HVAC For Beginners

Garage Heater Ratings

With our garage heater ratings, you can compare units side by side using our Head To Head tool.

You can compare 15 different models from nine brands in nine categories such as warranty, efficiency, availability, & cost.

You can also read the individual reviews of each brand below.

Our simple rating system gives each brand a color code and a star rating. If the card is green, then, that is one of the top picks from HvacRepairGuy. If the card is yellow, then, that would be a budget pick from HvacRepairgGuy. If the card is red, then, the brand is not recommended by HvacRepairGuy. With our garage heater reviews you can cut through the sales hype and find value. It truly is like you were taking a repairman shopping with you!

HvacRepairGuy's 2023 Top Pick

ADP

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

This brand is from Advanced Distributor Products and the units are only available through a limited HVAC dealer network. The UHRS models are available in six sizes and have an 83% AFUE efficiency rating. They feature aluminized steel tubular heat exchangers which are not as durable as stainless steel but they are backed by a pretty good guarantee. They are for natural gas from the factory but they offer an optional LP gas conversion kit for field conversion.

BEACON/MORRIS

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This brand is a part of MESTEK INC and is made in the USA. The BRT models are low profile heaters that feature a durable tubular heat exchanger and inshot burners. They are available in seven sizes and have an 83% AFUE efficiency. The Optum models are unit heaters featuring state of the art modulating gas controls and durable stainless steel heat exchangers. They are available in six sizes and have a very stylish look and feel as they have a stainless steel cabinet with black trim. The units have a 95% AFUE efficiency and are shipped for natural gas but they include a LP gas conversion kit. The heaters are backed by a good warranty but they are only available through a dealer network.

DETROIT RADIANT

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

These heaters are made in the USA and are sold through a very limited dealer network. The UH Series offers four sizes of sealed combustion heater but they can be field converted to use room air for combustion. They are low profile units with a durable powder coated finish and durable stainless steel louvers. They have a swept wing axial fan which is quieter in operation and an aluminized steel tube heat exchanger which resists corrosion. The guarantee on the units is not very good when compared to other brands.

DORNBACK

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

These heaters are made in the USA by Adams Manufacturing and are sold through a very limited dealer network. The Classic Compact models are available in four sizes and have an 83% AFUE efficiency. They are very basic heaters but they are backed by a decent warranty.

DYNA-GLO

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The GUH50NELE heaters are available at Menards home improvement stores or on Amazon and they are reasonably priced. The units have tubular steel heat exchangers and are ready for natural gas use but include a LP gas conversion kit for easy field conversion. The units can be vented either vertically or horizontally for flexibility but they are only standard efficiency heaters and their guarantee is only average when compared to other brands.

ECO-KING

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

These high efficiency unit heaters are made in Canada by King Heating Products Inc and they are sold throughout Canada and the western part of the USA through a very limited dealer network. The Winterwarm HR Series offers six sizes of heaters to match the needs of any garage or shop and they have modulating capacity to closely match the heating needs of the space. They have durable stainless steel heat exchangers and they are pretty quiet when operating with a noise level that is less than the hum from a refrigerator but they use direct spark ignition which is not as reliable as hot surface ignition systems.

HOT DAWG

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

This brand is from Modine and offers six sizes of units to meet just about any need of a garage/shop. They offer low profile units that are available with 1 or 2 stage gas valves and they use direct spark ignition. The HD models use combustion air that is drawn from the conditioned space while the HDS units draw combustion air from outside the conditioned space which is more energy efficient. The heaters are only available through their dealer network and their guarantee is only average when compared to other brands.

LENNOX

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The LF 25 series units are single stage heaters with aluminized steel heat exchangers which resist corrosion but are less durable than brands that use stainless steel. They have direct drive fans with adjustable louvers to control the airflow. The brand is only available through a dealer network and their guarantee is not very good when compared to other brands.

MR HEATER

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

This brand is from the Enerco Group Inc and the heaters can be purchased at many home improvement stores as well as through their website and Amazon store. The Big Maxx line offers low profile units in three sizes that have a durable tubular heat exchanger and are backed by a good warranty. The units can be vented either horizontally or vertically for flexibility and they are backed by a good warranty. The units are shipped for natural gas but include an LP gas conversion kit for field conversion.

REZNOR

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This brand is from Nortek Global HVAC and is backed by a very good warranty but they are only available through their dealer network. The units use outdoor air for combustion which is more energy efficient and they have a titanium stabilized heat exchanger for durability. The UDZ models are standard efficiency units that are available in several sizes to match the heating needs of any garage. They are quiet in operation and are nice looking units. The UEZ models are high efficient units with a 93% AFUE combustion efficiency and durable stainless steel heat exchangers.

STERLING

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This brand is a part of Mestek Inc and is made in the USA. The GG Series models are low profile heaters that feature a durable tubular heat exchanger and inshot burners. They are available in seven sizes and have an 83% AFUE efficiency. The Nexus Series models are unit heaters featuring state of the art modulating gas controls and durable stainless steel heat exchangers. They are available in six sizes and have a very stylish look and feel as they have a stainless steel cabinet. The units have a 95% AFUE efficiency and are shipped for natural gas but they include a LP gas conversion kit. The heaters are backed by a good warranty but they are only available through a dealer network.

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