I am going to go with an 18,000 Daikin. Bid for that was almost identical to the Gree but better warranty at the very least. Thanks everyone for the advice, it made making an informed decision much easier
I am going to go with an 18,000 Daikin. Bid for that was almost identical to the Gree but better warranty at the very least. Thanks everyone for the advice, it made making an informed decision much easier
Sounds like you chose the same unit (or a close relative, depending on model numbers changing since March 2018) that I have and I am COMPLETELY pleased with mine. Daikon is a big player...with other nameplates on their stuff, too.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
If space permits, plant a couple of sugar maples south of your shop. Sure it's a long game but in time you will love them.
Sugar Maples because they are more wind resistant than Oaks and provide better shade. Also, the leaves are the easiest to rake.
I got it installed, and even though we have had an unseasonably warm winter this year, I think this is my favorite shop upgrade to date.
I have a 18k window heat pump - heats and cools great. Has a thermostat so I can set the temperature. Costs around $800 a few years ago. Got it at Home Depot.
Michael Dilday
Suffolk, Va.
I have been considering a mini split or a window unit in my garage shop. The temperature fluctuations are doable but is pain. My main concern is the high moisture (13-16% on some wood that has been cut for over 10 years and in my garage for at least a year, previously stored in an unconditioned basement across town) and I am hoping a conditioned garage would help that. Everything except the door where I would install the window unit is well insulated. I would replace the door or add insulation to it.
Spending $800-1000 on a window unit is an easy decision, $3000 plus on a mini split is harder. Other than Michael, has anyone done a window unit successfully?
Paul, aside from ease of install, the difference in cost between the window unit and the minisplit revolves a lot around energy efficiency. The latter is typically 20+ SEER these days. Both are good solutions, however, and stabilizing the RH in your workspace may very well help keep your material more consistent over time, not to mention make working in there more comfortable, especially given increasing temperatures which make humidity even more uncomfortable.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
Just looked at window heat pumps, and found Amazon has a 25000 btu window unit for 729 shipping included. Hard to find the seer on these units, but would be easy for a diy guy to install one, except it is pretty heavy.
I would have used a window unit, but it just wasn't feasible in my situation.
Thanks for the input Jim Becker. While I would love to save on the unit cost, long term operational costs of the window unit would probably be significantly higher than the mini split. If I really was to keep the humidity consistent, I would need to run it all the time. The biggest issue with that is that my workshop is in my garage and is how we access the house daily. I was working on a shade structure by the pool today with the garage door open, so I would need to shut if off during times like that.
Yes, "garage" complicates things if it gets used as a garage and the big doors are opened constantly. Humidity control really is best with a more constant approach. An HVAC system can get the temperatures up or down relatively quickly when they are sized correctly, but it still takes time to deal with humidity. Opening a big garage door for even a few minutes could result in a complete exchange of the conditioned air with non-conditioned air and you're back to square one. The logical solution is...stop using that space as a garage! LOL
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
I guess I have three options:
-build a workshop adjacent to the house
-build a new house with a three car garage (what I really want to do)
-convert the downstairs bedroom to a wood storage and finishing room, while doing the dusty work in the garage.
Paul, that last one might be the most practical short term solution as that room is likely conditioned space. It will at least help maintain reasonable moisture content in your stock. The other two are understandably longer term goals. I kinda worry about this very thing if we decide to "downsize" in a few years...the shop is really important to me.
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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...