When thinking about getting an air conditioner installed in your garage, you must consider which brands will be the best, as well as determine if it is worth it.
Many homes, both in the United States (US) and anywhere else in the world, have a garage as an addition to their homes. Garages are generally there to house family cars, but others may be used for other reasons, such as storage purposes or as a workshop space where they are able to work on a variety of things.
Whatever you might be using your garage space for, some might come up with the idea that installing an air conditioner in the garage might be great. This could be because, should you be using your garage space frequently and spending a lot of time in it, an air conditioner might be useful. Garage spaces are known to be spaces that can draw in a lot of heat especially in hotter weather conditions.
This is because of the way they tend to be built as an extra extension to the home, so not much is done in order to ensure that no matter how hot it might become, the garage will still be as cool as inside the home. This is why some people resort to considering installing an air conditioner into their garage space, especially if it is a space that you tend to occupy for long periods of time in the day whilst working on anything, if it is a workshop space.
An air conditioner in a garage will tend to make more sense for people who do not use it just to park their cars, but for those who use it for purposes that require them to be stuck inside doing what they do. The heat that can accumulate in garages can be very unbearable to sit through, especially in the case that even keeping the garage doors open simply does not help, but instead, lets in more of the humidity from outside.
This can make somewhat of a difference, but not as much as if an air conditioner was installed for you to enjoy and keep cool while doing your manual labour with even the doors and windows shut closed. An air conditioner in a garage can make a huge difference and guarantee that you are able to work and not break a sweat, that way, you get to enjoy what you are doing and are so much more comfortable while doing it.
Since garages might be a tricky space to cool down in, in terms of the amount of heat it can attract, looking into the best options of air conditioners to suit a garage will likely help in choosing the best one.
What is a garage air conditioner?
When it comes to answering this question, it is important to note that a garage air conditioner is not something specific that you can point at and decide, this is a garage air conditioner. Instead, there are air conditioners that are made to be able to cool spaces such as garages, but not one that is specifically called a garage air conditioner.
This is because a garage can be cooled by specific types of air conditioners that can also be used in other spaces, such as inside your home. A garage air conditioner in this case would be any air conditioning unit that is installed in a garage space, to achieve the same effects as air conditioning spaces inside your home.
A garage air conditioner, whichever type you opt to install, will perform the same way that any other air conditioning unit will. It will deliver the cooling that you require for the hot space that is the garage. The only trick to getting garage air conditioners installed is in deciding if there is a need to actually get one.
As previously mentioned, you may only want to get a garage air conditioner if it a place you find yourself spending a lot of time in. You would need to explore different air conditioner types to find the one that will work best for your garage and the kind of cooling that you are after.
Making sure that you get the right one after having done all there is to do to reach the desired conclusion will be to your benefit, as working in the sometimes extreme humidity of a garage will be made more bearable.
So, garage air conditioners are basically the same as any cooling system except that it is for the garage, which tends to be one of the hottest additional rooms or spaces in any house.
Are garage air conditioners worth it?
The answer to this question is not the same for all. Not every home with a garage will need to have an air conditioner installed to keep the space cool. Some people will opt to get one and some may not, but it is not necessary for all. Determining if a garage air conditioner is worth it will depend on various factors.
One of those factors includes how hot your garage can get during the hottest of days. Garages in Houston have been noted to be particularly hotter compared to those in Chicago. Another determining factor is whether your garage is located within the direct sunlight, as that can definitely increase the amount of heat that will be accumulated, especially if you tend to work and spend a lot of your time in the garage.
This might require an air conditioner for you to be able to keep cool, while tending to your work and making it comfortable and bearable no matter how hot it can be outside of the garage. Should you spend a lot of your time in your garage, especially in the hottest of weather conditions, then investing in an air conditioner for your garage might not be a want but a necessity.
No one would want to be cooped up in an uncomfortable hot space, trying to work for long hours without any form of sufficient cooling to be able to cope with the work and heat of the day. An air conditioner for the garage, in this case, would be a great choice in investment.
Having an idea of how long high summer temperatures seem to go on for can also help you determine if an air conditioner in your garage is worth it. If temperatures do not continue for long, getting a garage air conditioner could be an option but not a necessity, whereas in the case that hot temperatures can go on for months, then a garage air conditioning unit might actually be useful to have.
Since people tend to use their garage spaces for many useful things such as for workshop use, and as a home gym facility, the last thing anyone would want is to be active in an extremely hot space. Especially given the amount of sweating that can take place in the moment.
People who use their garage for exercising will probably need an air conditioner to keep the temperatures bearable for their active lifestyle. Working out in a cool space will be more satisfying and bearable and will not hinder you from enjoying your workout sessions.
Garage air conditioner trends in the US
In the United States, 84 percent of homes in the country will have some sort of air conditioning with the US even making use of air conditioning more than other nations collectively.
Since garage air conditioners are not specifically tied to any one type of air conditioner, looking at the trends can be more varied in range and tied to air conditioner trends generally as a whole.
In Seattle, temperatures have been recorded to have reached highs of 108 degrees, but only 44 percent of homes were recorded to have air conditioning, with 15 percent air conditioning one room. Areas such as Portland broke records in terms of high temperatures of 115 degrees, but only 79 percent of homes were confirmed to have had air conditioning.
In other major cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles, homes with air conditioning were recorded to be lower than the national average. Nationally, the use of air conditioners increased over the years with the rate of usage climbing form 89 percent in 2015, to 90 percent in 2017.
Houston, Atlanta and Miami recorded that 99 percent of households had air conditioning in 2019, while Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and Los Angeles, had the four lowest percentages of homes with air conditioners.
How to increase garage air conditioner efficiency through proper insulation and ventilation
Ensuring that your garage is properly insulated and ventilated could make a huge difference in the efficiency of your garage air conditioning. Ways of ensuring this is to check that your garage has no holes where air may be leaking, as they tend to have many holes, some even unnoticeable.
Making sure that there are no holes will make for better cooling, as no cool air will be escaping and no hot air will be entering. In the event that you do find holes, investing in a good insulation kit to stop any cold air leaks, bearing in mind that at least one hole is left for ventilation, is advised.
When it comes to ventilation, air conditioners will need this in order to function properly and let hot air escape from the garage. To ensure correct ventilation, you will need to have an opening in your garage, in this case, a garage window might be best to achieve this.
The exhaust hose of your air conditioner will be installed through the window of your garage, with a window sealing kit that will wrap the hose and cover the window in order for cool air produced by the air conditioner to not escape in any way.
Improving your garage efficiency will require you to add insulation to your garage doors, as these tend to attract a lot of heat throughout the day. Adding insulated garage doors will help to improve the efficiency of your air conditioner. You can also change the insulating strips around the door, and ensure that all cracks are sealed.
The ceiling of your garage will also tend to absorb heat from the outside, so adding some rolled insulation to the ceiling will also guarantee that your garage stays cooler and your air conditioner is not having to overwork itself in order to cool down the space. Rolling insulation can also be added to the floor of your garage to achieve these same results.
Adding insulation to the walls of your garage on the inside will help to keep it cool, this may not be necessary should you have a specific budget you are not trying to exceed in the process. You would need to apply insulation on the walls where the sun will usually hit directly first and make your way to the walls that are mostly shaded for the most time. Insulating your walls can also come with the added benefit of a little saving on energy.
In the event that you have windows that are faced towards the sun, it will be useful to cover them with some reflective material or curtains that can block out the sun. This way, you will be preventing added heat from coming in and keeping your garage much cooler, in order for your air conditioning system to work at its optimum best.
What are some of the pros and cons of having a garage air conditioner?
It is important to note that the pros and cons of a garage air conditioner will differ depending on what type of air conditioner you decide to install in it.
| Pros | Cons |
| – A ductless mini split unit will be energy efficient and have high SEER/EER ratings for any type of air conditioner which is higher than other garage ac unit types. | – Ductless mini split units will be on the expensive side and could cost up to five times more than a window air conditioner for the garage. |
| – Through the wall units will operate quietly since majority of the unit is located outside with a wall separating the noise from your garage. | – Ductless mini split units may come with some installation complications, even the do-it-yourself units. |
| – Window air conditioner options will be more affordable being the least expensive for your garage cooling needs. | – One of the down sides to installing a window ac unit in your garage is that unless you garage windows has a sill, which most do not, you will need a bracket to install and support it properly. |
| – A through the wall unit will offer the convenience of not having to move the air conditioner around as it is permanently installed. | – When it comes to a portable air conditioner for the garage, the problem might be that it will not be as strong to handle the amount of heat and humidity that can accumulate in the garage. |
| – Ductless mini split units are DIY-friendly, meaning you can install them yourself without the added hassle of getting a professional to install it for you. | – Through the wall units will be limited in sizes and this is dependent on the size of your garage and on whether the walls or ceilings are insulated. |
Which air conditioner brands on Amazon are best for cooling your garage?
When searching for the best in air conditioners for your garage, Amazon will have a variety of different best selling and popular brands in the United States. You will find that it will not be one specific kind of air conditioner, but a variety of different types will be available to purchase suited to your garage cooling needs.
Senville
Senville LETO Series Mini Split Air conditioner, Heat Pump, 24 000 BTU 208/230V, white
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Whynter
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Midea
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Honeywell
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Pioneer
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Conclusion
Therefore, when considering getting an air conditioner installed in your garage, be sure to understand what it will take to get the best one and to do your research in finding the best fit for you. This includes the type of unit you have the option of buying and the size, as it will need to match the size of your garage in order to get the best results in cooling.
Before you decide to get an air conditioning unit for your garage, be sure that it is really needed. If it seems like more of a luxury than a necessity, then there is probably no need to rush out and get one.
In the case where weather conditions might be too unbearable to handle, and you find yourself spending a lot of time in your garage, whether it be for working in the garage workshop or using your garage as a gym space, amongst many other valid reasons, then investing in a garage air conditioner will certainly make sense for you. Look into the ways to ensure that you have a properly working unit for your garage by checking your garage for potential ventilation and insulation issues.