LocostUSA.com

Nope, they're $700 and up depending upon brand and capacity. Is a $1200 unit twice as good as a $600 window unit? Define "better." They're much quieter on two points: the compressor is outside so there's no noise from that, but nearly as important is there's no direct path for noise to pass through the unit from the outside like in a window unit. Window units are fairly unattractive, which can be an issue if the window faces the street. There's also the security issue with window units. Lastly, they're much more efficient and pay you back over time, maybe a little, maybe a lot. My brother's central air adds something like $500 a month to his electric bill. Granted that unit is older and larger than ours but it's still very striking that ours runs around $70 a year - that's a big deal.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I'll play devil's advocate: Having the lift isn't a benefit if it's too hot to be using it.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I like how you think. Right now I have a box fan that I move with me as I work on the car. Kind of a pain, but moving hot air feels a lot better than still hot air. It's not ideal, but it works.

Maybe I get excited about the lift because I view it more as a tool than an appliance. Small distinction. The fact that there's a lift on Craiglist right now with a semi motivated seller has me leaning that way.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Another data point. Visited a different Home Depot today and they also use swamp coolers (maybe it's a corporate thing). I asked the cashier to confirm but it was pretty apparent when walking in because the humidity, 52% outside, was around 75-80% inside. Even though it was a little cooler, the higher humidity actually made it less comfortable. So unless you're somewhere that the humidity stays lower than maybe 30% max, it's probably better to go for a "real" air conditioner.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Kind of a pain, but moving hot air feels a lot better than still hot air.

To a point. I've discovered that as the real temp climbs through the 90's, the moving air ceases to cool and becomes a convection oven.

Bill

I was just talking to a coworker that has a motorcycle. He said there's some magic temperature above which riding is fairly miserable, somewhere in the 80s-90s. It's much the same for our cars.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

I know we dont get the sort heat you guys get but it does get a bit muggy at times, I find that just a bit of air movement helps. My warm air heater has a summer setting that can run just the fan, it does the trick.

Bob

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Build Log viewtopic.php?f=35&t=16640&p=187700#p187700

Mancave http://s1116.photobucket.com/user/mypic ... ow/mancave

Talk about scope creep (gee thanks guys! ) - I was about to be perfectly happy spending $260 on a cheap 12,000 btu unit from from Costco!

For a garage, do you think the efficiency of going with a 110 unit is really that big of a deal? It will only be running when I'm working out there/plan on working out there.

My garage is about 30' x 18.5' with 8' ceilings. The 12,000 btu seems like it may be a little marginal. I'm not looking for something to get it to 65 degrees in the middle of summer but 75 or 80 would be nice - think its worth going with an 18,000 btu system?

After you hook everything up, do you have to vacuum the lines or anything or just turn it on?

The online documentation is kind of lacking - I assume you have to run power to both the inside and outside units?

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-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

What about just opening the doors up to the house if you have an attached garage and putting maybe a box fan in? You are obviously opening your house up to dirt and fumes and what not, and it won't get it as nice as everywhere else in your house, but your whole house system is the most efficient way of heating and cooling. We did this while drywalling our house as it was being built, and it got the garage maybe 10 deg cooler than the rest of the house in winter, just opening it up. In fact it was such a great idea I did it again while woodworking, and got a nice layer of dust all over the inside of the house. My wife loved it!

I'm full of questionable ideas!

Sam

Sitting in front of the fan makes it so I can be in the garage. Without it I sweat faster than I consume fluids. Yesterday it was 93 degrees with 60% humidity.
I mowed early, maybe a mistake, as in the morning it was only 85 degrees, but the humidity was 70%. An hour of mowing, edging, weed eating and I stepped on the scales 6 pounds lighter.

I've started doing more digging on the mini splits. Cool in the summer and warm in the winter might make me a lot more productive.

And the post lift sold already.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

In our prior house I tapped into the central A/C and ran a pair of ducts to the garage. I put in a powered flapper valve and booster fan, so with the flip of a switch I could rob warm or cool air from the house. It worked really well and was a one way system, so no dust back into the house.
Our current place is on a slab with ductwork in the attic and buried in interior walls, so no easy access to the main unit.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Well, fastest and easiest and cheapest is certainly a window unit, no argument there. Theres also no messing with refrigerate and may well be the best solution for the garage. Just make sure it doesn't become a security concern depending what you keep in your garage. I just brought up the mini split as an option because most people don't know they have the choice.

_________________
Midlana book: Build this mid-engine Locost!, http://midlana.com/stuff/book/
Kimini book: Designing mid-engine cars using FWD drivetrains
Both available from https://www.lulu.com/

Note that fire code says that you need fire dampers in each of those ducts to maintain the fire separation of the house from the garage. Fire dampers are not cheap.

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Bill H
Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Mine were less than $50 each if my memory is any good. The whole install was under $200.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

This is not going to work in Texas, [ I know, I worked down there for 2 1/2 yrs.] But I made a new access panel to the garage attic and mounted my 20" box fan to the back side of the panel. Installed a pull cord to turn it on. Comes fall, I just switch out the panel. This should work for the mid-west guys, and the fan does not get in the way while working. Really helpfull, when the garage does not have any windows to circulate the air thru. Dave W