Radiator in the garage

[mrneil_fb]

Good afternoon all,
Having inherited a 1973 B from my late father, what are people’s thought, suggestions, ideas, advice etc about installing a radiator in the garage to keep the chill off the the B and to help prevent seals wearing over time?
The garage is detached from the house and about 15ft from where the gas boiler is in the kitchen. Thoughts about installing a radiator connected to the boiler or an electric one?
Many thanks
Neil

[Ian F]

I guess it probably depends on how dry your garage is, and whether you will be regularly putting a wet MG in there. Even then, a wet car in a heated garage could be a recipe for corrosion.
I have a brick garage which is quite dry and well ventilated, and I always try to get the MG dry before putting it in. I don't have any heating in there.

Ian F

[mrneil_fb]

I guess it probably depends on how dry your garage is, and whether you will be regularly putting a wet MG in there. Even then, a wet car in a heated garage could be a recipe for corrosion.
I have a brick garage which is quite dry and well ventilated, and I always try to get the MG dry before putting it in. I don't have any heating in there.

Ian F

Thanks Ian.
I’m not sure the last time the B got wet other than being washed and the garage is pretty much bone dry with good ventilation.

[David Gray]

I have a detached brick garage too, where I keep my 'B'. I think that, unless the garage is protected by cavity wall insulation and the roof is also lined, you will be wasting your money and heating the sky! I recently moved to Hampshire from Dorset and both of my modern detached non-cavity brick wall garages with tiled roofs were baking hot in the summer and cold and damp in the winter. Even my metal shelves and tools are damp to the touch. I've found that the best use of money is to put the car in a "Carcoon" from autumn to spring. Failing this, keep the garage well ventilated to allow a good flow through of air.

[mrneil_fb]

I have a detached brick garage too, where I keep my 'B'. I think that, unless the garage is protected by cavity wall insulation and the roof is also lined, you will be wasting your money and heating the sky! I recently moved to Hampshire from Dorset and both of my modern detached non-cavity brick wall garages with tiled roofs were baking hot in the summer and cold and damp in the winter. Even my metal shelves and tools are damp to the touch. I've found that the best use of money is to put the car in a "Carcoon" from autumn to spring. Failing this, keep the garage well ventilated to allow a good flow through of air.

Thanks David. My father had the B for 38 years in a detached, brick built, pitched roof garage with no issues. I fear I could be making expensive jobs for myself.

[Not_Anumber]

Logistically though if you do decide to install a radiator in the garage it is a simple enough DIY job. Use isolation valves near where you are connecting in to the existing flow and return pipework to ensure you can close off the run to the garage whenever needed. If you need to run pipe outdoors or bury a short run underground it's best to use insulated pipe made for the task or otherwise you could make your own by running your 15mm pipes inside a wider pipe such as 40mm waste and then pack the space between with rockwool or better insulation to reduce heat loss. Id recommend using plastic pipe rather than copper as it reduces the risk of burst pipes in extreme cold. If you are able to take your pipework from the boiler's own flow and return it might be an idea to use a zone valve so you could control the garage's radiator with it's own timer. Use a cheap and cheerful radiator in the garage as it's likely to get knocked about and have a reasonably good quality thermostatic radiator valve.

[mrneil_fb]

Logistically though if you do decide to install a radiator in the garage it is a simple enough DIY job. Use isolation valves near where you are connecting in to the existing flow and return pipework to ensure you can close off the run to the garage whenever needed. If you need to run pipe outdoors or bury a short run underground it's best to use insulated pipe made for the task or otherwise you could make your own by running your 15mm pipes inside a wider pipe such as 40mm waste and then pack the space between with rockwool or better insulation to reduce heat loss. Id recommend using plastic pipe rather than copper as it reduces the risk of burst pipes in extreme cold. If you are able to take your pipework from the boiler's own flow and return it might be an idea to use a zone valve so you could control the garage's radiator with it's own timer. Use a cheap and cheerful radiator in the garage as it's likely to get knocked about and have a reasonably good quality thermostatic radiator valve.

Thank you for the plumbing info