In a Panic....I Won't be Allowed to Air Condition my Garage???????

[Joe Jensen]

Another plan. Build it ready for the overhead door, header in place and everything, but wall over the opening. Once the building is done, cut out the opening and put a big door in.

[Glen Blanchard]

Another plan. Build it ready for the overhead door, header in place and everything, but wall over the opening. Once the building is done, cut out the opening and put a big door in.

Joe - This is a 5 year old pre-owned house - not new construction.

[B. Mark Lawrence]

So the window unit thing came up. It tends to when talking to homeowners.

In conclusion - if you don't have the R's to pass the T24 cert., then a window unit will just plain fail. They are too small BTUwise to work for you.

Then on the top of failure you need to deal with the electric codes. Any sort of HVAC unit needs someone who has actual, on the job (like lose their job if they are spewing cheap talk) electric consideration. Last job I worked with this issue had an electrician who said we needed a dedicated circuit for any form of HVAC. Not entirely sure what he intended by that but I do know the owner had to pull up some drywall and put in a dedicated circuit - whatever that was. He was a very unhappy woodworker at the end of the day.

Basically - I think what I am trying to say is don't do these work around things. They end up either not working at all or killing your insurance.

I have only been reading these boards for 4 days now. I read on this site's big board dedicated to general woodworking how important moderators are so they keep the "not family friendly" posts off. Then I come to this board and see suff that is just plain against the law and bone marrow stupid.

A question for you people. Is it family friendly to advise people to break the law, void their insurance and maybe set a fire in their shop? This thing about avoiding all the laws and rules and insurance is stupid. Why is it permitted on the shop board but not the big board? Is anyone home here?

[Ray Bell]

I have no idea what a T24 cert is. You say if you don't have the insulation factor, the AC unit will fail. What does this mean, it will actually fail, run all the time, blow up? While not advocating breaking any laws, is the T24 actually a safety cert, or an arbitrary green law?

[Bill Blackburn]

And we in Texas thank you. We need room to shoot...

Our women around here also use cars as weapons too! Google Clara Harris...

like I said .... I never looked back once I escaped. Well, not true totally- got a few family folk still there so been back 3x in 20 years but they mostly come up to see us. One more summer of the heat, the dust, some of the nasty weather hitting them and they'll be wandering off too they said. Assuming they can sell their properties. It's not for everyone - nor is MN.

I like to shoot daily out back so I don't need nor want anyone joining us here either. We got something in common now

Still it be a good thing we each got 49 others to test out.

hmmmmmmmmmmmm ..... so if ya act with "sudden passion" one can do a murder but get it cut in half huh. Guess things ain't changed much at that since I was there at that. No wonder everyone still needs to pack one and keep the safe full of ammo
Good ol' Clara ..... don't think she'll be comin' north anytime soon anyway. We don't want her and easy to get ones self "lost" in the forests here they say so let her know that eh!

[Phil Thien]

If the only window faces the street, you could always frame-out an opening for a window air conditioner on a side that doesn't face the street. That is, if they don't allow you to do the split system.

If you insulate the walls and doors, a window unit will work just fine. They're just noisier than a split.

[B. Mark Lawrence]

Are you suggesting breaking the law Phil?

[Don Jarvie]

Nobody here is advocating breaking the law nor doing hack work but looking for some advice that someone here may have done already and can answer a few questions.

Everyone understands that there are building codes and the implications of not following them.

If someone on here that does elecrical, HVAC, plumbing, etc professionally can explain in non-techanical terms what the process is and the skill level it may take it may be more helpful than throwing code numbers and regualtions around.

By no means am I singling anyone out but lately it seems there are more posts telling everyone how changing a plug will burn our houses down (sarcasm). If I offended anyone sorry.

[B. Mark Lawrence]

I give up.

[Andrew Joiner]

Are you suggesting breaking the law Phil?

Window air conditioners are illegal to use in a garage? I find that hard to believe.

[David Hostetler]

B. Mark,

My suggestion was a non permanent installation that is not covered by building code because it would not be part of the building. (portable air conditioners by definition are not part of a building). As long as he does the insulation, door sealing and electrical to code, there shouldn't be a problem at all...

How on earth would this be violating any sort of law, or be hazardous beyond perhaps a tripping hazard?

I do agree with your post that the original poster ought to seek advice from a licensed professional working with his municipal regulatory agency for best results. I have found that city / county building inspectors are as effective as using a brick as a hammer though. They seem to only be trained to answer with no for the default answer... So involving a licensed professional that can go to bat for you, and smooth through the permit and inspection process, especially if you have a dimwit for an inspector, would be to your benefit...

[Phil Thien]

Are you suggesting breaking the law Phil?

On the contrary, I believe my solution doesn't break any laws.

[B. Mark Lawrence]

I give up and I will terminate this member account as soon as I can figure out how. Man I only made it 4 days.

Anyway - to your point.

The temporary thing is not in anyone's code. It is a "provision" applied to situations such as ongoing construction (typically requiring an open permit), public events (typically requiring an event permit), an emergency (under the control of an emergency management authority), you get it.

If the prevailing rules require a particular process to install a device, calling it temporary does not solve the real problem (well - other than getting your structure red-tagged and having the power turned off - only happens in large commercial situations). The real problem is insurance. If you set up an HVAC system - of any size - and you know it is unlawful (like when you asked and the AHJ told you no), your insurance is at stake.

There is a great old legal case by a Judge named Learned Hand - seriously, that is his name. It says that it is negligent to not take steps to prevent a lose when - here is the important part - the cost of the steps to prevent it multiplied by the likelihood of occurance are out weighed by the gravity of the harm.

What all that means is that if there is a reasonably priced method to prevent a huge lose (like a house fire) then do it.

OK - one more guys hangs it up rather than fight this forum's moderators. See you later.

[B. Mark Lawrence]

Your words - "That is, if they don't allow you to do the split system."

Frame it up out back so they don't see it. So what else could you mean Phil? Seriously, what are you telling this guy to do if they turn him down?

[B. Mark Lawrence]

Only when installed in violation of environmental regulations. See what this thread is about? He can't install an HVAC because of environmental rules.