Air conditioning in garages (for sale, house, heat pump)

[Blanco111]

In August, I will be coming out to Arizona to do a nine day tour of retirement communities. In considering a home, I'm interested in a two car garage with a separate golf cart garage. Many of the newer model and resale homes have this. But I haven't seen mention of these garages having air conditioning. If I get an electric golf cart and/or an electric car, I read somewhere the batteries longevity is adversely affected by the extreme summer heat in Arizona. Are garages in the reitrement community homes typically air conditioned? I saw one home for sale where part of the current owner's garage was converted into a wood working shop. I didn't see an air conditioner, though. But how would someone one work in such hot conditions?

[azdr0710]

it would be stunningly expensive to air-condition a garage out here.....I've never heard of it except in a case where the space is used regularly for other daily activities.....the wood worker may set up a fan when he's/she's in there, or use a swamp cooler, or only go in there when it isn't hot

it is regularly hot out here from mid-May to late September.....car batteries do wear out faster because of this heat, but the cost of air conditioning a garage would come NOWHERE close to justifying replacing your battery in, say, three years instead of five......

[Blanco111]

Thanks for responding. What you say makes sense.

[Bummer]

Interesting approach, Blanco . . . however, proper Battery Maintenance / Care will be far more rewarding than an Air Conditioned Garage.

Invest in a Battery Tender Plus (NOT a Battery Charger) for each vehicle and use them whenever the vehicles are parked and your batteries will be just fine.

WELCOME to Arizona and Good Luck.

[Burning Madolf]

AC can be done. My neighbor is an AC mechanic (so cost was cheap I bet) but he put a Mitsubishi duct less in his garage. Insulated door, insulated attic above and probably not too bad when he wants to do something in there. I probably wouldn't do it just to keep the batteries cool.

I've also seen workshops within the garage completely enclosed and a window unit through the outside wall for cooling. Might not be advisable, but I've seen it.

[kell490]

My old house I bought a 3 ton packaged heat pump used on craigslist for $300 installed it my self for my garage. I used it when I worked in there on cars or whatever. It would bring it down to 77 in about 30 minutes use it for a few hours then shut it off. I like to reload ammunition in my garage work on cars. I have now so I went with ductless AC lot easier to install a few holes in the wall to run the copper lines out to the compressor outside. Cost wise it was about $5 a day extra on the days I run it well worth it to me spending the extra money.