Detached garages in cold climates

[martinicus]

Maybe I'm overthinking this. I'm in the northeast and getting a new garage door installed for my detached garage in preparation for my MX. I would just go for the basic uninsulated single-layer steel, but with the cold snaps of the last few winters, wondering if getting a door with some basic insulation would help with the lows in the winter, to not expose the battery as much to the extremes. The garage doesn't have any heat, but it's possible could put a space heater in there for the next polar vortex.

So do you guys think an insulated door would be any use without a heat source? Would you put in a heater if temps got to 5 or 10 degrees? Or should I just not worry about it, as long as the Tesla is plugged in, and I pre-heat it in the morning, it will be fine?

(If I did more workshop-type projects in my garage the answer would be obvious, but I don't do much)

 

[Doug_G]

Really not necessary. Simply being out of the wind will help a lot.

Just keep the car plugged in. When it needs to charge, it will warm up the battery pack, and then start charging.

 

[wesley888]

It is certainly better than nothing. Whatever heat your car's battery warmer generated will be trapped inside the garage, even a little bit.

 

[Alketi]

I think you're overthinking it. For a perspective, I've been air sealing my attic, after buying a professional foam gun, removing old loose fiberglass insulation and replacing it with new loose cellulose insulation (that I'm grinding up myself) -- and it wouldn't even cross my mind to do anything about my detached garage that's sitting in the elements. I strongly suspect that the temperature inside the garage at 6AM, after a cold night, will be the same regardless of whether you insulate the door or not. That said, if you feel better changing the garage door, then go ahead. I just don't think it'll make any appreciable difference in a way you can measure.

 

[martinicus]

Thanks, yea I'll see what the price difference is, but probably not necessary. No need to baby the car for a few days in the winter.

 

[efusco]

I'll disagree a bit. I use a space heater on a timer in the winter in my attached garage (but otherwise unheated). I like avoiding the temp extremes, keeping the humidity lower, and the faster warm up in general. I'd say that space heater sees 60 days per year use in Missouri, probably more in the NE of course. In any case, I just have it come on in the evening and turn off about 7am after I leave for work and it keeps the garage just warm enough (I'd guess in the mid-30s to low 40s in the coldest weather).

 

[S'toon]

The Tesla warranty says IIRC you're good just as long as the car doesn't remain in the cold below -22F for over 24 hours.