Forced Air Unit Heaters
Gas-fired units suspended from the ceiling that heat the air quickly with a fan. The right choice when you want the whole space warm fast.
Garage, Shop & Unit Heating · Timmins + Northern Ontario
Garage & Unit Heater Installation in Timmins
A properly sized garage heater transforms an unusable cold space into a year-round workspace. Ironclad Mechanical installs gas-fired unit heaters, forced air garage heaters, and radiant heating systems for residential garages, commercial shops, and industrial facilities across Timmins and Northern Ontario. With 20+ years of trade experience and TSSA licensing, we handle everything from heater selection and sizing to venting, gas line installation, and final inspection. Whether you're heating a two-car garage or a 5,000-square-foot shop, we'll recommend the right heating solution for your space and budget.
- TSSA Licensed
- WSIB Insured
- 20+ Years
- 20+ yrs in the trade
- 300 km service radius
- 2 trucks / 2 techs
- TSSA + WSIB
Heater Types
Types of Garage Heaters We Install
The right heater depends on your ceiling height, how you use the space, and how fast you need it warm. These are the systems we install most.
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Radiant Tube Heaters
Infrared tube heaters warm objects and people directly instead of the air. Efficient for high-ceiling shops and warehouses where heating the air is wasteful.
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Infrared Spot Heaters
Targeted heat for a workbench or a single work zone. A lower operating cost when you only need to warm part of the space rather than all of it.
Vented and unvented options each have their place, and Ontario code decides when each is appropriate, so we match the venting to the unit and the space rather than the other way around. Sizing comes down to square footage, insulation, ceiling height, and Timmins winter temperatures, which is why we run a heat loss calculation rather than guess.
We install Napoleon, Continental, and other commercial-grade unit heaters, and we set you up with the control that fits, from a simple manual thermostat to a programmable or smart thermostat for a garage you heat on a schedule.
The Process
How Garage Heater Installation Works
From the first walkthrough to the final inspection, here is how a garage heater installation goes with us.
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Consultation
We assess the space size, insulation, intended use, and your heating goals so the plan fits how you actually use the space.
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Heat loss calculation
We calculate the required BTU output from the dimensions, insulation R-values, and the Timmins design temperature.
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Equipment selection
We recommend the heater type, size, and venting configuration that match the space and your budget.
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Gas line work
We extend or upsize the gas supply where needed so the line can carry the heater's full BTU demand.
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Mounting and venting
We mount the heater, run the vent pipe to the exterior, and hold the required clearances from combustibles.
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Electrical connection
We wire the thermostat and heater controls to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code.
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Startup and testing
We verify ignition, flame quality, thermostat operation, and the safety shutoffs before handover.
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TSSA inspection
We coordinate the TSSA inspection so the finished installation meets Technical Standards and Safety Authority requirements.
Most single-heater garage installs are completed in one day. Larger commercial projects with multiple units or a long gas line run may take two to three days, and we give you a realistic timeline when we quote the work.
Sizing
Sizing Your Garage Heater Correctly
Sizing is the difference between a comfortable shop and a frustrating one. An undersized heater runs constantly and never quite gets there, while an oversized one short-cycles and wastes fuel. We size to the space, not to a catalogue.
Ceiling height, insulation, doors, and windows all change the math. An R-20 wall and R-40 ceiling cut the heating load sharply compared with a bare metal building, while overhead doors and single-pane windows push it back up. Ceilings above 10 feet need extra capacity, and how often you use the space decides how much fast-recovery power is worth paying for.
Above all, we size for Timmins. Heaters here have to keep up when outdoor temperatures reach -35°C or lower, so cold-season performance is built into every calculation.
BTU per square foot
- Insulated garage 45 to 60 BTU / sq ft
- Uninsulated space 60 to 100 BTU / sq ft
Example spaces we size
- 400 sq ft insulated two-car garage
- 1,200 sq ft detached shop
- 3,000 sq ft commercial warehouse
-35°C
Design temperature we size for
Gas & Venting
Gas Line and Venting Requirements
A heater is only as good as the gas line feeding it. The line diameter has to match the heater's BTU input, because an undersized line starves the unit, drops pressure, and hurts performance. For a detached garage, that often means trenching a new line from the house or meter, buried below frost depth, after we confirm the meter has the capacity to carry it.
Venting depends on the unit, whether that is B-vent, direct vent, or power vent for more flexible placement, and every appliance has to clear combustibles, windows, doors, and property lines per the Ontario Building Code. All of it is notified to and inspected by the TSSA before the heater goes into service.
- Gas line diameter sized to the heater BTU input
- Lines extended to detached garages below frost depth
- Meter capacity verified before adding load
- B-vent, direct vent, or power vent to suit the unit
- Code clearances from combustibles, windows, and doors
- Condensate routing for high-efficiency condensing units
- Make-up air where exhaust or spray finishing is involved
Home or Shop
Residential Garage Heating vs. Commercial Shop Heating
A hobby garage and a working shop ask different things of a heater. Here is how we approach each, and where the two part ways.
Residential Garages
- Typically 30,000 to 75,000 BTU units
- Comfort for hobby work and vehicle storage
- Intermittent, on-and-off use
- A single heater usually covers the space
Commercial & Industrial Shops
- 100,000 to 400,000 BTU units are common
- Holds work temperature through overhead door openings
- Often runs continuously during business hours
- Zoning with multiple heaters for even distribution
- Destratification fans to cut temperature layering
Most of our work is on the larger end. Our service mix runs about 50% industrial, 30% commercial, and 20% residential across Timmins and Northern Ontario, so shop and warehouse heating is familiar ground. For big spaces we lean on zoning with multiple smaller heaters and destratification fans rather than one oversized unit, which holds a steadier temperature and uses the equipment better.
We also fabricate and install custom ductwork, louvers, and venting components in-house for commercial installations. If you are heating the whole house rather than the garage, our furnace installation services cover that side of the building.
Running Costs
Energy Efficiency and Operating Costs
Most unit heaters land between 80% AFUE for standard models and 95% or higher for condensing high-efficiency units. What you actually pay to run one comes down to gas rates, that efficiency, your insulation, the thermostat setpoint, and the hours you run it.
Here is the honest part: on an uninsulated garage, adding insulation usually saves more than jumping to a high-efficiency heater, and a setback thermostat can trim fuel use 10 to 20% in a space you do not use daily. If you are weighing your options, cold-climate heat pump installation is another route worth a conversation for the right space.
- AFUE from 80% standard up to 95%+ condensing units
- Operating cost driven by gas rates, efficiency, and runtime
- Adding insulation often saves more than a higher AFUE
- Setback thermostats can cut fuel use 10 to 20%
- Radiant heat reduces waste in high or drafty spaces
- Annual cleaning and tune-ups keep combustion efficient
Safety
Safety and Code Compliance
A gas heater in an enclosed space is not a place to cut corners. Ironclad Mechanical is TSSA licensed for gas appliance installation in Ontario, and proper venting is what keeps carbon monoxide out of the space, so we install and test every venting system to manufacturer and code specifications.
That same care runs through the rest of the job: adequate combustion air, code clearances from framing, storage, and vehicles, and controls wired to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code. We carry general liability insurance and WSIB coverage, and a licensed installation keeps your equipment warranty intact.
How we keep it safe and to code
- TSSA licensing for gas appliance installation in Ontario
- Proper venting installed and tested to eliminate CO risk
- Adequate combustion air supply for safe operation
- Code clearances from framing, storage, and vehicles
- Controls wired to the Ontario Electrical Safety Code
- General liability insurance and WSIB coverage
- Licensed installation that protects your equipment warranty
Service Area
Service Areas: Timmins and Northern Ontario
Ironclad Mechanical serves Timmins, South Porcupine, and Schumacher as our primary service area, and we also install garage and unit heaters in Cochrane, Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake, Hearst, and Smooth Rock Falls. Our service radius reaches roughly 300 km from Timmins, and we will travel further for the right project. With 20+ years of experience sizing heating for extreme cold, we know Timmins design temperatures and the buildings here. Emergency heating system repair is available when a system fails, and garage heating is one of our core HVAC and mechanical services . Call (705) 221-0677 to confirm availability in your area.
- Timmins
- South Porcupine
- Schumacher
- Porcupine
- Cochrane
- Kapuskasing
- Kirkland Lake
- Hearst
- Smooth Rock Falls
- Chapleau
- New Liskeard
Why Ironclad
Why Choose Ironclad Mechanical for Garage Heating
Garage and shop heating is core work for us. Ironclad Mechanical is a small, independent Northern Ontario business, not a franchise, with 20+ years of trade experience behind it and TSSA licensing for gas appliance installation in Ontario. The bulk of our work is industrial and commercial shops, so sizing and installing heaters for demanding spaces is familiar ground.
We carry general liability insurance and WSIB coverage, and we handle the full job, from the heat loss calculation and gas line work to venting, controls, and TSSA inspection. Our in-house sheet metal fabrication lets us build custom ductwork, louvers, and venting components rather than working around off-the-shelf limits.
Most of all, we size for the climate we work in. Heating a Timmins garage through a -35°C cold snap is a different problem than heating one further south, and matching the equipment to that reality is what keeps your space comfortable and your fuel bill sensible.
Credentials
- TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) licensed for gas appliance installation in Ontario
- 20+ years of trade experience in ownership
- General liability insurance and WSIB coverage
- Serving Timmins, South Porcupine, Schumacher, and Northern Ontario within a 300 km radius
- Independent contractor, not franchise-affiliated
- Small Northern Ontario community business
- Service mix: 50% industrial, 30% commercial, 20% residential clients
- Sheet metal fabrication and custom ductwork capabilities
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
For all your heating and cooling needs.
Call dispatch at (705) 221-0677 for a free garage heater assessment, or schedule a consultation.