How are you cooling your shop?

[Mark Fogleman]

Hey all!
It's starting to get warm and I will be insulating my garage the way Vanguard and Tom did here: http://www.just4fun.org/woodworking/articles/shop_heat.htm when I get back from my vacation.

My question is how are you cooling your shop? Screen door? (Got it) Big fans? (Got 'em) Window units? ("I ain't got no stinking windows":eusa_doh: ...just the back door and a double sized garage door) Standard Heat Pump? (I don't have enough square footage for one or want to invest that kind of money in the garage).

I stumbled across a portable A/C unit which is vented to the outside through dryer vent sized openings in the wall at HD recently and from a square footage standpoint I'll be much cooler and less humid with it. Further research and I found a similar sized portable heat pump which heats and cools and is double vented to the outside (ie: it uses outside air to cool/heat the condenser):
http://www.soleusair.com/Industrial/menul/air_condistioners/LX140_manual.pdf
They are priced in the $500 range and can go with me when/if we re-locate.

What say ye? Anybody using such an animal? Thoughts? Suggestions?
Thanks!

Mark (cool today but real humid!)

 

[SteveColes]

Heat Pump

 

[Monty]

Mine's in the basement, and stays pretty cool most of the time. If it gets too hot, I just open a door an let some of the air-conditioned "house" air in!

 

[JohnsonMBrandon]

My air conditioning is none other than letting the sun go down and opening up the garage door. Thats my only option right now. If I planned to stay in this house forever I would be exploring the same options you are though.

 

[Travis Porter]

I am spoiled. I have a heat pump in my shop. When I used to do it in the garage, I bought a high velocity floor fan. It is about 22" diameter, but it moves 10 times as much air as a standard box fan.

I have read about and considered getting a miniature heat pump unit where you mount part of it in the wall (it isn't very thick) and that part contains the blower and you have a small condensor/compressor outside that you run a tube and wiring. You could probably get one for about $800 that does both heat and cooling. My .02

 

[ChrisMathes]

Hey Mark,
I have a friend who uses one of those portable units in his garage. It's very nice...if I had the cash, I would not hesitate to get one for my shop. I'll have to go a less expensive route...or wait 'till fall :cry:

 

[WoodWrangler]

The A/C's are nice and I've looked into them as well. I was told though that they (1) have issues cooling a garage quickly and (2) cost a pretty penny to run daily. I'd like to hear from someone with one of these units as well.

For now, I use an industrial fan and plenty of cold bottled water. It's not great, but NC isn't that hot for that long so I live.:-?

 

[Bernhard]

I am spoiled. I have a heat pump in my shop.

I am spoiled, too. I have a separate heat pump in my shop. But I also insulated the hell out of my shop (8"walls, lots of fiberglass insulation in attic, large roof overhang, insulated doors and windows).

In my previous place, I had a used unit. The HVAC outfit I dealt with sold and installed a used compressor/fan unit for $1k and I connected /run the flex ducts.

Bernhard

 

[RandyJ]

Hi Mark,
I got a Demo GE Zoneline which mounts in a cutout in the wall. I only paid $200 for it. It is a heat pump, similar to those you see in hotel rooms.
Looks similar to this one: http://www.geappliances.com/zoneline/
http://javascript<b></b>:openFeatureFlex(
It's not much bigger than a window air conditioner and does a great job in my 16x30 shop. Other manufacturers make them too. Fedder's is one I looked at. New, they sell for $600-1,000, depending on BTU's. If you can find a dealer who has a showroom model, they will usually let them go cheap!
Good luck,
Randy

 

[michaelgarner]

talk to NCpete, he can get some powerful AC units from his work.

 

[woodguy1975]

Ground Regulation for me. About 58 min in the winter and about 74 max in heat of summer. Good enough to me.

 

[DaveO]

I tapped into the main branch of the the duct work for the house. My shop is in a space normally designated for cars and is subterranean on three walls. The combination of the two keep it 65° in winter and around 75° in the summer. I also run fans and a dehumidifier in the summer. As long as I'm not dripping sweat on the CI I'm happy :-D

Dave

 

[cpowell]

Window unit in the summer. Picked up a smaller construction heater that runs from a standard propane tank in the winter.

The shop is 20 x 24 x 9 ft and very well insulated. I only run the heater for a few minutes every hour or so when it is COLD out. Shop machinery generates enough heat to keep it comfortable once the heater warms things up.

The AC does a good job of keeping it dry and cool.

Chuck

 

[Ray Martin]

SWMBO has suggested a window A/C unit, but so far it's just the garage door.

Ray

 

[cskipper]

We have window units. Just got a heck of a deal on one at Big Lots. Have also insulated the shop. We also keep the biggest part of the shop cool only on the weekends if LOML is going to get to work out there, otherwise we just keep it at a less than boiling temp. We keep the glues and finishes in the smaller room (mine) and keep it cooler than the other room, but not heat pump cool. Did that make any sense?

 

[kota62]

Mark:
I'm in the same boat, I have a 19' X 27' shed, no insulation, 4 windows with wooden siding (old Ft. Bragg Building). Anyway, this past weekend I ran a window unit all day and managed to keep the temp down to 96°, man it was hot... standing in front of the A/C unit was pleasant, but not very productive... The next day I left all windows and doors open, hit 100°, can't seem to win, but it had the advantage of a breeze instead...It seems to me that the insulation will make the biggest impact, but that is alot of work
Gary

 

[Mark Fogleman]

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

My particular issue is the garage gets very hot most every evening from late June through early September. It gets direct sun on the long west facing outside wall all afternoon and evening and we have a dark roof. I could deal with the temp being up by keeping fans going but the humidity and flying critters really get me. It so bad that I basically don't go out there much in the summer other than early weekend mornings and then noise is an issue <900am.
I'm getting older and need these comforts:eusa_booh . It's worth an extra $20-30/month on the electric bill to be able to enjoy it. That's one good table saw blade for the whole summer! Amazingly, we did just fine w/o any a/c in the house or school or church when I grew up in Concord during the 50's-60's. (And 'fer you youngins... yep I walked up hill for 10 miles both ways to school every day:eusa_liar )
Later,
Mark

 

[D L Ames]

Amazingly, we did just fine w/o any a/c in the house or school or church when I grew up in Concord during the 50's-60's. (And 'fer you youngins... yep I walked up hill for 10 miles both ways to school every day:eusa_liar )
Later,
Mark

Mark, you should have turned around and walked backward. Then you could have walked down hill both ways.:lol:

D L

 

[Ray Martin]

Thanks everyone for the feedback!

(And 'fer you youngins... yep I walked up hill for 10 miles both ways to school every day:eusa_liar )
Later,
Mark

not only was it up hill both ways... it was in snow up to our chins... all year round...

Ray