Our Garage is HOT! September 13, 2011   Subscribe Cooling a garage rec room? We are buying a house and want to use the garage as an informal hangout space. Problem - we live in Austin, where we've had over 80 days of 100+ degree weather this year. The garage is a haven for car enthusiasts and hobbyists like woodworkers - that is until the temperatures start to increase. Outdoor work spaces get hot fast when the mercury rises. Whether the garage is your man cave or where you work to make a living, don’t let the heat stop your productivity. There’s a variety of options that can help to keep garages comfortably cool so you can stay on track with your projects, but some are far more effective than others. Do your research and learn the pros and cons of each so you can select the best one for your needs.Fans seem like a quick fix to hot garage troubles. Both oscillating and ceiling options are inexpensive and easy to install. The drawback: fans are minimally effective.

Fans alone simply circulate stagnant, hot air throughout the space. What’s more, if the garage is large, the air circulation may not spread through the entire area.Mobile air conditioners (AC) are more expensive than fans, but can be an effective way to cool garage spaces. Keep in mind, using an air conditioner does require the space to be closed off. best central air conditioning unit 2013Depending what the garage is being used for, this may be impossible for some people.ac unit hard start kit If you have a window in the garage, a window AC unit may work well because it vents directly outside. ac window unit plugFor garages without windows - which is typically more common - installing AC can be problematic. The unit requires a place to ventilate the heat generated from the compressor.

This not only limits the mobility of the unit, but also requires fixed-ductwork and adds another point of heat generation. Harsh refrigerants and energy consumption are other drawbacks. Refrigerants are an integral part of AC options to emit cool air, and running the unit uses a lot of energy which can cause energy bills to skyrocket.Evaporative cooling is gaining popularity due to its effectiveness and versatility. Portable evaporative coolers cool warm air and drop temperatures using tap water, a pump and a wetted surface to create the naturally occurring process of evaporation. When the air in the garage is pulled across the water, the temperature of that air naturally lowers. This effect is similar to the chill you get coming out of a pool or how the wind off the lake feels cooler. A garage enthusiast’s favorite is the Portacool Jestream 240 because it’s compact, portable and can be used with the garage door open to provide cooling throughout the space. Plus, it’s far more energy efficient than running an AC unit consistently.

In fact, it pulls the same amount of electricity as a small household appliance so it won’t zap your energy bill. Even better, there’s no compressor to vent residual heat and there are no harsh chemicals or refrigerants involved. The Portacool Jestream 240 is surprisingly effective at cooling garages. It’s been proven to deliver a temperature reduction from 8 to 10 degrees in the morning in the highest humidity regions (Miami, New Orleans or Boston), and up to 12 to 15 degrees later in the day when the relative humidity goes down as the temperature goes up. Now that you’ve determined the best cooling option for you, there are a few final things to consider. To start, insulation can make a big difference when regulating temperatures, especially in closed spaces. Consider adding paper-backed batt-insulation to the ceiling and walls. Additionally, ditch anything that puts off unnecessary heat, such as old incandescent bulbs since 90 percent of the energy used is given off as heat.

Instead, replace with energy-sipping and cool running LEDs. Sears Installation Services takes pride in our quality service and we stand behind it with a 1-year warranty on all installation work. We take your family's safety very seriously and perform background checks on every technician. Plus, our installers carry General Liability insurance for extra protection. All of our installation work is sure to comply with both local and state codes so you can rest assured that each installation meets your satisfaction as well as all the regulations. We monitor and receive updates directly from the installation contractors from purchase through completion. That means if you have questions, we'll have the answers. Call us day or night We're here when you need us. Our customer support professionals are available daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST. Simply call us at (800) 497-4402 for assistance. Additional installation services for kitchen appliances Inspect your appliance for damage or defects before we install

Determine if any additional work needs to be done prior to starting work (an estimate will be provided) Disconnect your old appliance and place in accessible location per your request, haul away available Connect your new appliance to necessary, code-approved utilities Explain any code and permits requirements Level and secure it and install manufacturer-supplied safety hardware if necessary Give you easy-to-understand instructions on basic operations Back up our work with a strong warranty Clean up and dispose of any job-related debris Additional installation services for garage door openers Inspect your garage door for proper operation Inspect your garage door opener for damage or defects before we install Disconnect your old garage door opener and place in an accessible location per your request, if applicable, haul away available Explain any code and permit requirements Install your opener and any necessary safety hardware

Test your garage door opener Give you east-to-understand instructions on basic operations Clean up the work place and dispose of any job-related debris Additional installation services for water, water heater & treatment systems Deliver and unpack your water heater or treatment system Inspect existing installation area before starting Inspect your water heater for damage or defects before we install Disconnect your old water heater or treatment system and place in accessible location per your request, haul away available Connect your new water heater or treatment system to necessary, code-approved utilities Test your water heater or treatment system Additional installation services for laundry installation Deliver and unpack your washer/dryer Inspect your washer/dryer for damage or defects before we install Disconnect your old washer and dryer and place in accessible location per your request, haul away available Connect your new washer and dryer to necessary, code-approved utilities

Test your washer and dryer Additional installation services for electronics installation Inspect your television for damage or defects before we install Set up and connect your TV to your existing system Connect up to three additional components Back up our work with a one-year warranty Secure your TV to the wall (if it's wall-mounted, of course, and that would be Premium installation. Otherwise, you'd need Standard installation)* Bundle wires and cables neatly behind components Test and demonstrate how to operate the TV and the remote Clean up and dispose of any job-related debris and packaging materials *If you choose Standard Plus or Premium Plus installation packages, we'll also conceal speaker wires and cables, move your old (non-wall-mounted) TV to a new location and hook it up and consolidate up to three remotes* Additional installation services for patio furniture Unpack and prepare your patio furniture parts for assembly

Inspect your parts for damage or defects before we assemble Assemble your patio furniture per manufacturer instructions wherever you want it Test your patio furniture Additional installation services for game tables Unpack and prepare your game table parts for assembly Assemble your game table per manufacturer instructions wherever you want it Test your game table for proper performance Additional installation services for sheds Inspect your shed for damage or defects before we install Connect your new shed to necessary, code-approved utilities Test your shed to ensure it performs properly Additional installation services for room A/C Deliver and unpack your Room Air Conditioner unit Inspect your room air conditioner for damage or defects before we install Disconnect your old room air conditioner and place in accessible location per your request* Connect your new room air conditioner to necessary, code-approved utilities