A garage or warehouse is one of the most common places that a heater is needed.

Because these kinds of areas are usually made mostly of concrete and metal, trying to heat the entire space is more difficult and more expensive. However, having a smaller, portable commercial heater can directly heat the areas being used by workers and allow you to keep your work force comfortable and productive without destroying your bottom line.

Another factor to consider is the health of your employees and yourself. Spend hours in a near-freezing environment is dangerous. Cold weakens the immune system, making everyone more vulnerable to communicable illnesses like rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. When people are cold, the blood circulation in their body slows and blood is drawn away from the extremities in order to route more warmth to the vital organs in and around the torso. This means people are more likely to have numb fingers and hands, making them more likely to have accidents when dealing with intricate handiwork or sharp objects like saws and screwdrivers. It also can contribute to falls as they have more trouble than normal moving their feet in a coordinated way.

So, do you need a heater in your garage or warehouse? We would say you do. Avoiding a near-frozen, virus-spreading, slow-moving workforce is well worth investing in a few heaters!

As with any kind of space heater, an industrial heater should be placed away from flammable objects and substances (oil, hay, fabric, etc.). Heaters also should not be placed too close to people to avoid burns and allow for adequate heating for a larger space, not just an individual. Make sure your heater is located at least three feet away from people or anything that can burn.

Don't place your heater in a high-traffic walkway because people can trip over the power cord. Place your heater on solid, stable floor space, not on shelving or on top of furniture which can result in the hot unit falling and breaking or falling onto someone and injuring them.

The answer to this question can vary based upon how often and where your filters are being used. For example, if you work in an area with lots of dense particles of debris (especially if your workers have to wear dust or gas masks), you'll want to change your filters more often than someone working in a tire repair shop. Also, if you live in a colder climate where the heater is getting used throughout the majority of the day, you'll want to change the filter more often than someone who is using the heater somewhere that only gets uncomfortably cold at night.

That being said, the filter may tell you on the packaging how often it should be replaced. And if you're in doubt, or there is no replacement recommendation on the package, it's common to change filters every six months.