Check out heat pumps. Now a days they do a great job. They heat, cool, and even have a dry mode for humidity. Compared to ac and dehumidifiers, they are very economical to run. Vermont is giving an efficiency rebate along with the electric company. Of three, I have one more to install and should have around $1300 in them. My fuel oil furnace is off, we are running at 73 degrees and haven’t noticed a difference in power bill.
May relocate reloading room to garage.
- Thread starter K9TXS
- Start date
By moving to the garage, you are creating a situation in which you will have to provide air and heat 24/7 to a new space. That's expensive. If it's a matter of free choice, forget it. If it is because the wife has decided she wants the space, buy her flowers. Whatever you do, stay in the house.
I mentioned rust because I live 12 miles from salt water and it affects everything around here.
Add to that a south facing garage and the temperature swings in the garage are over the top.
When I lived out west, the only time rust was an issue was when something got wet and not cleaned and dried up.
Here in the Tampa bay area, rust is a fact of life.
Add to that a south facing garage and the temperature swings in the garage are over the top.
When I lived out west, the only time rust was an issue was when something got wet and not cleaned and dried up.
Here in the Tampa bay area, rust is a fact of life.
I live near Austin and have all my reloading equipment in the garage. I typically don't park cars in my 3 car garage, one bass boat, and my workshop take most of the room. The reason I mention that is that the rapid changes in weather can cause serious problems.
Worst case scenario is when a very cold air mass visits us for several days, cold soaking everything in the garage. Tools inside the tool box, guns in a safe, everything gets super chilled.
Then, overnight the weather changes and we get a warm moist flow off the Gulf, and if I open the garage door, exchanging that cold, dry air inside the garage with warm moist air, EVERYTHING sweats! Tools inside the box aren't spared and everything rusts.
So if you do move it all out there, and can't close off the space to create a controlled atmosphere room, make sure you don't open the garage door for several days after a cold snap or until everything warms back up.
Worst case scenario is when a very cold air mass visits us for several days, cold soaking everything in the garage. Tools inside the tool box, guns in a safe, everything gets super chilled.
Then, overnight the weather changes and we get a warm moist flow off the Gulf, and if I open the garage door, exchanging that cold, dry air inside the garage with warm moist air, EVERYTHING sweats! Tools inside the box aren't spared and everything rusts.
So if you do move it all out there, and can't close off the space to create a controlled atmosphere room, make sure you don't open the garage door for several days after a cold snap or until everything warms back up.
I do all my reloading in my garage. Used fans, dehumidifiers etc.... then put in one of those A/C heater units and the garage is 75* year round with humidity at 42%. The gun safe has a heater and stays about 2-4* warmer with humidity at 40% or a little less. This is in Ocala, FLORIDA by the way.
Interesting side note on rust/oxidation:
I have a buddy that has a very nice reloading room is his shop. Middle TN but climate controlled w/ HVAC. However, everything had a light coat of rust/oxidation. He said the AC worked fine, dehumidifier etc. One day we are talking and I noticed a bucket and asked what it was. He kept his pool Chlorine tabs in the shop. I said, you need to get that out ASAP!
Does not matter how dry it is. Fugitive Cl- with rust everything in sight.
I have a buddy that has a very nice reloading room is his shop. Middle TN but climate controlled w/ HVAC. However, everything had a light coat of rust/oxidation. He said the AC worked fine, dehumidifier etc. One day we are talking and I noticed a bucket and asked what it was. He kept his pool Chlorine tabs in the shop. I said, you need to get that out ASAP!
Does not matter how dry it is. Fugitive Cl- with rust everything in sight.
Well said, you perfectly described the worst case scenario which we had just a couple days ago 55 degrees one day and then 82 degrees the next. The other bad thing is all of the oak and pine tree pollen settling on everything then absorbing and holding moisture.
The one that got me bad, and taught me a valuable lesson was when we had 5 or 6 days where temps never got above freezing, then BOOM!, full-on south flow and temps in the 70's with very high humidity, and stupidly I opened the garage to warm everything back up. BOY Howdy! was that ever a big mistake. Everything in my garage was dripping wet, bass boat left puddles underneath, tools in the tool box, in drawers, didn't matter. It all got soaking wet like Long Island Tea on a hot humid summers day in the South. The only good thing was it didn't leave me with a hangover.
I am stone's throw from Galveston on the southern end of Houston... You have a huge hole in your garage reloading plan... 3 cars parked inside, which means the doors will open frequently and all new air replaced each time.
Years ago I claimed the garage for my workshop (lots of large steel surfaced power tools). The best and cheapest investment was to insulate the garage door ($500-$800), which a teenager was kind enough to kill the previous non-insulated door. The temperature dropped by 15F and suddenly could work in the garage during the summer without dying of heat exhaustion and dehydration. You will want to add insulation to the walls. You should assume that there is none between the sheet rock and exterior brick/hardy plank siding. Also, add insulation in the ceiling and add a bunch of 8' LED shop lights (weigh nothing and no more buzzing from a converter). I added a mini-split AC system from LG for $1500 I get 14 tonnes, which I kick on whenever the shop feels humid.
There will be no way to regulate the humidity if the garage doors open daily... it is a killer with our warm gulf air. A dehumidifier is essential if the doors open. Store everything in some form of tupperware container after you coat it with a rust prevention (search threads ... this topic of best rust prevention was a month or so ago that was really good). On a humid day if I have the garage door open for 15 minutes I will then turn on my dehumidifier and it will fill up the 2 gallon reservoir several times...its crazy but true.
By comparison my brother who lives a mile away has a small reloading room (enclosed) in his garage. The garage door is open frequently and he can not control the level of humidity even thought the reloading room has it's own door. When you walk in the air feels damp and smells like mold. His widow AC is just keeping the air cold but not dealing with the humidity issue.
I keep all of my powder and primers inside the house. PM me if you want to compare notes. Good Luck
Years ago I claimed the garage for my workshop (lots of large steel surfaced power tools). The best and cheapest investment was to insulate the garage door ($500-$800), which a teenager was kind enough to kill the previous non-insulated door. The temperature dropped by 15F and suddenly could work in the garage during the summer without dying of heat exhaustion and dehydration. You will want to add insulation to the walls. You should assume that there is none between the sheet rock and exterior brick/hardy plank siding. Also, add insulation in the ceiling and add a bunch of 8' LED shop lights (weigh nothing and no more buzzing from a converter). I added a mini-split AC system from LG for $1500 I get 14 tonnes, which I kick on whenever the shop feels humid.
There will be no way to regulate the humidity if the garage doors open daily... it is a killer with our warm gulf air. A dehumidifier is essential if the doors open. Store everything in some form of tupperware container after you coat it with a rust prevention (search threads ... this topic of best rust prevention was a month or so ago that was really good). On a humid day if I have the garage door open for 15 minutes I will then turn on my dehumidifier and it will fill up the 2 gallon reservoir several times...its crazy but true.
By comparison my brother who lives a mile away has a small reloading room (enclosed) in his garage. The garage door is open frequently and he can not control the level of humidity even thought the reloading room has it's own door. When you walk in the air feels damp and smells like mold. His widow AC is just keeping the air cold but not dealing with the humidity issue.
I keep all of my powder and primers inside the house. PM me if you want to compare notes. Good Luck
TAJ45
Silver $$ Contributor
A/C keeping cool but not dehumidifying? I asked a bldg systems maint honcho about that a few yrs back, whether to go a size larger on tonnage than what was actually neededHis answer was unit not running long enough bc it is two large for the area.
Thinking about it, the only time dehumidifying is occurring is during a run cycle. Cool things too fast, it shuts down.
Thinking about it, the only time dehumidifying is occurring is during a run cycle. Cool things too fast, it shuts down.
I converted a mud room in the basement. Nearest AC vent is outside the door, in the hall. Room temp stays cool with very little air movement. Not room for a turret press or large powder measure but works for the 4-5 calibers I work on. I'm also doing low volume. Picture is in early phase of development. Added more shelving in the corners, more die sets etc. And, fly swatter is gone
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AckleymanII
Gold $$ Contributor
There are thermostats now that will keep the AC unit running to a certain % humidity.
Yes you can get a Humidistat. Seen I’d done various ways for different applications.
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