My AC story for the layout room

The layout room is in a dedicated sectioned off part of the garage. It was finished by the builder – taped, textured & painted - and is fully insulated 2”x 6” construction. Being in Sparks, NV we get four season weather, and with a southern exposure, it gets full sun for almost the whole day. It doesn't get unbearable but through design there is almost no air movement so it can get old fast.

You can see my blog here https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/southern-pacifics-jefferson-branch-12213647that shows the early build pictures but here is an overview room.

It is 11' x 16' for 176 square feet of space. With areas the above and below the layout draped off I really only need to take the edge off the aisle which is about 30' long and 33” wide (less than 90 square feet).

Literally the only opening in whole layout room is the door into the room for dust control and temperature control. This poses a problem in how to vent any AC I used. I was getting ready to put a through the wall dryer vent setup for the spray booth so I thought why not look into portable AC units that have almost the same size opening requirements.

After looking at several units I decided on an Edgestar 8,000 BTU unit. I have an Edgestar freezer for my Jeep that has worked very well so I am happy with the brand. Here is the unit listed on Amazon https://smile.amazon.com/EdgeStar-AP8000W-Portable-Conditioner-Dehumidifier/dp/B006PFIA6U/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1W0G4OQYR6LPJ&dchild=1&keywords=edgestar+portable+air+conditioner&qid=1591205251&sprefix=edgestar%2Caps%2C220&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzNzhWT0lXOVNWUVg1JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjYyODE2MUUwR1M0RzNWNElSUiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjc0ODA2MTdaNlhIWUsxMU1MRiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

I still need to get a 5.25” through the wall vent from Home Depot and I should be good to go. I'll post an update either here on my blog

Steve

When I was 18 I bought one of those for my bedroom.

My parents don’t have AC and I was tired of sweating. I remember it working ok. I seem to remember  having to read the directions to set it up that it works effectively. 

Just so you know the single

Just so you know the single hose units create negative air pressure inside the room,  So if you are worried about dust getting in,  you will get dust in the room.  When the single Hose unis are running, air that was expelled out side the room needs to be replaced and it will come from any place it can.  Holes in the drywall for outlets, lights and wall switches.  Vents, Bathroom and Dry Vents,  Plumbing vents used for the toilets and sinks, under the door picking up dirt from outside a spraying it withing the room.

Yeah you will have more dust as AZ says

I deal with it in a variety of ways. My door enters from inside the garage. Step one is to keep the garage clean. My garage is fully sheet rocked and painted and has well sealed insulated doors to the outside so that also helps. Step two is even though the room has a negative air pressure it is pulled through the air con and the unit has fine filters (much like the splits I used to have....they got dirty too) so you gotta clean those filters.

Step three is I also run a Levoit air purifier 24/7 and that helps. Step four is a Shark vacuum that is dedicated to the layout space....that sucker really pulls the dust off the throw rug floor. Step five is to drop back and punt.....actually cleaning the layout. ugh I've had layouts in much worse spaces so I'm just happy to be comfortable in this one.

All told it is about the same set of steps when I used the splits......they were definitely nicer but they were also about 3K to get it happening. Hey, it's only a hobby. Stay cool, and warm when you need it and use what you can afford.

Non-Ducted Option

I installed a wall mounted HVAC system in my garage similar to this Pioneer unit.

Installation required drilling two 1-1/4" holes in the wall for the tubing between the interior and exterior units. I had plenty of wall space for mounting the interior unit which was unobtrusive. Nothing on the floor to bump into.

If I may drop a name?

Mr. Cool DIY Mini-Split.  1 ton (12K BTU) single head heat pump and A/C, do-it-yourself install because it is a 120V plug-in.

Yes, it has a salty buy-in at $1490 retail, but 1/2 what an HVAC contractor would hit you for.  The attic I had to cool was too large for a 12K to handle, but a touch inside the requirements for the 18K that now tames the space. If it wasn't for that, I'd have walked with the linked unit.

Tim B.

something to think about - air filtration

If you're going to go for a split unit or similar, what air filtration options can you get for it? I don't know what's possible or available. But I'm just thinking that if you are already paying the electricity for a fan to blow your room air past the cooling radiator, and you can get an air filter into that air flow for little extra cost, then you get an air purifier effect for nearly free.  Especially if it's a washable filter so you don't have to keep buying new ones. 

EW

The Sanyo units that I used at work had excellent built in filters that I removed and washed out on a regular basis. I've assumed that all these types of units had them but I'd check before I'd lay out the coin.

Edit: I looked at the Mr.Cool that NCR-Boomer linked and it has the type of filters that the Sanyos had.

Filters

The Pioneer cassette I installed has the basic scrim filter seen in most window units sold in the past decade.  It'll stop pet hair and such, but don't expect HEPA-class dust collection.  It is removable and washable.

Tim B.

I have a window shaker in the

I have a window shaker in the room next to the train room. A fan in the door keeps the layout room nice. But on the subject of dust, Heck ya, it is a big problem for me summer and winter. I live in farm land with lots of wind and there really isn't a good way to control dust in my 1912 farm house. It is so bad here that 100 years of blowing dust has built up several inches on the north side of the home vs the south side. I don't think even a hepa filter unit would help as this old house just is not tight like new construction. So I deal with the dust. As much as it sucks I really don't have another easy option.

Dust from wind...

That is the reason I have the door.  Here it is not that uncommon to have 25 mph winds sustained with gusts to 40.  Its not unheard of to have 40 mph sustained gusting to over 60.  Our winds are so famous they were featured in an Allstate insurance commercial. Open the big door to bring the car into the garage and that gulp of air can start a drift of grit just like that.  Just be sure not to be running the AC right after that happens. I'm not too worried about the typical airborne dust its just a fact of life.

I'm ok with a single hose unit for that and the associated "lack" of efficiency - blows out some of the air you have already cooled.  It is the same thing that my paint will do anyway.  In fact, I'm counting on it when paint the track with a rattle can as it is such a dead air space back there - turn the layout room into a giant spary booth.

My lights don't produce any heat and you can't have enough folks in there to start to build heat.  Really, I just need the unit to run a few minutes just to take the edge off.

Steve

When I was considering

When I was considering building a shed for my office/layout the option I was leaning towards was a hotel room style heater/ac combi unit.  I believe the industry terms for them are PTACs (package terminal air conditioners) or PTHC (package terminal heat pump).  You can buy smaller units for under $700, which is cheaper than many mini split systems, and since they're one unit, install is less complicated.

Portable ACs SUCK

They literally SUCK. All the air out of the room. And it's not just dust infiltration, but you get warm, moist air coming in to replace the air you just cooled off, so they're horribly inefficient, especially in a climate like here in Connecticut where we are primarily battling humidity, with the heat being a secondary concern.

AlexW Whoa big fella,  That

AlexW Whoa big fella,  That is why they need that huge hose to vent all that cooled air to the outside.  Remember hos much air a Dryer vents  out of your house and it is only 4".  The Portable A/C vent is a lot larger,  just do the mathe and area of a circle.... It is moving lots of air.

Steve ...just move to a

Steve ...just move to a cooler climate... just kidding, I too am in the garage, New England area where the weather has more personalities than Sybil.. however I built a room within the room (garage) with one shared small 7 foot section exterior wall I insulated the hell outta everything, including vapor barrier,  cool air comes from the breezeway where our air handler from Mitsubishi  is, My room is small 7 x 21 so I did not put any kind of air handler within the room, just a small fan to move the air around.  Environment is everything..good luck

@ Daniel want a cooler climate....

wait about 6 months!   We bought this house because of the space for the layout available! ... and I don't have to make the trek outside

Steve