to make it. However, he said they are still very upset with me and "Young Grasshopper." So today I decided to switch out the Rocky music with Prince's "Purple Rain" instead. (Click here to see the best live version of it performed ever during Montreux jazz festival.) Also, for what its worth we are growing Nic The Bruiser, Full Metal Jacket, and Grape Soadie strains. Some of the Full Metal Jacket and Grape Soadie labels on the plants have different numbers on them. I have no idea what this means. Also, I have no idea if those are coveted strains or not. "Master Splinter" says they are. Can anyone explain what the #s located on the labels of Full Metal Jacket and Grape Soadie mean or refer me to some information in idiot terms so I can understand it? Thanks to all who "Cheered" and helped my plants pull through.

HydroRed said:

With the plant count and the basketball reference....I'll guess your from the Mitten. Hope things can turn around for your plants. Just a heads up too on the extension cords and heaters -this can be dangerous and cause fires. The longer the run of cord you use, the hotter the cords can become because they arent rated for that kind of amperage draw on that long of a run (guessing over 25" or so?). I know every situation is different, but just be mindful of how hot your cords/plugs will get. Theres reasons they tell you not to use extension cords for electric heaters.

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Electrician coming over tomorrow to get the garage all set up with proper ampage, etc. The switch to having "Mr.Heater" in the garage, but outside the tent, and the oil-filled radiator heater inside the tent has worked. Now just fine tuning my ability to control the environment. Like, when it is 45 degrees outside, the tent holds the heat from the oil-filled radiator just perfect at seventy two degrees. When the temperature outside goes down to 35 degrees, I gotta fire up "Mr.Heater" on low. If it goes down to 25 degrees, "Mr. Heater" has to go on medium. "Master splinter" says that once we perfect the controlling of the environment our Nic The Bruiser, Full Metal Jacket, and Grape Soadie strains will produce very high quality marijuana.