Cooling Options for Garages

On those beautiful warm days when there’s a slight wind, moderate or low humidity and tolerable temperatures, there’s no better way to keep your garage space cool—especially while you’re working in it – than by opening up the garage door and any windows and allowing nature’s breezes to work their cooling magic.

For those other times when weather conditions are more oppressive, there are a number of factors to consider for keeping your garage space cool. These are especially important for keeping parts of your home cool if your garage is attached to your house. It does no good to cool your house efficiently and then allow heat to build up in an attached garage; the warmer air will always travel to the cooler places, which could result in your garage making your home uncomfortable, sometimes for the duration of an entire night.

Consider the following:

Garages are often not insulated, which means that your attempts to cool the space will be thwarted by air escaping through uninsulated cracks and spaces. Before installing a cooling system, you might want to check to see if there are inexpensive ways to effectively insulate your garage, which will save you money and also increase your AC unit’s efficiency.

Garages are often used by people during the warmer portions of the day, when the heat load is greater than most portable AC units can manage. And it is not always possible to install a portable unit, as many garages lack proper ventilation options for the unit’s exhaust hose. Do you really want to drill a hole in a wall or prop open a window just to accommodate the hose?

While portable units still might seem a good choice for garages, there are other options to keep in mind. These include through the wall AC units, air and ceiling fans, dehumidifiers and adding insulation. You should also carefully look at how the garage itself is vented through the roof and gable spaces. There may be opportunities there for heat relief, depending on your climate.

Need more information about how best to keep your garage space cool and comfortable in the warmer months? Contact AC World today!