Portable a/c for garage

[scott750]

I was thinking of getting one of those portable a/c units for my 3 car garage to keep cool during the summer months. Only problem is I have no where to put the venting pipe unless I leave the garage door slightly different opened, but then this defeats the purpose of trying to cool the garage.

Here's an example of the a/c I was thinking about getting :

http://www.frys.com/product/6376531?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

But I was, thinking would it be possible to add a "Y" to my water heater vent pipe to tie the a/c unit exhaust to? This heater vent pipe goes straight up and vents out through the roof.

Or do you have any other suggestions for me?

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[steve308]

Drill a hole for a dryer vent exhaust outlet.

 

[1949 caddyman]

I would be concerned with upseting the draft of the heater. You could push exhaust gas down & into your garage. This is not good to breathe.

 

[Jagmandave]

Do you have a window in the garage?

I bought an 18K A/C 16K heater in a window unit, works very well - cost $585.

I did have to run a new 220V service for it, but that wasn't hard.

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[Jagmandave]

dup post

 

[scott750]

Drill a hole for a dryer vent exhaust outlet.

The outside of the house if stone. I don't think I'm comfortable drilling thru my house. Although I have thought of drilling a hole thru the garage door and installing a pipe with a hinged fflapper like I've some auto repair shops do.

I would be concerned with upseting the draft of the heater. You could push exhaust gas down & into your garage. This is not good to breathe.

That was another concern I had. How to stop the fu.es from travelling down the pipe instead of up out the roof.

Do you have a window in the garage?

I bought an 18K A/C 16K heater in a window unit, works very well - cost $585.

I did have to run a new 220V service for it, but that wasn't hard.

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dup post

Unfortunately I don't have a window, since that would have made this project easy.

 

[1949 caddyman]

Hole in the garage door sounds like the best option so far.

 

[astroracer]

I cut a hole in the garage door for mine. Works, didn't have to cut the siding, and I plug the outlet (my machine came with a nice plastic trim ring) with a piece of foam during the off-season.
Mark

 

[scott750]

I cut a hole in the garage door for mine. Works, didn't have to cut the siding, and I plug the outlet (my machine came with a nice plastic trim ring) with a piece of foam during the off-season.
Mark

What did you use to cut the hole? Any pics of what it looks like?

 

[Jagmandave]

Sounds like the hole in the garage door will be your next best idea then.....

 

[astroracer]

What did you use to cut the hole? Any pics of what it looks like?

I used a die grinder with a cutoff wheel to rough it out and sweetened it up with cartridge roll.

 

[Pootie]

Don't waste your time with those portable units. I have (2) 12,000 btu portable units in my 3 car garage. Vented them under the garage door and blocked the rest off with boards. Didn't cool for $hit. Looking for a 15,000 btu or bigger window unit now to see how that works.

 

[scott750]

I used a die grinder with a cutoff wheel to rough it out and sweetened it up with cartridge roll.

Thanks for posting the pics.

Don't waste your time with those portable units. I have (2) 12,000 btu portable units in my 3 car garage. Vented them under the garage door and blocked the rest off with boards. Didn't cool for $hit. Looking for a 15,000 btu or bigger window unit now to see how that works.

Seriously? Dang that's not good. Thanks for the heads up.

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[Jagmandave]

I'm in hot, humid KC and the 18K BTU A/C did the trick for me today, I let it run for about an hour in a 90+ degree garage and it had it down to 75* in that time! As I started working it continued to drop till I heard the compressor kick out at my 65* set point a little later. I don't do heat well and the A/C makes it possible to work out there in the summer.

My garage is about 650 sqft, and it is somewhat insulated as it's a split level house and the garage is under the bedrooms, but the garage doors aren't insulated at all.

 

[Pootie]

I'm in hot, humid KC and the 18K BTU A/C did the trick for me today, I let it run for about an hour in a 90+ degree garage and it had it down to 75* in that time! As I started working it continued to drop till I heard the compressor kick out at my 65* set point a little later. I don't do heat well and the A/C makes it possible to work out there in the summer.

My garage is about 650 sqft, and it is somewhat insulated as it's a split level house and the garage is under the bedrooms, but the garage doors aren't insulated at all.

I'm in Wichita and I feel ya on the humidity. Also don't do heat very well.

Do you happen to have any experience with something in the 15k btu range in that same square footage? Would hate to buy a 15k unit and it end up not being enough.

 

[1949 caddyman]

I have a 220v window unit in a 460 sq ft insulated walls, celing & door shop in AZ. We have no humidity here but are over 100 for most of the summer. The AC cools the shop very well.

 

[hoffman912]

since you cant go out the side, what about running the venting pipe up and over the wall through the soffit?

 

[dsimatt]

Don't waste your time with those portable units. I have (2) 12,000 btu portable units in my 3 car garage. Vented them under the garage door and blocked the rest off with boards. Didn't cool for $hit. Looking for a 15,000 btu or bigger window unit now to see how that works.

You beat me to it, i've got a 13k btu one in my bedroom and it will freeze me out of there no problem but but i've tried it in my living room and ran it for 5 hours straight and it didn't make a dent in it.

To the op you might just be better off getting a window unit in there or save for one of those mini split units.

 

[Criss]

I would look into one of these ventless. The central air in my garage needs replaced and the HVAC guy suggested 2 of these. Ultimately I decided to replace the furnace and a/c but the Mitsubishi was a consideration.

http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/en/consumer/product-solutions/product-showcase/indoor-units

 

[Jagmandave]

I'm in Wichita and I feel ya on the humidity. Also don't do heat very well.

Do you happen to have any experience with something in the 15k btu range in that same square footage? Would hate to buy a 15k unit and it end up not being enough.

Pootie,

I think it will all depend on the garage - is it insulated or does the wind blow thru - that sort of thing....

I had a 5k window unit in there before and if I left it on overnight it would knock the worst of the heat and humidity out and with a fan blowing on me it was tolerable - but if you opened the garage door to move a car in or out all was lost, that's why I went a little overboard this time. Now, I only turn it on an hour or so before I go out there and only have it on till I'm done......so I think it will actually be more cost effective as well as temp effective.

Bottom line, 15K should do it too, but it might take a little longer to get the temp down - I went 18K (I was looking at a 25K for a while!) because I also wanted the heat function this one has, and it was fairly cost effective.

I still think those hotel/motel units are a great way to heat/cool a garage, and you can often find used ones pretty reasonably priced - the only thing is the odd sized opening you need to cut in the wall for it. Otherwise, if you have a window, this is a good solution.

 

[scott750]

since you cant go out the side, what about running the venting pipe up and over the wall through the soffit?

That's a good idea. There's only an attic above the garage. I could drill a hole in the ceiling and install a pipe pointing right into the soffit.

You beat me to it, i've got a 13k btu one in my bedroom and it will freeze me out of there no problem but but i've tried it in my living room and ran it for 5 hours straight and it didn't make a dent in it.

To the op you might just be better off getting a window unit in there or save for one of those mini split units.

I have solid walls on all 3 sides of the garage with stone outside. No chance of me cutting a hole for a window.

I would look into one of these ventless. The central air in my garage needs replaced and the HVAC guy suggested 2 of these. Ultimately I decided to replace the furnace and a/c but the Mitsubishi was a consideration.

http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/en/consumer/product-solutions/product-showcase/indoor-units

Those have to be paid with a condenser unit on the outside and will run $4000+. That's way out of my price range.


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[dsimatt]

Well you could save up for a ductless setup and that's a lot smaller hole or run the lines into the attic. Just my experience is you'd probably need 2 portable units to keep up with the heat.
http://www.acdirect.com/ductless_cooling_heating_.php

 

[Merlinii]

I was lucky enough to be able to put a small close-able A/C vent above the air handler unit in my garage.

Upper right hand corner PIC LINK It doesn't cool the heat way down but it does drop 10-20 degrees.

 

[isamu]

Don't waste your time with those portable units. I have (2) 12,000 btu portable units in my 3 car garage. Vented them under the garage door and blocked the rest off with boards. Didn't cool for $hit. Looking for a 15,000 btu or bigger window unit now to see how that works.

Thanks for posting the pics.


Seriously? Dang that's not good. Thanks for the heads up.

I can confirm everything Pootie says about the portable units. I have the same portable AC unit you posted in the your original post from Solare:

....and it is garbage. 12,000BTU but it feels like 1200BTU here in my single car garage in Los Angeles. To be fair, I have a home theater setup in here with a front projector that emits a warm blow of hot air, so that's not helping matters much.

I am thinking of saving for a mini split system as I hear they're wonderful. Can anyone confirm whether or not the mini splits are *THAT* much better than your garden variety portable AC units?

 

[shade]

18k wall unit cools 3 car garage in my AZ house very well.
All walls and ceiling are fully insulated though

 

[Criss]

All I can say is my garage is 2 story and right around 2900 sqft. The company that does our annual service said two of the 36k units would of kept it cold. I was quoted $3000.00 each installed.

If you really want to keep it cold have a local company you trust come out and give you a quote. That free and they will give you some incite to what you'll need.

 

[hoffman912]

That's a good idea. There's only an attic above the garage. I could drill a hole in the ceiling and install a pipe pointing right into the soffit.

but make sure you dont just vent it into the attic and that it goes out through the soffit or through a hole in the soffit (perhaps a hole in the soffit for the exhuast to pipe out through) and include a dryer vent kind of set up to prevent critters from going back in it when not in use.

if you just vent into the attic you woudl be dumping more heat into the building instead of expelling it. also could be creating an environment conducive to mold growth (hot warm air.. perhaps even some humidity..) so venting is key..

 

[scott750]

I can confirm everything Pootie says about the portable units. I have the same portable AC unit you posted in the your original post from Solare:

....and it is garbage. 12,000BTU but it feels like 1200BTU here in my single car garage in Los Angeles. To be fair, I have a home theater setup in here with a front projector that emits a warm blow of hot air, so that's not helping matters much.

I am thinking of saving for a mini split system as I hear they're wonderful. Can anyone confirm whether or not the mini splits are *THAT* much better than your garden variety portable AC units?

Thanks for the feedback of the portable units. Maybe I'll have to do the same as you, save up for a mini spilt system. Although I'm not sure where to put the outside compressor part.

but make sure you dont just vent it into the attic and that it goes out through the soffit or through a hole in the soffit (perhaps a hole in the soffit for the exhuast to pipe out through) and include a dryer vent kind of set up to prevent critters from going back in it when not in use.

if you just vent into the attic you woudl be dumping more heat into the building instead of expelling it. also could be creating an environment conducive to mold growth (hot warm air.. perhaps even some humidity..) so venting is key..

Yes sir will do!

18k wall unit cools 3 car garage in my AZ house very well.
All walls and ceiling are fully insulated though

Nice!

All I can say is my garage is 2 story and right around 2900 sqft. The company that does our annual service said two of the 36k units would of kept it cold. I was quoted $3000.00 each installed.

If you really want to keep it cold have a local company you trust come out and give you a quote. That free and they will give you some incite to what you'll need.

This could also be another alternative, having a local company install a mini split unit.


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