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NFT: Anybody got any good ideas for cooling a garage?

Britt in VA : 8/8/2018 4:00 pm
When we moved to our new house a couple years ago, I lost what used to be my hang out area. The new house is much more family oriented, which is fine, but as my kids are getting older I need a place to drink beer, listen to my music a little louder, and most of all, watch sports and get cuss at the television. I set my sights on our oversized two car garage. I purged it, cleaned it, organized it, hung a dart board, ring toss game, put up some Giants and VCU banners, and put my stereo out there on my work bench. I also wired the garage for Bluetooth and Apple TV so I can use my 100 inch projector screen and Projector out there to watch sports.

Only problem is, right now it is so damn hot in there. It's got two windows, so today I tried buying two fitted window fans, one set as an intake to pull air in and one set as an exhaust to pull air out and try to get some flow in there. We'll see how that works.

In the meantime, anybody got any other ideas? It's not a "finished" garage so therefore not fully insulated, so a mini split or something like that probably would suck more energy than it would cool, so right now that's not an option. Window units not neccessarily an option either, as I don't think it would look very good in my neighborhood (windows facing the street).

Looking for some old fashioned tips for cooling the garage if anybody has any.
Is the garage even insulated?  
robbieballs2003 : 8/8/2018 4:07 pm : link
That could be a problem. They do have portable ACs but they are somewhat loud.
Maybe add a  
Bleedin Blue : 8/8/2018 4:09 pm : link
Whole house fan, but get one sized for your space. I know you don’t want one but I’d go mini split, they’re the most energy efficient and just running it on dehumidifier mode would cool it off greatly
If it has windows  
pjcas18 : 8/8/2018 4:13 pm : link
maybe look into getting a window unit AC or a portable AC to that vents out the window.

then in the cooler times you can remove it.
does the garage have a crawlspace above or  
Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 8/8/2018 4:19 pm : link
enough room for a ventilation fan?
Get a split unit AC.  
section125 : 8/8/2018 4:20 pm : link
It will be quieter than a window shaker and more efficient.
LOL  
Jim in Fairfax : 8/8/2018 4:25 pm : link
People recommending things he says he can’t use.
RE: does the garage have a crawlspace above or  
Britt in VA : 8/8/2018 4:28 pm : link
In comment 14032712 Bobby Humphrey's Earpad said:
Quote:
enough room for a ventilation fan?


There is a room above the garage off of our master bedroom.
I know my options are really limited based on what I've said....  
Britt in VA : 8/8/2018 4:29 pm : link
and maybe one fan in and one fan out is the best I can do, I'm just wondering if anybody has a lesser known option I haven't thought of yet. I'll probably mainly be hanging out in there at night, and really, it's only unbearably hot 3 months out of the year. Once fall hits, it won't be an issue at all and a spaceheater should work fine in winter.
_________________  
I am Ninja : 8/8/2018 4:30 pm : link
Id try a window ac unit before taking any real drastic steps.

But I suspect garage windows might be a little small to fit anything that would put a decent dent in the heat...

If you can fit one rated for 1800 ft2 or so, give it a shot.
My in-laws do this..  
Eli Wilson : 8/8/2018 4:31 pm : link
They have a big screen "window", that goes across the opening of the garage door. Basically it turns the garage door area into one big screen window.

It stays pretty cool in there during the summer.
Mini Split would be my choice  
rasbutant : 8/8/2018 4:35 pm : link
also gives heat the in winter. They are pretty efficient so if its just occasional use it would be fine, if it will be more then that...insulate the walls and ceiling. You can get a cheaper window unit that works the same as the mini split but mounts in the window like a tradition AC unit. $400-$600.

Whole house fans are great, and also a good option. You can also get one that mounts in the window for less money/work. But the installed one will work better (mounted up high)/are more powerful.

The Tamarack is great for in-home installs, but for a garage i'd probably go with the old tradition one where you aren't worried about the insulation factor of it.
I have a cheap LG window AC unit in mine for the summer  
BlueHurricane : 8/8/2018 4:38 pm : link
And a forced hot air Reznor unit for the winter. Works like a charm.
here's a link  
rasbutant : 8/8/2018 4:38 pm : link
to the whole house fans.
Link - ( New Window )
RE: I know my options are really limited based on what I've said....  
pjcas18 : 8/8/2018 4:39 pm : link
In comment 14032730 Britt in VA said:
Quote:
and maybe one fan in and one fan out is the best I can do, I'm just wondering if anybody has a lesser known option I haven't thought of yet. I'll probably mainly be hanging out in there at night, and really, it's only unbearably hot 3 months out of the year. Once fall hits, it won't be an issue at all and a spaceheater should work fine in winter.


there are no lesser known options for cooling a garage, it's like the trek to Michigan to get ten cents return on your five cent deposit, it can't be done - the financial models (or physics in your case) just don't work.

If you plan on spending significant time out there the best advice was to insulate the garage/finish it then your options become exponential.

Look into a floor standing AC unit  
bigblue1124 : 8/8/2018 4:41 pm : link
They work better than most window units and do not look like crap in the window. Basically it comes with a vent you put into the window but they are not very invasive at all. In addition it can be removed very easy when not in use.

We have a Frigidaire unit I picked up at lowes years ago in our old home to cool the master which would not get cool from our central air. It will cool an area of 400 sqft and was a life saver for us.
RE: Look into a floor standing AC unit  
Britt in VA : 8/8/2018 4:47 pm : link
In comment 14032749 bigblue1124 said:
Quote:
They work better than most window units and do not look like crap in the window. Basically it comes with a vent you put into the window but they are not very invasive at all. In addition it can be removed very easy when not in use.

We have a Frigidaire unit I picked up at lowes years ago in our old home to cool the master which would not get cool from our central air. It will cool an area of 400 sqft and was a life saver for us.


This was the only option left I was thinking of. Portable, movable, and not a permanent solution.

We still plan on using the garage as a garage, I've just arranged it as such as that I can just pull the cars out and it's ready to hang when I want.
That is the portable  
pjcas18 : 8/8/2018 4:51 pm : link
AC I recommended above.

While you can get a high powered one (get one rated for more SF than you have) and it may provide some temporary relief it's more of an option in the northeast than in VA because of the normal temps.

If your temp is regularly in the 90's you can try a portable AC because it's low investment and not much commitment, but you might burn the compressor out trying to keep the garage cool and it may not even be that noticeable, but if you can't use a window unit , portable would be my next option.

most manufacturers will tell you portable AC's are not made for cooling a garage, but that doesn't mean it won't provide some relief.
This might interest you...  
rasbutant : 8/8/2018 4:56 pm : link
see link.
Link - ( New Window )
Thanks for the tips, guys.  
Britt in VA : 8/8/2018 5:42 pm : link
I think at this point, the fans or maybe the portable AC might be my best bet, but for this season, I'll just stick with the fans, September only a month away...

Maybe eventually I'll finish it and get a mini split, but it will always be a garage for us, unless I decide to really finish it and then build a standalone garage.
Get a swamp cooler.  
Diver_Down : 8/8/2018 5:58 pm : link
Nothing hanging out your windows. No bother with installing an attic fan. No expensive AC.
Without an insulated...  
Ryan : 8/8/2018 6:09 pm : link
...garage door I wouldn't invest much in cooling. Little portable floor units that can cool 300-400 sq ft for a few hundred bucks.

On many garage doors you can pull the panels off the back (assuming it has them to begin with) and attach pieces of rigid foam insulation with adhesive in their place. Coupled with a rubber transition strip on the floor you'l get at least some R-value.
A couple of these bad boys would do wonders  
rasbutant : 8/8/2018 9:20 pm : link
Little noisy though.

Lasko makes a 16" one as well for under $100 and is a little less loud. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00002N5Z9/ref=dp_cerb_3

I think installing two would be great, one blowing in and one blowing out will circulate the air.

Easy install right into the existing windows.

see link.
Link - ( New Window )
RE: Look into a floor standing AC unit  
KeoweeFan : 8/8/2018 9:23 pm : link
In comment 14032749 bigblue1124 said:
Quote:
They work better than most window units and do not look like crap in the window. Basically it comes with a vent you put into the window but they are not very invasive at all. In addition it can be removed very easy when not in use.

We have a Frigidaire unit I picked up at lowes years ago in our old home to cool the master which would not get cool from our central air. It will cool an area of 400 sqft and was a life saver for us.

I second that idea. I used a floor unit as a bedroom air conditioner in our summer cottage on Sodus Bay for years. Drill a hole in the wall to run the condensation outside.

If the walls are not insulated, stick some insulation up; it's cheap (compared to your other improvements) and you can cover it with lowest cost Home Depot paneling. If you already have uninsulated dry wall, consider blown in insulation. (Some big box stores rent DIY equipment.)

At the high end something like a wall mounted Mitsubishi heat pump would work well for a single room. Several friends use them for rooms converted from porches here in South Carolina.
I had an uninsulated garage insulated with slow rise foam  
jcn56 : 8/8/2018 9:33 pm : link
It's not that expensive, and makes an immediate difference (and if it's an attached garage, you'll get some relief on heating/cooling bills on your home).

Next up is the foam insulation boards that go on top of the garage door. Mine was already insulated, but the R6 polystyrene boards from Corning were easy to install and cheap. That help as well as re-aligning the door pulleys so that the door was as airtight as possible (along with vinyl weatherstripping on the outside; most doors have this, but over time they lose their flexibility and get leaky).

I haven't hit the space with AC, because I don't spend that much time there, but it's airtight enough that it's well off the highs or lows during extreme outside temps.
Don't know your budget but a window AC unit and  
AnyoneButPhilly : 8/9/2018 6:07 am : link
an insulated garage door will make a world of difference
If you can do it yourself  
eli4life : 8/9/2018 6:37 am : link
Finish off a section of the garage. Put up a couple walls and insulate them. Make yourself a cozy room out there
the  
mdthedream : 8/9/2018 8:00 am : link
rolling floor units work great.
A slightly different perspective.  
KyleY : 8/9/2018 11:16 am : link
If you can't keep the garage cool, maybe you should focus on keeping yourself cool.

Lighter clothes, cold towel, etc.

Not perfect, but worth considering. Might also open the door after the sun goes down.
Cooling Bandana - ( New Window )
insulation & Quality windows  
bc4life : 8/11/2018 10:17 pm : link
and maybe a space cooler (cheaper to run than window AC I think). whole house fans are great too.
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