heating and cooling 12x24 shed

[helenvee]

I'm converting a shed to use as an office year round. I will be insulating it. The shed is 12x24, there will be a bathroom built into it so the usable office space will be a little less than that. There will be a loft that will be used regularly as well, and needs to be a comfortable temp. I'm in Nashville, AC is a must, and heating is necessary for about 2 or 3 months in the winter. Figuring out AC isn't so tough, a through the wall unit will do, it's figuring out heat that is tricky. I will be on electric heat, no gas.

It seems my options are:
1. a through the wall combo heat/cool unit
2. a through the wall AC unit + an additional heater like an oil radiator
3. a small mini split system

My questions about each of these options:

Through the wall:
I've heard that heat pumps are not effective below 40 or 50 degrees, which means I would require an electric strip for heat. Is this any better than a space heater efficiency-wise? And, will there be a loud fan blowing air all winter while the heat is on? Are these an effective primary source of heat?

Mini-split:
Is this overkill for this small space? The smallest ones I've found are 9000 cooling BTU, which may a bit more than I need. I've found a few for ~$650, but they are not brands that are familiar to me, (Okyotech, YMGI, GREE). Plus there is the installation cost. Are these an effective primary source of heat?

Oil-radiator:
If I do through the wall, an additional heater may be necessary. Space heaters are notoriously expensive on your electric bill, but I've heard that oil radiators are not as bad. Is this true?

What is the best way to heat and cool my shed? Thanks for your help.

 

[Bigbandguy]

If you are using it as an office the you will appreciate the quiet of the mini split. They are MUCH quieter than a window AC or a motel type through the wall. Also they use much less electricity. If you end up needing supplemental heat on the coldest days a 240V Shop heater will do the trick and knock the chill off in a big hurry.

 

[helenvee]

I'd say my main concerns are noise and cost. The mini split would be quieter, but more expensive, and the installation is more involved than a through the wall unit.

Can anyone speak of their experience with through the wall ac/heat units, and whether the noise is disruptive, or acceptable?

and, can anyone say whether they think 9000 BTU (the smallest mini split system) would be overkill for my 12x24 shed?

Helen

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Another vote for a minisplit heat pump. There are units that will be fine in your locale. You will not like the noise of a wall unit.

Tommy

 

[Beemer533]

I've never heard a through wall unit that wasn't annoyingly loud...

With a mini split, all you need is a 3" (or so) hole in the wall and run power. For the outside unit you can just set it on a concrete paver or sometimes just hang it on the wall.

I also dislike through wall/window units for security reasons; they aren't that difficult to rip out of the wall/window and provide easy access to a thief..

 

[JohnK007]

Yeah I think in this situation, given the end use of the space and your local climate, you'll be much happier biting the bullet and going with a small mini-split.

 

[kd3pc]

mini split vote here...the other options are quite noisy and often very inefficient.

 

[helenvee]

Does anyone know if the cheaper, <$1000 mini splits are any good? Brands I'm seeing for under $1000 and 9000 BTU are
Sharp
Pioneer
Innova
Gree
Senville
Air-Con
YMGI
Okyotech
Soleus

 

[PoorOwner]

Don't forget with those Amazon kits you will need someone to setup the right amount of freon and this may be hard to find a technician willing to do so. Not to say impossible but they also can charge any amount.

 

[JamesWilliams01]

I think you must consult a good air conditioning professional who has expertise in residential as well commercial air conditioning. I thought of selling my old home and homes for sale Essex County NJ professionals helped me a lot in selling my home. Similarly you too find a good one that will give you proper advice.

 

[Falcon67]

I've never heard a through wall unit that wasn't annoyingly loud...

I put my LG 8000 "window shaker" in the wall and it's surprisingly quiet. However, for an office I'd use a mini. If it's well insulated, 9K~12K tops would do 12x24. My tool room is 12x24 and the 8K keeps it nice in the summer with little effort.