In the past, climate control was strictly limited to the living spaces inside the home. The garage was four walls and a roof, essentially built to shelter a vehicle and lawn and garden equipment. Often the garage was detached from the house, as well, and thus deprived of any sort of heating or cooling.
Today, things are different. Here are some reasons to go all the way and condition an attached garage with heating and cooling:
Garages are not only for parking cars.
These days, people use them, too. They are commonly utilized as workshops for home improvement projects or hobbies, game rooms and sometimes get-togethers. An unheated garage in winter or one that’s sweltering in summer is not a human-friendly environment.
Garages are now attached.
Typically, a residential garage today already shares one wall with the home’s living spaces plus a door. The garage is thus more routinely accessed by residents than a detached garage. For example, it may be utilized daily as a laundry room or storage space.
Garage climate influences house environment.
An unconditioned and unventilated garage is usually a zone of bad air quality, too. Also, during a cold winter the garage tends to draw indoor heat out of the house through the shared wall. This increases the home’s heating load and causes montly energy expenses to rise. In summer, the situation reverses: heat from a hot garage radiates through the wall, burdening your central A/C with increased cooling requirements.
Stored items may be vulnerable.
Garages are frequently storage areas for a variety of items—not just hardware implements. Many items that might be stored in the garage could be damaged by seasonal temperature and/or humidity extremes. Climate control makes the unconditioned garage more versatile for storage.
Options are available.
A ductless mini-split heat pump adds all-season climate control to limited spaces such as a garage without the need to extend ductwork from the house or add additional cooling/heating load to your central system.
For more information about the benefits of adding climate control to your garage, contact the HVAC pros at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area