Can You Cool a Garage with a Portable Air Conditioner?

We have been working in the heating and cooling industry for many years and we’ve lucky enough to have customers and potential customers reach out to us every day with questions. One question we’ve been asked quite a bit recently is whether or not a garage can be cooled with a portable air conditioner.

We assume this is in large part to the fact that more and more people are working at home and trying to find dedicated work spaces. It makes sense that they’d consider using their garage, and it makes sense that they’d want to know how to cool it. While it is technically possible to cool a garage with a portable air conditioning system, we don’t recommend it. Luckily, we have a better solution in mind.

One of the reasons that it’s difficult to cool a garage with a portable ACA unit is that most garages have little to no insulation. This means that these garages will struggle to keep cool air in and prevent the hot air from getting in. As a result, it’s going to be a heavy load, and most portable air conditioners simply aren’t built for that type of load.

Another big issue is that a portable air conditioner will need to vent the hot air. In most cases, a garage isn’t going to have a traditional window, which is how portable AC units get rid of that hot air. If there isn’t a window, then it’s possible to add a vent that goes either through the wall or the roof, but this involves some relatively significant construction and drilling holes through the walls / roof of the garage.

If a homeowner is willing to go to that trouble and expense, then they’d be better off going with a ductless air conditioning system. One unit is installed indoors and a compressor is installed outdoors. A very small hose, just three inches wide, comes through the wall but doesn’t require major construction. The homeowner can then use the AC when they need it and can ever get a unit that offers heat as well.

For homeowners who are considering this and other options, AC-World welcomes you to reach out to us. We’re here to help you decide what options are best for you. Keep in mind that ductless systems are one of the most affordable to run – and certainly more energy efficient than a portable air conditioning unit.