philcam
Well Known Member
Despite the unusual amount of rain we've had this year, it is still Texas and that means hot summers. A garage that opens to the west doesn?t help much either.
So, I?m wondering what others have done to keep cool?
Here are some of my ideas:
Fans, I have three, but they are just fans, blowing hot air. Yes, I could get large shop fans, but these tend to blow more that just air, such as plans and even small parts.
A Port-A-Cool type swamp cooler. At $1,000 they aren?t cheap, but they do cool shops areas very well. Since, I am building a metal airplane and I?m worried about all the moisture they put into the air. Add in the hassle of keeping them hooked up to a water hose, which will leak and the tanks are a mosquito haven.
Central HVAC unit. Now, this would be the Cadillac of cool working, but trying to insulate the garage and the cost of the unit, makes this one a no-go. I?d rather spend the time and money working on the plane.
I was at Ellington Field a few weeks ago, and noticed something that might be a workable solution. In one of the avionics shops there, they had a roll around shop/tool cart with a window a/c unit mounted to it. Under the cart was an oil drain pan to catch the condensation from the a/c unit. A window unit a/c can be had pretty cheap. The only disadvantages to this idea I see are dragging the electrical cord around all the time and it certainly isn?t very energy efficient.
How about everyone else? What are you guys doing to stay cool?
So, I?m wondering what others have done to keep cool?
Here are some of my ideas:
Fans, I have three, but they are just fans, blowing hot air. Yes, I could get large shop fans, but these tend to blow more that just air, such as plans and even small parts.
A Port-A-Cool type swamp cooler. At $1,000 they aren?t cheap, but they do cool shops areas very well. Since, I am building a metal airplane and I?m worried about all the moisture they put into the air. Add in the hassle of keeping them hooked up to a water hose, which will leak and the tanks are a mosquito haven.
Central HVAC unit. Now, this would be the Cadillac of cool working, but trying to insulate the garage and the cost of the unit, makes this one a no-go. I?d rather spend the time and money working on the plane.
I was at Ellington Field a few weeks ago, and noticed something that might be a workable solution. In one of the avionics shops there, they had a roll around shop/tool cart with a window a/c unit mounted to it. Under the cart was an oil drain pan to catch the condensation from the a/c unit. A window unit a/c can be had pretty cheap. The only disadvantages to this idea I see are dragging the electrical cord around all the time and it certainly isn?t very energy efficient.
How about everyone else? What are you guys doing to stay cool?