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Cooling Garage
Posted on 6/17/25 at 9:47 am
Posted on 6/17/25 at 9:47 am
I have a home gym set up in my garage and workout in the afternoon, heat of the day. As i live on a busy street with a lot of kids and adults walking by, I like to keep the garage doors down.
I have fans set up, but we are entering the time of year when I’ll need more cooling. I don’t want to spend a lot of money as i only use it 6ish hours/week. I’ve considered buying a portable AC unit off FB marketplace (most are less than $200) and running the duct vent out of garage door (raise it slightly).
Not wanting to do a mini split due to cost.
Any other thoughts?
I have fans set up, but we are entering the time of year when I’ll need more cooling. I don’t want to spend a lot of money as i only use it 6ish hours/week. I’ve considered buying a portable AC unit off FB marketplace (most are less than $200) and running the duct vent out of garage door (raise it slightly).
Not wanting to do a mini split due to cost.
Any other thoughts?
11
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:04 am to greenbean
Previous owner of my house worked on cars, and as the garage is detatched he cut a hole in the wall and installed a window unit.
Cools the garage enough to take the edge off.
Cools the garage enough to take the edge off.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:08 am to greenbean
Splice into an existing duct in your attic and drop it into your garage.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:10 am to greenbean
Do you have a window that doesn’t face the street? Portable (non window) AC’s aren’t nearly as effective or efficient.
Cooling an uninsulated garage is a tall order, but sounds like you really need a few degrees/lowered humidity for a few hrs a day.
Look into radiant insulation barrier for the garage door itself (if uninsulated), insulate + radiant barrier above the garage attic…. These will make HUGE difference.
I keep my 3 car garage at 78 degrees / 50% humidity 24/7 with a 12k btu Midea U Shaped inverter window AC that faces the back yard. It’ll get cooler but that’s plenty comfortable to workout etc.
Cooling an uninsulated garage is a tall order, but sounds like you really need a few degrees/lowered humidity for a few hrs a day.
Look into radiant insulation barrier for the garage door itself (if uninsulated), insulate + radiant barrier above the garage attic…. These will make HUGE difference.
I keep my 3 car garage at 78 degrees / 50% humidity 24/7 with a 12k btu Midea U Shaped inverter window AC that faces the back yard. It’ll get cooler but that’s plenty comfortable to workout etc.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:41 am to SwampCollie
Unfortunately, no windows.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:52 am to Shexter
quote:
Splice into an existing duct in your attic and drop it into your garage.
Bad idea for a couple reasons. He already mentioned he only uses the garage about 6 hours a week so there's no sense cooling it 24/7 and taking cool air from the house to do it. If his house unit is sized properly, then it is sized for the amount of lines coming off the unit already. Adding more make the unit less efficient in the long run.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:54 am to greenbean
quote:
Unfortunately, no windows.
Then make a hole. It's not that hard to cut a hole in a wall to install a window A/C unit. They make 110 units that should help cool your space pretty good depending on if the garage is insulated, has a finished ceiling and closed in walls.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:55 am to greenbean
For a little relief, you can attach a fan to the ceiling and have it blow the air out of the open door. Hot air rises and it pulls the hot air out of the garage. It won't make it cool, but it does help.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 10:58 am to greenbean
quote:
I’ve considered buying a portable AC unit off FB marketplace (most are less than $200) and running the duct vent out of garage door (raise it slightly)
That will help some, especially if you point the good air at your workout area. You’ll want to seal the entire opening at the bottom with a long piece of styrofoam or something.
quote:
Any other thoughts?
Start working out in the morning.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 11:52 am to greenbean
quote:
Not wanting to do a mini split due to cost.
Spend the ~ $800 and put it in yourself. It's super easy, and the best thing there is for cooling a single room.
It's completely worth it.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 2:39 pm to greenbean
We hit over 100 degrees so my garage gets pretty hot when I'm lifting in the late afternoon. I've thought about doing something but it doesn't hurt to sweat my arse off. All the options just didn't appear workable with how my garage meets my house.
Posted on 6/17/25 at 3:40 pm to greenbean
Portacool is another option but they’re expensive too
Posted on 6/18/25 at 7:26 am to Shexter
quote:
Splice into an existing duct in your attic and drop it into your garage.
If you can live with the temporary increase in temp in the house, opening the door from the house to the garage and placing a box-fan in the doorway (blowing into the garage) while working out is a less-permanent way to do this.
Posted on 6/19/25 at 6:27 am to greenbean
My buddy installed a mini split (not cheap), but their garage now serves as wood working shop and gym for them. Basically an extra room.
Posted on 6/19/25 at 7:22 am to Larry Gooseman
quote:
My buddy installed a mini split (not cheap), but their garage now serves as wood working shop and gym for them. Basically an extra room.
If he does any serious woodworking and doesn't have a dust collection system set up, it could play hell with the A/C clogging up the cooling coil area as it recycles the air.
Posted on 6/19/25 at 9:00 am to gumbo2176
He does have serious dust collection system
Posted on 6/19/25 at 8:41 pm to greenbean
Amazon has several 110v 12k btu mini splits under $500. I am sure they are not the greatest, but I am sure it is a better value than the name brand units.
Now, will a 12k mini split cool a 2 car garage? IDK, I am debating the 12k and 18k, it seems like they are chasing market share with the 12k units though and seem to be a much better value.
Now, will a 12k mini split cool a 2 car garage? IDK, I am debating the 12k and 18k, it seems like they are chasing market share with the 12k units though and seem to be a much better value.
Posted on 6/19/25 at 8:45 pm to armsdealer
[quote]Now, will a 12k mini split cool a 2 car garage? [/quote
If its well insulated, yes absolutely.
If its well insulated, yes absolutely.
Posted on 6/20/25 at 8:16 am to greenbean
Have you investigated installing a garage attic fan? It sucks cooler air in from under garage doors and pushes it through the attic and goes up and out with the other attic air through the turbines in your roof. It seems to have the added benefit of cooling off your attic as well. Probably won’t make your garage comfortable to work out in but it might make it tolerable.
Posted on 6/20/25 at 2:12 pm to BitBuster
I know you are not looking for a mini-split but I installed a 24K Mitsubishi last year for our garage (two cars and a boat port). It cools it with no issue or trouble. I did insulate all three garage doors. Not a hard installation to do yourself. It makes all the difference in the world working in the garage during the summer.
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