Window AC w/ heater for shop

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
My garage is ~420 sf, attached at end of ranch house, no tie in to home central air.
Looking at upgrading the old window AC w/ a ~10k BTU unit.
Any reason not to splurge and get one w/ heat also?
I've always just plugged in 1 or 2 1kW ceramic heaters in winter, then waited patiently a bit. Works but sucks. Don't have teh space for a big torpoedo etc.
 
I think it depends whether you want it conditioned all the time, or just when you are working. The 220 window unit i have in my shop works killer for heat and a/c, really quickly. It's 625sf and i just turn it on when i need it.
 
fordwheelinman said:
I vote mini split and insulate.
Click to expand...
This requires cutting a hole in the bick wall and putting in a pad and blah blah blah.
I really just want an easy swap. I'm not opposed, but I can see this quickly going from a "swap out the old one in an evening" to a real project that never actually happens.
justjeepin86 said:
I think it depends whether you want it conditioned all the time, or just when you are working. The 220 window unit i have in my shop works killer for heat and a/c, really quickly. It's 625sf and i just turn it on when i need it.
Click to expand...
Its just a garage on the end of the house. I see no need to keep it conditioned 90% of the hours of any given week.
Don't have 220 there now, but if it's really worth it, I could run it.
 
RatLabGuy said:
This requires cutting a hole in the bick wall and putting in a pad and blah blah blah.
I really just want an easy swap. I'm not opposed, but I can see this quickly going from a "swap out the old one in an evening" to a real project that never actually happens.
Click to expand...
All it takes is a small hole for the lines to go through. And honestly if you have a window unit, just use the window, it's not like you'd be losing any functionality. Cut a small piece of plywood, cut a hole for the lines, seal it up. You can honestly set the outside part on some cinder blocks, don't need a pad.

I did the plywood trick years ago for a dryer vent and it worked wonders. House was a rental, and built before dryers were a thing, so there was no vent, and I couldn't put one in.
 
fordwheelinman said:
By the by, for the square footage, 12,000 BTU is a better option in my opinion. It's more than you "need", but that in turn should mean less run time and better life span not pushing it so hard.
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thanks for the tip. Most calculators have estimated 10k but I really don't care about being overpowered unless it bumps up a lot in amperage, cost etc.
 
i would go a little on the high side. better to have a little extra capacity then not enough.
something like you could install yourself. 12k kit is about 2 grand. A 230V unit would have a lower operating cost then a 115V unit
www.ebay.com

4th Gen MRCOOL DIY 12k-36k BTU Ductless Mini-Split, Heat Pump/AC 25' | eBay

They are up to 22 SEER, designed to heat and cool up to a 1,500 square foot space efficiently and effectively. Our SmartHVAC app is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google assistant. Doing it yourself has never been easier with the new MRCOOL DIY E Star Series.
www.ebay.com
 
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braxton357 said:
Mini splits have tripled in price the last two years, and to be honest they can be a headache. I've stopped installing them in my rentals, now it's either a split system or heat/cool window units. This scenario is a perfect one where a $500 window unit makes a lot more sense, not like he's going to be running it all the time
Click to expand...
This

Keep it STUPIDLY simple
 
braxton357 said:
Mini splits have tripled in price the last two years, and to be honest they can be a headache. I've stopped installing them in my rentals, now it's either a split system or heat/cool window units. This scenario is a perfect one where a $500 window unit makes a lot more sense, not like he's going to be running it all the time
Click to expand...
Exactly.
I bet in the last year the AC was turned on 30 times at most. Its only even needed between late May and September, on random evenings or a weekend day. That makes it really hard to justify the expense and work of a mini split. I have a 6k unit in there now. I moved it to the living room while the power was out and we couldn't use the central air, I was just thinking, maybe now is the time to slip in an upgrade.

The question was really whether it's worth getting a unit that can heat too.
Are the cheaper heated ones just resistance heat? Or are they all heat pumps?
 
What I've learned that is most relevant is that adding heat vs ac only adds ~$2-300 depending on efficiency etc. Worth it imo, given that 2 good space heaters are almost the same.
Additionally and the biggest issue is that most rated 11k+ btu and certainly the more efficient ones are 230v.
I don't currently have 230v in the shop, but there's lots of great reasons to have it.... Like later running better welder, or an emergency back feed line for generator etc. Which means if I'm going to do it I really should go ahead and run 8 gauge wire. Which then becomes an additional expensive and not fun task to run through the attic during the hottest time of year.... Which means this is now relegated to "when I find a deal and time in fall" and limp on until then w aid if a fan to assist the old 6k unit.
 
lol a guy in Forest Hill was cleaning his shop and sold me a 12k BTU 15a unit for only $50. So if I sell mine for the same I can add all that $$ I saved to getting a good heater I guess.
 
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