Shop AC

[Rudezuk]

We are looking into getting a swamp cooler or something to cool the shop...

How big of one do you really need?

we have a 1600 sqft steel roof shop.....it gets pretty warm in there!


I went to home depot and they have ones from about 3000 CFM to about 6500cfm...


we are going to put it in the back corner of the shop and have a couple of fans on in the shop to circulate air too...

[64Trvlr]

6500 is a good one to start with, bigger is better.

[Rudezuk]

6500 is a good one to start with, bigger is better.

Is there a chart of CFM to sq footage?

We dont need it 60 degrees in there, but when its 100 out it would be nice if it was about 15 degrees cooler!

[64Trvlr]

Is there a chart of CFM to sq footage?

We dont need it 60 degrees in there, but when its 100 out it would be nice if it was about 15 degrees cooler!

Unless it's 85-90 outside you would be hard pressed to stay in the mid 70's in a shop with only a 6500CFM cooler. Put it on a thermostat and them it only runs when needed.

[The Rockslut]

Rudezuk, how much are you looking to spend??
I have a near new porta-cool that runs on 220V. It has a 12" intake and two 6" outputs. Chills very nice. Comes with some hose extensions. Completely self contained unit with condensation tank.

[Jam Master Jay]

A regular shop would require probably around 6 tons to keep cool in normal weather I'd think. Fab work generates a crapload of heat.

[The Rockslut]

This unit is very similar to mine. I will have to confirm the model and capacity when i get home.
http://www.portablecooling.com/portable-air-conditioners/air-conditioner.php?product_id=6

[Rudezuk]

This unit is very similar to mine. I will have to confirm the model and capacity when i get home.
http://www.portablecooling.com/portable-air-conditioners/air-conditioner.php?product_id=6

We arent looking for a portable unit though.....PM me a price though, maybe we can make a mount to hang on the wall:D

With only 1600sqft, floor space is valuable

[PekingMan]

My uncle-in-law sells AC units/swamp coolers, and when I approached him about putting something in my garage, he made a good point about how a swamp cooler is going to introduce moisture into the air and cause rust. Just something else to think about.

[The Rockslut]

We arent looking for a portable unit though.....PM me a price though, maybe we can make a mount to hang on the wall:D

With only 1600sqft, floor space is valuable

Yeah, but this is on rollers and can be put anywhere. Even placed outside and run the hoses inside. I will see what its worth and drop you a price.

[HalfFastFord]

Currently hanging a thru the wall unit that is an all in one. Heater and AC. It's a tall unit that alot of the cell phone towers use. Got one when another company took over the first and decided to go with all same brand and models. The one I got was only about 2 months old, and best of all, free if I hauled it off. They had about 200 to get rid of and gave them all away.

[Rudezuk]

well let us know how it works!!

[larryboy]

i've got a nice swamp cooler in my car hole. it keeps things cool,but the chlorine kills the experience. anybody know of a way to remove chlorine from water?

when i get my drive through bay done i'll have to put it on wheels and roll it where i need it.

[pmurf1]

Rudezuk, how much are you looking to spend??
I have a near new porta-cool that runs on 220V. It has a 12" intake and two 6" outputs. Chills very nice. Comes with some hose extensions. Completely self contained unit with condensation tank.

If you think you're gonna cool a 1600 sf metal shop with that thing, I need to know where you go to get the good stuff. :rolleyes:
In Phoenix, you would need a minimum of 5 tons to cool that place if it was well insulated and you used it, realistically more like 8 tons if you open/close doors and waste the air. And it would cost you a ton of money to run it. A 6500 CFM would cool that place assuming the dew point doesn't get too high and a properly laid out duct system. Make sure the motor is running at it's rated amp draw for max airflow and the pads are kept evenly wet. Don't block the airflow with crappy registers that won't put air where you need it. Put some ceiling fans up if possible to keep the air moving. If you're in a climate where evaporative cooling works, then you know how much cooler a properly placed ceiling fan can make. As far as the rust thing, what do you think cools almost every sheetmetal/metal fab shop here in the valley? The more humid air will eventually eat metal, but it takes years and years, especially if it's not in direct contact with said air. You'll be fine trust me. I have a rolling 4500 Mastercool for the garage, and a 6800 Aerocool on my house. Even at 110 a couple days this year, my house never got above 80.

Mastercool just came out with a Slimline wall unit that actually mounts on the outside wall and sticks out only like 10". The front of it has a nice looking finished grill with a remote control. They're 3000 CFM I think, supposed to be available now or real soon. They really throw the air and look nice. Perfect for HOA homes with garages. Look on www.adobeair.com and they're on there under Slimwall. Might be something for your shop if it's conventional framed.

[lsloth]

Do swamp coolers work in high humidity areas like oklahoma? I am need something to cool my shop, it get well over 115 in the shop during the summer. Its about 20x30x10, I have been looking for a used 3-4 ton unit but even used they are expensive.

[The Rockslut]

If you think blah blah blah.......

I never said it was going to make an ice box out of his shop. This unit is very good for cooling off work areas. It's very nice because it can be moved to anywhere you are working and not cost an arm and a leg. Also if you are renting or leasing the shop space this is perfect because it goes with you.

"these units will effectively cool a small to mid-size room or "spot". 22,000 BTU (1.8-TON) nominal room cooling up to 1000 sq. ft.

[camo]

home depot has these www.tradewindscooler.com

i am looking to get the m500 model for my 1000 sq ft shop

[Kyron]

Do swamp coolers work in high humidity areas like oklahoma?

Not only NO but ........... :laughing: FAWK NO ....

Theres already too much humidity in the air for it to cool any more..... Get out of my pool when its 107 and if theres a breez you get a chill :smokin:

[pmurf1]

home depot has these www.tradewindscooler.com

i am looking to get the m500 model for my 1000 sq ft shop

Camo, don't waste your money on those things. For a swamp cooler to work properly it has to have a fresh intake of dry air. If you put that thing inside your shop it will continually suck in and spit out it's own humid air. Pretty soon it's a sweat box in the room it conditions. They hardly move any air. My neighbor has one and I'm going to put in a AdobeAir Slimwall for him soon. Check out the link below, they just came out and are pretty cool.
www.adobeair.com/info-products-mastercool-slimwall.html

[pmurf1]

By the way for the doubters, here's mine for the garage. 4500 Mastercool that I got on a changeout. Big 1 hp motor with the pulley cranked in for max flow and a big pump. It'll freeze you on a hundred degree day. It has some HF wheels on it and the stand was a bunch of scrap left over from a cooling tower job. Duct work was left over so the whole thing cost me less than $100 to make. My next changeout one is going on my bar area/patio with either spiral duct or fabric duct for cooling outside.

[GJC]

I went to school for HVAC, swamp coolers bring in a lot of moisture. Basiclly all it is, is a fan blowing air thru a medium like foam. Water is pumped to the top of it. As the water flows thru the medium, the fan air is cooled thru the water. The water removes a little heat, but air with lots of humidity is introduced to your shop.

[camo]

I went to school for HVAC, swamp coolers bring in a lot of moisture. Basiclly all it is, is a fan blowing air thru a medium like foam. Water is pumped to the top of it. As the water flows thru the medium, the fan air is cooled thru the water. The water removes a little heat, but air with lots of humidity is introduced to your shop.


can you give me an example ?

lets say today was 95 degrees and 30 percent humity. my shop is 35 x 30 with 18 celings using a 5000cfm swamp cooler what change would i expect to see in the moisture content ( humity ) inside my shop ?

[GJC]

Been a few years since I went to school, could dig out my old books though :D

[GJC]

Just talked with a buddy of mine, who owns Helix Mechanical. Put in short words, He says, a larger open space (such as a shop) would be better and
cheaper to run a swamp cooler. :)

[stone]

By the way for the doubters, here's mine for the garage. 4500 Mastercool that I got on a changeout. Big 1 hp motor with the pulley cranked in for max flow and a big pump. It'll freeze you on a hundred degree day. It has some HF wheels on it and the stand was a bunch of scrap left over from a cooling tower job. Duct work was left over so the whole thing cost me less than $100 to make. My next changeout one is going on my bar area/patio with either spiral duct or fabric duct for cooling outside.


how much was the unit?

[lwg]

Do swamp coolers work in high humidity areas like oklahoma?

Nope! De-humidifier's work OK. But they usually work better in a closed space like your house. Your garage with the door open would be a losing battle with the humidity.

[ironpig70]

heres an idea i had for my home swap cooler. a swap cooler uses water to cool so i was going to buy an old fridge for cheap.to start get a 100' of the black poly line that supplies your cooler and a ton of bard connector elbows. next cut a piece of wood that fits the back of the fridge. next drill 2 small hole in fridge for supply line. now on the piece of wood snake the hose aroud like radiator coils. now route a line out the other side to the fridge.

[mike]

If you think you're gonna cool a 1600 sf metal shop with that thing, I need to know where you go to get the good stuff. :rolleyes:
In Phoenix, you would need a minimum of 5 tons to cool that place if it was well insulated and you used it, realistically more like 8 tons if you open/close doors and waste the air. .


Hell we just had to drop a 2 ton unit in @ work because we couldnt keep a 10x10 room with a 1500watt heatload cooler than 90 degrees now that summers started... that was with 2 "3/4 ton" portable units... although I figure they didn't make much more'n 3/4 ton between em anyway.

Oh and camo... I can't tell you exact humidity levels.. but it's not been enough to rust the cast iron surfaces of my woodworking tools.

[lsloth]

Nope! De-humidifier's work OK. But they usually work better in a closed space like your house. Your garage with the door open would be a losing battle with the humidity.

I am not planning on keep any doors open, every time I have the garage door open some local wacko always drives by and stops and wants to see what the hell I am doing in the shop. I just hate spending so much on a 3 ton or so regular AC UNIT but it looks like the only route. My wife will kill me though if I get central air in the garage before we have it in the house.

[jerseyzuks]

So the trade off with a swamp cooler is lower temp in exchange for higher humidity? I would imagine that this would only work well in a desert area where the humidity is already extremely low.

Personally, I would take 105 degrees with a 15% humidity over 85 degrees and 100% humidity any day.

[pmurf1]

Ironpig,

Even if you did invest all the time and money into that setup (not worth it), you would be better off buying an A/C. You have just used even more energy and space to create something that will never work as well as something that was designed for it. You are basicly drawing a chiller system where warmer water comes in, is cooled, and transfered to a fan unit. They aren't the best system out there, we do plenty of them here in Phoenix, plus you design is super bulky and not exactly energy star approved.:D Even if you did cool the water down in the cooler, if it was humid out it wouldn't make much of a difference. The cooler needs low humidity to keep the evaporation process going. The higher the humidity, the less evaporation takes place, and the less cooling you get through the process.

[ironpig70]

Ironpig,

Even if you did invest all the time and money into that setup (not worth it), you would be better off buying an A/C. You have just used even more energy and space to create something that will never work as well as something that was designed for it. You are basicly drawing a chiller system where warmer water comes in, is cooled, and transfered to a fan unit. They aren't the best system out there, we do plenty of them here in Phoenix, plus you design is super bulky and not exactly energy star approved.:D Even if you did cool the water down in the cooler, if it was humid out it wouldn't make much of a difference. The cooler needs low humidity to keep the evaporation process going. The higher the humidity, the less evaporation takes place, and the less cooling you get through the process.

this is why i post here before i build :D my ideas really look good on paper