Havasu Garage Cooling System Question

[Good Stuff]

I have a completely finished garage with non-insulated door. I’m looking to get something to cool it down for the dogs this summer. I know I should get a mini split setup but I’m not quite ready to bite the bullet for that yet. Looking at a portable AC or evaporative cooler and I’m thinking the swamp cooler is better cause I can use it on the patio too. Figure I can just leave the man door to the backyard cracked for the dogs to go in and out and crack one of my small side windows or put the door up an inch or two if needed to ventilate and the swamp cooler will keep everything nice. Any advice on what you may have done or seen?

 

[DRYHEAT]

There’s a lot of factors involved but if you’re going to have your dogs in the garage it really needs to be air-conditioned, it’s miserable hot when the humidity kicks in.

Using the portable swamp coolers in a garage that is mostly closed off won’t work very well it will turn the garage into a very humid sauna. Swamp coolers need dry air going in to make cool air going out.

 

[Good Stuff]

There’s a lot of factors involved but if you’re going to have your dogs in the garage it really needs to be air-conditioned, it’s miserable hot when the humidity kicks in.

Using the portable swamp coolers in a garage that is mostly closed off won’t work very well it will turn the garage into a very humid sauna. Swamp coolers need dry air going in to make cool air going out.

Ok that’s why I figured the cracked doors front and rear. I’ll put some more time into looking for a decent portable AC that does more than 500sq ft.

 

[Socalx09]

If you have power or can get power for a mini split, get one off eBay. We got a senville unit. Can’t remember if it was a 18 or 24k btu unit, but It has lasted 5+ years. The cost was maybe $900 and it has lasted in havasu. It can keep the garage to 72 degrees in the summer and once it’s over 120, it’s still 78-82 degrees in the garage. Our garage is fully insulated with fully insulated garage doors. We didn’t have the money for a professional install and the better units, but have been pretty happy with how long it has been running.

 

[LHC Kirby]

I have a completely finished garage with non-insulated door. I’m looking to get something to cool it down for the dogs this summer. I know I should get a mini split setup but I’m not quite ready to bite the bullet for that yet. Looking at a portable AC or evaporative cooler and I’m thinking the swamp cooler is better cause I can use it on the patio too. Figure I can just leave the man door to the backyard cracked for the dogs to go in and out and crack one of my small side windows or put the door up an inch or two if needed to ventilate and the swamp cooler will keep everything nice. Any advice on what you may have done or seen?

Go to Lowes/Home Depot and get the insulation for the doors... I have a 2 car door and an RV door - about 400 buck PRECOVID. WELL WORTH THE MONEY.

BITE the bullet NOW on the mini split (okay, maybe wait until covid madness brings prices down) . . BUT get it - and GO BIG. put a doggie dog in instead of cracking the door, that will help the unit immensely.

Best of luck - FYI - if the garage is attached to the house, it will help the house AC unit as well, as instead of being next to an oven, it's next to a 80-85 degree room. Made a huge difference for me.

 

[DRYHEAT]

Definitely do the mini split if you can swing it. I know the professionally installed ones are pretty outrageous, I was quoted $9000 for my garage that’s why I’m using an old school swamp cooler as I have for the last 34 years, I’m a cheapskate. Works Bitchin when it’s dry enough I don’t spend much time in the garage when the humidity kicks in . Have been considering Buying online and doing a self install and inhihiring someone to charge the system if need be.

 

[Good Stuff]

I keep eyeing the self install units with the pre-charged hoses. No vacuuming necessary. Just trying to get past the current surge pricing a bit and do the mini split. I’ll insulate the garage door too. Pricing on any work in Havasu is nuts right now. I think I might be prewired for a mini split on the rear of my garage right now I just need to check it when I get out there next week. That would cut cost for sure since it’s across the house from the panel.

 

[Orange Juice]

Ok that’s why I figured the cracked doors front and rear. I’ll put some more time into looking for a decent portable AC that does more than 500sq ft.

I tried the portable swamp for my garage, and it only works until about June 15th, then it doesn’t cool enough, but snakes will be looking to cool off in your open garage.

I still have the portable swamp cooler. It’s now clogged with calcium/ hard water deposits, and the float sticks occasionally. Good for patio, but fails in the garage.

Two months after buying my swamp cooler, I cutout a hole in garage wall, and wired in a 220v window AC unit. It cools my garage down to 66F when the outside temp is 122F. It adds about $66 a month to the summer Cooling bill.

 

[dspracing]

I keep eyeing the self install units with the pre-charged hoses. No vacuuming necessary. Just trying to get past the current surge pricing a bit and do the mini split. I’ll insulate the garage door too. Pricing on any work in Havasu is nuts right now. I think I might be prewired for a mini split on the rear of my garage right now I just need to check it when I get out there next week. That would cut cost for sure since it’s across the house from the panel.

Not sure how big your garage is but I just installed a mini split in mine. Unit was $650(even cheaper on eBay) and runs on 115v. 2 hr install and my garage is nice and cold. The garage is really well insulated so I’m optimistic it will hold up during the summer months but we will see.

 

[DRYHEAT]

Not sure how big your garage is but I just installed a mini split in mine. Unit was $650(even cheaper on eBay) and runs on 115v. 2 hr install and my garage is nice and cold. The garage is really well insulated so I’m optimistic it will hold up during the summer months but we will see.

How big is your garage and how many BTUs is the unit you bought? For that price I could buy a couple of them for mine maybe

 

[dspracing]

How big is your garage and how many BTUs is the unit you bought? For that price I could buy a couple of them for mine maybe

12k BTU. 20x25.

 

[77charger]

I have a porta cool smaller unit I got for garage here in phx. Works fine but it ain’t gonna cool garage down. I will say works great in patio. Last year I got me a 14k btu portable ac unit when our house ac went out and now use this In Garage and it works great.

Put small hole in wall to run vent tube used a dryer vent on outside of house to connect exhaust tube from ac.

 

[28Eliminator]

I installed this in my 3 car garage in the Coachella valley. Cools it down fast.

 

[Good Stuff]

Mine is a 3 car tandem type setup. Just under 700 SQ ft and 8’ tall for the rear boat section with 9’ tall for the 2 car portion. I think I’m just going to do a portable AC for the weekend and get a mini split setup. I’m confident with the house being 2004 with 6” walls that it won’t take a ton of AC to keep it cool. What kills it right now is when I pull my boat out and the whole thing gets hot with no AC system

 

[DRYHEAT]

Mine is a 3 car tandem type setup. Just under 700 SQ ft and 8’ tall for the rear boat section with 9’ tall for the 2 car portion. I think I’m just going to do a portable AC for the weekend and get a mini split setup. I’m confident with the house being 2004 with 6” walls that it won’t take a ton of AC to keep it cool. What kills it right now is when I pull my boat out and the whole thing gets hot with no AC system

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Do you know if your garage is insulated? I know you said the doors are not I just wondered if the walls were it does make a big difference especially when using AC

 

[boatpi]

Dakin 24,000 btu heat pump My garage has been flawless for three years, maintains 76° year round. Purchased on eBay delivered to my door, $1,400.

 

[Mandelon]

For a more simple and inexpensive option check out the through the wall hotel style units. Heat and AC for much less $$$.

They are call PTAC units.

 

[Good Stuff]

Do you know if your garage is insulated? I know you said the doors are not I just wondered if the walls were it does make a big difference especially when using AC

Yes the walls are insulated.

 

[Ladsm]

HOme Depot in Bullhead had mini splits for sale, 1 and 1.5 tons

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

I would buy those foam insulated tinfoil topped boards from Home Depot and cut them to fit the panels on the inside of the garage door. That will help a lot.

I bought a 120v mini split brand new for $500 from a guy off OfferUp that literally bought a container full and blew them out here in San Diego. I would definitely spend a tad more and go that route. They work so well and are really easy to install.

 

[HB2Havasu]

Mine is a 3 car tandem type setup. Just under 700 SQ ft and 8’ tall for the rear boat section with 9’ tall for the 2 car portion. I think I’m just going to do a portable AC for the weekend and get a mini split setup. I’m confident with the house being 2004 with 6” walls that it won’t take a ton of AC to keep it cool. What kills it right now is when I pull my boat out and the whole thing gets hot with no AC system

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Personally I would just anti-up and buy the mini splits and get it finished permanently. Otherwise it looks like you could hang a small Wall Unit A/C in your window until you can get mini split(s)

 

[Justfishing]

I do a lot of reading on energy efficiency and have taken some courses. The thing that most people overlook or down play is air leaks. Air leaks can be half your your cooling load. Garage doors are very leaky and not much you can do.

Is there a way to create a small dog room that could be climate controlled.

Mini splits can be energy efficient but the higher the output relative to rated capcity the less efficient it is. A unit run at 100% of capcity is less efficient than one at 40 or 50%. Plus only needing 50% of the cooling will save a lot of energy.