Too hot and muggy in my shop

[Farmer Dan]

Not having much luck with the new exhaust nuts.  Can't get the muffler off the header pipe to change the nut.  Took a break Friday, bought a new FM stereo, case of beer and an 1100CFM exhaust fan.  By the time I got all three working it got the temp in my shop down to 93.  Felt a lot better having some moving air.  Good music and cold beer helps a lot too.   

[sidecarnutz]

You're right about the air movement. Even with AC on, we keep the ceiling fans on medium. Helps a lot when you can feel the air on you!

[yogidozer]

drench your hat a shirt with water.....wait, did you say BEER 

[Lannis]

No A/C in my shop either, I do have a big industrial-sized floor fan.   Keeping the air moving helps, but still I limit my stints in the shop to an hour or so before I take a break ....

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

Window units are cheap, Lannis.

[yogidozer]

Window units are cheap, Lannis.

but if it's 100* outside......

[Lannis]

Window units are cheap, Lannis.

Not cheaper than me .... !

Actually, its a well-insulated 30 x 40 x 10' shop which heats easily with a 7500 watt heater on a typical 40 degF winter day.   But I'm not sure that a window unit (even though I've got 220V available) would do the job?    The little 5000 BTU units are like $129 on sale at the Tru Value or the big box stores, but I probably wouldn't even notice the effect?

Maybe an HVAC guy would know.

Lannis

[webmost]

God bless Willis Carrier. I think there ought to be a new Nobel category awarded posthumously. Carrier, the Scott brothers, Crapper... all these guys who made modern life so modern.

[Sheepdog]

My shop is the stable's old feed/tack room. I use it because it has a nice troweled concrete floor. The weather here proved so humid, that I put in a ceiling, better lighting, and an AC unit (a small window unit). I use it in "Dry" mode and set the thermostat to 80 degrees. My tools, bicycles, and motorcycles stay rust-free and I have a nice little retreat for when it's just too hot out. I'm hoping this will help my stuff (and me) last a little longer...

[Triple Jim]

Not cheaper than me .... !

Actually, its a well-insulated 30 x 40 x 10' shop which heats easily with a 7500 watt heater on a typical 40 degF winter day.   But I'm not sure that a window unit (even though I've got 220V available) would do the job?    The little 5000 BTU units are like $129 on sale at the Tru Value or the big box stores, but I probably wouldn't even notice the effect?

Maybe an HVAC guy would know.

My barn/house is about 4600 square feet, 16' average ceiling height, slab on grade, white shingles, and insulated with fiberglass to about R19.  A single 2 ton (24,000 BTU/hr) window unit keeps the temperature at 78F on the hottest days like we're getting this week.  If you ask an HVAC guy, he'll say that's not possible.  In any case, I'm sure a ton would be very noticeable.  This is the time of year when the good air conditioner sales start, too.

[Farmer Dan]

My shop is only 15 x24 so I'm sure a small window unit would work but like Lannis I'm too cheap.   With the exhaust fan, a ceiling fan and a cold case of beer I'm doing just fine now :-) 

[cruzziguzzi]

I'll take a Scottsdale summer over a Michigan summer any day of the week.

We may be 20 degrees hotter... OK, usually 30, but even in the grip of the monsoons we're half and less, the average humidity.

Too, when the hell are weathermen gonna get around to indexing mosquitoes? They already wear us out with their fear mongering about particulates and pollen.



Todd.

[Pop]

Problem is you have to go out to the shop 2 hours ahead to get the A/C unit to bring the temp to acceptable temp. Lately, shop time is hit and miss. If I cool that place down, I am going to stay all day. So far this summer I've had 2. Just wish it would cool down a wee bit.

Popc

[Lee Davis]

Exhaust nut problems on the Eldorado?  See    http://www.thisoldtractor.com/moto_guzzi_loopframe_exhaust_header_pipe_nut_tool_-14927700-.html

I had some of these tools made up for getting the exhaust nuts off any Ambassador/Eldorado engine. If you want to slip it directly over the pipe to engage the nut, you can cut a section out with a hacksaw. When I am stripping down a bike, I usually just cut the pipe off first, so I leave the tool intact. You can pound on it with a hammer, and it will take off ANY nut. Get in touch, and I will send one to you no charge.  Lee Davis  copy@radarcarve.com

[cruzziguzzi]

Problem is you have to go out to the shop 2 hours ahead to get the A/C unit to bring the temp to acceptable temp. Lately, shop time is hit and miss. If I cool that place down, I am going to stay all day. So far this summer I've had 2. Just wish it would cool down a wee bit.

Popc

How about just running a de-humidifier and fan full time with a drain line well placed?


Todd.

[Gliderjohn]

My shop is part of my overall metal building shed. The shop is about 400 sq.ft. and insulated but with a high peaked ceiling. I use one of the combo wall units like you find in motels. He has a heat pump so a bit more efficient. The other thing I like is that it has a freeze guard setting for in the winter that keeps the shop just above freezing.
GliderJohn

[Farmer Dan]

Exhaust nut problems on the Eldorado?  See    http://www.thisoldtractor.com/moto_guzzi_loopframe_exhaust_header_pipe_nut_tool_-14927700-.html

I had some of these tools made up for getting the exhaust nuts off any Ambassador/Eldorado engine. If you want to slip it directly over the pipe to engage the nut, you can cut a section out with a hacksaw. When I am stripping down a bike, I usually just cut the pipe off first, so I leave the tool intact. You can pound on it with a hammer, and it will take off ANY nut. Get in touch, and I will send one to you no charge.  Lee Davis  copy@radarcarve.com

I've got an excellent spanner I made for getting the nut off. My problem is I can't get the muffler off the header pipe.  I don't want to cut the header or the muffler.  got it soaking in white vinegar right now to see if that will do anygood.

[Lannis]

How about just running a de-humidifier and fan full time with a drain line well placed?


Todd.

That right there is a good idea ... if you can get the humidity down and the air moving, you'll not only feel cooler but it's better for all the bikes and parts stored in there.    I think I'll try a dehumidifier, maybe on a timer, and see how that feels.  My shop is on a separate electric meter, and averages $28 a month (lower in summer, higher in winter), so I'll see how a dehumidifier affects it.   

I was out working in the shop till just now, getting my old BSA A10 ready for the ride to the Ohio Valley BSAOC rally in a week or two, and realized that all of my windows but one are in the doors and not suitable for an A/C.   The one window in a wall is on the front of the building and has a flower window box in it, and Fay first (and me second) won't want a window unit hanging out there.

Lannis

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

if you can finagle the shelf or chest space.. freeze yourself a big block of ice using a rectangle container or a box lined with a trashbag.  freeze it overnight and stand it up in the floor in front of the fan.

little kitchen trick for you from 20 years in 105deg kitchens... floor drain optional but recommended

[Triple Jim]

Consider that a dehumidifier actually warms the space a little, since it uses power and doesn't dump the heat outdoors.  A small window unit like the 5,000 BTU/hr one you mentioned will dehumidify as much or more, but will also cool the place some.  It will probably also cost a little less, especially now that the ACs are going to be on sale.

[Lannis]

Consider that a dehumidifier actually warms the space a little, since it uses power and doesn't dump the heat outdoors.  A small window unit like the 5,000 BTU/hr one you mentioned will dehumidify as much or more, but will also cool the place some.  It will probably also cost a little less, especially now that the ACs are going to be on sale.

Good point.   I'd have to cut a hole in the wall for the A/C, though ....

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

You won't regret it.   Just cut it big enough for a ton of AC and frame it smaller for the little unit, in case you want to go bigger someday.

[oldbike54]

 Lannis , a one ton mini-split system would only require drilling a couple of small holes for the refrigerant lines . Not cheap , but really effective . If you go too small the unit will run all of the time, too large and it won't run long enough to dehumidify the air .

 Dusty

[cruzziguzzi]

Consider that a dehumidifier actually warms the space a little, since it uses power and doesn't dump the heat outdoors.  A small window unit like the 5,000 BTU/hr one you mentioned will dehumidify as much or more, but will also cool the place some.  It will probably also cost a little less, especially now that the ACs are going to be on sale.

I'd take the minimal heat and the considerably lesser expense along with the fact that it will be a lot easier to knock the base temp down on short notice if the humidity is already reigned in. Several of the de-humidifiers can be ducted as well for heat though each cubic inch of air going out requires another cubic inch of humid outside air to replace it.

Places like Minnesota, Kentucky/Tennessee, Massachusetts, San Diego.... I've used the humidity maintenance over on-demand AC successfully in some pretty crapy climates.


Todd.

[ITSec]

when the hell are weathermen gonna get around to indexing mosquitoes? They already wear us out with their fear mongering about particulates and pollen.

They've been doing that in Winnipeg for decades, and they started doing something like that during the Zika scare in Florida. From May till September in Winnipeg, they have alerts as to mosquito population levels and when the city will be spraying, since they spray so heavily that some people leave town during the dosing to avoid contact with the stuff.

[Lannis]

Lannis , a one ton mini-split system would only require drilling a couple of small holes for the refrigerant lines . Not cheap , but really effective . If you go too small the unit will run all of the time, too large and it won't run long enough to dehumidify the air .

 Dusty

I hadn't even heard the term "mini-split" system since a year or so ago, when some in-laws of mine retrofitted a really old farmhouse with them.   Really effective for the application they used, although I didn't ask about the price.   Something to look into .... !

Lannis

[Pop]

Last night's storm broke the heat spell a bit, figures I work today.

[sidecarnutz]

A few years ago my wife had our AC guy at church install a Mitsubishi mini split in my shop. Shop is 20 x 28 and pretty well insulated. Makes a huge difference in comfort! Efficient enough that we really don't see a difference in our monthly power bill. No more fumes from Kerosene heat in the winter, MUCH quieter than my old window unit for AC in summer! Call me a fan!

[Porterhouse]

Mini-Split for the win.

$3000-5000 for a Mitsubishi unit installed, but if you want to do most of the work yourself, you can get squared away for about $1100.  Just get a local HVAC guy to purge and charge the system for you.  The actual install of the units is a piece of cake.

https://www.pioneerminisplit.com/  This place has some of the best prices I've found, but the same units (and several others) are available on Amazon for a little more.  The Pioneer units seem to get just as good reviews as pretty much anything.

[Triple Jim]

Mini-Split for the win.

$3000-5000 for a Mitsubishi unit installed, but if you want to do most of the work yourself, you can get squared away for about $1100.  Just get a local HVAC guy to purge and charge the system for you.  The actual install of the units is a piece of cake.

For a shop that already has heat, that's quite an investment compared to under $500 for a window unit, on sale now.