Need Advice on Mini Split Placement in Garage

[mromgcorey]

I’m planning to install a mini split in my garage and could use some advice on the best place to mount the indoor unit.

Inside the garage, I have two options:

Mount it near the water heater, which is closer to the electrical panel.

Or mount it in the middle of the garage, just to the right of the panel, which would provide better air distribution.


The issue is with the outdoor unit. If I go with the middle-of-garage option, the outdoor unit would need to be installed right next to the gas meter, which I’m not sure is safe or allowed.

My main concern is:
If I mount the indoor unit near the water heater (one end of the garage), will it still cool the entire garage effectively, or would it struggle to reach the far side?

Has anyone dealt with a similar setup? Any input or tips would be appreciated — especially from HVAC pros!

Th anks in advance!

 

[pcmeiners]

Need more information.....

Your location
Garage height, length and width
Insulation R values of wall, ceiling ,floor

 

[mromgcorey]

Need more information.....

Your location
Garage height, length and width
Insulation R values of wall, ceiling ,floor

I'm in Texas. 700 Sq ft garage. 8 ft height. Not insulated yet but will be.

 

[pcmeiners]

What is proposed R-value of the requested surfaces?
Again the length and width.
We do not get paid to answer posts, we don't have crystal balls to get information from, nor do we pull teeth to get answers so please provide the requested info.

 

[mromgcorey]

R 15 20x30

 

[WildBill]

If you get the right size it will work fine by the water heater. My 24k unit blows longways across my 24x36ft shop and cools the whole space easily.

 

[mromgcorey]

How tall is your shop? And the insulation

 

[PoorUB]

Location of the inside unit isn't critical. Especially in a smaller shop. It isn't like one end of the building will be 74 degrees and the other will be 80. The air will convect and even out. If you are concerned, a ceiling fan helps a lot.

 

[Torque&Recoil]

I'm not going to disagree with the other posters. However, I did put my mini-split in the middle of the garage, and when I work in front of the unit, the breeze is quite cooling. If I am over to one side... less breeze. Yes, the temperature (measured by a digital thermometer on the other side of the room) is more-or-less consistent around my 24x30 foot shop, but the BREEZE is not. Put the indoor unit in the middle. Wires are super cheap, compared to everything else you are buying. Just my opinion.

 

[chinboys]

The indoor wall unit (evaporator and blower) should be mounted high as cold air drops.
Better units have swinging louvers to direct the air flow.
Floor stand fans can also be used to move the air.

Power and control to the indoor unit is accomplished using 14/4 wiring through the same 3 inch hole that the lineset and condensate lines go through.

The outdoor unit, condenser, can be located as far as you want as long as you have the lineset length to connect it to the indoor unit.
You will also need to run 220-240V AC to it with a disconnect.

 

[Jackfre]

Just don’t put it where it will not be blowing right over. Most units have 2,-4 way air sweeps and given they are modulating will typically give fairly uniform temps.

 

[pcmeiners]

Have a 30(w)x36(long) 10ft high, two garage roll up doors, average insulation (r13) garage.
Have a 12k Fujitsu unit, more than enough to heat and cool from -7° to 101° F, inside unit is in the center of the 36ft length. Mount the inside unit high, only leave about 7 inch from ceiling.