Garage AC / Cooler...

[Wags]

Does anyone use a swamp cooler or a Mini Split cooler in their garage?

I’m going to be doing a remodel in mine and am thinking about adding one. Nothing crazy on the remodel. Just demo, re-insulate the walls, door & ceiling (attic above it) , add new lights and outlets, drywall & paint.

This time of year my garage is crazy hot making it pretty much useless for doing things comfortably. I’d like to cool it down and make it more useful during the hot months.

I’ve watched the mini split installs and that looks pretty straight forward. However I saw some swamp coolers at Tractor Supply and that got me thinking maybe I’d go that route.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[TSAMP]

Where abouts do you live? Swamp coolers work great in places with little/no humidity. Here in iowa i don't know if it'd work that well. I'd normally reccomend plywood rather than drywall, but with prices today I can see why drywalls the better option. Mini splits are great but $$$ you may just be better off with a window unit. I'm wishing I put larger windows in when I did mine since they are to small for a window unit. I'm sitting here now processing a bear and it's still 10 -15 deg cooler than outside.

 

[Wags]

Where abouts do you live? Swamp coolers work great in places with little/no humidity. Here in iowa i don't know if it'd work that well. I'd normally reccomend plywood rather than drywall, but with prices today I can see why drywalls the better option. Mini splits are great but $$$ you may just be better off with a window unit. I'm wishing I put larger windows in when I did mine since they are to small for a window unit. I'm sitting here now processing a bear and it's still 10 -15 deg cooler than outside.

I’m in Comiformia , pretty low humidity here but plenty hot. I was initially going to do plywood & then tongue & grove board but with the price of it I simply can’t see paying that much. If the cost comes down then I’ll revisit it.

No windows in my garage and I don’t want to cut my siding to put one in.

 

[John pettimore]

Not recommending you do it in your home but I put an off brand mini split from eBay in a fishing cabin I had. It was cheap, around $650, the instructions were horrible but a pretty straight forward installation. I spent a lot of time in that 20x24 cabin, year around (heat and air), and it performed flawlessly for 3 years.

I would probably go with a mini split from a reputable brand.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Low humidity = swamp cooler. They do tend to put out some air velocity noise but nothing terrible. I had a place up at Lake Issabela where 95-100 deg. days during summer were the norm, add to that real Leo RH, 5% and swamp cooler kicked ass. lot less $$$$$ all around.

 

[ROJO23]

we live in VA and the mini splits work great for a/c. we have a 52x32 garage and I have 3 mini splits in it. I would not recommend them for heat, it doesn't work that great. I believe the outside unit is 3 tons.

 

[def90]

Swamp cooler you need to either fill with water as you use it or have it piped for water. Mini split you just install and run it.

 

[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

I don't know much about swamp coolers. Do they cause your stuff to rust/corrode more easily?

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Once you fill basin with water the float valve will maintain proper water level. It will require a 3/8" water line. Use plastic line. If you have a humidistat on them you can set RH at comfortable level and condensation and rust won't be an issue.

 

[KyleR1985]

Mini splits are easy to install, require a small hole in wall. Just wire it, and mount everything. Then let a licensed AC dude come hook up coolant system and charge it. They'll give you their license number so you can get your warranty. I pushed a 750.00 unit for 5 years in my 600sqft wood shop. It ate a ton of dust and kept trucking. Finally crapped out on me. Worth 150 bucks a year for climate control in south louisiana.

 

[Wags]

Thank you gents , I appreciate the feedback.

 

[FOS373]

I have a mini split in my ~1,750 sq ft shop with 22’ ceilings. It keeps it as cool as i want or need even in the 100+ temps we have had recently in CO.

 

[Jstumbaugh]

New mini split heat pump technology is great. Definitely capable of heating down into negative temps. Mini split will be more comfortable with less noise and a lower cost to operate than a window unit.

 

[Ranger619]

Have you checked into the price of liner panel instead of drywall? We did this and it looks nice, no painting either.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Have you checked into the price of liner panel instead of drywall? We did this and it looks nice, no painting either. View attachment 300356

Hell man, where's all your stuff. Work bench, drill press ,planer, table saw, reloading press, ect.

 

[Ranger619]

Hell man, where's all your stuff. Work bench, drill press ,planer, table saw, reloading press, ect.

It is in the house, my other garage, and in my work utility trailer. More stuff than one person should have

 

[qwerksc]

Mini split, I’ve installed a few, just have to hire a refrigeration guy to pull the vac on the lines.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Remember A/C will remove moisture from the air so if you are in a low humidity climate it will only get drier. I prefer A/C but sometime the swamp cooler is the way to go. A/C will, of course cost more to run.

 

[Wildfire1550]

Mini split for the win, cools my Arizona garage even in summer. Not much more than a window unit

 

[StuckoYota99]

As a hvac tech by trade I would recommend going with a main brand mini split and get it installed by a licensed company. Mainly for warranty, reliability, and sourcing parts.
Mr. Cool units are Chinese junk. But it will work and are cheap cheap for a reason.
I personally prefer Daikin or mitsubishi.

Mini splits are very efficient for heating and cooling. They also require little maintenance.
Basic install takes under 8 hours depending on location.
I would recommend a good surge protector as the control boards are expensive and sensitive to voltage.