Here goes the heat

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Hippie3180

Hippie3180

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Joined
May 30, 2023
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Texas
Well, I've been dreading the triple digits coming on, but I think we're practically there. The garage was 98 today, so here we go. I really enjoyed the cooler days and rain we've been having, but knew it would someday come to an end.
 
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Same here. We're about 8-12 degrees away from triple digits this week but it's close. I do all the small projects in a spare bedroom but all the messy stuff in the garage. I'm hoping to have an Ac/ heating unit installed before the miserable stuff sets in.
 
Kenny Durrant said:
Same here. We're about 8-12 degrees away from triple digits this week but it's close. I do all the small projects in a spare bedroom but all the messy stuff in the garage. I'm hoping to have an Ac/ heating unit installed before the miserable stuff sets in.
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It would be so nice to put a unit somewhere, I guess a split could be an option. Hmmm?
 
Hippie3180 said:
It would be so nice to put a unit somewhere, I guess a split could be an option. Hmmm?
Click to expand...
A few years ago we had the whole unit replaced in the house. I asked about ac in the garage. I was told they could add a vent to the garage with a butterfly valve to regulate the temp on the garage but that wasn't very efficient. I'm going to put a Splitmini in which is a separate system just for the garage. We'll see how it goes.
 
Kenny Durrant said:
A few years ago we had the whole unit replaced in the house. I asked about ac in the garage. I was told they could add a vent to the garage with a butterfly valve to regulate the temp on the garage but that wasn't very efficient. I'm going to put a Splitmini in which is a separate system just for the garage. We'll see how it goes.
Click to expand...

Be careful with that Home A/C vent into the garage. Two serious issues with it:
  1. I'm pretty sure it is against building code to do this, it isn't safe.
  2. Without a return vent, it won't pull air from the garage to allow good circulation and I know that a return vent from the garage is against code, it could pull CO from vehicle exhaust into the home, not to mention all the dust from the shop.
Stick with the Mini-Split system idea.
 
Hippie3180 said:
It would be so nice to put a unit somewhere, I guess a split could be an option. Hmmm?
Click to expand...

Hi Michele, I just put this Pioneer Mini-Split in my garage (~720sq ft, too bad it isn't all shop space). It hasn't been really hot enough to use it much yet, but it is in and working. Bonus, it is a heat pump, so in the winter it will heat the space too.

You do need some refrigeration knowledge and equipment to do this one DIY, or I suppose you could DIY the install and then hire an HVAC/R tech to come out and do the final connection/start-up.

Mr Cool makes true DIY units that are a little more expensive, but are really designed for a complete DIY installation with no specialty knowledge or tools.
 
d_bondi said:
Hi Michele, I just put this Pioneer Mini-Split in my garage (~720sq ft, too bad it isn't all shop space). It hasn't been really hot enough to use it much yet, but it is in and working. Bonus, it is a heat pump, so in the winter it will heat the space too.

You do need some refrigeration knowledge and equipment to do this one DIY, or I suppose you could DIY the install and then hire an HVAC/R tech to come out and do the final connection/start-up.

Mr Cool makes true DIY units that are a little more expensive, but are really designed for a complete DIY installation with no specialty knowledge or tools.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, I was hoping to get a mini split with heat pump for the winter months.

My son has HVAC knowledge and is a Master Plumber, but I would need electrical run.
 
Hippie3180 said:
Thanks for the info, I was hoping to get a mini split with heat pump for the winter months.

My son has HVAC knowledge and is a Master Plumber, but I would need electrical run.
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The electrical requirements for that unit are pretty easy, a single 20 Amp 240 VAC circuit on a two pole breaker. The challenge could be where is your electrical panel in relation to where you will be putting the outside unit.

As a side note, I have a friend that has this same unit in his garage shop and has had it for 4 years and is happy with it. That definitely helped me with my decision.
 
Would you be able to get parts if there was a problem, or would you have to get a whole new unit? I see it has a five year warranty on parts and compressor. 👍🏻
 
Hippie3180 said:
Would you be able to get parts if there was a problem, or would you have to get a whole new unit?
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That is a fair question and one that I don't have an answer to.

I assumed that some basic parts (control boards, fan motors, etc...) are available but didn't check into it. I contacted their support team, via phone, several times before and during the install and was very happy with their level of customer service.
 
d_bondi said:
That is a fair question and one that I don't have an answer to.

I assumed that some basic parts (control boards, fan motors, etc...) are available but didn't check into it. I contacted their support team, via phone, several times before and during the install and was very happy with their level of customer service.
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This sounds like very positive feedback, discussing this with my son,he had concerns about whether we would be able to get parts etc as opposed to a local parts house. 🤷‍♀️ He is wanting us to get into something I think that is more than we need.
 
Hippie3180 said:
This sounds like very positive feedback, discussing this with my son,he had concerns about whether we would be able to get parts etc as opposed to a local parts house. 🤷‍♀️ He is wanting us to get into something I think that is more than we need.
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Like many things these days (eg. appliances), there are many more brands out there than there are actual manufacturers. Mini-Splits is one of these things. The good news is that if I do have to wait a few days for a repair part, it is my garage/shop, not my home, so I can either tough it out or wait it out ;).

The one concern that I do have with any Mini-Split in a garage shop is keeping it clean. They don't have filters like your typical home units do that are disposable. They have these mesh sections that you pull down and wash off periodically. I feel like I will really need to stay on top of this or it could be trouble. The return air on all of these units is the top, which is exactly where all the dust that gets stirred up in a shop is going to land. I plan on monitoring mine closely and if I need to I'll build a housing over the top that will allow for using a sizable bank of disposable filters. There are many YouTube videos of people doing this.

For what it is worth (not much, LOL) I recently retired from a 35 year career in HVAC, Building Controls/Automation, etc. Granted, my experience is not as a refrigeration technician (engineer, project manager, then leadership) and not residential (Commercial, Industrial, Data Centers, Military, etc...) but I am confident that a Mini-Split, of some sort, is the right solution for most small shops.
 
d_bondi said:
Be careful with that Home A/C vent into the garage. Two serious issues with it:
  1. I'm pretty sure it is against building code to do this, it isn't safe.
  2. Without a return vent, it won't pull air from the garage to allow good circulation and I know that a return vent from the garage is against code, it could pull CO from vehicle exhaust into the home, not to mention all the dust from the shop.
Stick with the Mini-Split system idea.
Click to expand...
I'm not doing a split vent from the house. Getting a separate system. I figured why put an extra load on the main unit and didn't even think about the reasons you mentioned. Thanks for your reply though.
 
d_bondi said:
Like many things these days (eg. appliances), there are many more brands out there than there are actual manufacturers. Mini-Splits is one of these things. The good news is that if I do have to wait a few days for a repair part, it is my garage/shop, not my home, so I can either tough it out or wait it out ;).

The one concern that I do have with any Mini-Split in a garage shop is keeping it clean. They don't have filters like your typical home units do that are disposable. They have these mesh sections that you pull down and wash off periodically. I feel like I will really need to stay on top of this or it could be trouble. The return air on all of these units is the top, which is exactly where all the dust that gets stirred up in a shop is going to land. I plan on monitoring mine closely and if I need to I'll build a housing over the top that will allow for using a sizable bank of disposable filters. There are many YouTube videos of people doing this.

For what it is worth (not much, LOL) I recently retired from a 35 year career in HVAC, Building Controls/Automation, etc. Granted, my experience is not as a refrigeration technician (engineer, project manager, then leadership) and not residential (Commercial, Industrial, Data Centers, Military, etc...) but I am confident that a Mini-Split, of some sort, is the right solution for most small shops.
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Keeping things clean is definitely a concern and something we haven't thought about. We don't have dust collection and things get absolutely filthy. I clean/vaccum often throughout the time I'm drilling/turning but still no nasty. Alumilite is atrocious in the filthy department, so this would
be a big concern. We change our home unit filters monthly, our heat pump is in the garage as well.

Btw, our garage is only 340 square feet and we work in 1/4 of it…..so we're in a tiny space.
 
With 340 sq ft you will want a smaller capacity unit which is fine, it will cost less and the electrical requirement will be less.

You might want to consider something like this Air Filtration System. I do have a dust collector that I use when turning, drilling, sawing, etc... but I also have this running if I am doing anything that creates dust. It hangs from the ceiling and has a remote with a timer. I run it while I am in the shop, and then set it to run for a few hours after I leave the shop. I feel like it makes a big difference in the amount of dust that settles on everything.
 
d_bondi said:
You might want to consider something like this Air Filtration System. I do have a dust collector that I use when turning, drilling, sawing, etc... but I also have this running if I am doing anything that creates dust. It hangs from the ceiling and has a remote with a timer. I run it while I am in the shop, and then set it to run for a few hours after I leave the shop. I feel like it makes a big difference in the amount of dust that settles on everything.
Click to expand...

@Hippie3180 I have the comparable Jet air filter to the Wen that David linked. It does a pretty good job keeping the air clean and sucking up the suspended dust. I like to let it run for about an hour after I'm done working, and the air is pretty clean. It doesn't prevent all the shavings and other dust from falling on the floor, but it does help keep that continuous covering of dust that settles on everything after the fact down to a minimum.

I also use a shop vac (a Fein in my case) as a dust collector. For pens, I picked up the wrap around dust collection intake from Rockler, which does a pretty good job of helping capture and suck up dust and often a lot of the shavings and chips generated when turning. A shop vac isn't all that expensive. I think I spent $110 on a small bucket-based cyclone (or vortex) system to use in-line with the shop vac. This captures the vast majority of the dust and chips. I use a bag in the shop vac, and I've only had to replace it once in the....over three years now, maybe closing in on four now, that I've been using this.

Now, a shop vac isn't a dust collector, and dust does get into the air in the shop. But, its better than nothing, and it does help keep the dust and shaving/chip level down a bit. ;)
 
d_bondi said:
Like many things these days (eg. appliances), there are many more brands out there than there are actual manufacturers. Mini-Splits is one of these things. The good news is that if I do have to wait a few days for a repair part, it is my garage/shop, not my home, so I can either tough it out or wait it out ;).

The one concern that I do have with any Mini-Split in a garage shop is keeping it clean. They don't have filters like your typical home units do that are disposable. They have these mesh sections that you pull down and wash off periodically. I feel like I will really need to stay on top of this or it could be trouble. The return air on all of these units is the top, which is exactly where all the dust that gets stirred up in a shop is going to land. I plan on monitoring mine closely and if I need to I'll build a housing over the top that will allow for using a sizable bank of disposable filters. There are many YouTube videos of people doing this.

For what it is worth (not much, LOL) I recently retired from a 35 year career in HVAC, Building Controls/Automation, etc. Granted, my experience is not as a refrigeration technician (engineer, project manager, then leadership) and not residential (Commercial, Industrial, Data Centers, Military, etc...) but I am confident that a Mini-Split, of some sort, is the right solution for most small shops.
Click to expand...
I take my mesh filters out and wipe them on/in the grass just outside my garage. The grass does and excellent job of removing the dust (they were really dusty) and the blades can actually get a bit into the mesh without ruining it. I had the installation company come out and give it the yearly once over and they said was clean as a whistle.
 
I have a few things to look into; mini split, air filter (this would be so helpful) and dust collection. I'm not sure I could stand the sound of the shop vac running the whole time. What are the solutions for that a cabinet of some sort with insulation of some sort? Ideas?
 
jrista said:
Now, a shop vac isn't a dust collector, and dust does get into the air in the shop. But, its better than nothing, and it does help keep the dust and shaving/chip level down a bit. ;)
Click to expand...

Pretty close to the same set up I have. Jet air filter + shop vac + a smaller shop vac as an impromptu separator + rockler. The last thing I have is a leaf blower. Every once in a while I open the garage up and use it to give it a good blow out.

One additional advantage to the jet is that it moves enough air that is serves as a fan - taking a bit of the edge off the heat in the summer.
 
Hippie3180 said:
What are the solutions for that a cabinet of some sort with insulation of some sort? Ideas?
Click to expand...
Won't lie. The noise is bad. But a cabinet would work to help with that. You would just need a hole for the hose to the dust separator and the power cord. Having it on a remote switch like they use for Christmas lights would mean you wouldn't have to get in to turn it on an off.
 
d_bondi said:
With 340 sq ft you will want a smaller capacity unit which is fine, it will cost less and the electrical requirement will be less.

You might want to consider something like this Air Filtration System. I do have a dust collector that I use when turning, drilling, sawing, etc... but I also have this running if I am doing anything that creates dust. It hangs from the ceiling and has a remote with a timer. I run it while I am in the shop, and then set it to run for a few hours after I leave the shop. I feel like it makes a big difference in the amount of dust that settles on everything.
Click to expand...
So how loud is the air filtration system?
 
Darios said:
Won't lie. The noise is bad. But a cabinet would work to help with that. You would just need a hole for the hose to the dust separator and the power cord. Having it on a remote switch like they use for Christmas lights would mean you wouldn't have to get in to turn it on an off.
Click to expand...
Would you need some sort of ventilation so things don't get too hot, or no?
 
Hippie3180 said:
So how loud is the air filtration system?
Click to expand...

It is just like having a fan running. They have three speeds so there are different levels. If you have a ShopVac or Dust Collector running, you won't even notice this.

Personally I find the ShopVac much worse that a Dust Collector as far as noise. To me, the ShopVac is higher pitched than the Dust Collector and that makes it more objectionable for me. I have seen some folks put their Dust Collector outside of the shop in an enclosure. That would be ideal, but not an option for my situation. I'm sure the neighbors would have something to say about that :eek:.

If you don't already have some, think about some noise cancelling headphones and/or ear protection. I find that this makes a huge difference.
 
Hippie3180 said:
Would you need some sort of ventilation so things don't get too hot, or no?
Click to expand...
Now that I think about it, absolutely. Right now it's under the table and I have to keep it positioned to not blow hot air on my legs... unless it's winter. I would imagine that at least a second hole to vent out the air from the back and maybe a small vent with possible a small fan to pull out the air from the cabinet itself.
But now we're well into the 'let's look this up on youtube to find someone who actually did this and learn their lessons' stage. :)

The noise level on my Jet air filter is dependent on the setting: low isn't something I would want to work in for 40 hours a week but it's not too bad and generally fades into the background when I'm turning. I pretty much only use medium and high when I'm not in the garage and am looking to clear it out.

edit : David is spot on. Compared to the shop vac the Jet's noise, even on high, is not a factor.
 
Well, I see I have lots to do to prepare for a mini split, I better get to crackin.

Thank you all for your input, super helpful.
 
Noticed mention of air filters. I use a box fan with a furnace filter. I turn it on when I'm in the shop and will generate a lot of dust. I leave it run for a while after I'm done in the shop; just need to remember to shut it off. Filter dust shakes off or cleans with compressed air.
 
Woodchipper said:
Noticed mention of air filters. I use a box fan with a furnace filter. I turn it on when I'm in the shop and will generate a lot of dust. I leave it run for a while after I'm done in the shop; just need to remember to shut it off. Filter dust shakes off or cleans with compressed air.
Click to expand...
Well now, that's an idea for right now. I have a box fan.
 
d_bondi said:
Be careful with that Home A/C vent into the garage. Two serious issues with it:
  1. I'm pretty sure it is against building code to do this, it isn't safe.
  2. Without a return vent, it won't pull air from the garage to allow good circulation and I know that a return vent from the garage is against code, it could pull CO from vehicle exhaust into the home, not to mention all the dust from the shop.
Stick with the Mini-Split system idea.
Click to expand...

FWIW, you can put a home AC vent into the garage as long as the register has a thermal link that melts if there is a fire and has a super strong, spring loaded damper (made for that specific purpose) AKA fire damper. We went through that drill. Return air was not an issue (for us). We used for freeze protect only.

The house we're in now was built in 1979 so no code requirement for fire damper in the hvac vent. I'm not even sure it has 5/8 sheetrock.

Stick with the mini split
 
Hippie3180 said:
Well, I've been dreading the triple digits coming on, but I think we're practically there. The garage was 98 today, so here we go. I really enjoyed the cooler days and rain we've been having, but knew it would someday come to an end.
Click to expand...
This illustrates one very distinct advantage of going metric, no triple digit air temps. :D
 
Hippie3180 said:
Well, I've been dreading the triple digits coming on, but I think we're practically there. The garage was 98 today, so here we go. I really enjoyed the cooler days and rain we've been having, but knew it would someday come to an end.
Click to expand...
I thought everything was better in Texas?
 
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