Most people don’t bother air conditioning their garages because they don’t spend too much time there. If you like using your garage as a workshop, however, or if you let your pets or kids play there, you might want to keep it well ventilated and air-conditioned.
The problem is that this can be tricky to do. Here are some key tips for how to air condition a garage with no windows, with poor insulation, or a garage that’s just too big.
So, what is the best way to air condition a garage? The simple answer is – with its own, separate, garage-purposed air conditioner. But here are a few more guidelines:
- Make sure your garage is properly insulated. There’s no point in getting an air conditioner for your garage if there are openings and cracks everywhere. Garages usually have thousands of openings on and around their doors, on their walls and ceilings, as well as around their windows.
This can easily turn an AC unit into nothing more than a waste of money. If you’re not up to fixing your garage’s insulation you can simply skip the AC and make sure the garage is just well-ventilated naturally. - Do NOT use your home’s central AC system with your garage. This is a common mistake a lot of homeowners make because it seems simple and practical. It’s a big mistake, however, because your garage won’t have the same air return to the HVAC system as your home.
This will create abnormal air pressurization in the garage and will force the rest of your home to be slightly depressurized.This will force your home to start drawing more air from outside together with more pollutants and allergens, and it will make your home harder to cool. Instead of dealing with all this trouble, it’s easier to just get a separate AC unit for your garage. - Make sure that you’ve chosen an AC unit that’s right for your garage’s size, temperature, and humidity needs, as well as that it’s properly attached to it’s wall or window.
Aside from that, the rest is up to your preferences, however, we’d really recommend consulting with your professional about your garage’s particular size and specifics.