Thinking about a mini split in my garage

dell30rb

dell30rb

Final Approach
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Ren
To continue the "thinking about a..." threads...

I am in the process of closing on a home with a 25x25 garage, insulated with drywall. I am thinking about adding insulation to the door and putting in a 24,000 btu mini split. For use on an as needed basis. There is a ton of space in the driveway so I might park one car outside and create a workshop.

The systems are about $1500, I can get the 220v outlet installed for about $400, do the rest of the install myself.

Anyone have a similar setup? I wonder if I need to insulate the floor somehow. I would like to do a simple epoxy coating, but I could get condensation when I run the heat on cold days.
 
Where do you live? (State/climate)
 
If you epoxy the floor:
  • Use high temp epoxy, since your tires get quite hot at highway speed
  • Rustoleum makes a great 2-1/2 car garage kit in gray or tan (the included color chips are optional)
  • CLEAN AND ACID ETCH ARE MANDATORY! [If you want the paint to last; mine was holding up great after 9 years when I oved from WV back to AL]
  • Mix some sand with the epoxy, it's very slippery when your feet are wet
  • I'm in my second house with epoxy garage floor; they work great, no sweating or condensation
  • I put regular epoxy floor paint on my workshop floor, it didn't hold up well at all. Rustoleum garage floor kits work great, last long and are quite durable.
 
Not a garage, but I put in a 4-zone Fujitsu mini-split by myself this spring. A few notes...

On the Fuji, the condenser comes pre-charged, but you may need to top it off if you have more than the specified length of lines. R-410a is added by weight, not pressure, so you need an accurate digital scale. Also uses a 5/16”flare fitting instead of a standard 1/4 so you will need an adapter.

Some brands, like Mr Cool, have pre-charged linesets, and you do not need to evacuate them. Most multizone systems like the Fuji do not, so on those you will need at a minimum a vacuum pump, and preferably a nitrogen bottle and regulator to pressure test, and a micron level vacuum gauge to make sure you have a good vacuum.

The pre-made linesets I bought had the absolute crappiest flares I’ve ever seen. I cut them off and re-did them with a ratcheting eccentric flare tool. Need to file the tube end square before flaring it you want it to come out good, the burr that is left by the tubing cutter is work hardened and does not stretch well.
 
slacktide said:
The pre-made linesets I bought had the absolute crappiest flares I’ve ever seen. I cut them off and re-did them with a ratcheting eccentric flare tool. Need to file the tube end square before flaring it you want it to come out good, the burr that is left by the tubing cutter is work hardened and does not stretch well.
Click to expand...
great advice!! ;)
 
Something to take into account with the mini’s, is that the fans do not move air at high volumes. It will take a while to make a significat temp change. We have them in some of our blockhouses, and it can take an hour or so to make a 5-7 degree change. Note: These blockhouses are concrete filled Hadite walls with a poured concrete roof, and about 150 square feet.
 
Do you have to use a mini-split ? Could you cut a hole for a duct and use a package unit ?

I am faced with the same issue. My attached single stall garage/shop is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. A package unit is cheaper per BTU and moves more air.
 
weilke said:
Do you have to use a mini-split ? Could you cut a hole for a duct and use a package unit ?

I am faced with the same issue. My attached single stall garage/shop is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. A package unit is cheaper per BTU and moves more air.
Click to expand...

I suppose I could, I have not priced those systems. A 24k BTU mini split starts around $1200 and should be more efficient. I haven’t done enough research yet to be sure but unless the pioneer systems are total garbage I am probably not going to spend any extra on a more efficient machine. It’s going to be used seasonally for just a few hours per week. If I need to circulate more air I could install a fan or two.
 
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