Air conditioning for shed workshop

[Fishbucket]

My shop is 22 x 30. It is on a poured slab. I have 6" of insulation in the ceiling and 3" in the walls. I also have an insulated overhead garage door. While I have the benefit of some shad trees a single window A/C unit can keep in 76-78 on the worst days. Now I do run the unit 24x7 but on an economy setting and it does not cost me a fortunate.

I run the same set up. no rust on tools, shop ready to go when I am.

 

[SteveHall]

I see mini splits that cost about 750$, is it 5k with installation?

My number was for a nice Mitsubishi installed in an attic pushing air through about 5' of ductwork and four grills and a return.

Online I see a 12k BTU 115V/20A LG unit for $930 including tax and shipping. However, the unit isn't the only cost. It also requires a line set ($240), drain tubing ($20), electrical circuit and disconnect ($300?), base pan heater (required? $250?), and mounting hardware ($60) for a total material cost of about $1,800. I'd estimate installation labor about the same as materials, which includes wiring, creating a hole in the wall with headers/lintel(s), charging and testing, mounting the fan unit and condenser, etc. So labor+materials maybe $3,600 for a simple through-the-wall unit installed?

 

[ScottM]

One fact I forgot. My ceiling is 9 plus feet and I run a single 42" ceiling fan 24 x 7 x365. Keeping the air circulation is important for rust prevention.

 

[thrt15nc]

I've got a 2 car garage shop with 1 full wall insulated and about 1/2 of another wall insulated. The front facing wall and the wall with the door on it are not insulated. I ran a window AC unit that I installed in the garage door wall since I didn't want an AC hanging out a window where someone could move the unit and get in through the window. That unit ran for about 10 years with no filter changes and kept the garage at about 75 degrees. It finally died last year. When I removed the unit from the wall, the compressor was coated in rust, so I figured that had something to do with it's failure. This year I bought a portable unit. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DLPUWJ4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I vent the unit out a hole in the wood I used to seal up the hole the old AC unit sat in. It's been running all this week and has been keeping the garage at about 72 degrees. So, I'd go with that if I had to do it again. Best $400 I've spent for my hobby woodworking.

I'm trying to decide on window or portable unit right now. An eight year old Sears window unit gave it up this year. It was a 12,000 BTU and kept the garage/shop very cool. But it ran 24/7. I'm thinking to go up maybe to 14K BTU. One thing I've read is that a portable unit is quite a bit noisier than a window one. NCGrimbo can you comment on this?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[NCGrimbo]

One thing I've read is that a portable unit is quite a bit noisier than a window one. NCGrimbo can you comment on this?

Thanks,
Tom

From what I remember, yes, the portable seems louder than the window unit did. But I don't think it's much of a difference from what I remember. It makes sense that the window unit is quieter since the window unit's compressor and fans all sit outside and most of the noise goes out the sides and back of the unit. Compare that to the portable unit that has all of the noisy parts contained in the unit. Neither unit is quiet and the sound level doesn't bothered me. All of my power tools are louder.

 

[tri4sale]

I'm trying to decide on window or portable unit right now. An eight year old Sears window unit gave it up this year. It was a 12,000 BTU and kept the garage/shop very cool. But it ran 24/7. I'm thinking to go up maybe to 14K BTU. One thing I've read is that a portable unit is quite a bit noisier than a window one. NCGrimbo can you comment on this?

Thanks,
Tom

They are noisier, but really not bad. 2 summers ago when my house AC died I ran a portable unit in my bedroom and it wasn't so loud it kept me awake. As NCGrimbo said, your tools are a lot louder.

 

[Rwe2156]

336 sf X 20BTU/sf = 6720 BTU.

A 10,000 BTU window unit would definitely do the job. You should still be in the 115V range.

Mount it up high thru wall, not in a window ;-).

If you're producing sawdust with power equipment or sanders, I would add a small air filtration unit to the mix.

 

[Hmerkle]

Mount it up high thru wall, not in a window ;-).

Dr. Bob, why not through a window?

 

[Rwe2156]

Dr. Bob, why not through a window?

So you don’t lose a window which can be important in a small shop and because you can seal it better. Can be anywhere I just said high for better air flow.

Not always possible and /or too much work. All that being said, where is the unit in my studio? The window —- LOL. But that’s because the outer wall is metal and it was too much work at the time.

 

[luckyGoose]

Quick update: In the interest of escaping the heat and humidity as soon as possible, I bought a 'quiet' portable AC Whynter Arc 14-S. It seems to be quite efficient so far, and cools the shop down fast. In the future I might go with a split AC, but for now, I'm all set. Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[Jeff]

Quick update: In the interest of escaping the heat and humidity as soon as possible, I bought a 'quiet' portable AC Whynter Arc 14-S. It seems to be quite efficient so far, and cools the shop down fast. In the future I might go with a split AC, but for now, I'm all set. Thanks for the advice everyone!

A good spend for your 384 sq. ft shop and <$500!

 

[Steve s]

Mines the exact same size as Gators, I have a 12000 btu unit, works great, insulate the shop well

My shop is 16 x 24 and I run two small window units (one at each end) and that is sufficient for me. Just keep your filters clean and dust shouldn't be a problem.

George

 

[Gofor]

336 sf X 20BTU/sf = 6720 BTU.

A 10,000 BTU window unit would definitely do the job. You should still be in the 115V range.

Mount it up high thru wall, not in a window ;-).

If you're producing sawdust with power equipment or sanders, I would add a small air filtration unit to the mix.

When speaking BTUs: Are you meaning ASHRAE 128 standard or DOE testing standard?

The reason I ask is I also have been looking for a portable unit for my 16 x 24 uninsulated shop, and have seen "12,000 BTU" (ASHRAE 128) rated that also state they are anywhere from 5,500 to 8,000 BTUs by DOE 2017 standard. My thinking is that even if I do insulate later on, the portable may come in handy for the home during a summer power outage (if I buy a generator, of course, lol).
.

Seems like industry and advertisers are trying to mislead us much like they did/do with HP ratings.

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