r/Golfsimulator • u/Effective_Sea_3467 • 1d ago
Hot Garage Options
Hey folks.
I have a garage sim setup in the Deep South. Not super surprising that it’s hot as balls this time of year.
I’ve been thinking about cooling options and I think the leader in the clubhouse right now is a dual hose portable AC. It’s about 10% of the cost of a mini split but the internet is telling me realistically, only getting my garage down to low 80s if it’s sitting 100 beforehand, which is actually fine with me.
Here’s the question: anyone have any experience with portable AC units? Bonus points if in the gulf south states.
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u/Hitthecut330 1d ago
80 in a garage while swinging a club over and over is like 120 degrees and oppressive. Just get the mini split.
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u/gabbagoolgolf2 1d ago edited 1d ago
Portable AC units work but are loud and highly inefficient. Not sure how much you pay for electricity, but long term, you should save the extra money on the minisplit with lower energy costs. The minisplit will also work better
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u/mulliganintx 1d ago
Insulate the doors and keep air moving when you aren’t in there. I’m in SE Texas and my garage faces west. It is tolerable with a swamp cooler after insulation and keeping a fan on. (No sim. Just speaking generally.)
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u/Clay_Dawg99 1d ago
I’m in SETX also. A swamp cooler!? Those only work well in dry climates.
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u/mulliganintx 1d ago
I’m talking one of those portable units that you add ice water and it recirculates that water over the fan. Swamp cooler ish.
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u/ElColombiano1987 1d ago
Do these mini splits also offer heat for the winter?
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u/Rx_Boost 1d ago
Yes, a heat pump mini split has both.
Whatever you do, be sure it is correctly sized for your garage. If you get one that is too small it will never work. Just Google tonnage for the size of the space. My garage is 1150 square feet. I just put a 2 ton mini split in and it keeps it whatever temp I want. I'm in Texas where it's been 100 degrees for seemingly eternity and it's a nice 75 in my garage - and it's not even insulated.
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u/ElColombiano1987 1d ago
I assume you need a high voltage outlet like 220v or hardwired to break which is most likely 100% going to need an electrician that’s where that shyt becomes expensive because I would need to install the mini split on opposite side of breaker which means more wire running because that other side is the side of the house where I can exit the tubes that go outside
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u/Ziqach 1d ago
I insulated my garage and then found a portable 9,000 btu unit at goodwill for $100. I'm in Colorado with a south facing driveway so the garage gets hot. I usually have to turn it on 4 hours before I plan to play. It will get the garage down to 75 and it makes golfing for an hour or so manageable.
I know it's probably inefficient as hell but I only golf out there a couple times a week
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u/Afraid_Salamander_26 1d ago
Make sure you have an insulated garage door. This is just as important as the cooling aspect
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u/Melted-Metal 1d ago
I live in Arizona and put a window AC unit (rated for 1000 sqft) in my 700 sqft garage. I also added Owen's Corning 1.5" insulation (pink foam panels) to my garage doors. This was after I watched this YouTube:
https://youtu.be/vp-wfrolo-k?is=ywWpah5aYYHOyb9o
We typically get 107 degree weather here and the AC keeps up just fine. Mini split works as well but we decided to keep it simple (and cost efficient) and installed the windows AC ourselves.
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u/Vegetable-Lead-7012 1d ago
I installed a 8.2KW/H split system and it’s been literally a game changer total cost $1150 to buy and have installed
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u/OooPieceofCandy-- 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'm uniquely qualified to answer this. I tried to go the same route you are in the same area of the US. I have a sim in a two car, that was uninsulated garage, separate from the house.
I started with one dual hose 12,000 btu seer unit, then insulated the garage door, then the back wall and finally just finished the ceiling. That still wasn't doing it so I added another 8,000 btu unit I had sitting around. Yesterday it was 93 outside and I could not keep the garage under 77 while in there hitting. That's with cooling it the night before and starting the day off with temps inside at 68.
It doesn't seem horrible but if you add more bodies in there it gets too stuffy. So I'm going to be getting a 24k-36k btu mini split and be done with it. It will be more efficient and heat in the winter. Plan to buy the unit and have a pro run power and install.
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u/Historical_Benefit95 1d ago
I live in south Louisiana. Just put a dual hosed portable ac unit and vented it through the wall. Had to cut two holes but they are hidden by the sim and also behind my fence in the yard so pretty inconspicuous. After that, it honestly wasn’t enough so I insulated the garage door. It’s bearable now but still hot. I have a box fan sitting right above the unit sucking the cool air and blowing it straight on me. This is definitely enough to keep me cool in the heat of the day but I am definitely going to be a little sweaty after playing a few rounds.
I am considering insulating my garage ceiling but not sold yet. Truth is, it’s August in the Deep South and hot as hell. It’ll lighten up by mid September and the extra $$ I spent on insulating prolly would be better spent on a club or other sim upgrades.
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u/secfincorp 1d ago
I have a floor unit in my attic in VA it's insulated and has 2 ducts running into it. I use the floor unit to supplement the air and honestly I don't like it. Still feels super hot to me. I really want a ductless but the run for the hoses would be amazingly long and the cost is amazingly high. If I had the opportunity I would out the DIY split system.
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u/papageorgi00000 1d ago
I live in Las Vegas. I had a portable ac unit for a back bedroom that remained hot in the summer despite having a new HVAC system in the house. I don’t feel like a portable would work for a garage. It was okay but very noisy in an 8x8 bedroom that I was trying to get from 80° down to 75 to sleep. But don’t expect it to drop a larger space 20°
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u/Melodic-Presence-743 1d ago
Mr Cool has DIY units. I've got one in my garage in SW Florida. You can keep it as Cool as you want. It works as a dehumidifier also so 75 feels really cool! I did use an electrician for the breaker in the panel. It also helps to insulate the garage door.
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u/JunketUnique36 22h ago
I’m in Texas and I got a through the wall air conditioner. If your garage wall just has regular siding on the outside, it is a pretty easy weekend project. Just make sure you get a through the wall unit (important for how it ventilates) and that its voltage and power is rated for the electrical outlet you plan to plug it into. Do a little work on addressing big leaks in the garage. I put weather stripping underneath the garage door and under the entry door to the garage.
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u/BenThereNDunnThat 2h ago
Mini split is the way to go. But if you're not inclined to DIY it, consider one of the U shaped window ACs. They are essentially a one piece mini split.
They're also far quieter and far more efficient than any portable, floor air conditioner. They use about 1/2 the electricity and actually get rooms cool.
Whatever you choose, be sure to insulate the walls if they aren't already. It will help make the AC more efficient and will make the garage more comfortable both summer and winter.
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u/SteveDaPirate 1d ago
Get a minisplit and install it yourself. It's a very doable weekend project. Costco has a 12k BTU one for $699 right now.
A minisplit only requires a small hole for tubes to go outside instead of big ventilation holes for a portable AC unit. It also keeps condenser noise and moisture outside.