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Need tips on cooling laundry room without AC

Posted on 7/16/26 at 12:12 am
Posted by JumpingTheShark
America
Member since Nov 2012
24850 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 12:12 am
Like title says, our laundry room seems to have been an addition at some point and never had central air put in. It is the furthest room from the AC unit and not practical to add supply and return vents. It’s a very old home and our energy costs are out the arse as it is. The window in there is also an old bay window and not sealed very well so on top of no AC it also practically trends with the outside temperature. Being in Louisiana it gets particularly hot in there in warm months. Combine that with the fact that laundry is done in there and you’ve got a very humid space. My issue is it is way too small to justify a mini split although it couldn’t be a much easier place to put one. Has a great discrete wall space for it, outside the wall is a patch of grass no one really sees and already has electric meter, sprinkler control box, and the breaker box for the whole house is in the room itself. Problem is it’s only about 50 square feet. Way small for a mini split.

I suppose I could do a mini split and instead of always having to close the doors to the laundry to not affect the kitchen cooling etc, maybe the mini split would contribute to cooling and heating that part of the house better. The window will undoubtedly need to be updated at some point, it’s not sealed hardly and not really doing any good. First and foremost I need to remove hot, humid air and then focus on cooling and heating. I’ve considered a through the wall transfer fan, exhaust fans, portable AC, etc. What do y’all think? There’s not a great spot for a room to room transfer fan without looking like shite on the wall of our kitchen.
Posted by Clames
Member since Oct 2010
19808 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 12:38 am to
quote:

I suppose I could do a mini split and instead of always having to close the doors to the laundry to not affect the kitchen cooling etc, maybe the mini split would contribute to cooling and heating that part of the house better.


Does this same room also have trouble staying warm in the winter? Most of the smaller inverter mini-splits are heat pumps so it would also heat the space in the winter.
Posted by LanierSpots
Gulf of America / Sarasota FL
Member since Sep 2010
71474 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 5:43 am to






All I got baw


Posted by CatfishJohn
Member since Jun 2020
21495 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 9:13 am to
Window unit?
Posted by Bamafig
Member since Nov 2018
6737 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 9:19 am to
I’m also thinking the obvious, a window unit. A small one would be perfect for cooling as well as removing humidity. You can even get the ones with temperature settings so it’s not just running continuously.
Posted by CatfishJohn
Member since Jun 2020
21495 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 9:28 am to
Yeah, something like this. You can get a smaller version (8,000 BTU) on this link for the small room, but these won't run unless they need to, so "too much" power isn't going to hurt you like a traditional HVAC. Although I'd get one that has heat for the Winter.

They aren't very nice to look at, but seems like that side of your house isn't visible. You can also beef up the insulation on the sides of it and even make a wood frame and paint it to match the window.


quote:

Multi-Season Comfort – This Midea 12000 BTU air conditioner is more versatile than standard AC units, offering powerful cooling and dehumidification in the summer and reliable supplemental heat in the fall. Best for large rooms up to 550 square feet. Note: Heat pump function will not operate if outside temperature is below 41°F.


LINK



This post was edited on 7/16/26 at 9:35 am
Posted by Spankum
The Sip
Member since Jan 2007
62894 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 9:59 am to
It seems like the only thing that would be practical is a window unit. Would it be possible to cut a hole it the discreet wall? I have seen that done and framed in with trim around, it looks pretty nice by comparison.
Posted by dblwall
Member since Jul 2017
1829 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 10:53 am to


Posted by Clames
Member since Oct 2010
19808 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 12:46 pm to
quote:

It seems like the only thing that would be practical is a window unit. Would it be possible to cut a hole it the discreet wall? I have seen that done and framed in with trim around, it looks pretty nice by comparison.


I've done a few installs like that for folks, don't even have to do much to rough out the opening if the unit is small enough to fit between wall studs.
Posted by 9rocket
Member since Sep 2020
1765 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 12:49 pm to
Small window unit is your best option. Way best. Either cut a hole in the wall at your desired location and trim it out or yank out that old bay window and put it there. Two birds -one stone. A lot more work doing that, though.
Posted by RaginCajunz
Member since Mar 2009
7237 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 2:46 pm to
quote:

I suppose I could do a mini split and instead of always having to close the doors to the laundry to not affect the kitchen cooling etc, maybe the mini split would contribute to cooling and heating that part of the house better.


I like this idea the best. They are so efficient and quiet. Let it chip in and make the rest of the house more comfortable and/or reduce the the burden on your central air.

Posted by gumbo2176
Member since May 2018
20209 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 4:13 pm to
quote:

I've done a few installs like that for folks, don't even have to do much to rough out the opening if the unit is small enough to fit between wall studs.



That is how I put A/C in my man cave. I cut a hole through a back wall big enough to fit in a 24K BTU 220 unit and trimmed it out on the inside and outside to give it a finished look. Slight tilt to the outside for the thing to drain and it's been good to go for over 20 years. I only run it when I plan on using that space and the unit doesn't run all the time.

For heat, I have a gas space heater with the fake fireplace logs in it that has a thermostat built in so it can cycle when it's cold.
Posted by Combaro01
Member since Mar 2024
230 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 4:45 pm to
A mini split system is likely your best bet for effectively managing the temperature and humidity in such a small, isolated space.
Posted by wrlakers
Member since Sep 2007
5923 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 7:18 pm to
quote:

our laundry room seems to have been an addition at some point and never had central air put in.


I have the same set up. The lack of A/C does not bother me. I don't spend enough time in the room to get hot.

I keep the door closed at all times, except when I'm actually loading the laundry, moving it to the dryer, or unloading the dryer.

I do laundry at night or early morning to avoid the hottest time of the day. Keep a tub of Damp Rid in there if the room seems humid. You might try a wall mounted fan to keep the air moving.
Posted by JumpingTheShark
America
Member since Nov 2012
24850 posts
Posted on 7/16/26 at 7:45 pm to
Lots of good suggestions in here gents I appreciate it
Posted by TU Rob
Birmingham
Member since Nov 2008
13526 posts
Posted on 7/17/26 at 8:56 am to
As others have mentioned about making a cut out for a window unit, I explored this option for an addition we did 6 years ago. They actually make units designed to be mounted/installed like this that are not for window mounting. I believe if you look at Lowe's they're called in-wall units instead of window units. Its been a while though so I might have the wording wrong.

What we ended up doing was tying in to the central air. Our contractor said he could add a small flex duct off the main line and put a floor register in the space. I was having my deck demo'd and rebuilt, and it was during Covid so I asked them to finish off a room. It is a covered/screened deck and under the roof on one end they built walls and covered with wood siding on the outside and drywall on the inside for me. I ended up doing the carpet and painting and finishing work.


ETA a link:

LINK
This post was edited on 7/17/26 at 11:04 am
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