# Anyone got any tips for cooling down the garage?



## jwmay (Aug 22, 2021)

My garage is like an oven. That's not an exaggeration. You can't stand in there without dripping sweat. It's got to be over a hundred degrees, and 80 percent humidity. Additionally, running a window unit is going to cause flash rust anytime I open the big door, which is at least once a week. So...what to do? Ceiling fans?  Knock out a wall? Attic fans? There has to be a reasonable solution.


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## Asm109 (Aug 22, 2021)

What are the conditions outside?


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## KevinM (Aug 22, 2021)

Fans and evaporative cooling do little to help with high humidity. I open the garage doors in the evening whenever temps and humidity come down, close the doors and work as late the next day as I can stand it.  People who don't live in high humidity areas may not realize that 75 degrees F at 80% relative humidity is miserable.


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## Ken from ontario (Aug 22, 2021)

I have a portable AC in my small shop, and also a drum fan for circulating the cool air ,it takes about 10-15 minutes to cool  the shop down  or should I say, to make the temperature in the shop more comfortable to work in , I  could have bought a  window AC which would have been more effective but it was way too noisy,  these portable ACs are relatively quiet and not too expensive.


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## JimDawson (Aug 22, 2021)

Move to Alaska?   

A large fan is what I use, and just stop working if it gets too hot.


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## rabler (Aug 22, 2021)

I put a dehumidifier in my shop, which is on 24/7.  Put in a drain line outside so I don't have to empty it.  It's set at 60% humidity.  You'd be surprised how much difference that makes is apparent temperature as well as rust reduction.   I run a window unit usually set at 78 or 80 degrees when I'm in there, not cold enough to really cause any problems with condensation if I open the place up.


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## AGCB97 (Aug 22, 2021)

Insulation and door control.
Aaron


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## jwmay (Aug 22, 2021)

I half expected someone to tell me to just wait a month and it won't be a problem anymore. Ha! It's about 90 degrees outside, with the setting sun in clear line of sight of my brick covered shop from about 4 until 8 pm.


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## Dhal22 (Aug 22, 2021)

Air conditioner?


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## mmcmdl (Aug 22, 2021)

I have a wall unit that I was going to mount in the garage . Plans changed . It's a 220 AC and heater unit like in the motels/hotels. Yard sale material.


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## ttabbal (Aug 22, 2021)

Mini split AC and a 30" HF fan. I leave the AC in dry mode most of the time to keep humidity down, not a huge problem most of the time in Utah, but we do get humid days. 

And yeah, sometimes it's still too warm in the hottest part of the day with 100F+ outside temps. I usually wait for the sun to go down, open the doors and run the fan for a while to get the worst heat down, hit the AC and cool some. Working out there at night can be the best option.


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## TomKro (Aug 22, 2021)

My garage is attached to the house with the garage door facing east.  Morning sun really bakes the garage.  

The garage happens to have a support beam about 4' back from the door, which captures rising heat at the ceiling.  On one side is a small porch, the other side a bare wall.  I placed a powered exhaust fan high on the bare wall and cut inlet air louvers high on the porch wall (out of sight from the road).  The exhaust fan is on a switch and t-stat.  It's not AC, but it helps.  

The garage door is due for replacement, so an insulated door would help my situation.  

I would certainly add a ceiling fan if I spent more time out there in summer.    I head for the basement when it gets really hot.


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## Cadillac (Aug 22, 2021)

Garage fully insulated and I use a 20” fan in the ceiling corner on medium 2 windows opened for fresh air. Fan keeps Air movement for those humid days so no rust issues ever.


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## wachuko (Aug 22, 2021)

At the house in Orlando we replaced the water heater with one of those heat pump water heater…. Dropped the electric bill by a $100.00 and it cools the garage as a bonus!


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## Zack (Aug 23, 2021)

My shop's the same way,  HOT.    I use a big construction fan and it does a good job, keep it pointed right at me from about 15 feet or so.    You can buy them at HD or Lowes for 150 bucks or so.    I think mines  24 inch.


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## Aukai (Aug 23, 2021)

I'm going to figure out a fan solution, I'm using 2 fans for the time being. My working time is about mid 80s 60-70% humidity.


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## Jackle1312 (Aug 23, 2021)

Best solution is AC that has a dry feature. I used fans for years and didn't get .ugh done when it was hot and/or humid. After I put one of the portable AC units in it all got much better. Mine has a timer so I can run it on dry when its humid. Works great so far.


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## pontiac428 (Aug 23, 2021)

Insulation does well for me, but I live in a wussy climate.  I stay 15 degrees below ambient, which is usually enough except for the 117 F temps we hit in June (shop was under 100, but barely).  My next step is to install fans.  I don't really want to push my amperage limit with a mini-split, but a couple more heat waves like the last one might just send me over.  Sweat drips and sweaty forearm prints start rust spots on the machines.


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## Winegrower (Aug 23, 2021)

I added a 5’ fan to the vaulted ceiling in my uninsulated shop.  It’s hard to say it made much difference.


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## Mill Lee farm (Aug 23, 2021)

jwmay said:


> Ha! It's about 90 degrees outside, with the setting sun in clear line of sight of my brick covered shop from about 4 until 8 pm.


If it's an option, you could try to address the solar gain on your brick. Insulate on the inside. Use something with a radiant barrier. Ex: poly-iso foamboard with the aluminum facing. 
Position something on the outside to catch the sun before it hits the brick. Tall bushes etc.  Simply putting one of those white vinyl solid fences right in front of the brick would help a lot. Of course outside ideas are totally restricted to asthetics...

If your problem is that it's warmer inside the garage then outside ambient, solar gain is one reason. Brick is fantastic for solar gain (great in the winter but horrible in the summer). Your roof would be the other culprit. Shingles soak up a lot of sun. 
High R-value insulation of the entire roof and sunward/south facing walls should help in that regard.
Hopefully get the interior temps down to ambient and lighten the cooling load for your fans or split AC.

I plan on a split unit for my garage after proper insulation. Need a little heat in the winter and dehumidification in the summer. My main issue is rust prevention, but working conditions are also important.


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## FOMOGO (Aug 23, 2021)

Have your wife out to the garage, and tell her you have a new girl friend. It will get frosty cold almost immediately. Mike


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## jwmay (Aug 23, 2021)

That's what you think. She's more liable to burn the place down with me in it!


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## aliva (Aug 23, 2021)

Min split might be an option


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## DAM 79 (Aug 23, 2021)

I’ve done HVAC since I was 14 years old I’m 42 now put in a ductless unit or MINI SPLIT as people call them and get a good one Mitsubishi you won’t be disappointed I’ve put hundreds of them in over the years they have the best warranty and we never have any problems out of them as long as there installed correctly depending on the size of the area that dictates the size unit and you can set them and forget it and just let them run they are super efficient and just work 
Just my two cents 
Darryl


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## Forty Niner (Aug 23, 2021)

jwmay said:


> My garage is like an oven. That's not an exaggeration. You can't stand in there without dripping sweat. It's got to be over a hundred degrees, and 80 percent humidity. Additionally, running a window unit is going to cause flash rust anytime I open the big door, which is at least once a week. So...what to do? Ceiling fans?  Knock out a wall? Attic fans? There has to be a reasonable solution.


Split unit.  I had one installed in my 2 car attached garage/shop last year and I am SO pleased with it.  Wish I had done it years before.  I can spend all day in the garage now any time of the year in perfect comfort.  Mine is a Mitsubishi.


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## Bi11Hudson (Aug 25, 2021)

As a rule, I am opposed to AirCon in any form. So long working in foundries and steel mills, I suppose. Keep the upper level well ventilated, including the attic. And a fan blowing on you at floor level works for me. And work slower, that's the key. Take your time, don't hurry. It hit 96F today, RH is unknown but it's clouding up and fixing to rain. I don't have AirCon in the residence, but barely broke a sweat. Just fans in appropriate places, a high ceiling, and working slower was all I needed.

.


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## wachuko (Aug 25, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> As a rule, I am opposed to AirCon in any form. So long working in foundries and steel mills, I suppose. Keep the upper level well ventilated, including the attic. And a fan blowing on you at floor level works for me. And work slower, that's the key. Take your time, don't hurry. It hit 96F today, RH is unknown but it's clouding up and fixing to rain. I don't have AirCon in the residence, but barely broke a sweat. Just fans in appropriate places, a high ceiling, and working slower was all I needed.
> 
> .


Man... I sweat like a pig... in my case, a fan is not enough... I was planning on having a/c in the small workshop that I want to build next year...

The heat-pump water heater helps bring the temperature in the garage 5-10 degrees, but that is not enough to keep me from sweating if I am doing something in there... And I hate when sweat gets on the mill table.  It starts rusting right away if I do not clean it quickly... and I keep everything oiled!


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## jwmay (Aug 25, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> As a rule, I am opposed to AirCon in any form. So long working in foundries and steel mills, I suppose. Keep the upper level well ventilated, including the attic. And a fan blowing on you at floor level works for me. And work slower, that's the key. Take your time, don't hurry. It hit 96F today, RH is unknown but it's clouding up and fixing to rain. I don't have AirCon in the residence, but barely broke a sweat. Just fans in appropriate places, a high ceiling, and working slower was all I needed.


As a rule, I'm liable to not leave an air conditioned building unless it's to enter an air conditioned car on the way to my air conditioned living room. Call me soft, but most of every day is given away or sold to the highest bidder. I wear what they tell me, do what they tell me, sleep and eat in accordance with the worlds needs. I'll have my AC thank you very much. Lol
I HAVE tried a few times to slowly acclimate myself to 80-85 degree indoors, but after a couple of sleepless nights the AC is pumping again. 
I wanted to avoid it in the shop, because I fear condensation and flash rust. But if needs must...


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## mattthemuppet2 (Aug 25, 2021)

I insulated my garage door (big difference), have 3 fans pointed at me (one floor, 2 ceiling) and wear as few clothes as possible. My garage is usually ~90F in the summer and it's pretty bearable. Downside are chips getting stuck in my chest hair..


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## JPMacG (Aug 25, 2021)

The combination of a ridge vent and soffit vents does a nice job of keeping my shed from getting too hot in the summer.  I imagine they would work well on a garage too - provided that the garage can accommodate them.  The ridge and soffit vents work as a system - without the other, neither works well.


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## Bi11Hudson (Aug 25, 2021)

Bi11Hudson said:


> As a rule, I am opposed to AirCon in any form. *So long working in foundries and steel mills, I suppose. *.


That is why I stated up front that I am was a "mill hand". The mills are insulated and air conditioned in the offices and computer rooms. But out on the floor in production areas, it was ambient. *But such facts swing both ways*. In early Janurary, even Alabama freezes sometimes. A particular incident had me on a "torch bridge", some 20 feet long. The steel under the bridge was orange hot, barely solid. It was still so hot there was no magnetism. The bridge catwalk was kept cool by a pan of water under the grating. Steel mills usually cast north/south because of the magnetics. In this case, the runout faced due north with the end of the building open to the weather. There was a heat shield on the north side of the bridge, protecting the electrical cables and gas lines.

During a breakdown, I had a maintenance crew on the bridge and talking (by radio) to a crane operator who was lifting the bridge back to the start position. The steel kept running, stopping production took 90+ minutes on a perfect day to turn around. At $4K per minute. . .  It was so hot (in Jan) that the soles of my shoes were melting on the grating. Above the heat shield, it was snowing inside the building. From the cooling water sprays further down the production line. So my shoes were melting while I had snow on my mustache. Now tell me again about your garage shop. . .

I realize that* I worked in that environment because I enjoyed it*. I also dealt with my brother, an engineer for cable TV distribution. He can't breathe when the ambient goes above 85F or so. 2/3 of his electricity bill is for air conditioning in the summer. If you worked in an air conditioned office and go to air conditioned beer joints and movies, then you need AC at home. But when I was tending mainframes in the South Pacific, the computer rooms had to be air conditioned. And I had to wear a jacket when I went into the computer. In most of the places, even the Government offices were not air conditioned. The air conditioning was for the computers. The locals had lived their entire lives without it. 85F and 85RH was the year round norm there. It's all a matter of what you're used to. On Guam, there are many military units that cannot_ live_ without air conditioning. God help them if they ever had to fight without it.

.


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## Watchwatch (Aug 25, 2021)

Can anyone recommend a good window unit ac/heat pump/dehumidifier? I want to keep the shop dry once my new mill shows up next month. I’m hesitant to go with a mini-split because I’ll probably move in the next couple years.

I have a cheapo window unit that can’t keep up. It will keep the garage around 80. I use a buddy heater in the winter which does just fine. The doors are insulated.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pontiac428 (Aug 26, 2021)

Watchwatch said:


> Can anyone recommend a good window unit ac/heat pump/dehumidifier? I want to keep the shop dry once my new mill shows up next month. I’m hesitant to go with a mini-split because I’ll probably move in the next couple years.
> 
> I have a cheapo window unit that can’t keep up. It will keep the garage around 80. I use a buddy heater in the winter which does just fine. The doors are insulated.



Those portable R2-Units do pretty good.  Also, if one window unit doesn't do it, try two.  Or three.  You'll reach a comfortable equilibrium eventually.


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## jwmay (Aug 31, 2021)

Well I lucked into a free portable unit. As luck would also have it, the heat wave seemed to ease off, just about the time i plugged it in. I can still get to sweating out there, but it's not oppressive. I actually have to be doing something other than being in the garage. That works for me! Thanks for the suggestions everyone!


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