# How do you keep your shop cool?



## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

well summer is here finnally... i always forget what i hate about summer though :blink: it gets really hot in our shop at work. Does any one have any creative way of cooling a large area down. im thinking of huge homemade fans and stuff like that. The one thing i was thinking of is hanging a HVLP gun from the roof and misting my work area once in a while :laughing: Im sure there are some Macgyvers on here with some _COOL_ ideas.​


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

chrisgerman1983 said:


> well summer is here finnally... i always forget what i hate about summer though :blink: it gets really hot in our shop at work. Does any one have any creative way of cooling a large area down. im thinking of huge homemade fans and stuff like that. The one thing i was thinking of is hanging a HVLP gun from the roof and misting my work area once in a while :laughing: Im sure there are some Macgyvers on here with some _COOL_ ideas.​


Not sure about BC but here in the USA you can buy a Swampcooler, which is a big fan with a cardboard honeycone reefer infront the fan. There is a pump and sump tank filled with water that flows over the reefer as the fan blows through it. All the big warehouses and open shop use them here. I my self have a small A/C window unit and fans around the shop. I have a few ceiling fan to install if I ever get to it.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I installed a window a/c.

Swamp coolers are only effective in dry climates.

G


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## oldgoat49 (Oct 30, 2006)

In my garage I have a ceiling fan and a window air conditioner. In the shops I've worked at we've had the swamp coolers. Like was said you need a fairly dry climate for them to work decent and if you have metal tools or tables you have to keep them oiled down good to keep them from rusting. One thing I heard from a guy I worked with that he claimed to work good was in the first house he had, it had a big radiator like one out of the semi up in the attic. It had water from a well running through it and out into the yard. A fan behind it blew into the furnace ductwork. No humidity from it since the water was contained in the radiator coils and he said it kept the house pretty cool until it got up around 95 or 100. He disconnected it because he had three boys that made a beeline for the mud from the water discharge. Asked him why he didn't just put down another sand point well and drain the water back into the ground.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I hate the heat and humidity too, but I never forget about it! I just put a window AC unit it this year. It's in an uninsulated garage and haven't used it much yet, so the jury is still out. Fans help, but 92°F and humid is likely to be too much for it, in which case I'll be elsewhere :huh:.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Out of the box ideas*

One, get your self an old astronaut suit, $2-$3 million used, cool yourself instead of the shop. Everyone else is on their own!:yes:
A variation would be a fan forced dust shield like Mike has, and at least your face would be cool.
Two, this won't won't for this summer, but remember the old "ice houses" out in the back? During the winter, saw a bunch of ice blocks, store them, and run ductwork in and out of the ice house to to the shop
Three, Get some old "Reefer Truck" AC units and gang them up or park the trucks at the doors and windows.
Four, this won't work for this summer either, but go GEO-THERMAL, dig a bunch of trenches 5 or 6ft down run plastic pipe through them, blow air into and out for earth temperature cooling.
Last fill some horse troughs with ice water, kinda like "cool tubs" instead of hot, and every so often jump in, cool off and go back to "work"?
If all else fails, get lots of beer, whiskey, vodka, lemonade...and to hell with work!:yes: bill


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I have two ceiling fans that are designed to move a lot of air. I got them at HD. They came with a four speed slide switch that takes the place of a regular wall switch. They are very quiet. I also have a 30" fan on a pedastol that moves a lot of air even on the slowest speed. My shop is insulated and with the fans on, always seems ok.
Mike Hawkins


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## Itchy Brother (Aug 22, 2008)

I go in the house every 20 min or so and bring in a lot of sawdust so I get cool and keep the wife outa my hair cause she's always vacuming and cleaning the air purifiers.I keep telling her Oh! Im sorry I forgot.I've been convincing her I've got a memory problem and been working on that for about 5 years now.I'm serious-I'm 62 and Im sure she thinks Im getting alziemers.I've been married 35 years and she toy'd with my head for the first 20 yrs. Now it is my turn heheheheh! Itchy


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

I like the astronaut suit idea ill pitch it to the boss see if hell spring for it :laughing: i found a good way the other day at work... we have two side to our shop and i turned the heat on on the guys on the other side :shifty: made my side feel airconditioned. i would go over once in a while to "borrow a tool" and they were all sweating like crazy took them a while to realize :laughing:


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## Julian the woodnut (Nov 5, 2008)

I live in the hot/humid midwest and all I have in my shop is a couple of fans, and a very well insulated roof for Keeping me cool. As long as I have a bit of airflow where I am working, it's not bad even when it's 95 and humid. The benefit of solid brick walls is that they keep the heat out very well, so if it cools off at night, it will stay under 85 in there even when it's 95 outside.


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## Rich Aldrich (Apr 26, 2008)

I live in the UP of Michigan. There is no need for air conditioning. However, I am really getting tired of the cold weather.

Anyone looking for a mechanical engineer where it is warm?


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## nelcatjar (May 15, 2009)

I use black lights, disco balls, beer signs, colorful paint, deer antlers, TV, posters of hot babes, and a great sound system. That keeps my shop cool.....dude.


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## Av8rTx (Mar 10, 2009)

nelcatjar, I rely on actual hot babes, a live band and exclusive "members only" guest list


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## Verndog (Jan 19, 2009)

Not sure if they would work in your area but I'm with Handyman. Here in So. CA I have a swamp cooler and the amount of air they move is amazing. You can crack the garage door open a few inches and all the hot air is removed as well as most saw dust. They do not work where there is a lot of humidity. Stay Cool!:smile:


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## nelcatjar (May 15, 2009)

Av8rTx, now that really is COOL!


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Verndog said:


> Not sure if they would work in your area but I'm with Handyman. Here in So. CA I have a swamp cooler and the amount of air they move is amazing. You can crack the garage door open a few inches and all the hot air is removed as well as most saw dust. They do not work where there is a lot of humidity. Stay Cool!:smile:


Me too, thats one of the advantages of living in the desert and it a lot less expensive. :laughing: :thumbsup:


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## gregL (Feb 1, 2009)

I insulated my shop with spray foam insulation and it keeps the shop very comfortable year around here in Louisiana. Shop never gets cold in winter and I seldom need to turn on the window A/C during the hottest and most humid days.
Another benefit of the foam insulation is never having dampness in the shop.


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## LarrySch (Dec 31, 2007)

I have to open my windows and hope the wind blows.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

chrisgerman1983 said:


> ........Does any one have any creative way of cooling a large area down. im thinking of huge homemade fans and stuff like that. ​


​ 
Most commercial shops use large exhaust fans mounted high up. They really make the shop habitable. My shop also has a roof vent that can be opened and closed with a long cable that can be easily reached.


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## skymaster (Oct 30, 2006)

Man all you guys are making me feel really really guilty. I am having a new house bilt in NC and I WAS FORCED to install a separate cooling and heating system for my little 3 car shop/garage. 
I am sorry I wont turn it on :shifty:


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

My shop and attic are well insulated I open the two 3' x 6' slider windows for cross ventelation if needed but always have the garage door open which is under my patio cover. I have two 30" pedestal fans which I have only used one for like 2 days and I have a never used window unit just in case. Even in the hottest part of the summer I think the temp in the shop never exceded like 85 except the 2 days I used the fan. It was like high 90's - low 100's on those days with *no* *breeze*.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*MY method is in the roof framing detail*

Here in Michigan we got hot summers and cold winters. I can deal with the shop being 55 degrees, but not 85 degrees. The shop is 725 sq ft and on the second floor, R19 in the walls and R38 in the ceilings. :furious: I'll admit I have a small window AC , used most summer days, 2 ceiling fans, used fequently, and a ceiling exhaust fan, rarely used. My house and shop has a roof framing detail with 2x4s running flat and parallel with the tops of the rafters providing a larger surface to sheet and a 1 1/2" deep flange on each rafter. This provides an AIR GAP continuous along the entire roof surface, so the air rising from the soffit can move upward and out the continous roof vent visible below. This method I believe was used in the building of ice storage buildings back when... and was called an ICE HOUSE roof.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_Roof 
This was all I could find in quick net search. The 48" long 3/4" thick foam panels are foil covered with household aluminum foil applied with spray adhesive to reflect the radiant heat that penetrates the shingles and sheeting. They sell an aluminum foil paper
http://afs-foil.com/pages/faq.htm to acomplish the same thing, but it's a PITA to work with, hold, staple, stretch etc. I used that on the house, but then I used the foam and foil on the garage addition. BTW, applying the foil is also a PITA. The spray goes everywhere and the foil sticks to your fingers first, the foam second and it never lays down on the foam where you want it. :furious: :blink: bill


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## Av8rTx (Mar 10, 2009)

_"Here in Michigan we got hot summers and cold winters. I can deal with the shop being 55 degrees, but not 85 degrees"_

I wish we could go back to 85* days here. It has been a cool spring and summer so far but we are starting to creep into the 90's, 100's not far behind.
I am going to try mounting a large exhaust fan in the gable end of the roof and up the insulation some.


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

woodnthings said:


> Here in Michigan we got hot summers and cold winters. I can deal with the shop being 55 degrees, but not 85 degrees.


Well Bill 85 degrees is very nice especially in the shade and a slight breeze. If it wasn't there wouldn't be so many people spending a small fortune to go to Hawaii where it is like 85 degrees 365 days a year. I was stationed there and noticed they dont need a weather man it's the same weather almost every day 85-86 with a afternoon shower. (It was nice but expensive)

Plus here in south Louisiana the heat index is like 100-120 every day in the summer. In Michigan you have a hot summer that last like a week, just like our cold winters here. I'm 42 and can probably say that I have twice as many Christmas days in shorts sweating then I had in cold or cool weather gear.


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## chrisgerman1983 (Jan 17, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies :thumbsup: i think it may be too humid here for the swamp cooler to work effectively.... i remember my parent used one when i lived in a dryer area. i am thinking a couple pedistal fans may be my best option.... or just stop being a wuss :laughing:


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## BHOFM (Oct 14, 2008)

I have a new boat. When it gets too hot to work in
the shop, I go to the lake! :boat::boat::boat::laughing::laughing::laughing:

The insulation I put on the door to help keep it 
warm, also keeps it cool when the sun shines on
the door.

I have a ceiling fan and a couple box fans.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Actually it all depends upon which side of the street that you live on.

In the winter I envy my neighbor across the street because he gets the nice warm sun and can work in the drive and the garage without freezing. (His house faces Southwest) Of course in the summer I am glad that the sun does not hit my drive nor garage directly.

G


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

I open the doors and hope the wind blows. It's actually not too bad because it is fairly well insulated. Of course, we don't get temperatures much above 80 up here, even in the hottest summers.

Gerry


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## measureonce (May 20, 2008)

*how to keep your shop cool*

I keep mine in the basement :thumbsup:


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## wlc (Apr 3, 2015)

For those that use a swamp cooler in their shop, are you concerned at all about moisture being introduced to your wood?
I live in Vegas and use a swamp cooler most of the time in the house. When the temps climb above 110, I close up the house and turn on the AC.
What I've noticed in the house is the doors have expanded a bit and they get a bit sticky once we start using the swamp cooler.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

LVWood said:


> For those that use a swamp cooler in their shop, are you concerned at all about moisture being introduced to your wood?
> I live in Vegas and use a swamp cooler most of the time in the house. When the temps climb above 110, I close up the house and turn on the AC.
> What I've noticed in the house is the doors have expanded a bit and they get a bit sticky once we start using the swamp cooler.


I'm in the high desert and I use my swamp cooler all the time for 20 years now and I do not have any problem with excess moisture. I used to have a small separate portable unit in my shop with a 1/4" water line running inside and that was a problem. 

Then I realized that since I have to allow the air to get out of the house anyway, I decided to install a screen door between the garage and the house to keep the animals out of the shop and I also have a security door on the side of my garage to allow the damp air to escape. I have to say that it keeps my shop nice and cool even when I open the large garage door.

As long as the air is moving to the outside, there is no concerns about rust. My dogs like to hang outside the garage security door where there is a constant flow of cool air. 

If you are experiencing stickiness inside then you need to open up more widows.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

I just turn on my 4 ton AC to cool my shop.

I feel bad for you guys. I use to be just like you in the heat. I do woodworking for a living and for 9 years I dealt with the summer temps getting above 88F every day in the shop. On the 10th year I spent $3500 on my new system. Worth every penny.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Mini-split, one ton, high SEER, costs next to nothing to operate. Our shop is the attached two car garage, fully insulated, and the mini-split stays on 24/7. 100+ degree high humidity summer days in northwest Louisiana down to low 20's in the winter but this unit keeps the shop perfect for shorts year round. It's awesome, actually! :thumbsup:


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

Mine is a 16 SEER, what's your mini-split? And since mine operates off of a demand power system, it shows up in the power bill as a good charge. The actual electrical charge isn't that bad, the extra demand charge on top of everything else hurts. My demand charge is $18.50/KWh. They give you the firs 2 KWh and I usually use 8.5 so I pay for 6.5


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## wbr (Nov 27, 2013)

My shop is a block building with concrete floors.
Stays relatively cool in the summer.
I have a window AC unit that cools it down on hot days.Heat it with a woodstove.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Leo G said:


> Mine is a 16 SEER, what's your mini-split? And since mine operates off of a demand power system, it shows up in the power bill as a good charge. The actual electrical charge isn't that bad, the extra demand charge on top of everything else hurts. My demand charge is $18.50/KWh. They give you the firs 2 KWh and I usually use 8.5 so I pay for 6.5


22 SEER. We put it in October 2013 and it has run 24/7 ever since. I hate to say this after what you said yours costs but our electric bill never changed. We are on level monthly pay for electricity and except for a slight upcharge for costs/KWh we're paying the same now as we were nearly 3 years ago - about $7 more per month over when it was installed. And I honestly think that's due to me running several 3 HP tools in the shop a lot more than I used to.

We added 90% solar blocking screens to the four front windows of the house (West side) , put on solar blocking film, and insulated the garage - now our shop. I think the 440 sq. ft. of the garage now being the same temp as the house, and leaving the door open to the house most of the time, has reduced the load on the house central unit. It has been well worth it for us.


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## Leo G (Oct 16, 2006)

When I moved into my shop the electric bill was about $60/mo. Now it usually runs about $250-300/mo mostly due to the demand charges. I rarely would go above my 2KWh "freebie" in the early days. I've doubled the size of the shop and now I consistently go above the 2 KW/h threshold. So adding the 4-5 KW/h to my demand usually adds about $100/mo. Plus my service charge is about $45/mo just for the honor of them letting me have electricity in my shop. So now I usually pay about $80/mo for my electrical usage and the rest are fees, taxes and demand charges. Sucks.


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## Goldstar225 (Feb 17, 2012)

I have an insulated shop with a window air unit. It doesn't get chilly but it is comfortable even when the temps hit 100 at 80% humidity.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you put up with it long enough you get used to the heat. At my age though I can no longer take 100 degree heat in the direct sun however recently I went across the Mohave Desert when it was 108 degrees and it didn't feel half bad even in the direct sun. I think it was probably because the humidity was less than 10 percent.


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## d_slat (Apr 10, 2012)

My shop is in my basement so it always stays cool. Unfortunately I'm usually too busy to work in it all summer.


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## BWSmith (Aug 24, 2010)

Cpl A/C units.4&2 tons.

Reason for post was to remind folks to clean their condensation line/trap.I keep forgetting,just had one stop up this morning,doh.


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## difalkner (Nov 27, 2011)

Yesterday afternoon our house central AC went out - it was 96 outside, rapidly reaching mid 80's in the house. So I got 3 fans and set them up to direct air from the shop, cool from the mini-split, and ultimately get cooler air to our bedroom. Last night it was around 80 in our room and the noise of several fans blowing but it was bearable. I met my AC guy this afternoon and picked up a capacitor for the compressor and we're back in business with air in the house and the 'hero' mini-split in the shop! :thumbsup:


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## Grunttruck (Jul 9, 2016)

We couldn't use overly fast moving air supplies in my shop because it would disrupt the shielding gases from our mig and tig machines. I would just stick a desk fan under my work bench, pointing up towards me away from my work. Worked like a charm and I didn't have to share it!


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

My shop is located in NW Washington and staying cool isn't an issue. We gat a handful of days a year where temps reach into the nineties. On those days I go fishing.


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