Who Installed AC in Their Garage?

[ShadowsPapa]

How many BTU/tons?
Smart getting the outside off the ground too!

I'll get all of that info gathered so it makes better sense.
Yeah, the guy who installed the one in my shop was a brilliant young fellow who showed the brackets they supply - then said - you have a lot of room, if you like we can mount them THIS way so they don't stick out.
I said yes and he ran into town and bought some angle iron and more bolts and mounted them different than "instructions" and got it way up off the ground, closer to the building but still plenty of space from the building per specs. I need to repaint the brackets, but 6 years in our weather - ain't bad.
The nice thing is that it senses occupancy. When I leave it ups the temp a bit in the summer, then lowers it again when I return. In the winter (it's too small to heat this huge building with a second story) but then it would drop the temp a bit when not occupied, and raise it back to my setting when I come back in.
My main thing was HUMIDITY. I had vinyl car seats showing mildew, book binding and covers showing gray mildew, it was horrible in here. It does a good job of humidity control which was my goal.
In the sunroom, no more up and down, down and up, when that wall unit kicked in, then stopped, then 5 minutes later on again. The minisplit there is constant temperature even with the sun shining. I like the way the air outlet vents can "swing" to vary the direction of the air. The one in my shop will swing up and down and/or left and right. The one in the sunroom only up and down but then it's not a large room so there's no room or need for left and right. When cooling if left on automatic it directs the air up high and when heating it lowers the vents and directs it lower.

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[Curt Oz]

My garage is about the same size 550 sq.ft. with 10' ceilings. I was using a portable ac until and it kept it cool but ran constantly then finally died so I went with a window unit that I got on sale at Best Buy for $499. 14,000btu
The one rated for 550sq.ft. $379 would be running more.
I set it on eco mode, fan auto and temperature 64 degrees and it doesn't run all the time like the portable one. I noticed my electric bill was a little lower now.
I would like a mini split system but my wife just bought a new Scat Pack Charger.

Check the ac unit out and wait until it goes on sale.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/ge-700...wifi-and-remote-white/6390678.p?skuId=6390678

 

[Lunentucker]

My garage is about the same size 550 sq.ft. with 10' ceilings. I was using a portable ac until and it kept it cool but ran constantly then finally died so I went with a window unit that I got on sale at Best Buy for $499. 14,000btu
The one rated for 550sq.ft. $379 would be running more.
I set it on eco mode, fan auto and temperature 64 degrees and it doesn't run all the time like the portable one. I noticed my electric bill was a little lower now.
I would like a mini split system but my wife just bought a new Scat Pack Charger.

Check the ac unit out and wait until it goes on sale.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/ge-700...wifi-and-remote-white/6390678.p?skuId=6390678

Those don't mesh well with casement windows at all. I COULD cut a gaping hole through the wall, but I'd rather not.
I think the prudent thing to do will be to go with the mini split , even if I have to wait another year.

Without getting too personal, it's a big deal on how much we take out of our investments right now, but won't be next year. We both retired earlier than most, so we need to stay poor on paper to get the best healthcare coverage for the least amount of money.
My wife has been a wizard at managing that stuff. We don't cheat the system. They wrote the rulebook. We just use it to our best advantage.

 

[markbxr400]

I started out with mini-splits in my workshop, one in each of the two rooms. First one worked about a year before the control board burnt up a fan relay, that signals the compressor to kick on. After one year, the unit was no longer manufactured and no parts available to fix it. It was a Co-Aire. I ended up having to wire around the relay and use the breaker to kick it on and off. The other one lasted about 5 years and stopped cooling. In the mean time I have installed 8 window cool/heat units through the wall on 3 different barns/barndominiums. They are LG's - ranging from 5500BTU to 12,000 BTU. They just run. The first two have been running for 6 years now. No problems. I just yanked the mini-splits out of my workshop and installed 2 more LG window units. If they crap out, it's a simple slide out/sl,ide in a new unit fix. The cost between $529 and $899 depending on size. Only downfall, is that they are noisier than a minisplit, but I'm just using them in my shop and barns/barndominiums.

 

[Mister Lamb]

A 18/24k btu Mr. Cool mini split will do just fine. $1449 on Amazon. No vacuum pump required on their units, DIY capable.

 

[Curt Oz]

Those don't mesh well with casement windows at all. I COULD cut a gaping hole through the wall, but I'd rather not.
I think the prudent thing to do will be to go with the mini split , even if I have to wait another year.

Without getting too personal, it's a big deal on how much we take out of our investments right now, but won't be next year. We both retired earlier than most, so we need to stay poor on paper to get the best healthcare coverage for the least amount of money.
My wife has been a wizard at managing that stuff. We don't cheat the system. They wrote the rulebook. We just use it to our best advantage.

Got it ?
My wife and I are in our late 60's and I understand. Like I said in my post, if my wife didn’t buy the Charger a mini-split system would have been great.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

There's a lot of minisplits around here now. They last if they are sized correctly and installed correctly. The problem is that you need someone who is trained and understands them to do it right.

Mine is 6 years old and going strong.
The new one in our sunroom comes with a full 10 year parts and labor warranty (or was it 11 years? I'll have to look!)

They are the most efficient thing I've ever seen. The shop unit - the Fujitsu, is running on a 20 amp 220 circuit.

The house unit is running on a 15 amp 220.

I wired them both, using 12 gauge.

The ceiling in my shop is 15' high.
Shop is 30' x 36'

This is the house unit - look at how low the current use is on this thing - very low amperage, IMO.

Some day that other thing will come out and we'll find a way to plug the hole......

 

[BourbonRunner]

A 18/24k btu Mr. Cool mini split will do just fine. $1449 on Amazon. No vacuum pump required on their units, DIY capable.

I've heard very good things about these. The fact that it is completely DIY with a pre-charged line is pretty impressive.

When we were looking to install central AC in our 1909 house 4 years ago I did a ton of research. Mitsubishis are the Cadillacs of minis and there's plenty of places online you can buy everything you need to self install and have your favorite HVAC guy charge the line.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I've heard very good things about these. The fact that it is completely DIY with a pre-charged line is pretty impressive.

When we were looking to install central AC in our 1909 house 4 years ago I did a ton of research. Mitsubishis are the Cadillacs of minis and there's plenty of places online you can buy everything you need to self install and have your favorite HVAC guy charge the line.

They have all come precharged for years. They give you a range on line length and are good for a fairly long line with the charge they come with.
The unit in my shop was precharged.

Installation of the inner and outer units themselves is simple.
All you need is a hole in the wall large enough to run the lineset, electric and drain tube.

Daikin has the best cold weather rating for people up in our area - they'll run and furnish heat even at around 11-15 below 0

I did a lot of hours of research on minisplits tis time around as we wanted something that could keep putting out efficient heat even below 0 with no auxiliary heat needed.

But where he lives he's not going to give a rip about this LOL -

 

[bleda2002]

I use 2 large portable ACs to cool mine. They were around 500 a piece when I bought them. If you have a window you could look for the largest window unit possible as they are way more efficient than the portables.

Plus side of portable is I loan them out to friends who camp with us in the summer to cool their tents.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Here's another reason I went the way I did - shop is powered through the house panel to the subpanel in the shop.
I have a big air compressor, plating equipment and tank heaters, lights, and upstairs a floor full of power tools, some of which have a fair power draw.
I need to avoid a large amperage draw.
100 amp breaker in the house powering the shop's 100 amp panel. Air compressor running, lights on, running lathe, plating power supply, tank heaters and so on - didn't want a regular AC unit kicking in a compressor and spiking the draw.
The minisplit has no spike - the draw is pretty low and constant. You don't have any sudden spikes because it's DC, inverter, and the compressor "ramps up".
AC units I can actually hear when they kick on if you are near the breaker box. I hate that, so none of that for us. I'll never have another standard AC powered "either on or off" compressor in an AC or HVAC unit.
I even went inverter with the home system.
Anyway, back on the shop - I've never kicked a breaker even with everything running that I need running at one time - and having the air compressor kicking on in all of that.
Love the fact it's extremely low power use.
And in a large area being up high, yo don't freeze one corner while the other corner is hot.

BUT- it's an initial investment. You save or gain much back over time, but it hurts at first.
It's not portable, it's installed and that's that.
It's not for everyone.

 

[Rusty PW]

Have 4 friends who installed the Mr Cool mini splits from Home Depot. The garages are from 2 car to 4 car. No issues that I know. After I retired, and worked for Home Depot part time. We sold a boat load of those Mr Cool mini splits.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Have 4 friends who installed the Mr Cool mini splits from Home Depot. The garages are from 2 car to 4 car. No issues that I know. After I retired, and worked for Home Depot part time. We sold a boat load of those Mr Cool mini splits.

Made in USA, aren't they?

 

[DirectHit]

My separate garage is 30x30. A few years ago my best friend friend and I were modding a 2014 JKU I bought as a project in the dead of winter. I had gone out to buy a propane Dewalt heater the night we were installing some MCE Fenders. I was still wearing a heavy jacket and he looked at me and said “ you know if you call **** he can install a mini split for 5k ish” we called that night and within in 3 days it was installed and I’ve been in comfort whenever needed. This is in Tennessee. Some of the best money I’ve ever spent on my household.

I’ve got a Samsung but not sure of size

 

[dmwphoto]

Installed a 1 ton unit ( no idea on how many BTUs) in my 475 square foot attached garage a couple of months ago. Outside walls are not insulated. It keeps it 75 degrees in there 24/7 and cost is negligible to operate. Mini split unit. Very hot and humid here in SC.
able to work out there very comfortably

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