my old shop had doors on both(opposite) sides so when it got hot i could just open both up and get some airflow going through, the new one doesnt have that option, all doors are on the same side and its starting to get HOT in here to the point where i cant even stand still in the shop without getting drenched in a matter of seconds.

i've thought about installing an AC unit but i have no idea how much that would run me initially and in electric bills.

next thought is a swamp cooler

or buy a fan and those home depot misting nozzles and DIY.

thoughts?

 

I think the misting nozzles would just make it more humid and dangerous

 

my shop is setup just like yours... buy a big port-a-cool, but the key is airflow out... i have an industrial exhaust fan on the roof and several squirrel cage fans to keep things circulated... the portacool makes a huge difference, but it does increase the humidity if you dont keep things circulated... i tried leaving it running all night when i fisrt got it, thinking it would be super cool the next morning, wrong, it was an f'in sauna....

 

Put a squirrel cage on each side of your door to pull outside air in... Maybe a fan up top pushing the hot air in the top of the shop out the door. Probably the cheapest option for now.

 

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/dir...Grainger&xi=xi

 

our shop has two of these, one in the main shop, one in our dyno room. stays comfortable during our summers in oregon

 

that means it wouldnt work here in texas...

 

Out of interest how warm is it?

Over heres its cold in comparison. It was around 25c today and we were all moaning. I thought about AC but the dust will just kill it surely?

 

98*F today but the humidity here is what kills it.

 

Damn, i thought it was hot but I didnt think it was 98. BTW, Im workin on that tank for you at home

 

sweet!
i got a quote for 2500 installed AC unit large enough to cool 1250 sq ft.
just looking to bring the temps down to mid-low 80's.

 

Nice, what company? I may look into that!

 

hookup through a friend i know.

 

I keep all the doors here closed and keeps inside temps a good 10* cooler then outside.

 

no way that would work here

 

Hey Russian, only red your first post. I was in the same boat as you.

Now, I'm not. I built and dry walled and insulated a office around my welding table just last week. I have a ac unit in it and its nice and cool. It's only for welding in, not for cutting or grinding ect. So i suffer while fabricating. But when i sit down to build a manifold, ice cold. Also have a exhaust fan to keep the argon out. Hope this gives you a idea, cost me around 500-600$ to do, but worth every penny.

 

hmm, maybe i should move my welder into the office HAHA.

i do a good amount of wrenching too though so i need to be in the shop all day long, just need to figure out how much my electricity bill will shoot up...

 

You should look into a port-a-cool or the likes, if you are moving around, wrenching and what not they are a good option if you are looking to stay cool and not spend several thousand for cooling... for me the AC isn't the expense its the electric bill you pay every month, if you plan on opening doors all day to move cars in and out thats $$$ going into air too... Im just throwing the port-a-cool idea out there since it hasn't been mentioned.

 

If you factor in your loss of both labor and desire to work in those conditions, an A/C is cheap regardless of expense.

 

i think im going to build a room on top of the office and just live in the shop, save on rent/offset the cost of AC and ill be able to get a hellofa lot more work done by not wasting time driving to/from shop.

 

don't forget to check your local ordinances about living on commercial property like that

 

i asked the landlord and he said noone would care.
the maintenance guy for the whole business complex lives in one of the shops, hes been there for years.

 

Find an old house AC unit. That is what is on the back of my shop. I have r19 in the walls and nothing but OSB ceiling up top, but I am working on a solution for that ASAP. In the summers it gets tough for the unit to keep the shop at 80deg. I have a metal roof so I am working on more ventilation and some radiant heat barrier before I put insulation in the attic. The big thing is to keep the heat from coming in through the roof.

Look here for the insulation. I am going to call them next week and see what it costs.
http://www.radiantbarrier.com/bubble...insulation.htm

Once I can block some of the heat, then I will blow in some insulation. That should solve the problem, but the biggest thing I am seeing right now is to block the heat radiating from the metal roof.

 

thanks! how big is your shop and how many tons is your ac unit rated for?
thankfully it looks like my walls/roof are insulated so hopefully it wont be too bad.

 

1000watts 12/12 is about 50-65$ a month and that's running it everday. I know cause I had a 1000watt high pressure sodiom grow light on 12/12 before.