how to air condition my shop

I wouldn't think it would work because of how hot it gets in most attics. That outside unit is basically just like your normal outside ac unit just in smaller form. I know my attic this past year when we were above 100 outside my attic was around 140..

 

Yup... they are converted and used as living spaces all the time and it is generally illegal.
The garage slab may not have a vapor barrier, it lacks the proper drainage and elevation above grade, etc...

Best way to go for enviro controls is to get a portable unit that has a flex hose exhaust.

 

This

 

There are those $300ish in room cooling units you can buy. This:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_367199-37610-GL-PAC-08E4_4294749561+5003701_4294937087_?productId=3652601&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_200%2B400_4294749561%2B5003701_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=$200%20-%20$400

http://www.lowes.com/pd_211842-80003-PACN100EL_4294749561+5003701_4294937087_?productId=3652067&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_200%2B400_4294749561%2B5003701_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=$200%20-%20$400

http://www.lowes.com/pd_367200-37374-DPAC12012P_4294749561+5003701_4294937087_?productId=3652602&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_200%2B400_4294749561%2B5003701_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=$200%20-%20$400

 

Cut a hole in the wall. Is it not allowed to be seen from the street?

 

Pardon my ignorance. I don't know what HOA is. But why couldn't you just buy a window unit large enough to cool the space - cut and frame the correct size opening in a outside wall - run the correct power to it and U R good to go. There must be at least one outside wall.

 

Home Owners' Association

I agree with you, I would put the window unit in the wall that is not visible to the street (if possible to keep it out of sight).

 

X3 Thats what my parents ended up doing for their 1st floor. It works pretty good, and they have a good sized house. I don't know enough about HOA's cause I'm happy to say I have never dealt with having one. It's not a common thing around here to have a HOA.

 

Thanks. "Home Owners' Association" Learn something new every day on TW even if it has nothing to do with a Tacoma.

 

Ya, only reason I know alittle about them, is because wife likes to watch the House hunters show, and I always hear them asking about the HOA. OH, and the HOA fee's, you have to pay a fee, for someone to tell me what I can't do to my house? I don't know, thats what the code enforcement does around here.

 

"you have to pay a fee, for someone to tell me what I can't do to my house? "LMAO

 

You can put a split unit, one of those mitsubishi one. Only need 2 one inch holes.
Here in cali, you can have your garage, insulated and with climate contol. Also you can have water in the garage.
No sewer connection
Garage door have to be functional.
That's it. I just passed inpection like that.

 

X2. These work great. We have a few of them in some of the offices at work. They are much better then a window type unit but unless U R a HVAC tec you would have the added expense of paying for installation. It just come down to how much $$ U have to thro at this project.

 

I have a question. The garage door - will it be still functional?

My neighbors turned their garage into a room and it was illegal because they nailed the garage door shut, put sheetrock to make a new interior wall and installed all the comforts of a nice bedroom. The only thing they failed to do was check into what was legal and what wasn't.

They got into trouble because there was no window - Correct me if I'm wrong but I think a window has to be x amount big to x amount of floor space in that room. Also for purposes of emergency rescue, such as for the fire dept.

 

Hmm but isn't the outside unit just the exhaust? Why would it matter if the area I'm pumping hot air into is already hot? Unless it would overheat the exhaust fan unit....

I've heard bad things about the cooling abiliity of those, especially in the 105+ summers we have here. But thanks for the links I'll look further into them.

I am unwilling to cut a large hole in an exterior wall of the house.

I love living in a neighborhood with an HOA. They force my neighbors to mow their lawns, can't park vehicles in the street for an extended period of time, no political signs in the yard, etc. Well worth the $20 a month.

My last house also had one. I lived out in the the country and the big value to the HOA was that it was illegal to fire a gun for target practice outside. Saves you from the neighbor who doesn't give a shit about your peace and quiet. Also one of my neighbors didn't mow his lawn so when I was selling my house I just called the HOA, told them, and they mowed it for him and sent him a bill.

In an oil boom town like this one, any subdivision that you enter that doesn't have an HOA looks like shit, even if it's brand new, because people dont care...they are just here for a quick buck and when the bust hits they leave.

Yeah I'm starting to think that that's the way to go.

It will still be functional. I want to keep my options open for when I sell it.

Would I really need an HVAC guy to do it? It sounds so easy...just run the lines and mount the unit.

 

I'll come do it! It is much easier than you might think.

 

x2 to what Keith said! you can do almost anything to your house, they want to make sure it is done right so it doesn't become an eyesore. Yes, it can be a hassle for the extra step, but I look at it more as protecting me from what the neighbors might do that will bring down the value of my house. It also includes access to the 7 community pools, basketball courts, and so on. I'm not sure I would want to live somewhere that didn't have one (sans being either right in the city or way out in the country).

 

As others have said, you need to check local code on this. Enforcement varies from one location to the next. But don't think of it from the code point of view - it's purely your safety as well as others. You may know not to crank a car in there, but others won't. It's why the code exists - enforcing standards - so there are no questions for anyone. Other than that, you'd be looking at a separate unit so as not to mix CO into the house air, as long as you still have a garage door on it, AFAIK. What about a portable unit? They're inexpensive and can be localized to your work area, so you get cooled w/o having to cool the space entirely. There are single and double ducted versions. The singles pull air from the interior; doubles pull from outside. You can duct them outside similar to a dryer, just a little larger.

 

Its just like a household a/c unit from what I gather, so the part that goes outside is your compressor and coils. I would imagine it would be less
efficient being in a hotter area, such as an attic.

Prob could be done, as long as the unit comes pre-charged with the R-410A (freon).

And I guess its just different around here. I moved out of the city for reasons you guys are talking about, so I live in a suburb now. But we don't have HOA's and the Boro I live in enforces things such as the things you described. I guess we all pay in one way or another for things to look good. Maybe my taxes are higher. Just always hate to hear about another fee.

 

It does suck, but I have seen how some new neighborhoods get run down real quick because no one enforces anything (sometimes ones with with HOA's, just not strong ones).