It's HOT outside.

TBoomz

New User
Ron
Am curious how others have been keeping their workshops cool last couple of weeks. Mine feels more like a solar kiln; it's even hot in the evenings. Not so bad in early morning. Been thinking of cobbling together a swamp cooler. Figure it won't put any more moisture inside, than when I run the fans in the morning when dew's still on the ground. My shop's on the small side @ 20 x 40, so don't know how it'd compare to y'alls.
 

Charles Lent

Charley
Corporate Member
Swamp coolers only work well in desert air where the humidity is very low. They depend on evaporation to work and when the humidity is already high, like here, they don't do much except add rust to your tools.

Is your shop insulated? That's a needed first step. Then for that much space a 2-3 ton or more air conditioner, depending on how well you insulate, is going to be required. A heat pump would be better because it could also heat your shop in the Winter, and because there are no very high temperatures created by it your shop will be much more fire safe than many other methods of heating your shop. When air conditioning, you are also removing moisture from the air, which reduces the rust problems as well as make you more comfortable. However, if you open a garage door for even just a few minutes, you loose your nice cooled air and replace it with hot humid air. It will take hours for your air conditioner/heat pump to get things back to normal again. Welcome to the Southeast.

My shop is about 1/2 the size of yours. It is insulated 3 1/2 in the walls and 6" in the ceiling. I have a 24,000 btu (2 ton) heat pump high on the North wall of the shop that maintains comfortable conditions in my shop all year. I do my best to never open the big doors and my rust problems are almost non existent. My shop is about 80' from a lake and only about 5' above it too. Lots of ground fog when the water is warm and the air cool.

Charley
 

kelLOGg

Bob
Senior User
Isn't it weird that evaporative coolers got the name "swamp" coolers when swamps are usually humid. Desert cooler would be a more logical name.
There is no way I can cool (or heat) my barn shop. I just frown and bear it.:)
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I'm with Bob but I have to take breaks. My shop garage is 14x24, really small, and insulated but not heated or cooled. That may have to change. Even a 5,000 btu window unit would probably cool it fine. The next change will be a box fan, however. I can add a filter to that and also clean up the air. When there is a breeze blowing the right direction to go through the front and back doors, it is noticably more comfortable. So I think the box fan is worth a try first.

I committed to a changing table/dresser and crib for my latest grandchild. He is due to arrive in November. So shop time is necessary but not entirely pleasant at the moment. I have the box for the dresser and the base put together. I need to do the top and start the drawers this weekend. I just added the box fan to my groceries shopping list. Hopefully Wally world will have one. I intended to pick it up last week and forgot.
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
I would consider installing a mini-split. My shop is 26x36 with 10' ceilings and insulated all around. I keep my workshop at 70* during the summer. Love it and fairly cheap to operate. If you work out there a lot like I do it's a must have.

Red
 

NCGrimbo

NCGrimbo
Corporate Member
I have a two car garage shop that I cool with a portable AC unit that is vented out through a hole in the wall. Works great even in these 95+ degree / 100% humidity days.
 

tri4sale

Daniel
Corporate Member
I would consider installing a mini-split. My shop is 26x36 with 10' ceilings and insulated all around. I keep my workshop at 70* during the summer. Love it and fairly cheap to operate. If you work out there a lot like I do it's a must have.

Red

I run a mini-split too, leave it at 78 to 80 when not working, and lower to 72ish when working. Shop on smaller size, a 1 car garage area, but mini-split cools quickly when I start working, and if I open garage door yes I loose some of the coolness, but it's quick to cool when I close the door.

I've been in NC Grimbo's garage shop, and the portable unit keeps his place very cool and comfortable to work in.
 
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DSWalker

David
Corporate Member
+++on the Mini Split. I think mine is an 18000 BTU. Shop is 24x24 w/10' ceilings. Keep it on 75 usually. If going to be there extended periods, will drop it down to 72. It doesn't take long to drop the temp in my well insulated shop. Barely budged the electric bill.
 

Matt Parker

New User
Matt
Fortunately the guy that owned this house before me put a window shaker in the barn that I converted to a woodshop. Unfortunately, neither of us did anything in regards to insulation so my AC either runs all day long or it's immediately 90+ degrees in the shop. Maybe this fall will be the one where I actually insulate it!
 

ScottM

Scott
Staff member
Corporate Member
My shop is 22 x 32 with 10' ceilings and I cool with a window unit. It is set at 78. I also have a ceiling fan running 24 x 7 x 365. My shop does have shade in the morning which helps. My A/C guy talked me out of a mini split because of the dust. Now my shop has 6" of fiberglass in the ceiling and 3" in the walls.
 

red

Papa Red
Red
Senior User
With my mini-split if I'm going to be making a lot of dust, I shut it down. I run my ceiling air filtration unit anytime I'm working. I will give the mini-split a good vacuum or a shot with compressed air now and then and it keeps on working fine.

Red
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
My house is set at 78. It feels cool when I come in from outside. Occasionally it feels a bit warm but then I put on the ceiling fan. My bedroom stays a few degrees lower just due to the ducting. I need it a little lower for sleeping but I feel fine during the day at 78. But when I get to dripping on my projects in the shop, I start thinking I need to do something. I am fairly tolerant of elevated temperatures but I have my limits too.
 

Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
I can get my 16 x 24 shop down to around 80 with just a window unit since I put in the 6" insulation on the roof. 80 works fine for me, because along with dropping the temp, the window unit also drops the humidity significantly. When the temps are in the upper 90's like yesterday, it will drop the temp from ambient to 80 in about 2 hours, but the humidity drops significantly in the first hour, so I don't run mine all the time. I do also have a ceiling fan running.
 

redknife

Chris
Corporate Member
As to mini split/dust:In my old place, the shop mini-split filter stayed cleaner than the house (not for lack of shop use). Also, it takes a minute or two to clean those filters. I cleaned them every three months but they weren’t particularly dirty. I suppose variables like dust collection and specific location would come in to play.

I’ve been experimenting with two kinds of cooling vests (lots on Amazon)- one kind has "ice packs" with freezing point of about 58 degrees. Put the packs in the fridge then load into vest when solid. They stay solid/58 degrees for hours. Downside is vest weighs about 10 pounds but it works. I use an evaporative vest more often. You wet it and wear over thin cotton t-shirt. Benefit is it’s lighter. Downside is it has less active cooling than the cooling pack model.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
Last Friday I did my weekly grocery shopping and picked up the last 20 inch box fan at the local Walmart. Less than $20. For now it is mounted using a screw into a shelf and suspended by a scrap of ground wire (that was conveniently on my dirty floor). I am working on a changing table/dresser for my newest grandson who is due to arrive in mid November. I promised a crib too so I need to keep busy despite the heat. But the point for this thread is the fan makes a BIG difference for me. No more dripping on the project. It is still hot but with doors at both ends of the shop open and the fan near the smaller door, it moves enough air to be noticable and I stay acceptably cool. I still take breaks every couple hours but that is as much to think and rest as from the heat. I think I can rig up a pivoting support for the fan that will block the door open and allow it to move even more air.

I dovetailed the last 6 drawers last night after work so I am getting close. Picture coming when it is done. Target is end of this month but I may or may not make that.
 

AllanD

Allan
Corporate Member
The recent weather confirms my previous statements that the air conditioning unit is the most important equipment in my new shop. I would give up any other machine before I went back to no A/C. My previous shop was an uninsulated two car garage. I installed a large window unit which made it tolerable. But it didn't solve the other major problem with unconditioned workshops which was the instant condensation and flash rusting of cast iron when a warm front moved in.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
A welcome break from the sizzling heat and humidity came through yesterday with steady rain and falling temperatures. This morning the temperature is 62 and the dew point is 62 so it feels nice for late July. There's more summer weather ahead but maybe not upper 90s.
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I agree, last night was noticably more pleasant. I opened both doors and worked in relative comfort. Didn't even need the fan.
 

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