Heating & A/C for shop

[earl the pearl]

Hope I can get some help. I am setting up my shop in my two car garage which is attached to the house. I want to have it heated and cooled so i can work year around. The garage door is not insulated and made of aluminum. Any suggestion ?? or has anyone put heating and A/C in their shop garage. What did you use etc. Thanks Earl

 

[FredP]

you can use a window unit. you cannot tie your home unit in to the attached garage.

 there are stand alone systems that do both heat and air. window air units can be had fairly cheap and space heaters are cheap too. combo units cost a little more but are more convenient. they take up less room. the door can be insulated easily.

 

[Glennbear]

FWIW, in my 24x24 detached garage/shop I use a window AC unit and a 220V heater which is wall mounted between two studs. Lowes and Home Depot sell the heaters and the price is not a bank breaker. As far as the overhead door, I insulated mine using foam panels:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/f81/insulating-garage-door-12486/

Best of luck in your HVAC efforts. :wsmile:

 

[striker]

I recently underwent the same conundrum and elected to put in a big heat/ac wall unit. I was looking hard at putting a mini split system which I've heard good things about and are not bank busters but in the final tally, for less than 600 bucks I could have the same BTUs from a wall unit.

BTW. 18000 BTU Heat/AC unit came from HD - listed @ 599.00

 

[Skymaster]

FWIW mini split long term the best way to go. Unit almost silent, onobtrusive.efficient. :gar-Bi
trust me mine is great

 

[MIKE NOAH]

1 + for the mini split. A lil more expensive up front but the higher seer ratings over most window or thru the wall units will help with those monthly power bills. I have one you are welcome to come by and check out if you are not familiar with mini splits
Mike

 

[jhreed]

Stephen, Jack, & Mike, tell us more bout your units. Brand name, model number, cost, seer rating etc.

I know many of us have the same interest.

James

Two car, uninsulated, un-insulated aluminum door with 1" gaps around the edges.

 

[wghatcher]

I bought a through the wall AC/heat pump combo unit online - mine is an Amana 14,000 BTU unit. I was able to get it online for nearly $1,000 less than from a local dealer. This is for a newly built 10 x 30 garage addition.

I also added insulation to the double door in my existing garage. No heating or AC, but the insulation has made a big difference. A couple of comments, I did not realize that I would need to adjust the opener for the additional weight. Also, the spring on my door broke about 6 months after I added the insulation - don't know if that is just coincidence or not, but I replaced with the spring setup for a heavier door.

Greg

 

[BKind2Anmls]

I have been thinking about pulling the heat pump unit off the house (it's 12 years old) and replacing it with a more energy efficient model then moving the old heat pump to the shop.

 

[thrt15nc]

I put this heater in my garage shop last year and it works great. 20X24, fully insulated. The garage door is aluminum and insulated only as it comes.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_595_595

I put this one in my single garage also. It works great also.

http://www.heater-home.com/product/DGWH4031.aspx

I just put a Sears 12,000 BTU window A/C in the big garage also. It cools it just fine. Even with the last 90-100 degree days.

Tom Swortzel

 

[earl the pearl]

Thanks for all the info. I would also be interested in the make model of the units and any additional information you can give. James was also interested.

The guy who put in the house heating/ac says that he can come off the existing system with two ducts and pop them in the ceiling of the garage, but that the system is really now at full capacity. The garage is on the front of the house and HOA restrictions will likely keep me from putting in a through the wall AC unit. Besides it can be seen from the street and when you drive up to the house it very visible. The AC guy says that he can do a mini split unit for a cost of $3,500.00 this was a verbal quote when he was here for the annual inspection of the AC units. The split unit seems like the way to go, however this is above my budget.

Anyone know of a good heating and AC guy in my area who would put in a mini system that I purchased off the internet?

Earl​

 

[FredP]

The guy who put in the house heating/ac says that he can come off the existing system with two ducts and pop them in the ceiling of the garage, but that the system is really now at full capacity.

Earl​

[/QUOTE]

This would be a direct code violation and a serious hazard to you and everyone else in the house. You would need return air and therein lies the problem. Most folks keep cars, lawn mowers,ect... in the garage. gas and oil fumes along with carbon monoxide emissions and fumes from finishing wood working projects will be pumped directly into your home. Sounds like the guy is an idiot and you should find someone with some sense to do the installation.:swoon: better to be warm in the summer and cold in the winter than to be dead.

 

[Skymaster]

tho I did not buy from this site it tells ya alot of info: My unit is at the bottom of page I did not get the mirror face or the deco panel but thi is what is making my 3 car sooooooooooooooooo nice
http://www.prostar-mechanical.com/heatpump/LG/lg_heatpump.htm

 

[MIKE NOAH]

My shop is a detached building roughly 25' x 40' with 12' ceilings, one 7 x 9 door and one 11 x 10 both insulated with http://diygaragedoorinsulation.com/products-page/falcon-foam-insulation-kits/ last year when there was a tax credit available. I am using a 2 ton Sanyo mini split heat pump 17 seer http://www.ajmadison.com/cgi-bin/ajmadison/24KHS72.html I keep it on 70 in the winter and 74 in the summer and have been very pleased with the unit. That being said I do try to keep relatively constant temps in the shop, the unit will not drop the temp 10 deg an hour in the middle of summer nor raise the temp rapidly when it 35 deg outside but it will maintain temps even during the extremes of each season. The outdoor unit is extremely quiet, I have to be within 6 ft of mine to even hear it running. Having used the shop with and without heat/air I believe this unit doesn't affect my power bill by more than $400-450 per year max ( I spent almost that much on propane one year) I will say if you go with a mini split stay with a reputable brand. The first unit I bought was one of the cheapest units I could find on EBAY and I paided the price ....the unit was designed for warmer climates, didn't have a defrost circuit and wasn't effective at all below 40 degrees. When problems arose the distributer was not helpful/nonexistent. The unit requires a 3" dia hole IIRC through an outer wall to run electrical and refrigeration lines to the inside unit. If you are comfortable enough with wiring a fused electrical disconnect for your outside unit and mounting the indoor and outdoor unit I believe you could find a licensed refrigeration tech to run the two refrigeration lines, pull a vacuum, and get the unit operating within specs for a few hundred bucks since the units come precharged they have little to nothing in materials and less then 2 hours work depending on your setup. IMHO $3500 for 1 1/2 ton unit (I am guessing) is a little high especially if you can do some of the work yourself. Last but not least a few things to save some headaches later:
*** again buy a reputable unit.
*** use a licensed tech who has dealt with mini splits before( don't let them tell you theres no need to pull a vacuum.
*** get your permits to have peace of mind w/ you insurance co and if you go to sell the house.

Mike