Garage Setup - How do you keep cool
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,519
Likes: 1,305
From: Windermere FL
Garage Setup - How do you keep cool
It is inferno season again here in Florida. How is your garage setup so that you can stand to work on your car when it is 95 and 1,000% humidity? I used to be able to tolerate really well, but now my medial condition I can't take it for more than 5 minutes.
Thinking about a window AC. But I don't have an outlet by the window and the Home Owner ****'s don't permit window units. Fan don't cut it anymore.
Got any coping techniques? Toughing it out is not an option anymore, I'll keel over. An waiting till Thanksgiving for it to cool off is no fun.
Thinking about a window AC. But I don't have an outlet by the window and the Home Owner ****'s don't permit window units. Fan don't cut it anymore.
Got any coping techniques? Toughing it out is not an option anymore, I'll keel over. An waiting till Thanksgiving for it to cool off is no fun.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 8,041
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From: EOF ★ Kaliforniastan ★
St. Jude Donor '10
It is inferno season again here in Florida. How is your garage setup so that you can stand to work on your car when it is 95 and 1,000% humidity? I used to be able to tolerate really well, but now my medial condition I can't take it for more than 5 minutes.
Thinking about a window AC. But I don't have an outlet by the window and the Home Owner ****'s don't permit window units. Fan don't cut it anymore.
Got any coping techniques? Toughing it out is not an option anymore, I'll keel over. An waiting till Thanksgiving for it to cool off is no fun.
Thinking about a window AC. But I don't have an outlet by the window and the Home Owner ****'s don't permit window units. Fan don't cut it anymore.
Got any coping techniques? Toughing it out is not an option anymore, I'll keel over. An waiting till Thanksgiving for it to cool off is no fun.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
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From: Riverside County Southern California
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St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
If money is an issue try the two fan method. I bought one fan and made a huge difference.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: WAY UPSTATE NY
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2010
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I have problems with heat.
I use "cooling vests" which are nothing more than a vest with ice packs in it. I have a hat that has this too.
On a full 8 hour day, I'll change the ice packs once.
They work really well for the heat problem, not sure about the humity
I use "cooling vests" which are nothing more than a vest with ice packs in it. I have a hat that has this too.
On a full 8 hour day, I'll change the ice packs once.
They work really well for the heat problem, not sure about the humity
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,531
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From: Conroe TEXAS!
Cruise-In X Veteran
I have a 1 car garage at my apt complex. They dont want you using free electricity, so there is no where to plug in a fan.
Toughing it out is the only option.
Work for an hour, go inside, wring out sweat from clothes, drink a bunch of water, troll around CF for a few, repeat.
Just got done doing a fuel pump.
Toughing it out is the only option.
Work for an hour, go inside, wring out sweat from clothes, drink a bunch of water, troll around CF for a few, repeat.
Just got done doing a fuel pump.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,519
Likes: 1,305
From: Windermere FL
Cool Vests - 
idea. I see I can get some like the military uses for about $150. They don't use ice, you dip the packets in ice water to recharge them. Lasts about 2 hours in Iraq. Might be worth a try.
Portable AC units - I did not know they existed. Googled a couple. The biggest I can find is a 14,000 BTU for between $500 & $600 and I seen Overstock.com has a 12,000 BTU for $390. Three car garage is probably a lot more than the 400 square feet max it says it can handle. But even if it gets it down into the 80's it would be welcome. Especially with fans. Nice that it seems to be a 110V unit so I can run a heavy duty cord to the closest outlet.
Second fan - that has got to help too.
Maybe the best idea is all three!
idea. I see I can get some like the military uses for about $150. They don't use ice, you dip the packets in ice water to recharge them. Lasts about 2 hours in Iraq. Might be worth a try.Portable AC units - I did not know they existed. Googled a couple. The biggest I can find is a 14,000 BTU for between $500 & $600 and I seen Overstock.com has a 12,000 BTU for $390. Three car garage is probably a lot more than the 400 square feet max it says it can handle. But even if it gets it down into the 80's it would be welcome. Especially with fans. Nice that it seems to be a 110V unit so I can run a heavy duty cord to the closest outlet.
Second fan - that has got to help too.
Maybe the best idea is all three!
Last edited by Flame Red; May 23, 2010 at 02:29 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
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From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
I've got a/c in my garage but if I want the doors open I use a squirrel cage out of an old furnace, you'd be amazed at the air they will move. Most furnace installers will give you the cage & motor off an old unit for little or nothing.
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Instructor
Joined: May 2010
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From: Southern Colorado
The portable units work wonders, and they are nice and unobtrusive with the window vent. My buddy uses them to cool his house. Hopefully you have decent insulation on the ceiling, that will be key to keeping it cool.
I am lucky where I live, evaporative coolers work due to the low humidity. I have a small one in my garage and it keeps things tolerable.
I am lucky where I live, evaporative coolers work due to the low humidity. I have a small one in my garage and it keeps things tolerable.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,362
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From: Central Maryland
I have a portable window A/C unit that's not terribly heavy, and has a carrying handle molded into the top. On the really hot days, it keeps my one-hole garage nice and cool. It would be undersized for your 3-hole garage, but would knock the temps down a few degrees, and more importantly would knock the humidity way down. Running a circuit to add a receptacle near the window wouldn't be a lot of trouble for you. If you only popped the unit into the window when you were using it, the HOA ***** would probably never see it, and if they did, you could simply remove it to shut them up. Then pop it back in next time you need it, of course.
An alternative would be a hotel-room unit that could be mounted in the wall down at floor level, if the HOA restriction only speaks to window-rattlers, which it probably does.
Live well,
SJW
An alternative would be a hotel-room unit that could be mounted in the wall down at floor level, if the HOA restriction only speaks to window-rattlers, which it probably does.
Live well,
SJW
Last edited by SJW; May 23, 2010 at 02:54 PM.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 579
Likes: 130
From: Chaska Minnesota
Go north, my friend
It is inferno season again here in Florida. How is your garage setup so that you can stand to work on your car when it is 95 and 1,000% humidity? I used to be able to tolerate really well, but now my medial condition I can't take it for more than 5 minutes.
Thinking about a window AC. But I don't have an outlet by the window and the Home Owner ****'s don't permit window units. Fan don't cut it anymore.
Got any coping techniques? Toughing it out is not an option anymore, I'll keel over. An waiting till Thanksgiving for it to cool off is no fun.
Thinking about a window AC. But I don't have an outlet by the window and the Home Owner ****'s don't permit window units. Fan don't cut it anymore.
Got any coping techniques? Toughing it out is not an option anymore, I'll keel over. An waiting till Thanksgiving for it to cool off is no fun.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,647
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From: Argillite KY
I went to my local heating and A/C place and the sold me a unit they'd just removed from a house. (They just scrap them anyways) The homeowner had upraded to a more efficient central unit. I set it in the middle of the garage on the wall away from the door and ran a single piece of fiberglass duct to the ceiling and quit. I put 3 large vents in the duct and the filter right on the furnace.
I built a 3 sided structure around it and put in a 3' louvered bi-fold door.
Total cost for A/C and heat was $400.00 for 2 1/2 tons. It cools my 800 sq ft garage from 85 to 70 in about an hour. Warms from 40 to 70 in about 45 minutes.
I built a 3 sided structure around it and put in a 3' louvered bi-fold door.
Total cost for A/C and heat was $400.00 for 2 1/2 tons. It cools my 800 sq ft garage from 85 to 70 in about an hour. Warms from 40 to 70 in about 45 minutes.
Race Director
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From: Kingman AZ
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I flew down to Ft Pierce, FL in August a couple of years ago to look at an 81 Corvette for my friend Steven in Belgium.
The owner had a shop that was one of several in a string of auto related businesses.
The shop was made of cement blocks and had a garage door in the front and an entry door in the rear. He had a lift and a workbench in there with plenty of walk around room.
There was a large portable "barn fan" that was about 5' in diameter. He would open both doors, turn that puppy on and work with no air conditioner. It was in the upper 80s and humid when I was there but the shop was liveable.
It worked for him and his helper.
Couple of pics that don't show the setup very well as I was taking pics of the car for its new owner and was not focusing on the shop.
The owner had a shop that was one of several in a string of auto related businesses.
The shop was made of cement blocks and had a garage door in the front and an entry door in the rear. He had a lift and a workbench in there with plenty of walk around room.
There was a large portable "barn fan" that was about 5' in diameter. He would open both doors, turn that puppy on and work with no air conditioner. It was in the upper 80s and humid when I was there but the shop was liveable.
It worked for him and his helper.
Couple of pics that don't show the setup very well as I was taking pics of the car for its new owner and was not focusing on the shop.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,376
Likes: 111
From: Cherokee National Forest TN
Lived in S FL for 15 years & the humidity is a killer + it never cools off at night.
If the garage is attached to the home & your HVAC is in the attic like many FL homes, run some flexable ac supply ducts to ceiling registers. Leave the access door to the home open for cold air return.
Detached 3 car will require a 2 ton central unit or 24K btu window unit + ceiling insulation in FL.
If the garage window opens build a stand for the ac unit in the shop in front of the window & tent or duct the back of the unit to seal the hot air discharge out of the window.
Be creative with the 220 electric requirement. Electric hot water heater or clothes dryer near by? I ran 2 of 50' 3 wire extension cords to power a welder in the detached garage in my first home. The wire was 8ga & used male/female plugs & receptacles as used for electric clothes dryers.
If the garage is attached to the home & your HVAC is in the attic like many FL homes, run some flexable ac supply ducts to ceiling registers. Leave the access door to the home open for cold air return.
Detached 3 car will require a 2 ton central unit or 24K btu window unit + ceiling insulation in FL.
If the garage window opens build a stand for the ac unit in the shop in front of the window & tent or duct the back of the unit to seal the hot air discharge out of the window.
Be creative with the 220 electric requirement. Electric hot water heater or clothes dryer near by? I ran 2 of 50' 3 wire extension cords to power a welder in the detached garage in my first home. The wire was 8ga & used male/female plugs & receptacles as used for electric clothes dryers.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
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From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,519
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From: Windermere FL
Lots of good ideas here. Should have set this up when it was still cool out
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 2,376
Likes: 111
From: Cherokee National Forest TN
HA! Plus, here is Mosquito County (yes, that is what this place was called years ago pre-Disney) the vulture sized blood sucking buzzards come out and if you open the garage door for a millisecond, they eat you alive!
Lots of good ideas here. Should have set this up when it was still cool out
Lots of good ideas here. Should have set this up when it was still cool out
Due to the heat factor during the day I changed my schedule around & worked in the attic starting at 4AM. When that ball of fire would rise above the tree line the heat in the attic was unbearable but I was able to get about 4 hours a day in on the project.
Consider ceiling fans in the garage. I installed 2 in the FL garage & they really helped even with the AC running.
Good luck with your project.