Air Conditioning?

Jay Lock

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Hi everyone

I'm thinking about installing a thru the wall/or a window airconditioner (in thru the wall mode) in my garage to try to extend my shop time a bit. I've got a fan in their right now but these humid FL days just take it out of me.

What has your experience been? I know that insulation will be required as well. But what about dust clogging the AC fins? Do you put a filter over the air intake on the AC unit?

I use the Festool dust collector when ever possible and have a home made cyclone that I hook my power tools to but there still seems to be a bit of dust flying around.

I was considering one of those units with the compressor outside

http://www.mrslim.com/Products/subCategory.asp?ProductCategoryID=24&ProductSubCategoryID=139

but that is WAY outside my budget for this project.

Thanks for the support

Jay
 
Hi everyone

I'm thinking about installing a thru the wall/or a window airconditioner (in thru the wall mode) in my garage to try to extend my shop time a bit.

Like this?

View attachment 1391
View attachment 1392

I got this unit at an end of season sale at HD a few years ago. 12,000 BTU - it handles my 400 +/- SF shop very well. I do blow out the filter and unit regularly during the summer.
 
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Rennie

That is exactly what I had in mind! Don't know if AC units ever go on sale here in FL tho!

Jay
 
Happy to be of assistance!

This was a great help to me as Idaho summers, although dry (less than 5% RH) can be very hot - stretches of days over 100. I had a Shop Dawg for heat installed years ago, but summers found me out in the shop mostly in the morning hours. Now I can come home from work on the hottest days, hit the remote for the AC, have dinner, and walk into a cool shop. Life is good.
 
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Jay, I have a set up similar to Rennie's except I installed a secondary filter. I'm using an 11,000 BTU unit which replaced an 8,000 unit that became a bit light after the fins started to get clogged. The moisture that forms on the fins seems to just glue the fine dust to them and I didn't have any luck with blowing it out. Be sure that you can find a consistent supply of filters if you chose to add secondary filtration. I use a 16X30 filter that I found at Sears, but when the local store stopped carrying them bought a batch from HD and found that the size was fractionally off so the new ones have to be forced into the holder.
 
Cecil

Thanks for the additional advice. Did you build a box over the face of the AC unit to hold the supplemental filter? I would be interested in seeing a pic of your installation if it wouldn't be a bother.

Jay
 
A/C thru the wall

Jay,
Here is how I done mine last summer. I started with a window unit that was not large enough, plus blocked my view of the "outside" world (only window). I started looking (hottest part of the summer) and you could not find a A/C unit in the state. Went on that well known auction site and bid on a 10,500 unit that would more than handle the shop. Set my bid high because it did not go off until midnight (too late for me). Next morning I found that I got it for $51.52. Seller lets you pickup with no charge. It was about 24 miles out of our way on a little trip that we had planned. Anyway it was brand new Sears unit with a little ding in the thru the wall housing as well as a crack in the face ring (which I super glued). I am in cold country so set it up for sealing it for winter. Going to attach some photos of my instalation
Myshop005(864x648)
[/IMG]if I know how. If all of that works it will supprise me.
I did line the outside box with 1.5 styrofoam for insulation.
Hope it helps,
Chuck
 
Jay, here are a couple of pics of how I built a filter box. Some warnings: the filter size can be a problem. I built the enclosure to fit a 16X30 filter. This filter size was available from a Sears Hardware that is close to the house. Unfortunately they quit business and I had to get HD to order a case in that size, which required payment in advance. Got the new filters home and discovered that 16X30 is different depending on who made the filters. The origional was 15 5/8" and the new ones were 16." Also, the origionals were rigidly square sided and the replacements were somewhat rounded on the sides and not nearly as rigid (which turns out to be a good thing when you force them in the channel). As you can see, I cut dados in some pine or poplar (can't remember which; after looking at the pics it appears it was whatever I could pick up) and left one side open. The top is cut to fit the contour of the A/C unit, but not sealed or calked. This lack of sealing has not caused a problem over the past 2 years. This was a Q&D (quick and dirty) project so I used pocket screws to mount the frame. Hope this helps. Oh yes, that is an 11,000 BTU GE unit and it will keep the shop (insulated but not well insulated) at 74* here in Houston. The shop is 11X23.
 

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