ReplyIf it were me i would go with a ductless spilt system.
Regular Guest
Hi All,
I'm new to the forum and was wondering if I could get some advice on installing HVAC in my garage. It's a 2 car garage and I would like to put heat/air conditioning in to make it more comfortable in the southeast during the winter and summer months.
I was thinking that maybe I could just run ducting from the house into the garage but I didn't know if that was a good idea or not. Is the best solution to install a seperate system for just the garage?
I really appreciate any suggestions to help with my situation. My fingers and toes thank you.
Have a great day,
Craig
Last edited by ichikuma; 02-01-2007 at 10:26 AM.
Regular Guest
If it were me i would go with a ductless spilt system.
Professional Member
Check your local codes first- typically ducts are allowed in a garage only so long as there are no openings in those ducts to the garage, made of 26 ga metal or heavier. There may be more stringent requirements locally. In other words, a separate system of one type or another will likely be needed.
Don't confuse me with facts, my mind is already made up.
Regular Guest
Thanks for the suggestions. Just a little more detail on my situation. The roof of my garage is in line with my master bedroom and butts up against it. So, if I go up in the attic, I could just run the ducting from my master bedroom into the garage quite easily. However, I didn't even think that there might be a code issue to do that.
It sounds like the split system might be a viable solution. The only concern there is I live in an HOA and I'd have to get permission to put the box outside. Is that a do it yourself project or would it be advisable to hire someone to install it? Also, can someone make a recommendation for which one I would need? I have a 2 car garage I'll be using it in, it's a little over 20'x20'.
Thanks again for all your help,
Craig
Regular Guest
Keep in mind that you are adding square footage to an existing unit. Unless your present system is oversized you will be reducing the heating & cooling to your home. I would go with a seperate system...
Professional Member*
use a seperate system, don't want garage air mixing with the house air.
CO from car exhaust getting into house is never good
Professional Member*
That's the reason it is usually against building codes to do so. A mini-split probably is the best choice but hire a pro, the money you spend on tools to do it right will more than pay for the pro and his installation should be warranted, yours will not be.Originally Posted by t527ed
use a seperate system, don't want garage air mixing with the house air.
CO from car exhaust getting into house is never good
Never knock on Death's door. Ring the bell and run, he hates that.
Views expressed here are my own and not neccessarily those of any company I am affiliated with.
Professional Member
I personally wouldn't run duct into the garage. Without spewing out a list of reasons why , I think a PTAC unit could work for you the cheapest and easiest way.
Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see.
Professional Member
I put a Mitsubihi in there for the lovely car you see and 2 sweaty English Bulldogs,it is really nice. You would break the code with ducts from home system and garage due to CO ,fire and also thermostat in house would be far off from garage temps, room on slab,big door.I use for partys for the kids and escape there.
It's NOT the BRAND,it's the company that installs it!!!!!
Professional Member
AGREE!
Does said garage have a windo by chance?
http://www.aafeders.com/products/ac/...ac/replace.asp
Maybe not what you had in mind but if there is a window or you can fram a hole for it this would be a cheap and easy route
I remember my first day,It was fun!
Banned
DO NOT use the house system. Not only is it unsafe and may stink up the house, it's probably against code.
I have a Daikin mini split in mine, and it works great. Fujitsu also has a very nice and efficient unit. Makes for a perfect workplace for cars.
In the end, it's the best solution, and probably the cheapest. Well, a PTAC would be cheaper, but those things are usually VERY cheaply made. And then there's the huge hole in the wall...
Professional Member
In my opinion, Mitsubishi ductless mini split is the only way to go. PTAC too noisy and inefficient.
Regular Guest
ditto. mitsubishi, fujitsu, both are excellent, customers love them.
Professional Member*
Fujitsu mini split. Up to 22 SEER too!! Woohoo!
Regular Guest
Thank you all so much for your responses. I'm going to go with the split-system as it seems to have a concensus. I don't have a window in my garage so there will need to be some work done to get the two parts connected which brings me to my next question.
How should I go about getting one installed? Should I call a couple of the local HVAC companies and ask for quotes? Will the HVAC company be able to wire it up or would I need to get an electrician to take care of that seperately?
Thanks again for helping out a newbie,
Craig
Professional Member
Go to the manufacturers web site and search for local "trained" installers. I know for a fact that Mitsubishi has a very good list on thier site. Most units only need a 3" hole to the outside so the routing isn't a problem. The electrical part depends on the installer and local codes. In my area I am required to have a licensed electrician for the high voltage side. Don't be shocked in the price, they aren't as inexpensive as window units but they work very well.
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