How To Keep Your Garage Cool This Summer Without Using A/C
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If you are someone who uses your garage as a workshop, a home gym, or for entertaining, you are likely looking to utilize the space year-round. When the dog days of summer hit hard though, certain areas of your home, including the garage, can become so scorching hot that it makes you dread having to be out there. While some are able to install an air conditioning unit, budgetary constraints or a lack of space may make this option unfeasible. Fortunately, there's another way to cool down your garage during toasty summers — with a dehumidifier.
While a dehumidifier won't cool the air as well as an actual air conditioner, it can help lower the humidity of your garage which can make the space feel more comfortable. When the weather is humid, it makes the temperature outside feel hotter than it actually is. This is because the extra moisture in the air prevents your body from allowing its biological air conditioner, aka your sweat, to evaporate. When your sweat isn't able to evaporate, you can't cool off. So while a dehumidifier won't cool the air, it can make the heat feel more comfortable.
What size dehumidifier is best for your garage?
There are different kinds of dehumidifiers on the market, and they come in various sizes. While you can have a professional install a whole-house dehumidifier, this is quite costly and time-consuming. For your garage, a smaller, portable unit should suffice.
To determine the right size dehumidifier for your garage, you will first need to know the square footage of your space. Just for reference, an average two-car garage is 20 feet by 20 or 22 feet. That equates to approximately a 400 square-foot space. A dehumidifier that's on the smaller side that has at least a 10 pint capacity should work for a garage of this size. Those who live in particularly humid climates, though, may want to increase the size of their unit. When in doubt, it's recommended that you size up rather than size down. This Ivation 19-Pint Dehumidifier with Continuous Drain Hose is about $260 from The Home Depot and is recommended for semi-outdoor areas, like garages, up to 410 square feet.
Dehumidifier options to cool down your garage
After you've decided that you want to run a dehumidifier in your garage and then determined what size dehumidifier you need, you'll have to decide whether you want a continuous flow unit or one with a removable tank that needs to be regularly emptied. Those with a continuous drain hose, like the above-mentioned Ivation unit, will require a drain for the water from the unit to empty into. Many garages are set up with floor drains. If you have a drain in your garage, this option may be good for you if you don't want the hassle of having to empty the tank every time it fills up.
For garages without a floor drain, your best bet will be a dehumidifier with a large enough tank that you don't have to constantly empty the unit. This is when it's especially important to get a correctly sized device for your space. There are also dehumidifiers that have both a bucket for draining as well as a continuous draining option such as the Waykar Dehumidifier with Auto or Manual Drainage, which you can get from Amazon for around $170.